SEQUIM — Over the past four years, creating bird sculptures for BirdQuest, a scavenger game played in downtown Sequim, has been a rite of passage — and significant part of their grade — for art students in Jake Reichner’s ceramics classes at Sequim High School.
Longtime friends Reichner and Powell Jones, executive director of the Dungeness River Audubon Center, with inspiration from Diane Ratzinger, then of the Sequim Merchants Group, came up with the idea that “links the community, businesses and the high school because it forces students to establish relationships with businesses” in the contest, Reichner said.
Players will use a game card to match ceramic bird figurines with the 12 businesses in which they are displayed, according to the Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce.
After matching all the birds and businesses, players are eligible to win the grand prize in a drawing of game cards.
Participants also will vote for their favorite three sculptures, and cash prizes will be awarded to the lucky student artists.
Avian artwork
Students have been building their bird figurines since February, and the rush is on, as the sculptures have to be ready and in place for the First Friday Art Walk from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. April 1 when the scavenger hunt begins and ends.
The grand prize drawing will be at 8 p.m. at That Takes the Cake, 171 W. Washington St.
“It’s cool,” Reichner said of the project.
“I don’t get a buy-in from every student about having to build a bird, but generally it’s exciting for the kids because they have the opportunity to show their work, get exposure and possibly sell their work.
“In the past, a lot of kids sold their works and got cash prizes for first, second or third place.”
Reichner said student sculptures have sold for $25 to $150.
“Students can pick any bird; I even allow abstractions of birds and, of course, the more realistic ones,” he said.
“I want to allow them freedom. It’s important to give them as much freedom as possible in creating and expressing themselves.”
‘Owl-catching’ year
This year has been an “owl-catching” year, with many types of owls coming to life from clay balls in students’ hands that they form into cups a half-inch thick.
Others in the flocks include toucans, puffins, bluejays, ducks, hawks, penguins and tanagers.
“They all have built their birds by pinch building [joining two cups face to face], and some of the bigger ones are coil-built,” Reichner said.
“It’s the first ceramics project for these kids.
“I show how to make basic bird forms from a handout. With a ball of clay, they pinch until they form a cup, and multiple cups make a bird — head, body and tail.
“Not only are they learning how to build, but they’re creating texture with other materials, such as bark.”
When the figurines are complete, they must dry thoroughly before they’re fired in one of two classroom kilns at 2,000 degrees. Once cooled, they’re painted with glazing, a glass coating, and refired.
Between his Ceramics I and Ceramics II classes, Reichner teaches about 60 students.
“I think many of the kids are surprised what they can make, and that creating a bird, and the scene the bird fits into [rocks, trees, logs, etc., for props], is a challenging but valuable way to teach students about key ceramics concepts like form, texture and depth,” Reichner said.
“In the past, many students who did not see themselves as artistic have been proud to be a part of the event and have their work displayed for public viewing.”
Participating merchants
Merchants who will participate in the contest are Blue Whole Gallery, 129 W. Washington St.; Cedarbrook Lavender, 134½ W. Washington St.; Fieldnotes, 123 E. Washington St.; Fudd’s Fish & Chips, 173 W. Washington St.; Hart’s Fine Books, 161 W. Washington St.; Heather Creek, 122 W. Washington St.
Also, Olympic Lavender, 120 W. Washington St.; Purple Haze Lavender, 127 W. Washington St.; Rusting Rooster, 154 E. Washington St.; Solar’s City Boutique & Retreat, 135 W. Washington St.; That Takes the Cake, 171 W. Washington St.; and Wind Rose Cellars, 143 W. Washington St.
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Patricia Morrison Coate is a reporter with the Olympic Peninsula News Group, which is composed of Sound Publishing newspapers Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum. Reach her at pcoate@sequimgazette.com.
