Mary Lou Morrison has the Peach Gallery for a show titled “Journey of an Educator and Artist”.
Originally from Kansas wheat country, Mary Lou Morrison moved to Wyoming in 1960 where she worked as an elementary and high school art teacher. As a teacher, Morrison sought new approaches to traditional art projects to inspire students’ creativity. Her goal has always been to give all students – not just ‘talented’ ones – the opportunity to see, smell and feel their surroundings and to appreciate their own and others creations.

She launched and directed the Discovery Center at Casper’s Nicolaysen Art Museum, a children’s participatory museum that blended hands-on exhibits with history and social science. Morrison is still uncertain who learned more during her stint as the center’s director- she or the students.

Inspired by Wyoming’s vast vistas, teeming wildlife and her love of hiking, skiing and camping, Morrison works in printmaking, sculpture and watercolor. Her most recent pursuit is gyotaku, a process used by Japanese fishermen to document the largest catch of the day by applying ink to a fish and printing it on paper. “Unlike fishermen,” she says, “prints always tell the truth.”

The show will be hung on Feb 8, opening on Feb 11, showing through Mar 6.

Many of our members are anxious to display pieces they have been working on for the “Winter Wonderland Show” in the Churro Gallery in January. Snow, ice and the dazzling effects it creates reflecting the late season solar angles can be magical. Scenery blanketed in winter, seasonal sports, aurora borealis, houses draped in snow, three- dimensional pieces, icy glass bowls, jewelry, wood work and many other media will bring the thrill of winter to our viewers.
Come in, have a cup of cheer, warm your tootsies at the outdoor raku firing, enjoy the hearth, meet our members and spend an evening among the Creamerys’ fine art.
We hope to see you at the Creamery Arts Center for these special events or come in any time and enjoy the art of over 70 local artisans.

Daphna Russell began her teaching career instructing her younger sister. From there she progressed to teaching art to junior high school Students. Then with degrees in art history and sculpture from Colorado College, Texas Woman’s University and three years at the College of William and Mary, she advanced to studying in Florida and Italy. She has also been the Curator of Education at several prestigious museums where she taught a variety of ages. On retiring the artist focused on adults whom she taught to sculpt, she says: “with gusto”. These became her favorite. Drawing on their hidden talents, she identified those talents and began to bring them to fruition as they worked in water based clay, which she subsequently fired and instructed them in finishing techniques and presentation. Russell delights in her teaching, which she maintains encourages her to get on with her own work as well.
Daphna is a treasured long time member of the Creamery, a familiar face at many of our events, is present at all the raku firings during our opening receptions and gives demonstrations of her sculpting techniques every Thursday afternoon in the main room of the CAC. She has gathered students from a wide area and is proud to present their skills in
Creamery Arts Center January 2011
this unique show.
Ms. Russell will be scheduling several classes, private lessons and workshops at the Creamery and at her studio in Cedaredge starting in January. Daphna and David Strong, our Clay Studio Director will be demonstrating a RAKU FIRING of specialty glazed ceramics and sculpture in the courtyard during the opening reception Friday evening.