ENMU Grad Fired Up About Taos Clay Studio Residency By: Patricia Duran Backdropped by the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and rich culture, many artists and craftsmen flock to Taos, NM to create and show their work. Last Sept., ENMU Visual Arts graduate Erica Hopper (BFA 14) began a two-year residency at the Taos Clay Studio. After graduating in 2014, Erica spent a year in her hometown saving up to buy her own ceramic supplies, kiln and wheel. However, fate intervened and Taos Clay Studio offered her a residency in their program. Along with the support and opportunity to develop their personal work, Taos Clay Studio’s residents are paid to teach ceramics classes, sell their work in the gallery, and lead many projects. Erica loves pottery and the technical challenge of throwing on a potter’s wheel because it takes an amount of focus that she’s never had to achieve in any other line of work. With the huge culture and history for art in Taos, Erica’s work strays from the traditional Taos Pueblo and Native American influence. She mixes Greek and contemporary art to form her ceramic style.
“It went really great,” she exclaimed. “A lot of people and new faces showed up. I sold a lot more than I thought I would. Even my high school art teacher came and bought a piece!” Before the event Erica continued a tradition that started at ENMU’s ceramics lab to help her prepare for the show. Each time the gas kiln was fired, the instructor and the work study students that helped load the kiln would make kiln gods. Kiln gods are once-fired little figurines that are meant to protect the kiln and make sure the firing goes well. Being a bit superstitious, Erica makes two kiln gods for every gas firing and fires them with all her wares. “I prefer to make the figures based on an animal I’ve recently seen; Usually, it ends up being my dog Anakin,” she explains.
“I am influenced by Classical Greek forms and art; Greek-era ceramic vessels and artifacts, Greek goddesses, strong women, giant handles and figure painting,” said Erica.
With the residency and shows, Erica is hoping to build her portfolio to apply for postbaccalaureate programs so she can get into a master’s program. She wants to become an art teacher or professor because she realized how important a good instructor is.
Erica hosted her first solo exhibition in the Taos Clay Studio last September. She filled the gallery with nearly 500 pieces of her own pottery that took six months to create.
“I am so grateful for faculty like ENMU ceramics instructor Diane Cole,” said Erica. “They offered me so much assistance and helped me get to where I am today.”
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Green & Silver | February 2017
