This semester, students at Cherokee High School have had the benefit of learning traditional pottery from Cherokee master artist Joel Queen. His residency is made possible by an Arts-in-Education grant from the NC Arts Council and funding for materials through RTCAR.
Joel Queen teaches CHS student Virginia Grant the proper way to shape a traditional Cherokee pot. (Photo by Beth Ross Johnson/RTCAR/EBCI Cooperative Extension)
According to Queen, pottery is the first archeological language, and you can tell a lot about a people by learning about their pottery. Cherokee people have a long history of making pots and these students will have an understanding of the way these pots were made and the design ideas that were incorporated into them.
After making and firing pots, students will have a cooking pot that can be used on an open flame.
Queen is eager to share what he has learned, “To be able to pass this knowledge down gives me hope that this tradition will survive.”
The NC Arts Council is North Carolina’s state supported arts agency and provides funding to local arts organizations, schools and professional organizations.
– Beth Ross Johnson (RTCAR, EBCI Cooperative Extension)
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