By Nash Quinn

Pocosin Arts

Students from Jeanne LaPlante’s high school art class unveiled a new public art installation at Pocosin Arts on Feb. 1.

The project, funded by the Grable Foundation, is the result of a collaboration between the Pocosin Arts craft school and the Tyrrell County School District. Pocosin Arts works with local schools to offer students the opportunity to learn from the accomplished practicing artists who live and work at Pocosin. During this project, 17 students from LaPlante’s sixth period art class visited Pocosin Arts once a week for six weeks to complete a large, collaborative ceramic and metal sculpture. The sculpture is visible to the public on the east-facing exterior wall of Pocosin Arts, at 201 Main St. in Columbia.

Pocosin resident artists Phil Ambrose and Matt Repsher led the project. They divided the class into two groups, one of which worked in the clay studio and one in the metalsmithing studio. The two groups switched halfway through the project, ensuring that each student was able to learn from both instructors. Repsher is a ceramics artist from Santa Fe, New Mexico. He holds a Masters of Fine Art from Indiana University, and he led the students in creating the ceramic components of the sculpture. Under his guidance, the students created a dizzying variety of small clay sculptures, ranging from abstract spirals, circles and twists to carefully-rendered crabs, penguins, and sharks.

While half the class sculpted clay with Repsher, the other half hammered steel with Ambrose, a Columbia native. Ambrose studied metalsmithing at East Carolina University, where he earned his Bachelors of Fine Art degree. He taught LaPlante’s students how manipulate tin cans and steel wire to make jingling metal ornaments and unique, handmade chain to complete the sculpture. Once each student finished their clay and metal components, Ambrose and Repsher began the process of assembling and installing the piece. They hung the student’s ornaments from ceramic cloud forms using the handmade steel chains, before mounting the artwork on even larger plywood clouds, and installing them on the red brick wall of Pocosin’s downtown building. The quirky assemblage jangles in the breeze, its colorful clouds raining down cheerful drops of clay and metal.

The students were unanimously impressed with the outcome of the project. Though each of them had created only a few small objects, their efforts as a group have an undeniable presence. “It turned out better than I expected!” was a common sentiment among the group of proud young artists, who crowded around the sculpture snapping pictures with their phones. An understatement, to be sure – these talented young artists have created a charming and unique piece of public art that is a treat to both eyes and ears.

As of Feb. 1, when the sculpture was installed, it had no official title. After multiple bouts of spirited debate, the students elected to give their artwork the fitting title “Cloud Sound.” A brass plaque with the title and names of the contributing artists is being prepared, and will be hung next to the work when ready.

Tyrrell County School Superintendent Dr. Will Hoffman applauded the project, stating “Tyrrell County Schools appreciates the opportunities provided for our students through Pocosin Arts and Jeanne LaPlante’s teacher leadership. Through this experience our students have utilized their talents to create public art using a variety of mediums. We are grateful for the support that community organizations like Pocosin Arts provide for our students, and we look forward to continuing this exciting partnership as we explore future programs.”

In the meantime, young art students can express their creativity in after-school art classes at Pocosin Arts. Margie Sawyer will be teaching a general art course from Feb. 23 – March 31 for first through fifth grade students. After that, Pocosin’s new resident clay artist, Jen Dwyer, will teach a ceramics class from April 5 – May 10, also for first through fifth grade students. These classes are held from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. each Tuesday. They cost only $65 for all 6 weeks, and scholarships are available for each class. Registration is open now at www.pocosinarts.org after-school programming or call 252-796-2787.