Welcome Potluck & Burnout Ceramic Workshop with Artist-in-Residence Z Kaplan

Description

Join Lanesboro Arts in welcoming artist Z Kaplan as the Lanesboro Artist in Residence at a Welcome Potluck and Ceramics Workshop on Thursday, May 9th from 5 – 7 pm at Sylvan Park. At one of the picnic shelters over a shared meal, Z will share examples of past work as well as discuss the project they’ll be working on during their residency. Z will share how community members can participate in upcoming residency events, and answer any questions about their work. Bring a dish to share!

In the event of rain, this Welcome Potluck and Ceramics Workshop will take place on the St. Mane Theatre Stage.

During the welcome potluck, Z will introduce a process called burnout. In this process, participants will coat clay slip over organic materials. In the kiln, the organic material burns away, leaving a ceramic cast behind. Please bring a small item of organic material that both reminds you of home that you are willing to part with – a leaf, a piece of bark, a crocheted cloth, a spring flower, etc. We will have extras to share so all who want can participate.

Your resulting ceramic cast will be available to pick up at the May 23rd “Sharing our Stories on Tiles” event, or at the Lanesboro Arts Gallery during normal business hours after May 23rd. The gallery is open Wednesday – Saturday,  10 am – 5 pm.

About Z Kaplan

Z Kaplan (they/them) is a queer, trans, Jewish ceramic artist based in Minneapolis. As a community-oriented person who works for the betterment of their world through organizing and takes on the role of a teacher in various contexts, they are motivated by bringing joy, justice, and comfort to others. Recently, Z has been incorporating their value of doikayt, Yiddish meaning “hereness,” to invoke pieces that connect to their roots and to others in a way that explores desires for grounding and play in a reality that is deeply diasporic.

Their work is primarily created through atmospheric firings – soda and wood firings. In these firings, the end result of the pieces is unpredictable, because the pieces become vulnerable to their atmosphere. In highlighting the unpredictable nature within the habitual, Z is able to create work that reflects the unpredictability of building a home far away from their ancestors. Z’s recent creative and organizing work aims to re-imagine Jewish ritual objects in order to support their community in becoming agents in their own traditions. As Z explores new techniques and firing methods, they plan to continue to offer recipes toward home-building.

About the Residency

Z will lead members of the Lanesboro community through exercises in clay, while diving into what it means to be present and actively build home where we are while navigating our ongoing relationships to ourselves, others, and place. Z’s residency project expands an ongoing Jewish community art initiative that aims to honor ancestry, the complicated reality of living in diaspora, and building home right where you are. The goal of the project will be to reflect the community members’ lives through connecting with the earth, clay, diverse tactile experiences, and community conversations.

The Lanesboro Artist Residency Program is supported by the Jerome Foundation.