learning from the state's best by Julia Rosenfeld Anyone taking a recent pottery class at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., can say they’ve learned from one of the best artists in the state. That’s not bragging; it’s fact. Elizabeth Socolofsky-Howe was one of just 50 artists selected from across the state to have their work displayed in the 2007 MO Fine Art Exhibition, a juried show that’s part of the Missouri State Fair. “It was the first time I entered and I presented two pieces. One of them was selected,” said Ms. Socolofsky-Howe humbly. “It’s titled Arion; my daughter named it.” Lovers of Greek mythology will know that Arion, the son of Poseidon and Demeter, was a horse with the ability to use human speech. Horses have recently nudged their way into Ms. Socolofsky-Howe’s sculptural work. “They’ve always been my favorite animal,” she explains. “I recently met a sculptor who lives nearby and she’s been teaching me about the anatomy of horses. So I’ve been incorporating more full body horse figures and heads. In fact, I just entered a horse piece in the upcoming (Air Force Arts & Crafts) gallery show.” Ms. Socolofsky-Howe doesn’t just learn from other artists, she also learns from the students she works with at the Arts & Crafts Center. “The students come with an openness and a different eye. They see things differently and do things differently,” she says with fascination. “I don’t learn technique from them, but I often see someone do something with their own twist or style and I think, ‘hmm, I might just steal that idea.’ In a lot of ways, these classes are a form of therapy and learning for all of us.” The pottery classes are small and (pardon the pun) a very hands-on experience. “We have three wheels, and while most people think of pottery as wheel-thrown work, there’s a tremendous amount you can do with hand-building as well. So I teach both techniques,” she said. “The wheel is fun and you see clay and spray going everywhere, but it’s very hard for a beginner to master and I have to be more involved with students as they learn that technique. But beginners can do some great hand-built pieces right off the bat. So I teach pinch pots, coil, slab work and have students add hand-built elements to wheel-thrown work.” Ms. Socolofsky-Howe’s professional pottery is available for purchase on base too. She describes her work as being “a wide variety of functional wheel-thrown, hand-built and decorative sculpture that reflects different cultures.” You may find pieces reminiscent of Pueblo pottery, some with an oriental influence, and some that simply reflects her personal style. “I’m doing much more sculpture this year,” she said. “Lately I’ve been creating 22-inch slab-built structures with horses figures or heads at the top. And a few with some human faces, too.” The artist and her family have lived near Whiteman since her husband, an Air Reserve Technician, was transferred there in 1994. “I was a stay-at-home mom and focused solely on my family until I started teaching a couple of pottery classes at the Warrensburg Community Center ten years ago,” she said. When she found out there was an opening for a ceramics instructor at the base arts & crafts center, she threw her hat in the ring and began teaching classes in January. “I don’t have a degree in art or in teaching,” Ms. Socolofsky-Howe said sheepishly, “Although I did study art in college.” But as one of the top 50 artists in the state, a formal degree doesn’t really matter to her loyal students or to anyone who collects her work.
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