Sawtooth workshop celebrates formerly enslaved Moravian potter and his artistry

The Sawtooth School for Visual Arts in Winston-Salem presents a unique learning opportunity this month. The workshop combines local history with the distinct ceramic techniques used by a formerly enslaved Moravian potter. 

Through the Legacy of Peter Oliver Workshop, participants will learn about the history surrounding Oliver’s rise from slavery to esteemed community member, and the skills he gained as a formally trained potter that helped pave his path to freedom. During the two-and-a-half-hour-long workshop, each participant will create their own 7-inch plate in the Moravian style using 18th century ceramic techniques of the day.

There’s slip trailing — adding decorative colors to liquified clay and applying it to pottery. And underglaze painting; adding a clear glaze before firing the plates in kilns at roughly 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit.

Sawtooth’s Robert Grand says taken altogether, workshops like this one connect us with traditions and information that’s often left behind in the modern world.  

"Not only are you learning this new and exciting technique for your ceramics, but you’re also touching on Winston-Salem history — the history of an overlooked artisan," says Grand. "This amazing Black man was a legendary potter. ... You know, we’re learning from our past to inform the present."

Director of Ceramics, Po Wen Liu, will lead the workshop. He says creating ceramics using these centuries-old techniques is empowering for participants.

"The reason that people like to learn pottery is that they can learn from the basic process from the beginning to the end product," says Liu. "Everything is controlled by themselves ... and they are the ones who can envision what kind of final piece they can produce." 

Registration closes on January 19, one week before the workshop begins. It’ll be held in The Intergenerational Center for Arts and Wellness in Winston-Salem.