We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ally Bruser. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ally below.
Ally, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
As the Sou’wester Arts Program Manager, I plan, coordinate, develop, and refine all of the arts education programs of Sou’wester Arts (the nonprofit branch of the hotel, Sou’wester Lodge). These programs range from Artist-led Workshops, taught by artist-in-residence Instructors, youth art camps, after-school programs, a community clay studio, and more.
All of our programs take place in Ilwaco, a remote corner of Washington state, where access to arts learning is extremely limited. Therefore, Sou’wester Arts provides a critical service to community members who may not otherwise have opportunities in arts.
When I am not coordinating programs at Sou’wester or taking care of my 3-year-old, I am making/selling/teaching ceramics, spending time in nature, foraging, surfing, and finding concrete to skate (which is surprisingly difficult where we live) It’s a full, but very rewarding schedule.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I discovered the transformative power of arts at a very young age. Like so many kids, I was uninspired by my schooling experience and felt most engaged when given the opportunity to explore and express my ideas through art. From then on, I have been fueled by a desire to promote the arts as a means for personal and social transformation and have spent the majority of my career working to provide greater access to arts learning opportunities, whether by working with local youth to build a public skatepark, collaborating with classroom teachers on arts-integrated curriculum, or coordinating artist-led workshops for youth and adults.
I discovered my love for ceramics when I was teaching elementary school art. During a 3rd grade unit on geology, I led a group of students on a field trip to dig wild clay from the Duwamish River in Seattle. Together we processed the wild clay and used it to make pinch pots. The students and I were fascinated by how the dull gray clay became a vibrant red when fired and how temperature and glaze added additional layers of surprise. I dabbled for a while, took a few ceramics classes, then stopped doing ceramics when I became pregnant and my belly was too big to reach the pottery wheel.
Then, the unanticipated challenges brought about by the transition to motherhood and the COVID-19 pandemic led me to rediscover the transformative power for arts and reawakened my passion for ceramics. I decided to prioritize time for my own artistic practice in order to process the immense internal changes I was experiencing and external changes happening in the world around me. Working with clay has proven to be a beneficial medium for expressing both the chaos and excitement of becoming a new parent.
Now, most of my ceramics are handbuilt using nerikomi techniques — the process of pressing and folding multiple colors of clay together then rolling them into slabs. I use both manufactured clay and wild clay from near where I live. I enjoy the spontaneity and surprise that this technique offers, and how the process comes through in the final piece. Using these techniques have also helped me become slower and more patient with my 3-year old!
You can learn more about my pottery process on instagram @albepottery or albepottery.squarespace.com
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
Using the arts as a means for personal and social transformation.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The therapeutic benefits of making and sharing arts learning experiences.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.albepottery.squarespace.com
- Instagram: albepottery
- Other: Sou’wester Arts nonprofit – www.souwesterlodge.com/art Sou’wester Arts IG – souwesterarts