Craft Center offers pots for adoptionThis article appeared in the Friday, March 5, 2004 issue of the NC State student newspaper, Technician on the front page.by Rachel Rogers, Senior Staff Reporter Interested in adoption? No, not babies. Pots.
The Crafts Center hosted a fund-raiser last night by offering pots for adoption. All of the proceeds went to the newly created Brita M. Tate Endowment, which is the first endowment solely created for the Crafts Center, an Arts N.C. State member. "In the long run, organizations in the arts need endowments to support their endeavors," Christy Newell, associate director of the Crafts Center, said. "This endowment will support whatever we need. Now we are directing all of our fund-raising efforts to that fund." This adoption was an idea conceived by Julie Olson, a potter and an instructor at the center. "This fund-raiser is my way of giving back to my community which is the craftsman. All the proceeds go to the fund for craftsmen," Olson said. Brita M. Tate, a former potter and assistant director of Talley Student Center, was a long-time participant at the Crafts Center and well known in the Raleigh arts scene. She was a founding member of the Triangle Potters' Guild. Tate's children created this endowment upon her death, which is the first to benefit this Arts N.C. State Program. The hope is that the endowment will give the Crafts Center the ability to continue its many programs as well as add new ones to create an environment for students. "She created one of the richest and most varied programs of international cultural activities in the state," Newell said. "These international nights attracted not only N.C. State students and faculty but also brought thousands of visitors to the campus from across the Triangle." As part of the fund-raiser, Olson created 25 sets of triplets offered for adoption. Each set of triplets costs $80. Those who adopt the triplets will also receive instructions. "These triplets like to play follow the leader. They don't like cats or dog tails, but they aren't afraid of heights," Newell said jokingly. Adoptive parents received a photo of Olson, the "birth mother," along with adoption papers and a care and feeding guide. "These are things that go on at the Crafts Center that are right under the noses of students and they don't even know. They can use this as a resource to release frustrations, build up creative skills and learn about creative skills they never had," Newell said. "They also have the opportunity to work with artists the caliber of Julie Olson." According to Olson, it's important for students to have the opportunity to create and the classes offered at the Crafts Center provide this type of outlet. "There is an art to everything you do. There is the art that you are and then there is the art that you create because of who you are," Olson said. Olson believes that people often turn away from creating art because they do not think they can. "It's all technique, like learning to drive a car or ride a bike. And there's so many things going on here to allow students to build that technique," Olson said. Newell and Olson both reflected on students who have come through the Crafts Center. Some want to continue artistic talents they already had and focus on one specific area. Other students simply stumble across the Crafts Center and begin taking classes or maybe even find a niche. "The neat thing is to see these students come in thinking they cannot do anything and then watch them blossom," Newell said. Sally Council, a patron of the Crafts Center, found out about the fundraiser on a local news channel. "I do pottery out here," Council said. "I hadn't been able to do it since 1999 and I just started back." Overall, the coordinators deemed the event a success and hope the pots go to happy homes. "It would be nice if they [pots] all went to nice homes," Olson said. "Not to mention if we could make a generous contribution to the Tate Endowment." Scan of the first part of the article from the Technician. Scan of the second part of the article from the Technician. Special thanks to Bradley Wilson for permission for using this article. |
