BISMARCK – The Capitol is a place for many things, and recently it was a place for artists to display their work.
Vicki Benzmiller, an artist with the Midstate Porcelain Art Guild, said the guild of about 12 members get together once a month where their teacher, Vida Klocke, Underwood, shows them new techniques of porcelain art.
“This is our first time coming to the Capitol,” said Benzmiller. “We’ve had a display on the 18th floor.”
The guild performs oil porcelain art.
“It’s an ancient art, it’s really, really old,” said Benzmiller. “It goes way back in China. Once we paint something, we have to fire it in a kiln at 1400 degrees, and then we’ll paint it again. We keep adding layers of paint to get all the shadows.”
The members are from Washburn, Underwood, Coleharbor, Hazen, Buelah, Mandan, and New Salem.
“We meet once a week in Riverdale just to get together and do a project,” said Benzmiller. “We’re always looking for more members. We have a program if someone comes and likes what we’re doing, we have a paint kit that they can get started with, and then if they decide to stay, they will have to pay for it.”
Benzmiller said the nice thing about the guild is everybody helps everybody else.
“If someone has a problem and is stuck, they can call somebody,” said Benzmiller.
