New neighbor and skilled ceramicist, Anna Fuenning, has been filling the Questa Creative Council’s Art Room at the Youth & Family center on Thursday evenings with eager learners. Her open studio concept has been popular with many area residents, ages four to 40.
“I love getting folks hooked on ceramics, especially those who have been intimidated by it before,” Anna says. “There is something so elemental about getting your hands in clay. It’s such a functional and ancient art form, which you can take in many different directions.”
Anna reports, “A varied group of folks have enjoyed the sessions so far. They each have had a different motivation in attending, from just always wanting to try working with clay, to bettering their skills, to expanding their creativity in a communal setting.”
Anna was raised in a large family, in Lincoln, Nebraska. Even with nine kids in the house, her parents made art museums, performing-arts events, and galleries an integral part of their children’s lives. By high school, Anna was in an arts and humanities-focused program, then she moved into working at a studio co-op with friends, and took advantage of her proximity to the University of Nebraska with its great ceramic facilities.
This creative gal lived in Washington state, then Alaska, before living most recently in Austin, Texas. She and her partner had enjoyed camping in our beautiful Carson National Forest, and, after visiting friends in Questa, fell in love with the area. They moved here in 2022 and are building a cabin north of the village, and raising two young boys, one of whom attends Alta Vista Elementary. Anna and her partner both also became volunteer firefighters.
“As a long-time fan of folk art, or even so-called outsider art, it feels right to be in this locale with its deep history of skilled craftsmanship. It has been a blast to see what people, even with no experience, create today when given the space and resources. I love what the Creative Council has done, and it is so nice to see the collaboration with the village government in providing them space at the Youth and Family Center for a reasonable rate,” Anna says. “I would love to see this open studio project expand to connect with more segments of the Questa community.”
Come meet this new, most welcome, neighbor at the Youth and Family Center, just next door to the Questa Library, on Thursday evenings from 5 to 9 p.m. Drop in or stay the whole time! These sessions are for hand-building techniques, and all materials are supplied. Any donation you can afford will help keep the program running!
Find more information at the QCC’s website, QuestaCreativeCouncil.org, or call (575) 586-5658 and leave a message for Anna.