A Ton of Bricks

Linda Burton posting from Helena, Montana – If you’re going to lock your keys in your car you couldn’t choose a better place than “The Bray.” I heard about the Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts the first day I arrived in Helena. Now (after that door-slam when you instantly realize your keys are still on the car seat) I’m sitting on the steps of their office waiting for AAA to arrive with the unlocking thing-a-majig. I’ve got one eye on the Scion and the other on an interesting circular structure just off to my right. The little brown brochure with a map of the place tells me it’s the Potter’s Shrine, built to reflect construction techniques used in the original buildings and to honor past and present ceramic artists at The Bray. It’s dedicated to Archie Bray, whose vision “gave birth to the Foundation” and it contains a bust of the man, sculpted by Rudy Autio in 1952. I started walking down the gravel drive and saw an array of brick buildings and chimneys and artworks scattered around this site that once was a brick factory, according to the brochure. A brick factory? A Foundation supporting ceramic artists? A man named Archie Bray? How did it all come together? » read more