Arts | May 11th, 2016
By Ben Haugmo
Culture and coffee combine at the first ever Cone Pack Mug Market is being held this week at Twenty Below Coffee in Fargo.
Cone Pack is a group of artists from in and around the Fargo-Moorhead area promoting public awareness of ceramic art through lectures, exhibitions, and events such as the mug market.
Each hand-crafted mug will sell for $25.00 and come with a drink token so that customers can immediately take their purchase for a test run.
Guillermo Guardia is one of the Cone Pack artists featured in the mug market. Guardia’s earliest experiences with art are playing with modeling clay as a child. Since then, he has become well familiar with the techniques and challenges of ceramic sculpture.
“Especially when you make large pieces like sculptures,” said Guardia, “it has to be hollow. Otherwise, if it’s a solid piece, there’s a good chance there’s an air bubble. If there’s an air bubble, and you fire it, it will explode.”
Guardia primarily produces figurative pieces. Common motifs he employs are renderings of the human form etched with puzzle pieces, or the character of the baby devil, which he recently began decorating with images that call back to his home in Peru.
“I am from Peru,” said Guardia, “and I’m just trying to incorporate something of my background into my artwork.”
The utilitarian, functional ceramic form of the mugs presented a new challenge for Guardia. He had to adopt new approaches to make the mugs, and to express his personal artistic style.
“I know how to throw, I know how to make stuff like that, but it’s not something that I do for a living. I was actually very challenging. I can make a mug, but I wanted the product to look related to my work. I made very simple mugs with no handles, but I incorporated the Peruvian designs on the surface.”
The hope is that those who are familiar with Guardia’s work will see the symbols of Peru his art is associated with, and connect that back to him.
If you feel the need to add some unique artistic flair to your mug collection, check out Guardia and the other Cone Pack artist’s work at Twenty Below Coffee this Saturday.
If you go:
Mug Market
Saturday, May 14 at 9 a.m to 3 p.m.
Twenty Below Coffee, 14 Roberts St N, Fargo, ND
June 15th 2026
May 19th 2026
April 24th 2026
April 15th 2026
April 15th 2026
_(1)_(1)_(1)_(1)_(1)_(1)_(1)_(1)_(1)__293px-wide.jpg)
__293px-wide.jpg)
_(1)_(1)_(1)_(1)_(1)_(1)_(1)_(1)_(1)__293px-wide.jpg)
__293px-wide.jpg)
Summer is a tough time for families who depend on free or reduced-price school meals, so YMCA of the Northern Sky will provide nutritious, no-cost meals to kids 18 and under through August 26. Breakfast and lunch are available…
By Jeff Armstrong Despite a history dating back many centuries and a reputation as fierce resistance fighters, the Kurds remain the largest stateless nation in the world. Divided by colonial post-WWI borders and subsumed into four…
June 6-7StatewideYou grab a line and I’ll grab a pole — and if you’re a North Dakota resident, you can head on down to your favorite fishing hole, no license needed (for this weekend, anyway). All other rules still apply…
By John Strand It took us over 30 years for us to reach out and ask for your help. The High Plains Reader has always been subscription free and paywall free. Our content has — and always will be — free to access for all of our…
By Ed RaymondIf something can go terribly wrong, it will happen on planet EarthSomewhere in the universe, there may be a planet created by a Perfect God where there are no viruses, all babies are born at immaculate conceptions and…
By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…
July 8th, 5:30-8 p.m.Viking Ship Park, 202 1st Ave. N., Moorhead We’re celebrating America’s 250th birthday, Minnesota style. Moorhead Parks and Recreation and HCSCC are hosting the ultimate potluck. Whether you’re bringing…
Tuesday, June 30, 7 p.m.Parachigo, 14 8th St. S., Fargo Inspired by folk and rock influences, Bielanski's upbeat catchy tunes have gone worldwide — literally. He’s played 2,500 shows, 311 of which were performed last year alone.…
__300x100.png)
By Greg CarlsonAlex Ross Perry follows his excellent “Pavements” by tackling the essay film with “Videoheaven,” a nearly 3-hour long analysis of the rise and fall of brick and mortar movie rental. Stimulating and satisfying…
By Jacinta Zens I recently sat down for a chat with ceramicist Louie Albertson, Clay and Studio Program Manager at the Plains Art Museum. Before the interview, I had the pleasure of getting to know him a bit as a colleague when I…
Saturday, January 31, 6:30-9 p.m.Transfiguration Fitness, 764 34th St. N., Unit P, FargoAn enchanting evening celebrating movement and creativity in a staff-student showcase. This is a family-friendly event showcasing pole, aerial…
By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…
By Eli Liverani It was in the mid-90s when I heard of homeopathy for the first time. I was at university, and it was through word of mouth. Some friends were seeking homeopathy to solve minor health issues, such as weight gain,…
January 31, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.Viking Ship Park, 202 1st Ave. N., Moorhead2026 marks 10 years of frosty fun! Enjoy sauna sessions with Log the Sauna, try Snowga (yoga in the snow), take a guided snowshoe nature hike, listen to live…
Chris M. Stoner I was recently dismissed from my role as drag show director and emcee for Dakota OutRight, a role I had been fulfilling for more than two decades. The reason given? My political commentary during shows, while…