The Salem Creative Arts Center offers a wealth of creative resources to its surrounding communities, located at 202 South Main St., behind the ONCRC building. The center is a celebration of the arts and gathering place for creatives, where they can learn and refine their painting skills, fiber arts skills, jewelry making skills, and more with all kinds of workshops offered every month. Every once in a while, local creatives can even tackle more intimidating art subjects, like a five-week wheel throwing pottery class, with a teacher who’s been teaching pottery for 20 years, Beth Rosenkoetter.
Not only are the classes offered a valuable resource for developing creatives, both young and old, but the money made through ticket sales goes back to the building to ensure its in tip-top shape for future classes or events.
“As the program director at the Creative Arts Center, I am responsible for finding and scheduling various classes each month,” explained Tana Kettner. “Each teacher has to be approved by the Salem Area Arts Council board and pass a background check. Since we are under the umbrella of SACBA, the Salem Area Community Betterment Association, we use that website for people to sign up for and pay for classes and checks are issued to our teachers through SACBA. A percentage of the money made for each class goes back to the building to help pay for utilities and upkeep.”
The five-week wheel throwing pottery class is already sold out—with some attendees coming from different communities, with some coming from over two hours away, shared Kettner. These classes come to be through the efforts of not just one person alone, however.
“The pottery classes are extra special to us, because this was part of Libby Sander's vision for the Creative Arts Center, which never quite came to fruition before her passing in 2020,” shared Kettner. “We've been blessed by the generous support of Dan Lough who basically built our pottery room, Sherman Odom who finished all of cabinetry for the pottery room, and the Bank of Salem for helping us make this possible by helping us purchase new pottery wheels and a slab roller, which make our facility one of the best around.”
Rosenkoetter has a love for pottery that has prompted her to regularly teach in Salem at the Creative Arts Center, along with Living Land Studio in Ava.
Her journey with pottery began in the year 2000 when her husband at the time purchased a kiln, wheel, and began taking pottery classes and showed her what he was learning. Her love of pottery grew from there leading her to take classes at Missouri State University in Springfield and finish her degree in art in Oregon.
“I love watching everybody figure it out,” described Rosenkoetter, “There’s certain things that you have to figure out before you can move on and actually be able to make stuff. All those little ‘aha’ moments—teaching that and watching it happen.”
Although pottery seems intimidating, Rosenkoetter assures those interested in taking a class that it’s beginner friendly.
“If you’ve never touched clay or dirt in your life, you’ll be fine in one of these classes,” encouraged Rosenkoetter.
Five-week workshops for pottery is new to Salem. Most of the time, the classes have been three-day classes with the first two days back-to-back. The first day would be spent learning to throw on the wheel and the second day spent trimming (cleaning up the bottom of pots) or decorating. The last day would be when students fire and glaze their works.
With a five-week workshop, students will be able to fine-tune their works and have more practice getting to know all they can about pottery. Those that have taken the three-day classes have been hankering for more time at the wheel and were clearly pleased with the five-week workshop being provided, as it didn’t take long to sell out.
