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University of North Georgia (51³Ô¹ÏÍø) faculty member Alex Kraft headed to South Korea for the 33rd annual Icheon Ceramics Festival Inter-Local Workshop.

The associate professor of visual arts was the only artist from the United States invited to participate in the festival. She said she was surprised when she received the invitation via email.

"This was a prestigious honor," said Kraft, who was one of 14 international artists.

The other artists were from Belgium, China, Germany, India, Japan, Nepal, Netherlands, Switzerland, and Thailand. Twenty-four Korean Masters and local Icheon potters were also part of the annual event, which aims to create international collaboration among participants.

"We all made a large number of works to fill a multi-chambered wood kiln called an Oerumgama," Kraft said. "Then we made more work to be fired after the event finished. All work was left with the organization for display at next year's Inter-Local Workshop."

The 11-day event took place in a recently built village called Ye's Park that is dedicated to ceramics and crafts.

"It's a bit like a theme park in a most positive sense, with real working craftsmen sharing their work with the public," she said.