Pottery – Salem Happenings

Exploring Artistic Masterpieces

Art comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Acting, animation, dancing, music, movies, photography, pottery, painting, video game design, writing, and even Lego building can all be considered art forms. However, even though most people will experience a number of these art forms during their lifetimes, many people are never really exposed to the works of true masters. In fact, when most people think of artistic masters, they think of dusty paintings hanging in museums and/or long-since-dead guys that must have been dull and boring. But, this is really pretty unfortunate because there are a number of works, both old and new, that are truly amazing. Fortunately, if you are interested in exploring some really impressive artwork or even trying your hand at getting involved in making your own, there are several events this weekend that you will definitely want to check out.

First, if you’d really like to see the works of true masters and/or you would like to see all of the work that goes into preserving an artistic masterpiece, the Davis Museum at Wellesley College has the exhibit for you. This is because the Davis Museum has a special exhibit from now until June 7, 2015 entitled “Hanging with Old Masters: The Reinstallation of the Davis Museum.” This exhibit will allow you to see the artistic works of famous Italian painters and see how the museum actually preserves each painting, chooses which paintings are displayed, and determines how each painting should be displayed in the museum. For more information on Hanging with Old Masters: The Reinstallation of the Davis Museum, please visit the Davis Museum at Wellesley College website.

Secondly, if you’re really into painting and pottery but you prefer artwork that was made this century, you may want to check out the Lexington Arts and Crafts Society. This is because the Lexington Arts and Crafts Society is presenting their 2015 Paints & Pots exhibit from 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. today and tomorrow (March 6th and 7th, 2015) and from 12:00 to 4:00 on Sunday (March 8, 2015.) This exhibit features a wide range of cards, paintings (on both canvas and paper), prints, pots, sculptures, vases, and more. For more information on the Paints & Pots exhibit, which is free and open to the public, please visit the Lexington Arts and Crafts Society website.

Finally, if you’re looking for a way to take a more active role in an artistic masterpiece, you may want to consider creating something for the Fair Verona Festivals presented by the Shakespeare Commonwealth Company. The Shakespeare Commonwealth Company is hosting three outdoor art festivals this year in Boston as part of their Shakespeare OFF the Common series. These three festivals will each feature a performance of Romeo and Juliet and a series of artistic works and activities that explore a specific theme from the play. As a result, if you’re looking for a way to make your own masterpiece and be part of an incredible artistic endeavor, you may want to consider submitting a proposal for a creative work or activity that you can showcase at one of the festivals this summer. In order to find out more information about the Fair Verona Festivals and/or to submit your proposal by the submission deadline of March 15, 2015, please visit the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company website.

Photo credit: Trev Grant / Foter / CC BY

Not Every Potter is Named Harry

If you’ve read my recent posts, you’ve probably realized that there’s sort of a theme for this month and that theme is creativity. In fact, I’ve already discussed a variety of workshops that were specifically designed to help you explore acting, cartooning, filmmaking, photography, and writing. However, even though I’ve covered all of those creative outlets, there’s still a number of other artistic outlets that I haven’t covered yet. As a result, I decided that this week I would talk about some of the ways that you can explore one of the creative outlets that I haven’t discussed, the fine art of pottery.

First, if you have a young child who is an aspiring potter or you would love to channel your child’s inherent messiness into the creation of art, there is no better place to do so than the Brookline Arts Center’s Parent and Child Pottery Workshop. This workshop, which is scheduled to take place from 10:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. tomorrow (Saturday, November 22, 2014), will teach you and your child the basic skills you need to hand-make a teacup, tile, tumbler, or vase. For more information on the Parent and Child Pottery Workshop and/or to register for the class, which is intended for children four years and older, please visit the Brookline Arts Center website.

If, on the other hand, you’re looking for a way to work on some pottery without your child or you would rather paint pottery than make it, you may want to check out the Pottery Night at Paint N’ Pour in Waltham, MA. This laid-back workshop will allow you to spend the evening with other adults while you paint a plate with one of the designs provided or create your own. The fine people at Paint N’ Pour will then take your plate, fire it in the kiln, and glaze it, so in 7 – 10 days you will have your very own hand-painted plate. For more information on the Pottery Night at Paint N’ Pour, please visit the Paint N’ Pour website. Also, please note that this is an alcohol-free event even though the name of the location might suggest otherwise.

Photo credit: owlpacino / Foter / CC BY-ND

Friday Fun: Harvard Square

Black Friday may be over, but the holiday season has just begun. As a result, almost every mall, plaza, and independently-owned store will be filled with people who are still desperately trying to find gifts for all of the hard-to-shop-for friends and family that they didn’t cross off their list last weekend. Unfortunately, with the forecasters predicting rain followed by a significant temperature drop, it’s probably not going to the best weather to be wandering around looking for gifts. However, if you are determined to get some shopping done this weekend or you’re just looking for a way to have some fun without your extremities getting too frosty, Harvard Square is definitely the place to be.

First, if you’re looking for a way to stay warm while you’re shopping, Yelp Shops Local is hosting a Hot Cocoa Crawl in Harvard Square tonight (December 6, 2013) from 5:30 P.M. to 8:30 P.M. This event will give you the opportunity to try some of the best hot chocolate around and includes stops at Algiers Coffee House, Black Ink, Cardullo’s Gourmet Shoppe, Crema Cafe, and LA Burdicks. For more information on the event and to find out more about the exact times that the Yelp crew will be in each shop, please visit the Hot Cocoa Crawl in Harvard Square’s Yelp page.

Once you’re done with your hot chocolate or if you just want to skip the hot chocolate and get straight to the shopping, you can head over to the Harvard Square Holiday Fair. The Harvard Square Holiday Fair, which is hosted by the First Parish Church, is a craft fair that will give you a chance to peruse and, as far as the vendors are concerned, hopefully purchase a wide assortment of handmade calendars, cards, clothing, jewelry, pottery, and other similar holiday gifts. For more information on the holiday fair, which runs every weekend until Christmas, please visit the official Harvard Square website.

Photo credit: stefg74 / Foter.com / CC BY