Imagine being invited to a country to teach art to people who treat strangers like family amid the beautiful scenery of the Himalaya mountains and majestic Mount Everest for about a week.

Archbold potter Mark Nafziger and his wife, Joyce, did just that. They recently returned from Nepal as part of the Arts Envoy program.

Mr. Nafziger, owner of Brush Creek Pottery at Sauder Village, and his wife were invited to participate in the cultural exchange program in September.

The newly assigned U.S. ambassador to Nepal, Dean Thompson, and his wife, Jane, were looking for art pieces to decorate the ambassador’s residence in Kathmandu. Mrs. Thompson, from northwest Ohio, had purchased art from Sauder Village for several years, including pottery from Mr. Nafziger.

“From this exhibit grew an opportunity to participate in the Arts Envoy program,” Mr. Nafziger said.

Seeing how pottery is a fairly integral, accepted medium used in Nepal, a tradition that goes back a long way, Mrs. Thompson thought it would be an interesting fit to have an arts envoy from northwest Ohio come to Nepal to conduct workshops and share ideas, techniques, and processes with Nepali artisans and potters, Mr. Nafziger said.

“We like to travel. We just don’t do it as much as we want to,” said Mrs. Nafziger, a long-time teacher. 

“When this opportunity arose, we were eager to go,” Mr. Nafziger said.

Lugging three-and-a-half suitcases full of supplies and materials, the couple headed to Bhaktapur, Nepal, on Nov. 14 and spent a week sharing their skills and techniques with a group of 10 local female artisans.

“The program was geared toward empowering women artisans. It would provide them with opportunities to learn about quality control and design innovations that would lead to increased business opportunities in the local and global markets,” he said.

The women were of various ages and skill levels who were not only potters, but painters and sculptors.

“For some, it was another way to express their art in another medium. Everyone was at a different place. It was just a fun mix of people,” he said.

They all paid rapt attention to Mr. and Mrs. Nafziger's demonstrations of pottery and ceramics. 

“There were some techniques I used that they were totally unfamiliar with. I took some tools along as gifts to those potters, which they didn’t have access to. I took some materials along, like ceramic stains and colors and materials they just don’t have the opportunity to experiment with and try,” Mr. Nafziger said.

Making pottery and ceramics is a long process that can take weeks to complete. Prior to going to Nepal, they held a virtual workshop with the women to save time.

“I went through some of my techniques and gave them direction to have pieces prepared and dried so we could go ahead and decorate those when we arrived,” Mr. Nafziger said.

By the end of the week, the group held a roundtable discussion about “what worked and didn’t work,” then held an exhibit with their completed art pieces for embassy officials and the media.

“It was a whirlwind, but the women seemed to be very upbeat, favorable. and excited with the possibilities and the potential for how this can be applied into the future,” Mr. Nafziger said.

The couple also learned from the local culture while there.

“Bhaktapur, where we had the workshop, is a ceramic community,” Mrs. Nafziger said. “Down on the square, they have their earthenware out on the street drying — they are out working with it all day. Visitors come from all over to see the pottery and purchase it. Just watching them fire their kilns there — we were interested in what they were doing, and they were interested in what we were doing. It was so cool to have that interaction and be in a city where ceramics is their livelihood.” 

Mr. Nafziger said he fell in love with Juju Dhau, a thick yogurt traditionally made in small clay pots, an important part of the culture in Nepal. 

“It means the King of Yogurt. It was served in little earthenware cups, and it was a one-time use. They’d throw the cup away. I am sure the taste was partly because of how it was made in these cups. For whatever reason, this yogurt is absolutely the best. It has a rich custard flavor. What a shame to throw these little pottery cups away,” he said.

Both were struck by the friendliness and openness of the people.

“One young fellow helped us find a place to eat, and when I went to give him a tip, he said, ‘Oh no. This is karma. This is how we treat strangers.’ It was really cool,” Mr. Nafziger said.

“I couldn’t get over how friendly everyone was,” added Mrs. Nafziger. “There’s a lot of traffic, a mass of vehicles and bikes. You just put your hand out and they’ll stop to let you cross.”  

The Nafzigers extended their stay in Nepal by a week so they could do some sightseeing, including a nature preserve with endangered white rhinos and crocodiles, and a helicopter ride to Mount Everest, which is at the border of Nepal and Tibet.

“That was a great experience. It was our last day when we went to Everest. It was a good way to wrap up our time there. We would definitely go back to Nepal,” Mr. Nafziger said.

First Published January 2, 2025, 12:15 p.m.