THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELED DUE TO HIGH WINDS AND FIRE DANGER.
Join Caddo Traditional Pottery Students on March 15 at 10AM at Caddo Mounds SHS for their final class in a four-part Traditional Caddo Pottery workshop series. While the students will be working with their Instructor Chase Kahwinhut Earles to learn the art of firing their pottery pieces, the public is invited to watch the process.
Program cost is the price of admission to Caddo Mounds SHS.
Program History-
In February of 2024, an idea began to take shape in which Caddo artist Chase Kahwinhut Earles would offer a traditional Caddo pottery workshop, four classes over four weekends, for Caddo citizens interested in reclaiming the knowledge and skills needed to make traditional Caddo pottery and non Caddo participants interested in learning to make their own coiled pots.
The Friends of the Caddo Mounds (FCM) funded Caddo citizens to come to Caddo Mounds (from across the country) and learn from Chase's years of research and practice. FCM has paid the tuition for all 11 Caddo students, provided food and drinks, and most importantly, helped with travel expenses.
The process of creating pottery takes several steps and requires time between classes to process.
In class one, students dug clay from a source at Caddo Mounds SHS, took it home, and dried it out in anticipation of the second class.
In class two, students took the dry clay and learned to add water in order to make the clay they will use to make their pots.
In class three students created pots using traditional Caddo hand building techniques. Students also learned to treat the surface so that it's smooth and shiny.
In class four, students will learn how to fire their pots in the traditional Caddo way.
All of this has been an exceptional opportunity for Caddo citizens to learn and grow as artists using the traditions of their ancestors.
We at Caddo Mounds are grateful to the Friends of Caddo Mounds for their support. You can see more about the Friends, here: https://friendsofcaddomounds.org/ .