34 SEPTEMBER 21-27, 2023 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | NEWS | LETTERS | CONTENTS | miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | ART | STAGE | NIGHT+DAY | METRO | RIPTIDE | LETTERS | CONTENTS | Right Out Back Artist Erica Lores transforms her backyard into a ceramics haven. BY ASHLEY-ANNA ABOREDEN F or some, a backyard is a place where you can play with friends or splash in the pool on a hot sum- mer day. But for Miami native Er- ica Lores, her Kendall backyard was where she discovered her love for dirt. “Since I was little, I was always making arts and crafts in my backyard and getting my hands dirty, whether with mud or actual clay,” Lores says. “I love to grow fruits and vegetables with my parents in our garden. It led me always to have this passion for art and the environment, and together, that ties into my love for ceramics.” For Lores, art is not just something left on a shelf; it’s something to be experienced, something that she couldn’t imagine her life without and feels everyone can be a part of. “Growing up, I was making art and doing arts and crafts in my backyard, through school,” Lores explains. “I don’t even know what life is without making art or doing some kind of artistic endeavor.” With the mission to connect people to art in an accessible and sustainable way, Lores decided to open up a studio in that same back- yard, inviting people of all ages and skill levels into her home and helping them experience the joys of creativity. Named after the passion- fruit vines growing in abundance in her yard, Maracuya Studio is where she leads ceramics classes in an intimate and homey setting in a converted barn. (Because the studio is located at Lores’ home, the exact location is kept se- cret unless you sign up for a class.) Though she always dreamed of owning a studio, the goal wasn’t an easy one for Lores. After receiving her degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Lores, like many other artists, found herself working outside her field. “You start off as an artist with hopes and dreams, but you don’t always go straight into being a full-time artist. For a period of time, I was doing some other jobs and working at some plant shops and some art studios, but last year was when I realized I had this space that I could convert into an art studio,” Lores explains. “I was just kind of at that point — why am I waiting for one day I’ll have my own studio or one day I’ll offer classes? I realized the best way to do it is to stop and try.” After the epiphany, Lores quit her full- time job and invested her time into making Maracuya a reality. Previously used to house animals, the barn in Lores’ backyard was converted into a ce- ramics studio. Lores has put her artist’s touch on the space with intentional details, like the handbuilt mosaic sink, placed throughout. Maracuya coexists with its natural surround- ings — even the materials Lores uses in her work connect with the environment. “All of my inspiration for glazes and materials I choose is inspired from the environment around me,” Lores says. “I would say definitely it’s inspired by the environment. Not the typical Miami side a lot of people hear about or see, more the mangroves, the ocean, the corals, the Everglades. That’s always drawn me, and I create in a way inspired by it.” Having her students connect with nature is integral to Lores’ lessons. Students often wander into the garden, returning with leaves to imprint on their work. “We’re mak- ing art from ac- tual earth materials, which has always drawn me to it. We try to be mindful and create in a sus- tainable way,” she adds. “Most of my art has always been influ- enced by the environment or my travels; also my own roots growing up and my family.” With sustainability in mind, Lores focuses on making functional pieces like mugs, bowls, and wares that are part of people’s everyday lives. “That, for me, has been a way for all of us to slow down. It’s inviting us to be more in- tentional about what we do in our day-to-day life,” she adds. To Lores, everyone is an artist, but unfor- tunately, pottery isn’t always accessible be- cause of the long process of making a finished piece. Accessibility is another reason why Lo- res chose to teach ceramics. “The fact that you can make something out of clay and then you get to use it later on in your everyday life is so rewarding, and then being able to offer that to other people,” she says. One of the workshops Lores offers is the monthly Clay Play Open Studio, allowing the public to come and have the freedom to create with sliding-scale pricing. For those interested in a more guided class, Lores offers Clay Date, an intimate pottery class, and monthly work- shops focused on making one particular ware, including incense holders, mugs, and vases. In addition to the classes, Lores sells her pieces online and at local markets where she can connect with budding artists looking to create. “There’s a lot of work involved in running your own studio and online shop, too. An art- ist is never just only an artist; they’re the mar- keter, the photographer, the business person — the list goes on,” Lores says. At the end of each class, Lores fires all the pieces and puts a clear glaze on them to make them food-safe. “It can be a lot of work, but honestly, it’s so fun, and it’s very rewarding to see after,” she explains. “People are always so surprised to see their piece at the end, and they just love it. It has made me so happy to see people come to connect with their inner artists and create in community. I have some students who have been to several of my classes and formed their own little collection at home.” For more information on Maracuya Studio, visit ericalores.com. [email protected] ▼ Culture Erica Lores stands in front of the converted barn where she teaches classes. Photo by Alan Benavides “THE MANGROVES, THE OCEAN, THE CORALS, THE EVERGLADES — THAT’S ALWAYS DRAWN ME.”
