Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma
Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma
The Mudslingers ceramics class for children has been working on creating clay birds and bird nests for spring.
Finnegan Gilbert, 11, works on forming and carving a bowl on the wheel.
Ceramics teacher Maggie Skidmore helps a student begin her project.
Each student meticulously glazes their project after letting them dry out.
Luna Gilbert uses the roller to flatten the slab of clay for her new project.
John Gibson starts forming his clay to begin throwing the project on the wheel.
The students work on glazing their ceramic birds by adding multiple layers to make the colors more vibrant.
Maggie Skidmore first began studying ceramics 20 years ago at the Fallbrook School of the Arts, and she fell in love with it.
The students are all encouraged to use their creativity in their projects.
The Fallbrook School of the Arts first opened in 1999, and it has been serving Fallbrook residents ever since. Students of all ages are welcome, and they offer a variety of classes including painting, ceramics, glass blowing, jewelry making, and more.
The Fallbrook School of the Arts was closed for five months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but in July the students were able to return to their classes and continue expressing themselves through art. One class that has become increasingly popular is the Mudslingers ceramics class for children ages 6-13.
Fallbrook School of the Arts Director Christine Vanni said she feels very grateful to be able to offer students a creative outlet during this time.
"At the school, we allow students the freedom to be creative," said Vanni. "This is a safe environment and a great place for students of all ages."
This ceramics class is taught by Maggie Skidmore, an experienced ceramist who began learning about clay and pottery 20 years ago at the Fallbrook School of the Arts, and she is one of the original teachers.
"I love introducing ceramics to people who've never done it before," said Skidmore. "They're happy to see that they can do art too, even if they hadn't considered themselves artists before."
Each Mudslinger class has 12-15 students, and they are required to wear a mask and social distance at this time. The students start by learning about the clay and how to form it, and they work their way up to throwing on the wheel and creating their own projects.
"Maggie encourages the students to be artists, they're creating art instead of copying others," said Vanni.
The students love the Mudslingers class, and they love being able to learn new things. They have the opportunity to use this class as their creative outlet, and they are able to continue learning during this stressful time. Many of the students have taken the class multiple times; they keep coming back to learn more and work on new projects.
One student, 11 year old Finnegan Gilbert, said that he loves being able to make his own dishes on the wheel.
"I like making bowls that I can use at home," he said. "It's fun to make new things."
Another student, John Gibson, has been open about his love for the Mudslingers class and pottery.
"I love learning about all the new projects and learning how to make different objects," he said. "I love everything about this class."
The Fallbrook School of the Arts is currently offering 15 in person art classes, and the staff is excited to continue educating Fallbrook residents in the arts.
"We've grown so much since the school first started, we're very fortunate for the amount of community support," said Vanni. "Our students are truly making art, and we will continue to nurture artistic creativity in every student."
For more information about the classes offered at The Fallbrook School of the Arts, visit https://www.fallbrookschoolofthearts.org/.
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