Gizmo hosts 'Bowlistic!' fundraiser along with 'muddy mayhem'

COEUR d’ALENE — Potters will be selling ceramic wares to support Gizmo-CdA during “Bowlistic!” on Saturday.

About 200 handmade bowls were sold last year and this year, they’ve made about 300 to share with supporters of the arts in the Hedlund Building at North Idaho College.

“Gizmo is a nonprofit, so because it’s run by volunteers, we have to work our booties off to keep this place opening and functioning,” said Kelsea Snyder, a volunteer.

Admission to Bowlistic! is free, but attendees can spend $20 to purchase one of 300 handmade ceramic bowls and enjoy some ice cream.

Last year's event raised $6,000, and much of that went toward kiln shelves and plumbing.

“Pottery making is arguably one of the most expensive art forms you can have," Snyder said.

Jenna Kuipers, also known as the “kiln goddess,” said because clay and plumbing can often cause complications, special modifications must be added to waterworks.

“You can’t just wash clay down the drain because it will clog, it’s really bad for plumbing. You have to have specific plumbing and clay traps,” Kuipers said. 

Before the new plumbing was implemented, Gizmo potters had to maintain a bucket system with multiple rinses to let the clay particles settle in the water and separate out. 

Kuipers is excited to show off pottery throwing skills during a pottery event within the fundraiser that has been dubbed, “muddy mayhem.”  

The pottery mayhem begins at 2:30 p.m. and there will be throwing demonstrations throughout the event outside as well as a friendly throwing competition with a bracket. 

Snyder noted that the muddy mayhem is just one way of seeing how the event has grown in its second year and said that there are also twice as many auction items to bid on, from an electric guitar to handmade pottery pieces.  

Info: www.gizmo-cda.org

Kelsea Snyder places some of the 300 bowls to be used in the Bowlistic! fundraiser for Gizmo-CdA on Saturday.