Letter to our Community: a Message from Carol, the Board President
Carol Chevlowe, CAC Board President
July 11, 2020
This week, I took off my “Board President” hat for a few days and returned to where I started at Clay Art Center over 13 years ago, as a student and volunteer.
Back then I was just another student in Reena’s Friday class. She didn’t allow cell phone interruptions or much talking, and I still remember vividly the assignment where she had us close our eyes while learning to center. Simpler times.
I still take classes on Fridays, many of the same people are in my class or have become CAC Artists, and they will laugh when they too remember how we worked in silence back then!
Reena did not know me well when she started planning CAC’s first fundraiser, Hand in Hand, but I volunteered to join the committee and have not stopped working to advocate for CAC since.
Who could have imagined then that we would close our doors in March and reopen with masks and social distancing in July. It seems so long ago that we sent our staff to work from home. I am so grateful to Emily, Wendy, James, Regina, Nancy, Jessica, Jaclyn and Allison for their dedication and hard work over these past few months, as they helped CAC pivot in order to stay connected with our community through Zoom get-togethers, artist talks, virtual classes, and kids’ parties.
This week, with an incredible group of volunteers, we washed walls in the classroom, cleaned glaze buckets, and organized tools, so that students can return to a clean and safe space to create. As we dripped in sweat over these few days, CAC artists loaded kilns and students dropped off their work curbside to be bisque fired. Not only are we ready to have our community back in the studio, but it certainly feels like the community is ready to be back together.
As we navigate our reopening we have also formed a working group to lead us in our commitment to being an anti-racist organization. We firmly believe that Black Lives Matter. We are committed to including BIPOC voices as we work to make meaningful and lasting change within CAC, including but not limited to our programming, board composition, staff and artists.
The current unrest in the country and the demand for social justice and racial equality comes during an already stressful time due to the pandemic, but it is long overdue. As ceramic artists and potters, we know that at any moment our piece may fall apart. But we take our clay, learn from our mistakes and work towards a better piece and we will do the work to be a better CAC and do our part to help end systemic racism.
Be well and stay safe,
Carol Chevlowe
Clay Art Center Board President
*Originally posted July 11, 2020 in our weekly community email newsletter