Room With a View

There is something about the Firsts of the months here in Fort Wayne. Back on the first of December, during our woodfiring here at UStF, we got our first snow of the season. Exactly on the first. On January 1st there was a "heat" wave, sending Fort Wayne into temperatures of 50 degrees or more. And on February 1st, we were in the midst of a blizzard. I realize from other vantage points our one foot of snow in 48 hours isn't much. But here in Fort Wayne all of the schools were closed, grocery stores ran out of milk and police were handing out tickets for "non-essential" driving. In an effort to keep from getting cabin fever, I found myself at the studio. It was a wonderful and quiet time to get projects some molds finished and catch up on recent cinematic events via Netflix. Whilst there I thought it would be prudent to share with the world what my view is from my small single studio window. Being in the basement (as most academic ceramic studios are) I can see the railroad tracks a nearly eye level.

The School of Creative Arts (SOCA) here at the University of St Francis is a rehabilitated railroad depot. This is actually my third studio that has been in such a building. However, the tracks outside are the most used. More than once an hour a train comes through, taking cargo from place to another. Fort Wayne has been classified a "Rust Belt" town; a town that once served the great industrial needs of the country but has most recently survived on the tenacity of its people. They are a proud people with incredible loyalty. What with all of my moving around lately, town loyalty has barely been in my vocabulary. But the pride of Fort Wayne is contagious. Though I imagine before long I will be leaving this town as well, for now it has a hold on me. It's nice to find a place to love for a while. Fort Wayne has a rich commercial history reaching back to it's foundation. It started as a trading post at the convergence of the St Mary's, St Joe, and Maumee Rivers. It's been called the Summit City because it rises in elevation from the surrounding area. It's been called the City of Churches because of the density of places of worship in a town with a relatively small population. I like to call it Home, because for the first time in a while, it feels like one.