Hohokam Pottery: A Ceramics Workshop with Katheryn Corbin

Fee: $85/ $75 members (all materials included)
Registration: Advance registration required. Register by phone at 414-446-8794.

Hohokam pottery developed in the river valleys of the Sonoran desert about 1800 years ago. Using a buff colored clay and coil building techniques—as well as a wooden paddle and stone--Hohokam potters made plates, bowls, dishes, pitchers, ladles, and drinking vessels for daily use. Pieces were decorated with a fine, liquid red clay or slip, then piled in a shallow pit and covered with grasses and animal dung. Shards of broken pottery protected the pieces from the flames once the fuel was ignited. The smudges formed by the smoke on the surface of the pottery were known as “fire clouds.”

In this workshop we will explore these traditional techniques, materials, and processes to create vessels that can then be smoke-fired at our Fall Sawdust Firing. Bring a bag lunch and beverages and dress for studio work as well as the outdoors. We’ll be making use of Lynden’s 40 beautiful acres during our breaks, weather permitting. Attendance at the smoke firing is voluntary, but you will need to return at a later date to pick up your pots. Beginners welcome.

About Katheryn Corbin
Katheryn Corbin is a painter, potter, and figure sculptor. Pots and figures have both been a part of Corbin's studio practice and teaching. Drawing and painting are important elements in each discipline, and her clay pieces are informed by the complementary processes of working with clay as vessel and as figure. Corbin is interested in historical developments in clay and variations across cultures, and she often explores different firing techniques and glaze surfaces. She has taught at all levels from elementary school through adult at the Evanston Arts Center in Evanston, IL; the Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan, WI; the Milwaukee Art Museum; the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design; and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.