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Welcome to Urban Mud-An Art Gallery and Studios with Ceramic Classes

Welcome to Urban Mud-An Art Gallery and Studios with Ceramic Classes

Welcome to Urban Mud-An Art Gallery and Studios with Ceramic ClassesWelcome to Urban Mud-An Art Gallery and Studios with Ceramic ClassesWelcome to Urban Mud-An Art Gallery and Studios with Ceramic Classes

A Contemporary Gallery and Artist run Studio with Ceramic Classes in Denver, Colorado

Current Show in the gallery

"Totems"

Ceramic classes have started in the studio at Urban Mud but are on hold until further notice.

Next show in the gallery John Crandall and Kelly Cole.

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Opening reception for John Crandall and Kelly Cole, has been canceled due to COVID-19 until further notice.

Next show in the gallery John Crandall and Kelly Cole.

Ceramic classes have started in the studio at Urban Mud but are on hold until further notice.

Next show in the gallery John Crandall and Kelly Cole.

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Urban Mud Gallery is proud to present:

John Crandall and Kelly Cole

Title of the show is "TOTEMS"

Opening reception:has been canceled until further notice.


John Crandall will be showing his fabulous large wooden Totems , and Kelly Cole has been a member of Urban mud since May 2019, and has been creating wonderful large Totem like ceramics for this show.

I will be happy to show 1-4 people at a time to come and view the show for a very personal tour. The show has been up and ready for viewing and of course purchasing any work. I can email you a list of prices and pictures of the work available.



Ceramic classes have started in the studio at Urban Mud but are on hold until further notice.

Ceramic classes have started in the studio at Urban Mud but are on hold until further notice.

Martha Danials work is coming back to Denver, but will be moved up to June or July, please check bac

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We have started our new 6 week ceramic classes at Urban Mud Gallery 530 Santa Fe Dr. Denver, CO 80204 

3 times a week, February 19th Wednesday from 6-9pm, Thursday February 20th from 10am-1pm, and Saturday 10-1pm. 

All inclusive including:

-25 lbs of clay

-6-weeks of 3 hours of instruction

-unlimited use of studio during open studio hours

-firing fees

-Glazes

-$325.

Intro to clay is a six week course designed for those with little to no experience , but is open to all levels. Learn and try a variety of clay techniques, including the basics of hand-building and throwing.

We have at this time 3 wheels and plenty of room for 3 people to learn hand-building.

Week 1:

Safety and Ceramic studio etiquette.

Demonstrations for both wheel and hand-building, and wedging, centering, and forming.

Using the slab roller, coiling, slab building.

Week 2:

We will switch the 3 from the wheel to hand-building and visa-versa.

Week 3:

Demonstrations for trimming thrown pieces. And Introduction for mark-making and slips on green ware or leather hard ware (This is before first firing called bisque)

Week 4:

Demonstrations: Demonstrations: as needed

Week 5:

Demonstrations: in glazing then glazing your pieces

Week 6:

Work day Finishing glazing and or practicing.

Schedule

Takes place:

Wednesday evening from 6-9pm

Thursday mid day from 10am-1pm

Saturday mid day 10am-1pm

Open studio hours Tuesday 12 noon-5pm

Please call Mary Mackey to schedule a class at 702-271-9601

Looking forward to meeting everyone.

Martha Danials work is coming back to Denver, but will be moved up to June or July, please check bac

Martha Danials work is coming back to Denver, but will be moved up to June or July, please check bac

Martha Danials work is coming back to Denver, but will be moved up to June or July, please check bac

Detail Large Open Vessel from Title: Ribs and guts.

George and I drove Martha's work back from Desert Hot Springs California.

Great stay with friends  the trip through desert and snowy mountains, was beautiful and scary.

Martha's show is scheduled to open Friday May 8th from 6-9pm


Detail Large Open Vessel from Title: Ribs and guts.

Hand-built, fired, glazed, painted, lacquered clay.

Made From individual hollow, irregular clay tubes that were curved and then fired.

Tubes were made by forming clay around a broom handle, then sliding it off.

After bisque firing, individual pieces were glazed fired with maiolica bace glaze.

Then assembled with epoxy into the vessel form. It was then painted with acrylics and coated with clear lacquer. Cone 04 clay and glaze. Completed 2019.

Beginning of an ongoing series.

Gallery hours are suspended until further notice.

Martha Danials work is coming back to Denver, but will be moved up to June or July, please check bac

Gallery hours are suspended until further notice.

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Open studio hours vary so please call with questions concerning classes.

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John Crandall

John Crandall - Totemman

Find out more

Garnet Glaze- Resident potter

Garnet is a Colorado native and has been making pottery for 6 years and teaching for 3. She has bachelors in Psychology and Art with an emphasis in print making and sculpture. From her first pottery class she realized creating art out of mud was her passion and sharing that passion with you is her drive. Come take a class with her, where you can learn any where from the basics of wheel throwing to building complex multi part creations. For further information please contact her at (970)749-4781 or by email at glazemakes@gmail.com and check for class updates at garnetglaze.com

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Artists in the Studio

Kelly Cole

Kelly Joined Urban Mud  last August

2020.

Kelly is about to retire from a long career with the government.

And is ramping up his art career. He has been working with clay for over 20 years, but now is ready to take it to the next level. So in joining Urban Mud he is doing just that.

We are lucky to have his gentle nature, creative talents, sense of humor, and all around nice guy to have in the studio..

Kelly's Artist statement:

Kelly Cole's Artist statement:

Every day, someone, somewhere on the planet opens the door of their kiln to see what the firing has produced. They have worked to get pottery and ceramic art formed, trimmed, decorated and glazed to put into a very hot reaction chamber. Then they cross their fingers and start heating up their kilns. There are no two ways about it- if you want to make pottery you better be brave. 

I use frits to make the glazes and stains you see here. Frit is a white powder made of finely ground industrial glass. It is bad to breathe this powder. It is bad to get it on your hands and then wipe your face. You need to be brave to even mess with this stuff. Do not worry. All the frit in this show has been melted into a solid glass inside a high temperature kiln that has bonded to the surfaces you see. You can touch them if you want to. I bought fifty pounds of frit at a garage sale of a ceramic art program that was closing. I went in on a Sunday afternnon an hour before the sale ended and they had these bags of frit with $20 price tags on them and I offered them $5 a bag. I left with a bunch of frit. I figure anything bought at a garage sale counts as a found object.

I’ve read a lot of books. That’s a lot of time spent sitting still, learning things while I’m at rest. That’s how I learned that frit needed to be handled carefully.

Now I’m 65. And I’ll retire from my day job soon. I have been an artist for about 25 years now. And I have always had to have that day job. Now I’m at the threshold of trying to make art objects to sell for some income. Will that work? Well I’m going to find out. Who knows? Maybe I’ll have to get another job. If you’re reading this then you are at a show with some of my art in it. Please know that I am ready to sell everything here. That means you can buy some art from a live Denver artist. And you can get a great price on it. Everything on display here was made in the studio at Urban Mud.

I’d be ungrateful if I didn’t thank the people who taught me so much. They include Janey Skeer and Jeff Wenzel at the Denver Art Students League and Maureen Maker, my spouse who fought cancer for 22 years of the 28 years we were together (RIP). Maureen was an art teacher and she opened the doors of the art world for me. I miss her deeply. The art here reflects that. 

And I want Mary Mackey to know that I am grateful for her Urban Mud studio experience and her willingness to take a chance on me.

Contact Us

Urban Mud

Urban Mud 530 Santa Fe Dr. Denver, CO 80204 US

(720) 271-9601

Hours

Thursday-Saturday 12noon-5pm or by appointment.