This display gave us the opportunity to share how working with ceramics in a community can help people to access their creativity and make new local connections. It showed the multi-stage process of creating ceramic FiSH: the bisque fired FiSH and the glazed FiSH (the second step in the process). This display also highlighted the incredible array of different techniques and approached individuals bring to the process of creating. And these FiSH are all are swimming well together, with their differences enhancing the exhibit.

Here’s a very big thank you to the Maryland State Arts Council for awarding Judybeth a 2019 Creativity Grant to hold 3 more FiSH-making and community building workshops and another FiSH STiCKS release party at her Glenside Art Studio in Takoma Park.

So far, we’ve held two of the three workshops and participation keeps growing! We had 15 people at the first workshop and 32 at the second!!!! Our next neighborhood workshop is on Sunday May 19th from 1-4 pm.

Future posts will have many NEW photos and FiSH stories. We will also share more stories about and from the Difference Makers of Takoma Park Middle School, administered by Bryan Goehring. Without the help of Difference-Makers, this stepped up level of service would not be possible, so I want to share that story. I will also be sharing the story of Joe Bradley who has fired over 100 FiSH for us at the Corcoran School of Arts & Design.

On Sunday, November 18, about 20 people came by to pick up (or glaze) their FiSH, and add the STiCKS.  We had a really nice time looking at what all this combined creativity brought into being.  Ben and Barb Frey brought a tasty lentil stew with rice, and Judybeth had a full array of bagels and cream cheese so no one when hungry.

There are a few FiSH left still waiting for glazing, and the FiSH-makers who made them are welcome to reach out to Judybeth to arrange a time to glaze them.

We also continued to make more FiSH, particularly because the adults did not get a chance earlier,  and some of the FiSH makers who did not get to glaze their FISH at earlier sessions were able to do so at the party.

NEXT Blog post will feature the participants in FiSH STiCKS, their FiSH and their thoughts!!!!!

FiSH STiCKS is brought to you with a grant from the Takoma Foundation, administered by Arts on the Block, with logistical support from Difference Makers.  Joe Bradley, the 3D Studio Coordinator at Corcoran School of Art & Design/George Washington University generously donated his time and the school’s large kilns to bisque-fire and glaze-fire our FiSH.  

We did a lot of experimentation with glazes.  Some FiSH-makers carefully painted in specific areas with multiple layers; others like Britney let the glazes run for some really interesting effects.

Because we were glazing the FiSH at a high temperature ((cone 10) so that they could withstand the elements when installed outside), some of the underglazes became less stable and the delicate lighter colors seemed to change to darker or different colors.  

Sophie chose to use an ombre approach to her FiSH. Spectacular, you’d have to agree:

We still have a few FiSH that have been glazed and are going into the kiln for glaze firing:

In an earlier post, I mentioned that there were 2 stages of firing ceramics in a kiln.  The first, is the bisque firing which “cooked” the FiSH at a relatively low temperature of 1960 degrees F (cone 03); this hardens the FiSH and makes them a light tan. Then we painted on glazes, usually using underglazes with a coat of clear glaze, which went into a hotter kiln with a temperature of 2284 degrees F (cone 10).  This makes the ceramics very durable creates the shiny water resistant FiSH.

We also experimented with using underglazes on FiSH before the initial bisque firing.  These FiSH were initially sculpted by me and then finished off with detailing by Nico, who is going to be quite an accomplished artist if she’s this intuitive in middle school! I can’t wait to see what these look like after they are bisque fired and then glazed:

The FiSH looked like this after they were bisque-fired: 

Then on Saturday October 18th, many neighbors and teenage Difference Makers came to glaze their FiSH. The photos below speak for themselves.  There was lots of excitement and color experimentation.  Personally, I learned a lot about how I need to restructure my studio space for a lot of people! What did you get out of this experience?                  Please add your comments! 

For folks who still have FiSH to glaze, we are holding a second opportunity to glaze on Saturday November 3rd from 4-6 pm  (to RSVP text 202-425-6772). 

We are going to have a live interview on public radio with WOWD Talk of Takoma with editor/host Eric Bond on Sunday, November 11th @ 2 pm  (I’d love to have a few participants come with me to discuss it, so please RSVP to 202-425-6772 if you would like to do so).   Then we will have a FiSH STiCKS RELEASE PARTY on Sunday November 18th!  See next blog post for details (we had to postpone release one week so we could get all the FiSH glaze-fired).

My photos from October 28th glazing event:Photos by Ivana Mancic:

I can’t wait to see what these look like once they are fired with these bright glazes!

Hi! Great news, Joe Bradley, at GWU/Corcoran Ceramics Department is going to fire our fish this week and we will be able to glaze them at my studio:

So, Phase 2:

THIS SUNDAY (October 28th) between 4-6 pm.  

ALSO if you didn’t get to make a fish you can make a fish then!  

If you can’t make it on October 28th, we will also offer a second opportunity for glazing on Saturday, November 3rd from 4-6 pm  (to RSVP text 202-425-6772)

Phase 3: Live Interview on WOWD Talk of Takoma with editor/host Eric Bond on Sunday, November 11th @ 2 pm  (looking for neighborhood participants to join Judybeth for interview)

Phase 4:  Sunday, November 18th: 12:00-3 PM:  FISH STiCKS  RELEASE PARTY!!!

             Collective FiSH PHOTO at 1 pm @ Judybeth’s studio

Thanks for joining me on this journey with FiSH STiCKS!

Now let me share the story of this project… It’s a bit long, but, this is, after all, a fish story.

The story began with an assignment in 2015 from my Art Education in Museum & Community Settings course at the Corcoran School of Art & Design (now GWU).  The course was taught by Melissa Green (Artreach at the ARC) and Meagan Estep (the Phillips Collection).  Melissa charged us to create a community art program focusing on the artistic creation of fish.

“True arts engagement makes all things possible.”                                     

— Judybeth Greene

Fish windsocket, created by ARTREACH for Anacostia River Festival Fish Bike Parade (2014)

At the time, Melissa was involved in a program to help attract people to the 11th Street Bridge Park celebration with the Anacostia River Festival Fish Bike Parade.   Workshops were held throughout the city to create fish windsockets to fly behind bicycles as hundreds of people biked to the festival. Super cool!

As my project, I created FiSH STiCKS, to address the fact that while we have a fabulously integrated neighborhood in New Hampshire Gardens, we don’t really know each other, especially cross-culturally.  By creating an easily accessible art project on site, with multiple points of contact, I thought we might get to know each other more across these potential divides and become more of an integrated community.

When I first wanted to implement this program in the New Hampshire Gardens community, I found some enthusiasm but also other priorities within the neighborhood association.  In the end, I helped bring Art for the People in to supported the NHGCA  application for a Takoma Park Community Grant for a neighborhood language survey and an art project.  Talisha Searcy, Carolyn Bobb, Melissa Hopkins Taggart and Jessie Crain were the talented NHGCA leaders who submitted the application.

The grant was awarded, and the art result was the wonderful sign at the corner of Glenside and Carroll, designed and implemented by Art for the People artist Alice Sims and Luke Vawter in consultation with the NHGCA, and finished with the assistance of neighborhood residents.

Meanwhile, I implemented a “Beta” FiSH project with friends of my daughter and created more “Beta” FiSH with neighbors at a New Hampshire Garden Fall Party at the Becca Lily Park in 2016.  This project was supported by Art for the People, which provided funds for the glazes, and GWU/Corcoran School of Art which fired the FiSH in their kiln.

Which catches us up to this year’s FiSH STiCKS launch……