Andrew Morse

GILPIN COUNTY — The GCCC (Gilpin County Community Center) is more than a meeting place for residents and visitors. The center is known for its wellness amenities, such as its two pools and a fitness center. It also has a pottery studio.

Andrew Morse is one of the center’s more than 50 members who regularly takes classes and makes use of the studio. “It’s so rewarding to get muddy,” shares Morse. The studio at the GCCC has mid-fire and cone six oxidation glaze firings. And with cone ten reduction glaze firings, one can start a piece and finish it. 

The Gilpin County Community Center is a place of art, community, and wellness.

Morse confesses that all artists, regardless of skill level, “get jazzed by both new and experienced artists and their work.” He also cautions that studio access will be limited Saturday morning between 9 a.m. and noon while a class is in session. 

According to Morse, the difference between a traditional studio and the one at the GCCC is that they are a “community of creatives who like hanging out and working together and learning together.”

Morse's work is featured in the Center's studio for the Studio Tour.

The pottery room at the Gilpin County Community Center.

Ceramic classes and open studio time for students of all skill levels are another appealing feature of the center. Anyone interested in traditional pottery is encouraged to sign up for a class to learn how to shape, fire, and decorate their own clay pieces.

Andrew Morse’s work is on display at the Gilpin County Community Center at 250 Norton Drive, Black Hawk. You can call him at 720-476-9926 or find him on social media at @andrew.morese. To learn more about the Gilpin County Community Center, visit bit.ly/gilpinparksrec.