The public is invited to A Taste of Tea &Pottery, a fundraiser for the “Fire Arts” Program (ceramics and glass programs) at Volcano Art Center.
The event is slated for 1-5 p.m. Sunday (Aug. 12) at VAC’s Ni‘aulani Campus in Volcano Village.
Admission is $30 or $25 for VAC members and includes your choice of one handmade tea cup or bowl, a tasting of several freshly brewed Hawaii-grown teas and participation in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony.
There will be door prizes and a silent auction. Tea cakes and cookies and additional tea and tea cups will be available for sale.
Throughout the afternoon, there will be demonstrations and talks about the history and future of tea growing in Hawaii by Eva Lee from the Hawaii Tea Grower’s Association. The tea ceremony by the Urasenke Hilo Association is dedicated to the transmission and the practice of the traditional Japanese tea ceremony.
The day also offers ongoing demonstrations by VAC instructors and students of wheel-thrown pottery and stained-glass techniques.
A special two-hour East African hand-building ceramics class, taught by Erik Wold, will be offered for ticket holders during the event. The cost for this class is $35 or $30 for VAC members.
In 2016, Volcano Art Center realized the long-standing goal of offering ongoing ceramics and glass programs.
“As a result of a VAC member survey conducted in 2015, VAC discovered a growing interest in a variety of fire arts-related, hands-on workshops, such as ceramics, stained glass, and flame working,” said Alyssa Johnasen, the art center’s program manager.
These programs are now expanding and include high-fire pottery, flame-worked glass, stained glass and ceramic classes for students of the Volcano School of Arts and Sciences.
“The demand for additional classes has increased, which creates a need for additional supplies and equipment,” Johnasen said.
She added many ceramics students appreciate being able to take classes in their community not only to alleviate the stress of Kilauea’s ongoing eruption, but to help cope with personal loss.
“Students have raved about the therapeutic nature of these ongoing classes, and having a creative outlet to broaden horizons,” Johnasen said. “Volcano Art Center fills the need for these unique classes in rural East Hawaii.”
Enrollment in the fire arts programs has increased since the art center started offering them.
“With our ceramics program, we’ve expanded our offerings to include various types of hand-building classes in addition to wheel throwing,” Johnasen said. “Our stained-glass classes now include advanced projects as well.”
Many local artisans contributed their time, expertise and equipment to get these programs up and running, including potters Chiu Leong, Erik Wold, Lisa Louise Adams and Emily Herb and stained-glass artists Claudia McCall and Lois Pollock.
“As a local potter, teaching ceramics classes at VAC has been a tremendously rewarding experience,” Wold said. “A classroom environment of shared learning, camaraderie and the free exchange of creative ideas has greatly contributed to my own personal growth as a ceramic artist. How much I have learned through teaching and the inspiration I’ve received through interacting with students has been a truly pleasant surprise.”
Funds raised from last year’s event helped VAC secure basic infrastructure needs for the program, including tables, stools, improved lighting and storage for work in progress. Response from students has been very positive.
“Money raised during this year’s event will be used to purchase equipment for the fire arts studio, such as new pottery wheels, an eventual on-site gas kiln set up and additional stained-glass equipment, to name a few,” Johnasen said. “VAC hopes to continue offering these exciting hands-on workshops for the community. This crucial fundraiser allows us to expand our offerings of fire arts programs.”
So come enjoy an afternoon of tea, pottery and more. To purchase tickets, call Volcano Art Center at 967-8222 or visit www.volcanoartcenter.org.
Tickets also are available at the VAC Gallery at the Ni‘aulani Campus and at Basically Books and Banyan Gallery in Hilo.
Volcano Art Center Ni‘aulani Campus is located at 19-4074 Old Volcano Road in Volcano village.
