Local ceramics studio displays wares at Cantigny

Both natural beauty and man-made art made Cantigny Park in Wheaton one of the best places in the suburbs to enjoy Sunday’s early spring weather.

Throughout the weekend, the park played host to the third annual spring show of ClaySpace, a Warrenville-based ceramic arts studio created by former students of the College of DuPage.

Though the studio was founded about six years ago by people already well versed in their craft, many among today’s 40 resident artists were once beginners in ClaySpace’s own classes.

That includes Vice President Debbie Mueller of West Chicago, who was one of 15 ClaySpace artists exhibiting and selling their works in the Cantigny Park Visitor Center this weekend.

“It’s a beautiful location and a perfect time of year,” Mueller said.

Both spring and fall are popular times for ceramic arts sales, she added. The spring particularly lends itself to Mother’s Day gift shopping and the fall to Christmas.

Some look for practical bowls, cups and vases as well as ceramics that will be displayed purely as artwork, Mueller said.

Marilyn Jordan of Tinley Park found the ceramics arts show an unexpected bonus to the outdoor scenery of Cantigny Park — one of her favorite places.

Though her family are regular visitors to the park, the purpose of this particular trip was to show it to her future son-in-law from Colombia, Jordan said.

Mueller said the show is also a way to draw attention to ClaySpace’s class schedule and other places where its artists are displaying their work. These include the 2012 Regional Juried Ceramics Exhibition that will continue to run through next Sunday, April 1, at the Warrenville Public Library at 28W751 Stafford Place in Warrenville.

Though the members of ClaySpace were brought together by their artistry, their other professional and personal skills contribute to the running of the not-for-profit organization, such as Ben Schulte of Plainfield who’s an attorney by trade.

Some members’ marketing skills also contribute greatly to the regional promotion of ClaySpace, Mueller said.

In fact, the popularity of ClaySpace has risen so much in recent years that consideration has begun of a move to larger quarters from the original location at 28W210 Warrenville Road in Warrenville.

“It’s an older building, but it serves its purpose for now,” Mueller said.