The Cary Clay Cooperative was born in 2004 out of local potters’ need to share tips and techniques and just generally enjoy the company of other people who love clay as much as they do.

Andi Dick, who manages the pottery studio at Jordan Hall Arts Center, says a lot of the studio regulars were tired of driving to Raleigh to attend potters guild meetings.

So they started their own.

The 20 members are potters and sculptors of all ages and backgrounds.

“There’s hobbyists and professionals and beginners and instructors — it runs the gamut, the whole range of skill levels,” Dick said. They now meet monthly at Jordan Hall to share ideas, hear speakers and do group activities.

“I’ve actually developed a support network of good friends via the coop,” said member Joy Bisesi.

This year, the cooperative will be a big presence at Lazy Daze. They will have a demonstration booth where members show off both freehand and wheel techniques and a kids’ table where young’uns can play with air-dry clay. Members will sell their own works — everything from platters to jewelry to sculptures, as well as specially made commemorative Lazy Daze pieces based on this year’s Jerry Miller poster. These will include mugs, magnets and tiles focusing on different aspects of the 30th-anniversary poster.

Problem is, clay dries quickly in the heat, and Lazy Daze nearly always occurs on a day where the mercury shoots into the 90s. Last year Bisesi brought a half-finished clay bust to use as a demo, but ended up spending a lot of time spraying it down with a bottle of water so it wouldn’t form a crust.

“The bust was a little ambitious,” she said, adding that she plans on bringing something smaller this year.

The cooperative is open to anyone with an interest in clay, Dick says.

“I think it gives everybody a chance to share ideas and it brings us a little closer together and gets us motivated a little more,” she said.

“Its a good place to get support for what we all love to do,” Bisesi said.

Plus, by participating in town activities like Lazy Daze and Spring Daze, members develop a special connection to Cary.

“It makes them feel part of the community,” Dick said.

The group has a Web site, www.caryclaycoop.com.

- Emily Matchar