clay practice; terrestrial-touch with Shannon Brooks

Somewhere between a movement/sound practice, a loose experiment in past/future/interdimensional archiving, and a ceramic workshop, clay practice; terrestrial-touch invites participants into a collaborative practice using movement, sound, and material (clay) to create wearable, ceramic memory-landscapes.

• 12-1:15pm: In the first part of this workshop, Shannon will guide participants through guided movement/sound improvisations to connect with our bodies, environment, and each other. Together, we will root into each of our personal and collective subterranean-archives, our real and unreal histories, dreams, and futures.
• 1:15-1:45pm: 30-minute break.
• 1:45-3pm: In the second part of the workshop, we will translate these explorations physically into clay with our bodies, imprinting this sensory information as a topographical archive of textures using our full bodies (hands, feet, knees, elbows, etc.). The workshop will culminate by working our surreal forms into structurally sound, wearable objects meant to be touched, moved with, and worn.

By joining this workshop, attendees are contributing to a large-scale, collaborative, artwork that will be a part of Shannon’s Leeway x Fleisher Visual Artist Residency final exhibition. Participants will have their wearable creations fired, glazed and worked into a sculptural, memory-landscape that evolves and is interacted with over the duration of the exhibition. By joining this workshop, attendees are contributing to a large-scale, collaborative, artwork that will be a part of Shannon’s Leeway x Fleisher Visual Artist Residency final exhibition. Participants will have their wearable creations fired, glazed and worked into a sculptural, memory-landscape that evolves and is interacted with over the duration of the exhibition. At the conclusion of the exhibition, participants will be able to take home their finished pieces.

This workshop is adaptable to any body, mind, age, gender, etc. No dance/movement experience is necessary to participate! Shannon is deeply influenced by the work of Disability Justice leaders and understands pain, Disability, and Access as generative, creative forces that transform time, space, and power structures. This practice is deeply influenced by personal experiences with low-vision/blindness, madness, and chronic illness.

Learn more about Shannon's 2023 Leeway x Fleisher residency here.

The workshop will take place in Palumbo Park, right next door to Fleisher, accessible by a ramp. There are gender neutral restrooms in the lobby near the main entrance which are accessible by climbing a few stairs or using a stair lift. Fleisher offers free parking in the lot across the street, and includes designated accessible parking spaces. The sidewalk surface varies and there is a curb cut at the corner of 7th and Catharine. The rain date for this event is Sunday, July 28th. If rain is present on both days, there will be communication regarding rescheduling the event.

Masks are encouraged, but not required.

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Established in 2019, the Leeway x Fleisher Visual Artist Residency is an opportunity for a Leeway grantee to utilize Fleisher’s art-making studios and facilities as one of the oldest community art-schools in the country. Artist-in-Residence receive a $2,500 stipend from Leeway and access to Fleisher's space to create their work. Learn more about Fleisher and Leeway.

Host or Publisher Leeway Foundation