SOU’WESTER EVENTS!
Discover what’s happening during your next stay or plan a visit around our free live music, workshops, wellness offerings and more!
Sat, Dec 28th, 2pm-6pm: Handbuild your own bud vase w/visiting artist, Laura Hoopenjans
at Ilwaco Artworks – 109 1st Ave N. Ilwaco, WA. Ages 10+ w/an adult or ages 14+. Beginner-friendly/all experience levels welcome.
Learn or expand on the basics of handbuilding using coils and slabs to make expressive and fun bud vases! This class is for all-levels and includes everything you need to make one or two finished small ceramic vases.
Laura Hoppenjans (she/they) is the artist behind Hop & Jans Studio, making fun ceramics to bring joy and color to your everyday life. They primarily focus on using handbuilding techniques to bring more expressive shapes and organic feels to their pottery. Visit hopandjans.com or follow @hopandjans on Instagram to learn more.
Live Music: Twin Bridges and Nate Norton
Twin Bridges’s melancholic aesthetic is the result of fusing classical and chamber music’s instrumentation and musicality with folk and indie-rock. Hailing from New Mexico, Twin Bridges currently resides in Portland, Oregon. “Born out of personal turmoil and heartbreak, Twin Bridges’ music is a testament to the healing power of art. “ – Voicemag UK
Clay Plays are casual, beginner-friendly pottery sessions where you will learn basic ceramic handbuilding skills to create functional or decorative objects. Ages 10+ with an adult or ages 14+. Pieces are glazed, fired and ready for pick up in 3-6 weeks. Shipping is available for our visiting attendees for $15 plus shipping costs.
Sun, Dec 29th: All Things Glaze. 2pm-5pm. $50
Ilwaco Artworks Community Clay Studio – 109 1st Ave N Ilwaco, WA
BYOP (Bring your own pottery). In this class you will be working on bisqued pottery to learn about all things glaze related. You will learn about underglaze, mineral washes, kiln processes and glaze chemistry as well as many different application methods.
NEW Studio Course Bundle – 3 Classes for $90 when you register for:
Working in the Ceramics Studio & All Things Glaze
This bundle will prepare you to be self-directed in the clay studio or for a punch card or membership. Discount auto-applied when you add all three to cart.
Sat/Sun, Jan 4th/5th: Block Printing Workshop (Mixed Level)| 10am-2pm – w/visiting artist, Eleanor Elektra Larsen.
Ages 10+ w/an adult or ages 14+. At The Sou’wester Lodge Pavilion 3728 J Pl Seaview, WA.
Learn the basics of block printing and experiment with DIY techniques for creating unique print media at home. This class is open to beginners as well as intermediate level printmaking students; we will cover techniques for rendering images in the carving block, hand-pressing prints and developing creative ideas.
Eleanor Elektra is an interdisciplinary artist based out of Boston MA and originally from the Pacific Northwest. Her work juxtaposes tangible and spiritual realms through juxtapositions of abstract and representational elements. When she’s not teaching private lessons and workshops she can be found working in her print studio or performing with her band.
Sat/Sun, Jan 4th & 5th: Handbuilt Vessels & Underglaze Decoration | All Level
2pm-6pm w/visiting artist Glenn Hendrick at Ilwaco Artworks – 109 1st Ave N. Ilwaco, WA. Ages 10+ w/an adult or ages 14+. Beginner-friendly/all experience levels welcome.
In this 2-day, beginner-friendly workshop, students will learn the basics of handbuilding with clay to create two bowls or tumblers. They will then explore two underglaze surface decoration techniques: sgraffito and water etching.
- Sgraffito involves carving through a layer of underglaze to reveal the clay beneath, creating intricate designs.
- Water etching uses wax resist to form patterns, allowing students to achieve a textured underglaze design.
Tuition includes all tools, clay, glaze, and firing for two finished pieces.
Glenn Hendrick is a San Juan Island, Washington-based artist working primarily in printmaking, painting, drawing, and ceramics. Glenn moved from Chicago to San Juan Island in 2013, helping to found Alchemy Art Center in 2018 where she is now Co-Executive Director. Much of Glenn’s pottery uses sgraffito and water etching techniques.
Create small sculptural structures and jewelry elements using wire and techniques borrowed from fiber traditions. Learn how to use a small set of easily accessible tools and materials to build parts and pieces that are strong, flexible, and lightweight. Beginning students will focus on learning basic processes and creating a sampler of techniques; experienced students may make multiples or scale up to more complex constructions. All are welcome.
Kristin Tollefson is a Tacoma-based artist and educator whose work embraces the relationship between the body, the senses, and the environment. Her practice includes sculpture, jewelry, installation and writing. Kristin earned an MFA in Metalsmithing from Cranbrook Academy of Art and a BA in Art History and Sociology/Anthropology from
Carleton College. She has received Fulbright US Scholar awards for research in Slovakia and Iceland, and multiple American-Scandinavian Foundation awards for work Iceland. Find her work at kltollefson.com or on social media @kltollefson.
Discover the timeless art form of cyanotype through cyanotype weaving! Learn about the history behind this fun and unique photographic process while making paper weavings and creating beautiful textures to be exposed into photograms. Create your own stunning Prussian-blue prints and gain knowledge about bleaching and toning your prints to create dynamic designs. All materials are provided and no experience is necessary.
Michaela is a passionate photographer, educator, and weaver who enjoys teaching others about the joys of cameraless photography. She loves to spark creativity within learners of all ages through hands-on workshops. Michaela has expertise and a background in digital and film photography and loves to share about her experience with all kinds of photo processes. She hopes to cultivate a supportive learning environment and show others how easy it is to create stunning photographs and photograms right at home.
Sat, Jan 18th, 2pm-6pm: Sat, Jan 18th: Selecting, Designing, & Applying Decals to Glaze-Fired Mugs w/visiting artist, AJ Wahl
at Ilwaco Artworks – 109 1st Ave N. Ilwaco, WA.
Ages 10+ w/an adult or ages 14+. Beginner-friendly/all experience levels welcome.
In this class, students will learn how to apply overglaze decals to glaze-fired ceramics. The instructor will provide wood-fired mugs and a variety of decals to choose from. The workshop will also cover applying decals to your work, purchasing overglaze decals online, designing simple custom decals, and the firing process needed to complete your decorated pieces. Participants may bring their own glaze-fired piece to decorate in addition to the provided mug (maximum size: 8 inches tall and 6 inches in diameter). Your finished work will be fired after the workshop and ready for pickup the following day, January 19th. For visiting attendees, shipping of finished pieces is available for $15 plus shipping costs.
Live Music: Leo Moon
Leo Moon is the solo incarnation of singer songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Brian Adrian Koch. California born and Oregon raised, Brian has been active in the Portland music scene since arriving in 2000. He is a current and founding member of indie rock band Blitzen Trapper (2000-present) and psychedelic folk duo Dead Lee (2018-2023) Appearing now as a solo acoustic performer, his minimal and haunting tunes are stripped down paeans to the glorious absurdities of life; harmonica spattered psalms to the void. He is preparing to release his first full length album, The Fool.