Local Students Win Big at Boxborough Harvest Fair

Seven students from the Silk and Clay Studio at the Boxborough Business Park on Summer Rd. earned top awards for their creative artwork at Boxborough’s annual Harvest Fair on September 10. Of the 21 pieces submitted by the Silk and Clay students, 13 received first-place honors, five received second- place awards and three earned third-place awards.

“We are thrilled that so many of our students were proud enough of their work to participate in the exhibit,” says Silk and Clay co-founders Mary Morazzi-Henderson and Donna Melanson, both professional artists and teachers. “And we were even more excited to learn that so many of our kids took home blue ribbons. We knew the kids’ work was something special, but to have the judges share our views was really affirming.”

Silk and Clay, which caters to students age 4 and up, offers a variety of classes throughout the year, including ceramics, painting, drawing, silk painting, print making and sewing. Mary and Donna teach in their Boxborough studio, each focusing on different media. Classes are kept small to allow for more teacher-student interaction. While many students come from Acton and Boxborough, many come from as far away as Shirley and Carlisle to take classes from these professional artists.

Rachel Toups of Boxborough has been a student of Silk and Clay since its inception in 2006. Her mother Trina raves about the quality of the lessons and end results. “Mary and Donna have guided Rachel in learning new techniques while allowing her to express her unique artistic vision. Her work is becoming quite varied in style, and between the two teachers, Rachel can explore such a wide range of artistic techniques. We’re so lucky to have this resource so close to us.”
What’s the key to helping busy kids slow down, listen, learn and apply artistic techniques? “We focus on building confidence and creativity as well as teaching our students new skills. Our studio space is calm and quiet. We encourage students to work at their own pace, give attention to detail, and take time to enjoy the process. They make beautiful artwork because they are relaxed and having fun!”

For more information about Silk and Clay Studio, please go to their website at www.silkandclay.com

This article was written by Nancy Settle-Murphy in hopes to run in the Beacon Newspaper. They did not publish the article but did print the photo with caption.