The Taylorville Kiwanis Club heard about the process of making pottery, during their weekly meeting Tuesday at the Taylorville Moose Lodge.  

Michelle Coakes owns and operates Bad Wolf Pottery from her home a mile and a half off of Illinois Route 29 near Sharpsburg.  After earning a master’s degree in ceramics and multiple graduate degrees in art, she’s taught art at several colleges and universities.  Coakes retired from Lincoln Land Community College and while there, decided to settle in Taylorville, building a new home that included a ceramic shop.

She explained to Kiwanis members, the process of turning mud into a beautiful ceramic piece.  She has 2 electric kilns and built her own outside wood kiln that heats her creations to some 24-hundred 50-degrees to bake.  

Coakes taught classes and workshops at her location until COVID when she had to stop.  Since COVID, she’s made money by posting her creations to sell on social media.  She’s sold a number of ceramic coffee mugs, bowls, and vases that she created herself.

The public is reminded that the Kiwanis Club is holding its Drive-Thru Donation Days on Saturdays thru the rest of July from 9am to 1pm, in the Miller Media Group front parking lot at 918 East Park.  Non-perishable food and monetary donations received will be given to the Taylorville Food Pantry.

The Taylorville Kiwanis Club holds weekly meetings are held Tuesdays at noon at the Taylorville Moose Lodge.  For information on the club, go to taylorvillekiwanis.com.