August 04, 2022
Courtesy of/The Clay Studio
The 7th annual Clay Fest is being held at the Clay Studio's new South Kensington location on Aug. 20 from 12 to 4 p.m. The free event features plenty of activities, including a group sculpture project inspired by Roberto Lugo's recent mural of Tariq 'Black Thought' Trotter.
The Clay Studio's annual family-friendly event is heading into its 7th year, and residents of all ages are invited to check out the recently-opened South Kensington location for a full afternoon of art and muddy fun.
Clay Fest is taking place on Saturday, Aug. 20 from noon to 4 p.m. The free event features plenty of activities, including hands-on clay projects, wheel-throwing demonstrations, a group sculpture project, artist projects, workshops, and screen printing.
From noon to 2 p.m., Artist Nitza Walenca is leading a clay necklace workshop. Visitors can also decorate fish-inspired dishes that will be glazed and fired by the studio, or try their hand at wheel throwing with guidance from a member of the studio's staff.
Guests can grab some clay props and mold them to create quick stop-motion animation in a photo booth, or head over to Second State Press to try silk screen printing on a free tote bag. Mobile Raku, a ceramic studio on wheels, will be on site teaching about the process of glazing.
For those with a sweet tooth, an ice cream social will be provided by Weckerly's Ice Cream from 2 to 4 p.m. Visitors can create ice cream bowls, sgraffito tiles, and clay owls.
Throughout the day, the studio is hosting free interactive artist activities. Ibrahim Said, whose work is currently on display in The Clay Studio's featured exhibit "Making Place Matter," will be teaching about Islamic patterning.
A group sculpting activity will turn 1,000 pounds of clay into a work of art inspired by the studio's mural of The Roots' Tariq Trotter, designed by Roberto Lugo.
The mural was unveiled at a public reception featuring Black Thought in early June. The emcee of the legendary hip-hop group said that the mural is more important to him than many other accolades The Roots have earned throughout their more than two-decade career.
The Clay Fest is presented and sponsored by PNC Arts Alive, an initiative from the PNC Foundation that supports visual and performing arts.
Other than The Clay Studio, the arts initiative supports The Barnes Foundation, Expressive Path at the Elmwood Park Zoo, the Philadelphia Museum of Arts' activities for children, and Sruti, The India Music and Dance Society that holds classical Indian music and dance concerts throughout the region.
Saturday, Aug. 20, 2022
noon to 4 p.m. | Free
The Clay Studio
1425 N. American St., Philadelphia, PA 19122
