The Ilwaco Artworks building at the main intersection in Ilwaco has been a hotrod repair shop and a garage for sprucing up vacation trailers.

Now it is a thriving ceramics studio, with kilns and a seemingly endless supply of clay, waiting to be shaped by eager hands.

It is all fueled by the enthusiasm of studio manager and head instructor Hans Miles.

Miles, who has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in his craft, grins broadly as he takes an impromptu visitor on a tour. Nestled on racks around the building are ceramics in various stages of completion. 

Seated at a workbench, Juliana DeFrance of Seaview is shaping a bowl, happy to have her hands photographed as they knead clay with studied imprecision. On a shelf over her shoulder is an angular teapot that combines functionality with decorativeness. 

Even owner Thandi Rosenbaum, the guiding light behind the Sou’wester Lodge in nearby Seaview, has her own creations on display. 

The operation seems to want to make every child a potter. It recently earned a partnership award from leaders at the Dylan Jude Harrell Community Center for its vigor in collaborating. 

In one window facing Ilwaco’s main street, work by Clatsop Community College’s ceramic art instructor Brad Menninga reflects his progressive politics in the pale blue Irish Wedgewood style. He will teach a class in Ilwaco June 28 on “Making Sprig Molds and Pottery Stamps,” allowing students to add texture and relief designs to their clay projects. A sprig mold is a small, flat mold, usually made from bisque-fired clay, used to create low-relief shapes called sprigs.

In addition to showing at the college, Menninga has created a solo installation at the Mall of America in Minnesota, published technical and philosophical pieces in ceramics magazines, and earned awards for ceramic art.

Rosenbaum is delighted at the current success of the enterprise. A Community Accelerator Grant enabled plumbing and wiring to be improved. The building has been part of her operations since 2016, initially as space to repair trailers that house artsy visitors on her forested Sou’wester Lodge campus at 3728 J Place, in Seaview. A donated kiln was the impetus for the ceramic art program to take over one corner then the entire Ilwaco building.

On this day she is buzzing over international publicity. The New York Times has published an article showcasing locations for “Getaways to nurture your artistic side, even if you’re not an artist.” One is in a chateau near Paris, another in Pennsylvania. Another is at 109 First Ave. N., Ilwaco.

“It was a great article,” she says, although her competitors offer an attraction. “They are amazing — I want to go!”

 

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Ilwaco Artworks at 109 First Avenue N offers a series of opportunities in June to learn about clay art.

Classes are listed below: 

• 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. June 5, a four-week Wheel Throwing Series. Each session begins with a demonstration, followed by hands-on instruction. For advanced students, projects are open-ended, allowing for creative exploration. Beginners receive one-on-one guidance to craft chosen objects like cups, bowls and planters. Wedging, throwing, trimming, altering and surface treatment are examined. Cost is $220.

• 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. June 7, Wheel Throwing Doughnut Handles and Forms. A special projects class intended to complement and add to a throwing skillset by focusing on a single advanced technique. To get the most out of this class organizers ask that students feel comfortable centering and pulling up cylinders before enrolling. Cost is $50

• 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. June 13, a beginner-friendly session on Pottery and Ceramics to learn handbuilding skills to craft a decorative or functional object. Clay Dates are open to solos, duos or friend groups and include a demo, clay, glaze and firing. Pieces are glazed, fired and ready for pick up in 3-6 weeks. Shipping is available for attendees for $15 plus shipping costs.

• 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 21, two-day, all levels Wheel Throwing. Instructors will focus on throwing and trimming cylinders. Day 1 will focus on throwing cylinder/cup forms and Day 2 will focus on trimming, adding handles and investigating underglaze surface work. Cost is $115.

• 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. June 21, Wheel Throwing Vases. Special projects classes are intended to complement and add to throwing skillsets by focusing on a single advanced technique. To get the most out of this class, students should feel comfortable centering and pulling up cylinders before enrolling. Cost is $50.

• 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. June 22. Working in the Ceramic Studio: Wedging to Glazing. This class will prepare people to work self-directed in the ceramics studio. They will build on existing knowledge and learn the essentials of studio work, including prepping clay and workspace, using basic tools, handbuilding techniques, clay body types and reclaiming clay. The course covers moisture content, wrapping and storing, glazing, firing cycles and finishing the work. Cost is  $25.

For details, contact Hans Miles at ilwacoartworks@gmail.com or call (360) 777-1300.