Clay Connections with the Shibatas

On July 24th, Hitomi and Takuro Shibata visited with potters in Cherokee. The Shibatas are Japanese potters who have lived in Seagrove, NC for the last 20 years, studying and creating with wild clay. Takuro is the ceramics director at StarWorks, a nonprofit organization that studies and processes clay made entirely from North Carolina materials.

As the teachers for a 2-week Wild Clay Mentorship program at John C. Campbell Folk School, the Shibatas asked to bring their class to Cherokee, where they visited the studio of Mary Thompson, the Oconaluftee Indian Village, and the community woodfire kiln that is being built in Birdtown.

EBCI artist Betty Maney and CNH Deputy Director Bonnie Claxton participated in the Mentorship program and look forward to using their new knowledge and skills to dig and process wild clay to use and share with other artists. The Center for Native Health looks forward to continuing this relationship with the Shibatas and StarWorks for many years to come.

Pictured: Hitomi Shibata, Tomo Shibata, Levi West, Bonnie Claxton, Tara McCoy, Trey Adcock, Takuro Shibata.