June 2010 - Barry Brown Clay Studio

Barry Brown Clay Studio

By Jennifer Rhea

If you are looking for a place to learn to create art using clay, then the Barry Brown Clay Studio inside the Art Center of Corpus Christi is just for you.
Tucked away in the back of the Art Center is a little studio where anyone from beginners to seasoned artists meet to learn the art of using your hands to transform a lump of clay. Try your hand at a wheel class or a hand building sculpture class. Learn to make your own glazes. Included in the price of classes is the cost of clay, glaze, and the use of the kiln. With the addition of the new gas kiln, this studio is a one stop shop.

I decided to stop by and see for myself the magic of making something beautiful out of a piece of clay. Everyone was so generous with their knowledge and showed me around the studio. I was drawn to a woman who had her hands molding a piece of clay while it spun around on the wheel. Eager to find out what the next step would be, once she had finished molding the clay, I was shown another room where you apply glaze to your artwork. We walked into the largest room of all where I got to see the kiln. After you glaze you then fire the clay in the kiln.
There were shelves and shelves of people’s work behind the kiln; it ranged from a child’s artwork to expert looking pieces.
When I spoke to different people involved with the studio, all I heard was the camaraderie and joy they feel for the love of making art out of clay. Kim Schmid was one of those people.  The way she described the people and the facility made me want to sign up for a class right away. Kim, who now is the president of the Clay Studio Group started her journey as a beginner who signed up for a class after seeing an advert in the paper.
“All intimidation was lost in the class with other students sharing what you know”, Kim Schmid said.
The studio was started, in the Art Center, in 1999 by the Southwest Sculpture Society. The presidents at the time were Barry Brown and Kaye Hass. Barry Brown was a phenomenal guy who had a vision of what the clay studio could become. The Society wanted a place for the public to have the opportunity to work with clay.

In the beginning, the studio had little rooms and an outdoor patio. According to Schmid, Brown “was the driving force in the expansion two years ago”. He campaigned to raise awareness of the studio and helped raise funding. They were able to expand the space by enclosing the patio to make room for the new gas kiln. Brown had yet to show anyone else how to use the kiln when he died suddenly in December of 2008. In memorial to him, a new sign was made by everyone’s contributed clay works and the studio was renamed the “Barry Brown Clay Studio.” The sign itself is a magnificent masterpiece. It is located on the patio entrance of the studio.
The place is evolving constantly with 6 wheels and the hope of getting at least two more in the future.
Schmid feels Brown would be proud of what the studio has become. “We have taken the vision of Barry Brown and made it come true but we are still not done.”
If you feel the desire to try something new, Schmid wants you to feel welcomed. “I want other people in the community to know if you have an inkling to do it, then come by.”
The Clay Studio partners with several community businesses. Every year they team up with Metro Ministries to have a “Souper” Bowl. The Studio makes five hundred handmade bowls and fills them with soup to be purchased. The proceeds go to Metro Ministries to help feed the homeless.

The Clay Studio also participates in the Downtown ArtWalk which is a great opportunity to spend an evening in the Downtown area looking around and getting more information on businesses and Art venues. The Downtown Management District, through its’ArtWalk budget, recently agreed to a funding package for the new Clay Studio signage on Shoreline. This is great news as it will help raise public awareness of the Studio and the facilities it has to offer.
Stop by or visit the Art Center website for a list of classes available from novice to expert. Several times a year workshops are hosted by artists who teach a new technique of transforming clay.
The Barry Brown Clay Studio offers many classes and resources. Classes are available for both children and adults. Children can sign up for the Muddy Buddies Kid’s Clay class. Children younger than six years old can go if accompanied by a parent.
You can find more information by calling the Art Center on (361) 884-6406, stopping by 100 Shoreline to pick up class schedules at the front desk or in the Clay Studio, or visit the website at www.artcentercc.org