by Marie Doyon and Bill Riski A celebration of VAC’s 20th anniversary would not be complete without recognizing a group of artists who make things out of clay. But first, we would be remiss if we did not acknowledge the person solely responsible for bringing clay classes, along with her broad expertise, to Dataw: our own Dot Schaphorst. Dot moved to Dataw around the time that VAC was conceived. The (new at the time) art room had a kiln, but no one knew how to operate it! An art major in college and a former art teacher, Dot is also an accomplished painter and an incredibly talented (rug)hooker. Hearing about the unused kiln, she decided to teach clay sculpting, offering six-week classes in the fall and spring. Her “students” became known at the time as “The Dirty Girls,” some of whom are featured below. Take some time to get to know this group, now known as “The Mudslingers” – in their own words. Brooke Schuster Art has always been a part of my life. I have always felt the need to create something.  Whenever possible, I took art classes in various mediums and enjoyed them all.  Once life took over, art was relegated to the few minutes between work and raising a family.  When I retired, I could spend more time investigating what I really liked.  Drawing has always been a favorite of mine, but over time, I discovered watercolor and pottery.  Both are satisfying in somewhat different ways.  In watercolor, I see how the water spreads the color over the paper in such beautiful ways, and pottery allows me to manipulate clay into something functional that others can enjoy. When my husband and I moved here from Ohio, we couldn’t believe that we were so lucky to live in… Read More