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Lessons Learned In Clay Meet Bristol Artist Matlakwauhtli “Matlak" Mayforth

photo by provided A magical door where pieces of clay come to life, "Matlak" stands by the kiln where her students pieces through the Bristol Recreation art classes are fired.

photo by provided Just a couple of the pieces clay artist Matlakwauhtli “Matlak" Mayforth creates for sale.

Tuesday August 29, 2017

By Cookie Steponaitis

Raised by parents who encouraged creative thought and resourcefulness, Matlak grew up in Burlington, Vermont and made her first piece of pottery in 1976. A production potter for many years, Matlak sought the balance that most artists do between following passion for creating and earning a living. While she has continued to produce her own pieces;  her works sell in galleries including Frog Hollow in Burlington and Art on Main in Bristol, providence intervened eighteen years ago when a unique job opportunity opened up through the Bristol Recreation Department.
    “Back then , I agreed to a five year commitment to run a clay program . I set up my own studio to serve the town. I had little experience teaching pottery and relied solely on my own experience. ” explained Matlak. “I guess you could say, my own children were my first clay students. I spent the first couple of months setting up the space and sorting out how to best reach the students. I asked myself, who were they as people? How do they learn? What skills will they need to be successful? It was very open-ended here . I was given the freedom to create the program.” With very few rules except not touching each other’s work and respecting the creativity of others, Matlak has spent the last eighteen years teaching an average of five classes a week.The studio and kiln is supported by the Bristol Recreation Department and when teaching and studio management duties allow, Matlak has use of the space for her own work.
    Matlak encourages each child to explore their own imagination, teaching skills but also  reminding them that the clay can be their teacher. In addition to learning hand-eye coordination and use of  tools, the students learn to problem-solve and to slow down the creation process. “Clay has a quiet language,” explains the artist.  “The clay shows you when it needs water, it lets you know when you apply correct pressure, how it is shaped. This process provides great opportunities for self exploration. When students sign their name in the clay, they create ownership of their own creative process.”
    While Matlak Mayforth is not exactly certain of how many students have passed through the doors in the last 18 years, she is comfortable with the number of  well over 1,000. Many come back class after class and some are now second generation and bringing their children to the Pee-Wee Pottery class that serves as an introduction to the styles, shapes and the creative process that Mayforth has been a part of for 41 years . Like many artists, she walks the line of providing products that the market dictates, her own passion for design and decoration, and the love of bringing the next generation of artists into the world of clay. With stoneware pots glazed with Vermont river clay, Mayforth’s work is both functional and aesthetically pleasing. As she teaches her students, clay clamors to be held and to be worked with. People wanting to learn more about the great clay classes and all the other offerings should go on line to check it out at bristolrec.org/programs/. Stop by the studio just off Main Street and see for yourself how a class can change your direction and open your mind to new avenues of art, creation and self-awareness.

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