Goals of Khmer Artisan Project
Increase the ability of rural potters to generate sustainable income in their communities and get fair trade for their work,
Improve the market quality of their pottery by mechanizing and improving their production processes and capabilities, by blending Western contemporary and efficient ceramic methods and techniques to Khmer artisan hand craftsmanship and ancestral design, and by inspiring their imaginations in innovative design,
Increase the sales of work to larger and more affluent markets, including tourists and export markets,
Expand marketing opportunities and promote tourism in Odonrossey village, by developing the village into an artist colony and destination point for tourism,
Establish a network of artisan-potters and teachers to develop indigenous leadership, and to better ensure that the program and micro-enterprise are supported in a more lasting and effective way that reduces dependence on charitable and international influences (foreign aid),
Maximize use of locally available raw materials from sustainable sources that minimize harm to the environment and use low-technology methods that are compatible with areas that lack infrastructure such as rural Cambodia,
Because many potters in rural Cambodia have little to no formal education, provide all training in an oral, hands-on manner, with little reliance on text materials, and
Preserve Cambodia’s heritage in pottery arts.
