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      Creative Foundations: Edmonia Lewis: Handbuilding with Clay

      Saturday, March 14, 2026 from 10:30 am—3:30 pm

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      Ev Creative Foundations Edmonia 1600 Split Hero

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      March 14, 2026 from 10:30 am—3:30 pm

      Creative Foundations: Edmonia Lewis: Handbuilding with Clay

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      April 18, 2026 from 10:30 am—3:30 pm

      Creative Foundations: Edmonia Lewis: Handbuilding with Clay

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      In-person
      Location: Create Space Studios and Edmonia Lewis: Said in Stone exhibition gallery
      $39 members; $49 nonmembers; plus $30 for materials (total ticket price: $69 members, $79 nonmembers)

      Recommended for ages 18+
      This program includes touching of cool, damp, resistant materials (clay).

      All are welcome. No previous sculpting or clay experience is necessary. All supplies are provided, and participants will take home essential materials so they can continue the creative practice at home.
      There will be a break from noon–1 pm to purchase lunch at the Atrium Café or nearby in Salem.


       

      Celebrate Edmonia Lewis: Said in Stone with an introduction to handbuilding with natural, air-dry clay!

      First, take a guided tour with Jeffrey Richmond-Moll, PEM’s George Putnam Curator of American Art, who will offer an exclusive look at the iconic clay and marble sculptures and other works in the exhibition. Afterward, engage in a creative workshop led by artist Gustavo Tavares Barceloni. Reflect on Edmonia Lewis’ works and learn how to make clay sculptures of your choice. Tavares Barceloni will share his own background, inspirations and approach to art, identity and social change. Then, bring your idea to life by using your hands and sculpting tools to shape your work using various hand-building techniques such as coils, pinch pots, molds and templates. This workshop will also provide resources, ideas and methods to further explore in ceramics or air-dry clay.

      This class is perfect for beginners with no experience working with clay, or those returning to art after a break. All supplies are provided, and participants will take home essential materials so they can continue practicing at home.

      About our collaborators 

      Gustavo Tavares Barceloni
      Gustavo Tavares Barceloni

      Gustavo Tavares Barceloni is an Allston-based, Brazilian artist, educator and organizer. He holds a BFA in ceramics from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design and a M.Ed. from the University of Massachusetts Boston. Tavares Barceloni creates illustrative tableware, murals, participatory installations and community-based projects that reflect working class history, today’s injustices under capitalism and a socialist future. His work also explores themes of identity and belonging regarding his American upbringing as a Brazilian immigrant child. In his free time, he can be found foraging plants and mushrooms or gardening at his local community garden.

      Jeffrey Richmond-Moll
      Jeffrey Richmond-Moll

      Jeffrey Richmond-Moll joined PEM in 2023 and now oversees an expansive collection that encompasses over four centuries of American art, culture and creative expression. Most recently serving as Curator of American Art at the Georgia Museum of Art, on the campus of the University of Georgia, Richmond-Moll has a wide range of expertise in American art from the colonial era to the late 20th century. He pursues interdisciplinary, experimental curatorial strategies to tell compelling, inclusive stories about our nation’s past, present and future. His highly collaborative practice seeks to forge connections across media and time periods and unlock new ideas about American art and identity. Follow @jrmcurator on Instagram.

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