DECEMBER 1 • 2022 | 49

Pearlman, on the board of the National Council 
of Jewish Women and a member of Adat Shalom 
Synagogue, keeps a small statue she made by copying a 
picture that reminds her of her late husband. That piece 
stays on the mantel in her living room. 
Weinbaum had been asked to join the Potters Market 
by the late Charlie Blosser, who taught at OCC and was 
married to Bridget Blosser, the woman who subsequently 
accepted responsibility for managing the event.
“I’m an eclectic potter so I make Judaica as well as 
whimsical and functional pieces,
” said Weinbaum, 
proudly trained at OCC and working on her artistry out 
of a home studio. “I went through the holidays making 
items out of clay and even made hamantaschen out of 
the material.
”
Weinbaum, who has taught preschool at Congregation Beth Ahm, 
took a pottery class at OCC and taught skills to her students. She 
also is a knitter making gifts for relatives and friends
“
As a bubbie for over 20 years, my chicken soup is a hit, and I like 
putting it into a handmade bowl,
” Weinbaum said. 
Thinking of art as a way of healing, Weinbaum has expressed that 
she wants to see it kept available to young people for their individual 
benefits. 
Polakoff, a member of Temple Israel whose earlier career had 
placed her in human resource responsibilities, started learning pot-
tery about a year ago and works through the Clawson Clay Guild, 
where she has established a sense of being part of an artistic commu-
nity. 
“I make a lot of bowls and vases and plates,
” she said. “I started 
in pottery when a friend asked me to join her at the Creative Arts 
Studio in Royal Oak, and I later moved to Clawson. I love clay. I 
relax and lose myself in the material.
”
Polakoff expressed that the combination of creativity and social 
connections make the learning experience most important. She likes 
working with dark blue and green colors as she develops different 
pieces. 
“I spend a lot of time researching and combining glazes and have 
fallen into the entire experience,
” she said. “I’ve encouraged people to 
experience the Clawson Clay Guild. It’s a wonderful escape.
”
Blosser explained that the potters go beyond showing their work. 
They take care of the other responsibilities inherent in the event.
“If you are looking for that great handmade holiday gift, this is the 
art show for you,
” Blosser said. “The advantage of this sale is that we 
constantly restock.
” 

BELOW: 
Works from first-time exhibitor 
Rachael Polakoff

ABOVE/LEFT: 
Selected works of Ruth Weinbaum