Today we’d like to introduce you to Levi Wright.
Hi Levi, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My interest in pottery began in a high school art class where I had an assignment to hand build a face jug. I loved working in clay and sculpting a face. My teacher submitted my project and it was chosen for display at the state fair. This gave me confidence and I continued to work with clay. I began taking lessons at Southern Pottery learning to throw on a wheel and eventually learned face sculpting from Peter Lenzo. My friendship and lessons grew and he became my mentor. After a few years Peter encouraged me to expand my throwing skills by attending the new pottery program at the Pottery Center being offered at Peidmont Tech. I continued my relationship with Peter as I learned new skills at the Pottery Center and a dream began to form.
I dreamed of starting an art gallery featuring local and state artists that was attached to a teaching studio for the arts. In August of 2020 just when the covid shutdown was happening State of the Art Gallery and Pottery Studio opened its doors. We offered socially distanced instruction in throwing and gathered a group of 30 artists who wanted to offer their art for sale in the gallery. Our philosophy is sharing art with and in community. We built what we sometimes call “the common man”” gallery. A space where anyone walking down the street would feel comfortaqble to come browse and shop, maybe even try their hand at a lesson. One of our hopes is that people take real regioinal art into their home. To realize having an original is not out of reach. And by offering pottery and other art classes our community could step into that creative process and see how art can enrich their life. A community of artists joining hands with the community.
So this August will mark our 5 year anniversay. And on the heels of that anniversary we will be opening another part of the dream. That dream is having a working art district in Cayce. That artists find community to create and offer their art in the heart of our Art District. Two Story Studios will make available 5 individual art studios on the top story. On the bottom floor will be a fully functional art studio that will offer Open Studio Memberships. Our hope is artists will come and work together and our community will enjoy watching them work, inspire that work, and take art home with them.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Opening during Covid was anything but smooth, but we grew and taught a lot of lessons during those months. We even sponsored a socially distanced summer camp that year. ‘Because this end of State Street has been inactive for so long one of our biggest struggles is exposure. Most people visiting for the first time will lament that they had no idea we were here.
And when the economy is slow art is not on the top of everyones list, but if people just stop by they are pleasantly surprised that there are treasures for any pocketbook. You can shop with as little as ten dollars or make an investment in art by an estabished artists that is a bit more expensive. The challenge has been to help people make that first step inside the door,
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about State of the Art Gallery and Pottery Studio?
As an artist myself, I dreamed of having a gallery with a pottery studio attached. When my parents decided to renovate some older buildings in Cayce, they offered one of the spaces to me to give me the opportunity to make that dream come true. State of the Art Gallery and Pottery Studio was born. I wanted a “common man’s gallery” a beautiful space that would highlight some really good South Carolina artists and artisans, yet not feel stilted or forbidding to someone who had never imagined owning original art. Also offeing a studio to help expose the community to the joys of creating art—specifically wheel-thrown pottery to begin with, but expanding into painting, photography, and handbuilding classes as well.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I have always been a bit out of the box, so because of my love for wheel throwing and sharing my love of art it seemed natural to throw caution to the wind and open this business, Having the huge advantage of owning my own space cut the risk significantly, but I carry the self imposed pressure of wanting to make the Gallery a success to pay respect to my family who have given me the opportunity. I lost my Dad in 2022. I actuallly got the unexpected call to hurry to the hospital in the middle of a day of SOTA Kids pottery camp. He believed in my dream. He supported it. I still am determined to earn that support and faith. I think like my dad- if you don’t put legs to your dream you will stay right where you are, Go for it was his motto. Nothing risked- nothing gained,
Pricing:
- Premium Wheel Class- Six 2 hour sessions. Personal instruction and material and services included. $350
- Independent Wheel Time- For those who need minimal guidance Six 2 hour sessions- materials and services included, $250
- Start to Finish Session- 2 hours of 1 on 1 instruction that culminates in creation of 2 peices that will be fired and glazed for the student. $80.00
- Pottery Throwing Experience- 1 1/2 hours instruction and fun on potters wheel. Designed to jut have fun learning the basics, No finished product to fire but lots of memories and education. $50
- Beautiful art all created by South Carolina artis. Find treasures from original recipe candles, soaps, and fragrances to hanging stained glass and jewelry to photography and paintings, Unique art like fused glass pot stickers and hand painted fiahing lures, And always pottery by 5 SC artists- mugs, bowls, vases, even face jugs! find treasures from $20 and up.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.stateoftheartsc.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stateoftheartsc/
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/stateoftheartsc
