Thursday of 4-H Creativity Camp was another new experience as we travelled to Star, NC to visit
Starworks. The old sock plant is being revamped into a center of arts and home to our 4-H members this morning. Once we arrived we got a history of this unique building and then travelled to the back where we encountered unique lighting fixtures made from cans, raised bed gardens made from concrete parking barriers, and a neat entrance into the glass blowing section of the plant.
As we took our seats on the bleachers set up for glass blowing viewing we experienced the heat it takes first hand to melt glass. It was an interesting process to view as they added, shaped, and molded layer after layer of glass. At the end they blew into the big old mound of molten glass making a pumpkin. We got to see as they poked a hole in it and transferred it to another pole to add a stem and make a curly Q before transferring the big pumpkin to an oven for cooling. They told us in the fall they have a pumpkin patches with thousands of glass pumpkins that they sell to make money. It was awesome to see and learn about the glass blowing and coloring process.
From the glass blowing studio we travelled through an artful showroom downstairs to the pottery workshop. We learned that they make their own clay and ship it, and other clays world wide, as part of their sustainability plan. Each of us sat down in front of a small manual wheel and had the chance to throw clay and build our own creations. We learned about scoring, slip, and coiling the clay. As we smoothed out the creations new visions came into our heads and our projects grew into something fantastic. We had bowls, mugs, baskets, face jugs, and anything else you can imagine. When we were done the potters we were working with used a wire to scrap our creations off the wheel. The creations will dry for a week or two, be fired, then a decorative glaze will be added before they are fired again (just like our work on Monday) getting all shiny. Miss Shea Ann will pick them up in about a month and let us know when we can come to the office to get them.
After all that hard work it was time to head to K&W for lunch. We ate until we could not eat anymore. The. It was time to head to the North Carolina Pottery Museum located on the pottery highway. There we saw a special display of face jugs, how pottery is made then and now, and even got to touch some kiln accidents. We then travelled out side and got to see outdoor kilns and view some fun out door pottery creations. It wasn't long before it was time to load up on the vans to travel home. As we travelled we were excited to think about how all our creations will turn out.
As we took our seats on the bleachers set up for glass blowing viewing we experienced the heat it takes first hand to melt glass. It was an interesting process to view as they added, shaped, and molded layer after layer of glass. At the end they blew into the big old mound of molten glass making a pumpkin. We got to see as they poked a hole in it and transferred it to another pole to add a stem and make a curly Q before transferring the big pumpkin to an oven for cooling. They told us in the fall they have a pumpkin patches with thousands of glass pumpkins that they sell to make money. It was awesome to see and learn about the glass blowing and coloring process.
From the glass blowing studio we travelled through an artful showroom downstairs to the pottery workshop. We learned that they make their own clay and ship it, and other clays world wide, as part of their sustainability plan. Each of us sat down in front of a small manual wheel and had the chance to throw clay and build our own creations. We learned about scoring, slip, and coiling the clay. As we smoothed out the creations new visions came into our heads and our projects grew into something fantastic. We had bowls, mugs, baskets, face jugs, and anything else you can imagine. When we were done the potters we were working with used a wire to scrap our creations off the wheel. The creations will dry for a week or two, be fired, then a decorative glaze will be added before they are fired again (just like our work on Monday) getting all shiny. Miss Shea Ann will pick them up in about a month and let us know when we can come to the office to get them.
After all that hard work it was time to head to K&W for lunch. We ate until we could not eat anymore. The. It was time to head to the North Carolina Pottery Museum located on the pottery highway. There we saw a special display of face jugs, how pottery is made then and now, and even got to touch some kiln accidents. We then travelled out side and got to see outdoor kilns and view some fun out door pottery creations. It wasn't long before it was time to load up on the vans to travel home. As we travelled we were excited to think about how all our creations will turn out.
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