Member Spotlight – The Clayworks at Disability Support
The Clayworks at Disability Supports, is a unique resource in our community which provides entrepreneurial opportunities for individuals with disabilities to explore creative expression through different types of art. When you visit the art gallery at The Clayworks, located at 107 N. Main, you will find beautiful creations that are one-of-a-kind.
The Clayworks artists work with a variety of media. When looking at the pottery pieces, you’ll find beautiful decorative ornaments, mugs, and bowls. They also create jewelry, drawings, paintings, weavings, and more. Clayworks artisans are led by professional art educators and staff. Each artistic project that they undertake is an opportunity to express their own creative dreams through art.
When talking about what The Clayworks is all about, Program Manager Kristine McKeown said, “We have clients who have intellectual and developmental disabilities and we create programs for them to get enrichment. We just launched … it’s so exciting … we’re right now doing culinary arts in Hutchinson because we have a kitchen over there.” And she added, “So our clients get to come and get enriched in doing that kind of stuff.”
The artists at The Clayworks are involved in various fundraisers and philanthropic things throughout the year. Kristine McKeown shared about one of these projects. She said, “We also have a project going in Hutchinson where we’re doing the Pediatric Unit. If you look at the hospital website, you’ll see these paintings that our clients did – half from McPherson and half from Hutchinson. And they have such a great time, and they are these BIG paintings that are woodland animals. So those are some of the things we get to do being a part of DSGP [Disability Supports of the Great Plains].”
In addition to having the opportunity to explore their own creativity and self-expression and being able to share their talents with the community through different media, the artists profit in other ways. They get to feel the sense of accomplishment and success with each finished piece of art. The experience also benefits them by giving them self-confidence in the studio and that follows them into their daily lives. And with the purchase of each piece of art, Clayworks artists will receive 100% of the proceeds from the sale.
The Clayworks is a fantastic place to find artistic creations that are one-of-a-kind AND they are conveniently located at 107 N. Main in downtown McPherson. If you’d like to check out the gallery, their hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. A popular destination for shoppers, residents, and gallery visitors, don’t YOU miss out on visiting The Clayworks, and take in all the beautiful artistic works of these very talented artists. For more information about The Clayworks, visit their website at theclayworks.org. To get a sneak peek at this gallery’s unique offerings, check out these photos taken at the January 23rd Chamber Connections hosted by The Clayworks.
