By Gale Hemmann
Tucked away on the second floor of the Olympia Center, the ceramics studio is a hidden gem: a warm, bustling space with a family-like atmosphere. On any given day you can find students working on projects, visiting with each other, and creating beautiful, one-of-a-kind ceramics pieces.
At the head of the ceramics studio is JoAnn Gaither, a long-time ceramics teacher and the ceramics studio manager. Gaither’s ceramics classes, held through the Olympia Parks, Arts and Recreation Department (Olympia PARD), are one of the most popular classes offered. She has many repeat students who study with her for years, and it is clear in talking with them that she is so much more than a talented teacher: she is also a mentor, inspiration, and friend.
I recently stopped by Gaither’s ceramics class on a Saturday morning. Gaither graciously greeted me, pouring me a cup of hot coffee and inviting me to make myself at home. It was the last day of class and students worked in small groups and chatted as they finished up their projects. Two students worked at the sink, cleaning excess clay off their designs before putting them in the kiln for firing. Another student examined a series of beautiful, bright-blue bowls she had created during the 11-week course. Gaither moved among the students, talking warmly with them one-on-one and occasionally calling the group together to demonstrate a ceramics principle. Looking around the bustling studio, it was clear that students enjoyed the class and felt at home here.
The bright, warm studio is lined with every type of ceramics tool and glaze imaginable, and the walls and surfaces are covered with examples of student work: unique art pieces, dishes and ornaments in just about every color imaginable – cerulean blue, deep violet, and russet orange. It is truly a one-of-a-kind space.
Gaither invited me back on a second occasion, to sit down and talk in-depth about the ceramics program and its history. Gaither got involved with the Olympia Center Ceramics Studio in 1995, when she volunteered to help teach a ceramics class for seniors. She loved the work and officially became a staff member in January 1996. She has been teaching at the ceramics studio ever since and says she loves working there because “it’s like one big family.”
Her goal is to make the studio a welcoming place, where ordinary people of all experience levels can come in and learn to work with clay. She makes her classes all-inclusive; the clay, supplies and materials are all included in the class to make it practical for class-goers. Her beginning ceramics classes teach students the basic skills of both wheel-throwing and hand-building methods. She enjoys helping students explore the creative possibilities of clay and watching their artistic visions come to life. She believes every person is inherently creative, and her classes are all about encouraging artistic expression.
Gaither brings a rich experience in ceramics to her position as instructor. Originally from the East Coast, Gaither attended Pennsylvania State University, where she majored in philosophy. At the same time, she was developing a love of art and working with clay. She then took a ceramics class for two years, which kicked her love of ceramics into full gear. She studied ceramics at Green River Community College in Kent, where she was also a lab technician, which she says provided valuable experience in learning about the scientific properties of clay. She also studied ceramics at the University of Cincinnati, where she began to exhibit her work professionally. One of her works was included in the Cooper Hewitt Museum in New York City in 1983.
Gaither and her husband eventually settled in the Northwest, having fallen in love with the beauty of the area. She worked for the government before turning her attention to teaching ceramics full-time.
I also got to talk with Karen Wolstenholme, Gaither’s assistant whom she refers to as her “right-hand person.” Wolstenholme has been involved with the ceramics studio since 1997. It is clear the two share a warm rapport, and Wolstenholme enjoys working at the ceramics studio as much as Gaither. Wolstenholme has found ceramics personally rewarding and loves giving her ceramics items as gifts. She notes that Gaither has been instrumental in turning the Olympia Center Ceramics Studio into the vibrant space it is now, and that Olympia is fortunate to have such a knowledgeable and skilled instructor (Gaither has even helped their Tacoma-based supplier develop a new type of clay).
Gaither and Wolstenholme co-teach a class together on a volunteer basis at Senior Services for South Sound. The class is so popular that the waiting list has literally been years long. This is a testament to Gaither’s caring, tuned-in approach to working with ceramics and interacting with her students. She also teaches four classes a year at the Olympia Center through Olympia PARD.
Gaither and Wolstenholme say Olympia PARD has been very supportive of the ceramics studio over the years, and their support has been instrumental in helping it grow.
Interested in learning more about ceramics classes? Visit the Olympia Parks, Arts and Recreation Department website for more information about upcoming class dates.
