Off to Everest for arts funding

Healdsburg artist will throw a pot at Everest base camp
Anyone who meets local ceramic artist Robert Weiss soon learns how much he values his college education at Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles. At age 69, Robert is a successful professional artist who has lived in Healdsburg since 1972 and served on the board of Healdsburg Center for the Arts since its inception.
But what Weiss doesn’t like is the lack of funding for art education in this country. He passionately wants high school students to have the same opportunity that he had.
“Since 2003, the Weiss Family Fine Arts Scholarship Fund has given 63 scholarships to Healdsburg High School seniors,” he said. “And we want to go countywide by allowing other high school students to participate. My goal is to encourage excitement and hope for local emerging artists.”
With Healdsburg Center for the Arts as one of his sponsors, Weiss has started an online crowdfunding campaign for this purpose.
“Sometimes you must go to the mountain to get people’s attention,” Weiss said, so he is leaving this week for China and then to Mt. Everest to throw a pot on the mountain. First he’s going to Xining, China to hike at 7,200 feet to build red blood cells. Then he will take a 21-hour train ride to Lhasa, Tibet at 12,000 feet to continue hiking for three days, and then on to Rongbuk, where he will begin his final ascent.
“I’ll throw my piece on a potter’s wheel at Everest Base Camp. That piece will be brought down to the ancient city of Shigatse where I will trim it and hand-carry it home. I will make a limited edition mold and produce 200 signed and hand-glazed pieces for the final firing.”
As for the challenge of throwing a pot at an altitude of over 17,000 feet and at a temperature of 0–15 degrees Fahrenheit, Weiss has been throwing pots inside a three-degree freezer with fans blowing, having fairly successful results, but he is challenged at 12 minutes when his hands, with latex gloves, start to freeze.
“I’m energized because working in the arts creates critical thinking,” Weiss said. “I’ve studied this and discovered, for example, that learning to play piano makes math skills soar. We are raising money on Indiegogo (go to Indiegogo.com and search for ‘Robert Weiss Everest’) to assist high school seniors in pursuing their passion in the arts––music, drama, painting, sculpture, design, ceramics, culinary, photography, etc.”
Backers of Weiss’ campaign can make contributions online and choose from a variety of perks. Indiegogo participants can also visit his Healdsburg studio. For those who would prefer to make a donation by check, contact Weiss at ro****@we******.com. All donations go directly to the students.