Ceramics Courses

This introductory course examines world ceramic and pottery traditions: their vocabulary, forms, and the roles they play in society, as well as the variety of processes employed by their makers. Using examples from cultures around the world and across time, this course offers a broad overview to students interested in art and culture.

This introductory course is open to all Art and non-art majors interested in learning basic skills in ceramics using the potter’s wheel. Students develop a visual vocabulary for creative expression through lectures, vocabulary lists and video presentations. The course covers beginning problems of centering, throwing, and shaping various functional and non-functional pottery. Students are introduced to the process of glazing and basic firing techniques. This course emphasizes exploring personal and cultural expression in the ceramic media.

This intermediate course in ceramics is open to all Art and non-art majors, with continued emphasis on basic skills using the potter’s wheel. Intermediate problems on the wheel, basic decorative techniques, and more advanced use of glaze are covered. Also, students are introduced to ceramic kilns and how they are loaded and fired.

This course introduces students to the concepts, techniques, history, and contemporary practices of handbuilding in the ceramic arts. The course is designed for students interested in the fundamentals of clay construction using handbuilding techniques.

This intermediate course in ceramics is open to all Art and non-art majors, with continued emphasis on basic skills in hand building. Emphasis in placed on exploring hand-built forms in vessels and ceramic sculpture. Students solve visual and conceptual problems dealing with art and principles of design, and learn about shape, color, form, texture, and space.

This advanced course in ceramics is open to all art and non-art majors, with continued emphasis on skills and ceramic art theory. The course allows students to consider complex problems of ceramic art as they work with the ceramic medium in conjunction with other materials (e.g., wood, metal, and glass), explore clay surface design, and develop a handbuilt body of ceramic work.