Huntingdon, Tenn.–Two entities in Northwest Tennessee recently came together to bring art opportunities to the children and adults participating in pottery classes held in Huntingdon.
Imerys of Gleason donated 2,000 pounds of Laguna Clay and glaze materials to Mudslingers Studio – Annex of The Dixie to be used during their spring and fall semesters, as well as summer camps. Imerys – Gleason is a supplier of ball clay to Laguna Clay Company, which also produces the low fire glazes used in classes at Mudslingers.
“Being that we are located in such a rich area of the world for ball clay, it is wonderful to be able to use a clay body composed of our local materials mined right here in West Tennessee by Imerys – Gleason,” according to Dixie Executive Director Lori Nolen. Mudslingers Instructor Candace Gooch-Ward, who is currently teaching the spring semester of classes stated, “The clay is of such high quality and amazing to work with!”.
Imerys, part of the Imerys Group, produces and markets high-performance mineral solutions for the ceramic industries. They also offer a full range of cordierite, mullite, and silicon carbide-based kiln furniture used for individual firing supports, as well as multi parts construction components for industrial kilns.
Imerys cares for its surrounding communities. Deputy Plant Manager of Imerys, Michael Puckett, remarked, “As a lifelong resident of Northwest TN, I feel it is important to give back to the communities in which our employees live and raise their families.” Over the years, their teams worldwide have been able to create and develop several inspiring Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives. Locally, the Imerys-Gleason team has implemented beehives on their production sites and had a community garden for employees.
Mudslingers Pottery Studio provides visual arts education programs that empower students of all ages to embrace their artistic abilities, grow and gain confidence in those abilities and open doors to a life of creative excellence. Mudslingers teaches introduction to basic pottery skills of pinching, coil-building, slab construction, and throwing on the potter’s wheel, as well as an introduction to various glazing and firing processes. This annex of The Dixie Carter Performing Arts & Academic Enrichment Center has been providing educational opportunities to some 3,500 students in the West Tennessee area since opening in 2009.
For more information on Mudslingers Pottery Studio – Annex of The Dixie or to sign up for a class, contact The Dixie’s Box Office at 731.986.2100 or visit DixiePAC.net.
Pictured Left to Right:
Candance Gooch-Ward (Mudslingers Studio Instructor)
Logan Damesworth (Production Operator, Imerys)
Michael Puckett (Production and Site Manager, Imerys)
Brent Eugley (Environmental Specialist, Imerys)
Lori Nolen (Executive Director, The Dixie Carter PAC)