FALLARTS
shaping her future Self-taught pottery artist seeks to create diverse community at new studio space BY A bigail Ke l l e r Ph oto by John Michae l S i m ps on elores J. Farmer says she
always knew, on some level, that she wanted to be an artist. The Durham native grew up along Fayetteville Street, where she spent her childhood making mud cakes and weaving hearts out of fallen willow branches. She eventually discovered a deep passion for pottery during her junior year at North Carolina Central University. “I took a pottery class and instantly fell in love with the medium,” Delores says. “Working with my hands has always been very therapeutic for me – the first sculpture I created in my hand-building class was featured on the marketing material for the university’s museum, and I knew I was on to something.” Delores came across Claymakers, a community space dedicated to the clay arts, while out on a stroll through downtown. Seeking to hone her pottery skills, she participated in Claymakers’ assistantship program, which offers free classes and studio access to employees who work a set number of hours each week, and trained herself in the 34
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