Professor Emeritus Claude Smith works on a sample pinch pot before teaching at class to students in Alaska.

Article, photos, and video by Mary Alice Murphy

Claude W. Smith, Western New Mexico University professor emeritus, taught the technique of making a clay pinch pot to students in Alaska on Thursday afternoon.

Using a Skype connection at one of the conference rooms at the Western J. Cloyd Miller Library, Smith, at the request of one of his former students, showed a group of seven students his technique.

Richard Spencer, a graduate student alumnus of Western, took his first job in a very rural area of Alaska, in a small town that had about 32 or 33 villagers, according to Smith.

When the school closed, Spencer moved to Kalskag, Alaska, to a village with around 500 residents.

"Richard is a high school teacher," Smith said. "He is crazy about clay. The school allowed him to do an elective course in art, because he wanted to do a portion in clay."

Smith said he learned Skype so he could do this class.

"This rural area has no clay," Smith said. "It also has no roads. You have to fly in or take a boat to get there. The soil is glacial till, with a lot of sand and rock, but no clay. A road that is roughly five miles long encircles the village."

In order to get a $24 box of clay to the area, it costs $50 to deliver it by air.

"So I'm doing a pinch pot demonstration," Smith said.

The Kalskag, Alaska, students seen on Skype.Claude Smith and the students on Skype.

Below that a video of Smith beginning a pinch pot.