Demonstration Pictures Archived
The 20th annual Clay City Lions Club Pottery Festival took place recently. This year the weatherman, unlike last year, cooperated and the weather was just beautiful.
Early Saturday morning members of the Clay City Lions Club manned the twenty charcoal grills and started preparing the "famous-fall-of-the-bone" charcoal grilled chicken that is certainly the tastiest attribute of the festival. The chicken recipe, with its untold secret ingredients, has been handed down from "Head Lion Club Chef” to the current "Head Lion Club Chef " since 1947 and has no equal in the Wabash Valley. For the third year in a row rib-eye steak sandwiches or dinners were also offered and it remains a toss up as to which dinner was the favorite: chicken or steak. One of the prime sponsors of the festival, the Clay City Lions Club uses the Festival as their main fund raising activity. All profits are pumped right back into the community. The charcoal roasted chicken dinner and rib eye steak sandwiches (or dinner) on Saturday went over "fantabulously" with the crowd..
Over the years other Clay City community service organizations have been encouraged to join in on the fund raising activities. Organizations such as the "Band Boosters" and the Volunteer Fire Department, to name but a few, have come to be regular participants and with their presence have become important contributors to the success of the Festival. The Festival now offers something for just about everyone. There's a flea market, an arts and crafts show & sale, the Quilt Display, Antique Cars and Tractors, a demonstrating potter (guess who!) on the North side of town in Goshorn Park and factory tours of the 122-year old family owned Clay City Pottery on the South side of town.
Over the years the Festival has developed into a regional event that draws people from as far away as Arizona and New York. A steady stream of visitors found their way to the many activities taking place all over Goshorn Park.
Are we having fun yet?
The banter of the side show barker, with his "Ring-a-ding-ding" and his familiar "Cool" added to the ambiance of the Festival and brought smiles to the faces of all. The twentieth annual Clay City Pottery Festival is history, but it is hoped that all will be back next year! Should YOU be interested in exhibiting next year, you may contact Mr. Bill Waite at 812-939-2910 or 812-939-2596
See you next year!
The 19th annual Clay City Lions Club Pottery Festival took place recently. The Lions Club charcoal roasted chicken dinner and rib eye steak sandwiches (or dinner) on Saturday went over "fantabulously" with the crowd. Sundays Jonah Fish Fry was a huge success too. The weather this year was absolutely beautiful. Scattered rain was predicted for the area, but it did not materialize as the rain “scattered” somewhere else!
Early Saturday morning members of the Clay City Lions Club manned the twenty charcoal grills and started preparing the "famous-fall-of-the-bone" charcoal grilled chicken that is certainly the tastiest attribute of the festival. The chicken recipe, with its untold secret ingredients, has been handed down from "Head Lion Club Chef” to the current "Head Lion Club Chef " since 1947 and has no equal in the Wabash Valley. For the second year in a row rib-eye steak sandwiches or dinners were also offered and it remains a toss up as to which dinner was the favorite: chicken or steak. The Clay City Lions Club is the main sponsor of the Festival and uses the Festival as their main fund raising activity. All profits are pumped right back into the community. Over the years other Clay City service organizations have been encouraged to join in on the fund raising activities. Organizations such as the "Band Boosters" and the Volunteer Fire Department, to name but a few, have come to be regular participants and with their presence have become important contributors to the success of the Festival.
Over the years the Festival has developed into a regional event that draws people from as far away as Arizona and New York. A steady stream of visitors found their way to the many activities taking place all over Goshorn Park.
The Festival now offers something for just about everyone. There's a flea market, an arts and crafts show & sale, the Quilt Display, Antique Cars and Tractors, a demonstrating potter (guess who!) on the North side of town in Goshorn Park and factory tours of the 121-year old family owned Clay City Pottery on the South side of town.
The banter of the side show barker, with his "Ring-a-ding-ding" and his familiar "Cool" added to the ambiance of the Festival and brought smiles to the faces of all.
As in years past Rogier Donker brought his Raku kiln again and several Raku demonstrations were held in Goshorn Park over the course of the Festival. The public was encouraged to participate in the Raku demonstrations and many did. Cool! ;-)
See you next year!
Farmersburg Elementary Dec. 3rd 2005
Next on the schedule was a visit to Farmersburg Elementary. The students there were anxiously awaiting the arrival of the “Clayman” since WTWO News had featured the potter in a Live At Five segment that a lot of kids had seen earlier in the week. The lower grades were all eyes and enjoyed the various “silly” things that the Clayman made on the potter’s wheel while the upper grades tried their best to better the ball tossing record….
Next it was off to Dugger Elementary.
Again, having seen the Clayman ( “I saw YOU on TEVEE!!”) on the “tube”, the kids wasted no time putting themselves on their best behavior as they filed into the Art room to be entertained by Porky the Pig, Donald Duck and oh so many more fun things. Why even Sponge Bob came alive on the Potter’s wheel. (How’d he do that?) Ah but that ball toss….:-(
…and then there was Annie, who actually made a pretty nice pot!
Hopping all over the Northeast School Corporation, Hymera Elementary was next on the schedule. By now the whole County was aware that the Clayman was visiting all the schools, so the kids here were READY!
Anticipation!
The fifth and sixth grades did try the ball toss, but unfortunately there was this one kid …. well….never mind….three tosses is all each grade could muster. Better next time!
November 2005
Thanks to the sponsor ship of both the Northeast School Corporation and the WCIESC this is the year that we will be doing a demonstration at all the Elementary Schools of the Northeast School Corporation. First on the agenda was Shelburn Elementary where the kids are quite familiar with “the clay dude” as this is the school that Elias attended.
While as many kids as possible got to try their hands at the wheel, the most fun was when one of the enterprising students decided to “ruin” the creation of his class mates. All in good fun! The pictures speak for themselves! :-)
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November 2005
On an unseasonable warm day in November it was off to Elias’ Alma Mater : North Central High School in Farmersburg ,Indiana. The students there too, remembered the “Clay Man” from their Elementary School days and volunteers (especially in the lower grades) were eager and ready to climb on the wheel. The Seniors….well….they’re SENIORS! :-) Some did try though!
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October 2005
Next on the schedule was
Van Duyn Elementary School. The students there are
among the most terrific kids anywhere and since they remembered the "Clay
Dude" from years past ,they knew what was coming. A little rowdy here and
there, but Hey! A good time was had by all!
"The Clay Dude cometh!"
Since it was "crazy hat day" the potter obliged....(Are we having fun yet?)
There were volunteers aplenty as EVERYBODY wanted to try their hand at the wheel
Star of the day was Laura, who created most all of this pot. Yep, you have good reason to smile ,Laura. You did good!
This school year marks the fortieth year that Rogier has
been doing school demonstrations and what better school to start the season with
then
Rockville High School in Rockville Indiana. The art teacher there, a certain
dynamic personality named Rita Jacks (That's Mrs.Jacks to you, kid!) has been
instrumental in having Rogier visit practically every year for the last twenty.
Why, Rogier just about has his own parking space at the school...right at the
back door!
As can be seen on the pictures the students wasted no time wanting to try their
hands at throwing on the wheel. Rogier earned his keep that day, teaching one
student after another!
A good time was had by all
In late June Rogier visited two branches of the Vigo County Library. The kids enjoyed themselves and learned about dinosaur goop and according to the fan mail it was "a remarkable and enjoyable program".
All that in between building a house!
