The Ceramics Club held an open studio workshop with a guest speaker demonstrating various methods of working with clay on Feb. 15.

Chris Lively, a professional ceramic artist, showed a number of methods to enhance the aesthetic qualities of pottery pieces.

“I used what’s called slip—which is this watered down clay—to decorate the pot,” Lively said. “It gives the clay this kind of textured, fluid surface.”

Ceramics professor Rick Malmgren worked with the Ceramics Club to reach out to Lively after viewing his art online. The Ceramics Club hosts an annual workshop with different visiting artists.

“The Ceramics Club convenes for a meeting in the fall … to select the artist for the year,” Malmgren said.

David Smith, a graduating anthropology and archaeology student, said he began taking ceramics to understand the historical side of Native American archaeology.

“It’s helped me learn more about the archaeology part, too,” Smith said. “Archaeologists see the scientific side where the ceramics sees the artistic side. So I can really merge the two.”

Dena Nidiffer, an AACC alumna, returned for the spring semester specifically to take Malmgren’s class.

She and her daughter, Danielle, both study ceramics at the school. They plan to open a mother-daughter ceramics business.

“I was delighted … with the number of people who came … and that they stayed interested and involved all day,” Malmgren said. “To me, that’s a sign of [the event] being successful.”