Brunswick welcomed visiting artist-in-residence Cliff Mendelson to the Lower School for “A Day in Clay” — a hands-on workshop exploring Native American tradition and design — on December 2-3.
Mendelson, a professional artist, sculptor, and potter at the Westchester Art Workshop, has taught at Parsons School of Design, Greenwich House Pottery, and Hunter College.
Through discussion, demonstration, and individual experience and experimentation, Mendelson empowered ’Wick fourth graders with knowledge concerning Native American vessels’ design and connection to various cultures.
“The magic of Day in Clay is how everyone discovers how the art of clay crosses cultures and academic disciplines,” Mendelson said. “Sometimes it is how a pot emerges from the wheel to a height of three feet, or it can be a simple hand-built mask or a pinch pot.
“We find that clay helps us tap that creative impulse that raises the ordinary to the extraordinary.”