In a studio space just off the square in Mountain View, David Dahlstedt placed a wet piece of clay on his pottery wheel. With expert precision and a keen eye, he utilized his hands and a damp sponge to mold the clay into a vessel, first wide, then thin and tall.
As he worked on shaping the clay, he fielded questions from students in the pottery class he was teaching. At one point, Jo Wilson of Norfork rushed over to his wheel to see his technique before returning to her own wheel to work. Barb Arthurs of West Plains, Missouri, asked a question about glazing her pieces, and Dahlstedt explained the best way for her to achieve her desired results.
After a few minutes, Dahlstedt had formed the clay into a large beer stein. After the class, the stein would go through a process of firing and glazing to harden the material before Dahlstedt could enjoy a drink from his creation.
This scene from last week’s pottery class is not atypical for the Arkansas Craft School. The nonprofit is in place to help people of all skill levels and experience learn more about various crafts.
“It’s an opportunity to do some hands-on work in a variety of arts and crafts, and that is good for the soul,” Executive Director Phyllis Haynes said. “It’s good to balance out work. It’s nice to take some time to relax and explore different avenues and learn more about things.”
Haynes said the craft school also adds to the economy in Stone County. The area is known for its crafts, as well as its music, and she said teaching people to appreciate arts and crafts helps support the local artisans.
“Crafts in Stone County are a vital part of the economy,” she said. “I think [participating in the Arkansas Craft School] helps you appreciate the value of crafts. … You don’t realize until you do the art or the craft how much time it takes — not to mention creativity. It gives you an appreciation for the craftsmen and the art they create.”
Classes for the spring/summer season are about to start at the Arkansas Craft School. Haynes said there are classes in a variety of arts and crafts for people of all experience levels, and all of the participants learn something to improve their craft.
“The cool thing about our classes is, for the most part, we try to keep them small to allow for individualized attention,” she said.
Later this spring, the Arkansas Craft School will host Sustainability Weekend, during which participants will learn various techniques for sustainable living. Gin Brown, president of the school’s board of directors, said attendees will spend their time in workshops at Tomahawk Creek Farm making art and learning about various sustainable practices.
“Everything is around corporate living,” she said.
Sustainability Weekend will include lessons in beekeeping, sourdough-bread making, cooking with honey, en plein air painting — which is painting outside — and lunch on the farm. Participants will make sourdough bread, then will make pizzas with a sourdough crust for lunch that day. The weekend activities will take place May 13-15.
The Arkansas Craft School offers classes in studio arts, clay, photography, metal, wood, glass, fiber and sustainable living. For more information about the school — including a full schedule for the spring/summer season — visit www.arkansascraftschool.org.
Continuing-education credits for Arkansas Craft School courses are available through Ozarka College and Pulaski Technical College.
Arkansas Craft School is at 110 E. Main St. in Mountain View.
Staff writer Angela Spencer can be reached at (501) 244-4307 or aspencer@arkansasonline.com.