( clayote booms in earth & art-speak since grand re-opening in july )

clayote booms in earth & art-speak
since grand re-opening in july

by jennifer hetrick

a gallery, studio, and so much more—clayote along boyertown’s main street opened last year in october, but soon after the shop moved next door to the end unit at the intersection of routes 73 and 562 in late june, the front door couldn’t stay shut, as people sauntered in to mingle their fingertips in earth-birthed clay. 

 

in mid-july, owners danielle fisher and her husband chris, along with their sons nathan and benjamin, hosted clayote’s grand re-opening. on this bumpingly busy night, they introduced the community to their new 2,800 sq. ft. space, which boasts enthusiastically compared to their previous 800 sq. ft.

as a native to berks county, fisher lived in arizona for almost a decade running howlin’ hands artist ranch on and off without a storefront to call her own, but in recent years, carted her way back to pennsylvania with her family and fur kids.

“i’ve always been attracted to wolves and coyotes and how they’re misunderstood for their true nature,” fisher explained about why she chose to name her latest endeavor clayote.

“coyotes have all these stories about them being the trickster,” fisher said. “but they’re beautiful animals and have a very systematic hierarchy of family.”

“if you see a coyote in your dreams, native americans believe that you need more fun in your life,” fisher added. “i’m also drawn to dragonflies—they walk between dream and reality worlds, and they’re ancient.”

 a quick peruse inside clayote shows fisher’s fascination with dragonflies, as many adorn the sides of shimmering glazed pots set across the tables and shelves.

“i moved around a lot in my life,” fisher said, noting that looking back, memories and details are not always clear, given the bustle of relocating time and again. “i remember things by when i did clay.”

“the special moments—i remember them by art,” fisher continued. “it’s something i connected with me to weave in my memories.”

“it’s therapeutic, and it grounds me,” fisher said about her time spent working with clay at the wheel.

“i’m a very flighty, 90-ideas-at-once kind of person,” fisher said. “but i have this voice inside of me that tells me to stay with the clay.”

besides serving as an often unexpected outlet and release for cognitive constraints and stress in general, clay is good for skin and dries out poison ivy, causing itching at the rash zones to stop when it touches ailing epidermis.

“the clay we use is not very sandy or groggy, so it’s not harsh,” fisher said. “we have a soft, almost chocolate-feeling clay.”

fisher orders her earthy material from the pittsburgh-based standard ceramic supply company, which is the closest place she can buy from to support locally.

she blends three kinds of clay to create the final product used by those who slowly fiddle their fingers to shape pottery pieces in the studio.

 ( emma carr molds fast-spinning clay at her 

fingertips with help from danielle fisher. )

( emma's older sister maddie works at the wheel with their father andy carr offering 

some guidance for how to keep the pot's rim even with the rhythm of the spinning. )

 ( maddie carr sits with a pile of hand tools at her side 

to decorate her freshly wheeled piece of pottery. )

clayote is the home to three wheels, so each is often in demand when visitors walk in to marry their palms with the clay even if only briefly. by fall, fisher hopes to have several more on-site, when she and chris also plan to relocate their kilns to the shop from their home set away in the woods of pike township.

fisher noticed that students who are often deemed as poorly behaving in school can sit at the wheel with clay and work diligently, caringly, for hours without disruption.

“we see housewives who come in and haven’t had time to themselves,” fisher said about before they sloppy up their hands with chunks of wet clay.

“all of a sudden when they come in [to use the wheels and shape something new], they’re glowing, and they’re centered.” 

“i see amazing things through the creative spirit every day,” fisher said. “i see change; i get to watch it.” 

“it’s not even that they’re changing out of what they are,” fisher said. “it’s what was already there, but i get to tap into it and see that side of people.” 

“whether it’s clay, knitting, how you arrange your house, or how you hang your curtains—you’re born with it and can’t separate from it,” fisher said about the human attachment to creating art. 

fisher is keeping the ball rolling with integrating her after-school programs locally, as she taught in five area school districts this year, with a total of 11 planned for once summer breaks into fall with the academic season. 

but clayote offers not only what its name implies. fisher invites area specialists into her open space for a belly dancing class, yoga classes for both adults and young children, a personal awareness self-defense course, finance seminars—as budgetary problems often lead to stress, comedy shows, and performances by local musicians. 

“for $10 an hour, we offer the clayote den to anybody who wants to do something good for the community,” fisher said. “if they’re dealing with children, they need their clearances to work with kids.” 

in the grand scheme of clayote, fisher has tucked the hopes of nourishing the sanctuary-like environment with as many diversified, positive outlets for the community as her open space will allow. 

“the earth is already beautiful—clay is earth,” fisher said, “and it is love.”

in the mantra of that 1 east philadelphia avenue sweep, fisher concluded, “do clay. be happy.” 

freebie alert ! comment on this story  to enter for a chance to win one pottery-making session from clayote. please include your e-mail address in the comment. this contest ends sunday the 8th of august. good luck !