Clay. It’s sticky. Messy. Gloriously sensory. Most of us have dim childhood memories of being given a hunk of it to play with. Happy memories, mostly. Clay invites you in, without judgment or expectations, and for just a little clay and a little of your time, it heals.
When researchers tracked stress hormones before and after just 45 minutes of clay work, 75% of participants showed a measurable drop in cortisol. Clay lights up four parts of your brain at once: the sensory cortex (which grounds you in the present), the prefrontal cortex (which sharpens focus and decision making), the motor cortex (which builds neural pathways), and the default mode network (which quiets mental chatter). Working with clay is also fun and builds connections with others. We all could benefit from all of this.
The Prescott arts and education nonprofit Mud Makers has been spreading the joy of clay for over three years. Working slowly and cautiously toward creating a community ceramics studio downtown, Mud Makers cultivates community around the passion for and interest in ceramic arts. The group offers many workshops through the year to the public, and fully half its focus is bringing the healing experience of clay to those in our community who might best benefit from it — at-risk teens, children in foster care, and veterans.
Mud Makers also mobilizes its ceramics troops every summer to make hundreds of bowls for Prescott Empty Bowls. In February this year the Art Hive hosted MudFest, an invitational fine-art ceramics show to highlight local ceramic artists and the group’s work. The focus of this innovative nonprofit is as much about the healing nature of working with clay as it is about the sheer joy of getting muddy.
On Sunday, October 11 Mud Makers will host Mug Madness, a community ceramics festival, to give all visitors the chance to get their hands in clay — yes, even on a potter’s wheel! From 10am to 3pm there will be ceramics activities for all ages, artist demonstrations, food trucks, pottery-wheel games (blindfold throwing, tallest vessel, 2 potters/1 wheel throwing), and pottery vendors. A special feature of Mug Madness will be the Mug Walk, where participants circle up and pass handmade mugs around while everyone’s favorite accordionist, Meg Bohrman, plays jaunty tunes. Whenever the music stops, whoever is holding a mug gets to keep it. All Mug Walk participants eventually get mugs, generously donated by the event’s featured artists.
Mug Madness is intended to be both a community-building event and a fundraiser to cover the cost of its work in bringing clay into the community. Mud Makers members want every event they host, even fundraisers — especially fundraisers! — to be fun and leave people wanting more. ‘Muddies’ will be available at the Mud Makers booth with swag and information about classes and volunteer opportunities. Our nonprofit partners The Launch Pad Teen Center, Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Central AZ, Rise Above the Clouds and Prescott Empty Bowls will all be at the event as well to share information about their valuable work in our community.
Admission to the festival is free. Everyone will have a chance to watch skilled ceramic artists strut their stuff and to get their own hands in clay. There will be a kids table with clay activities for small folk as well. A donation of $25 will get you a wristband to participate in the Mug Walk, which will be going on throughout the day.
Mug Madness, a community ceramics festival, will take place on Sunday, October 11 10am-3pm at the Fairweather Social Club, 224 N. Cortez St downtown. For more information about Mud Makers and its work in our community, visit mudmakers.org.
