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July 1, 2004
• From earth to art From earth to art Explore the science of ceramics at Sheffield Pottery during Sheffield River Day Jane Burke is a trained chemist and a working potter, so when she got involved in planning the events for Sheffield River Day, it was natural for her to think of the Sheffield Pottery. Burke will be giving two presentations linking the geology of the area, the chemistry of ceramics and the creativity of the potter, in a place where science and art naturally converge. Burke is the director of the Flying Cloud Institute in New Marlboro, where she runs arts and science programs for young people. On Saturday, visitors to the Sheffield Pottery will be able to see firsthand what her students are doing, in the form of posters, experiments and clay samples made from Sheffield clay. "I'm excited to teach kids about real-life chemistry," Burke says. How it started Sheffield Pottery was founded in 1946 by Joseph and Marie Cowen. The couple purchased a farm, found that the soil was mostly clay, made a few sample pots and started Sheffield Pottery. The company is now owned and run by their son, John Cowen, and his wife Diane. Now the bulk of the business is in manufacturing and selling the raw clay, as well as kilns, potters' wheels and other ceramics supplies. The showroom features the work of more than 70 potters, who all use Sheffield clay in their work. "Ninety percent of the business is manufacturing," said Diane, during a recent visit to the site. The science of clay According to a report by Martin J. Murtagh, ceramic engineer and geologist, the clay that is found in Sheffield was created during the Wisconsin ice age, 10,000 to 15,000 years ago. Masses of rock were pushed south, ahead of the glacial ice sheet, and deposited in the present day Housatonic River valley, forming dams and lakes. The Sheffield Lake covered an area stretching from Great Barrington to Falls Village, Conn., with the deepest part of the lake over present-day Sheffield. The Sheffield clay deposit was formed by fine silt, from metamorphic and igneous rock, deposited at the lake's bottom. "It’s all clay, hundreds of feet thick," said John Cowen. "It has no sticks or stones in it. Clay is the most abundant material on earth, second only to water." The Sheffield clay is naturally a blue-gray color, but the high iron content produces a reddish color after firing. Cowen described the process of taking clay from the ground and getting it ready for the potter's wheel. "We scoop it out and let it age. It needs to freeze and thaw several times," he said. The clay is allowed to dry naturally, in piles adjacent to the clay pit. It is then put through a grinder, cleaned and sifted. Sheffield Pottery specializes in the manufacture of moist clay, ready for use in making ceramics. In the huge warehouse, a machine, custom designed and computerized by Cowen, mixes the clean, dry Sheffield clay with other kinds of raw, dry clay -- it is mixed for color, for consistency and for specific usage. The clay mixture for producing porcelain tea cups is quite different than the formula for terracotta flowerpots. Each customer's formula is proprietary, kept confidential by contractual agreement. When the formula is mixed, water is added and the clay is mixed to the proper moist consistency, packed in plastic and shipped out. In one of their enormous mixers, 1,500 pounds of clay and 50 gallons of water can be mixed thoroughly in three minutes. The moist clay is sold by the pound. They deliver clay all over the U.S., and the dry clay formulas are sold internationally. Sheffield Clay is the third largest clay manufacturer in the U.S., Cowen says. Sheffield River Day Canoes and kayaks will push off at 10. Advanced ratings will go first in order to give less experienced participants room to navigate. All contestants will be launched by 10:30. Observers can watch the racing boats at the Rest Area on Route 7 and at the finish line at the Old Covered Bridge located across from the intersection of Cook Road near Limey's Restaurant. Timers at the Old Covered Bridge will keep track of the finish times. There will be prizes for the winners along with special awards for the most original costumes, the best decorated boats, the youngest and oldest participants and others. At 11:30, the first ever Sheffield Rubber Ducky Race will begin. The ducks will be launched about 200 yards north of the Old Covered Bridge. Enthusiasts can cheer for their entries onto the finish line just south of the bridge. Cash prizes will be given for the top three winners. People can rent numbered rubber ducks for the race, for $2 per duck (3 for $5 or 8 for $10). Ducky rental forms are available in the Sheffield Times, at the Bushnell-Sage Library and local establishments, and the Friday afternoon Sheffield Farmers Market. Checks and entry forms should be mailed to Sheffield River Day Fund, P.O. Box 940, Sheffield, Mass., 01257. Participants' names and duck numbers will be posted at the beginning of the event. |
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