Artisans and farmers protecting and preserving the heritage of the American West pass on their knowledge and experience through shopping experiences, instructional classes, and weekend festivals hosting thousands to their charming village in Central Texas.

Quilt making and other craft seminars, agricultural exhibits, and music activities are on display each day at Homestead Craft Village and featured at Homestead Heritage's 37th Annual Homestead Fair, open from November 29 through Dec. 1, followed by two weekends of the Homestead Holiday Market, December 7 and 14.

WACO, Texas, Nov. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- There’s a moment in the pottery shop that captivates crowds and craftsmen alike. It’s the moment a lump of clay seems to leap to life. The potter’s hands apply just the right pressure to the spinning clay and it rises swiftly, forming a neat cylinder.

“This never gets old for me,” said Brandon Trevino, a potter at Homestead Pottery. “It’s extremely satisfying to feel the clay transform in my hands. And I love seeing the smiles it brings to people watching.”

Fortunately for everyone, including Brandon, this moment is repeated many times, as forming a cylinder on the spinning wheel is the starting point for nearly everything: cups, mugs, vases, bowls, even dinner plates. From the potter’s perspective, a plate is just a very wide, short cylinder.

Brandon makes it look effortless, but throwing clay takes time and practice to master. Fortunately, every practice throw can be recycled. Clay remains clay until it is fired in the kiln. Mistakes are temporary and welcomed as part of the learning process.

“There’s no substitute for having clay in your hands. Watch all the online videos you want, but you need to feel it,” said Brandon “I like to say working clay on a wheel is like riding a bike – you try and try and then, it all comes together.”

Beginning pottery students start by making pinch pots, a perfect first project for all ages to enjoy and learn the feel of clay. Other hand-building pottery techniques include coiled pottery, slab pottery, and woven pottery.

In creating pottery and teaching the craft to others, Brandon feels a strong connection with both the earth and his community at Homestead Heritage, where traditional crafts are part of a way of life centered on faith, family, and friendships.

“For thousands of years pottery has been considered an essential village craft, supplying the plates, bowls, pitchers, cups, mugs, and containers needed for everyday living,” said Brandon. “Every item in this store is the product of human hands shaping clay from the earth, and each one is a unique creation.”

Brandon and other artisans invite guests to participate in classes available year-round, Monday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Homestead Craft Village located north of Waco, a few minutes off the interstate or to make plans to visit the 37th Annual Homestead Fair Nov. 29 – Dec. 1, Dec. 6-7 and Dec. 13-14, 2024.

About Homestead Heritage

Homestead Heritage at Brazos de Dios is a Christian church in Central Texas that embraces traditional ways of work and worship. The church community, which hosts more than 200,000 visitors per year, operates a 510-acre farm on the Brazos River and includes the Homestead Craft Village and Café Homestead.

Dozens of artisans, small business owners, and farmers work daily to protect and preserve the heritage of the American West and pass on their knowledge and experience through shopping experiences, instructional classes, and weekend festivals hosting thousands to their charming village in Central Texas.

Visit https://www.homesteadheritage.com/the-shops/ to learn more, shop or plan your trip, and https://www.homesteadfair.com/ for information about Homestead Heritage's 37th Annual Homestead Fair, open from November 29 through Dec. 1, followed by two weekends of the Homestead Holiday Market, December 7 and 14.

Watch Brandon at work at Homestead Pottery at Homestead Heritage.

Visit these social channels to learn more about Homestead Heritage. FACEBOOK, YOUTUBE, X/TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, TIKTOK

Media Contact:
Homestead Heritage
info@homesteadheritage.com
(254) 716-1013

SOURCE Homestead Heritage

Links

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/homesteadheritagewaco

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HomesteadHeritageWaco

X/Twitter: https://x.com/HomesteadWacoTX

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homesteadheritage/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@homesteadheritage

Direct Link to Brandon video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhvU3cB36ZE

Homestead Craft Village: https://www.homesteadheritage.com/the-shops/

Homestead Fair: https://www.homesteadfair.com/

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/091a1997-c298-4f51-bce5-082c86a1a4b1

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