Ceramics Courses Fall 2008

14-week term:
September 22 - December 6, 2008; December 28 - January 18, 2009

Beginning-Intermediate

Basics and Challenges
Monday evenings, 6:30 - 9:30 pm
Instructor: Wayne Fuerst
Thursday evenings, 6:30 - 9:30 pm
Instructor: Denny McLaughlin

The construction, refinement, and glazing of wheel thrown and hand built forms will provide beginners with a strong foundation. Creative approaches to altered and combined elements will provide challenges for experienced students. (image: Greg Valiant'09 and Rachel Cohen'96)

Registration Forms
General Public: PDF | WORD
Harvard Employees: PDF | WORD
Harvard Students: PDF | WORD
Registration Fee PDF
Weissmann Application html

Beginning-Advanced

Clay and the Figure
Tuesday evenings, 6:30 - 9:30 pm
Instructor: Allison Newsome

Working from a model and from the imagination, students will create small to life-sized sculptures and reliefs using hollow-form and slab construction techniques. A variety of surface treatment methods will include the application of stains and slips at all stages of the making process.

Allison Newsome addresses fundamental environmental connections with work that feels rooted in the "Contact Period" between Native American and Europeans with a focus on where the wilderness and agrarian meet. (image: Allison Newsome, "Ojai Harvest", photo by Kim Faust)

Vessels
Wednesday mornings, 9:30 am- 12:30 pm
Instructor: Pam Gorgone, Deborah Schwartzkopf

The construction, composition, and glazing of wheel-thrown and hand-built forms will provide all students with a strong foundation for creating functional and sculptural vessels. Experienced students will be engaged by creative approaches to altering forms and combining sectional elements.

Concrete Sculpture
Monday mornings, 9:30 am - 12:30 pm
Instructor: Jay Bordage

The invention of contemporary additives has transformed this humble building material into a versatile sculptural medium. Students will learn a variety of direct modeling construction techniques. Patinas, finishing and an introduction to casting will be investigated.

(image: Larry Paul King, "Strike II", a 2007 sculpture in Concrete and Steel at Skokie Northshore Sculpture Park in Skokie IL. The photo was taken by an anonymous source and posted to Chicagobikeblog.com)

Registration Forms
General Public: PDF | WORD
Harvard Employees: PDF | WORD
Harvard Students: PDF | WORD
Registration Fee PDF
Weissmann Application html

Intermediate

Animate the Table
Tuesday evenings, 6:30 - 9:30 pm
Instructor: Josephine Burr

Animate your table with inventive vessels for exciting meals and conversations. Students will learn a variety of wheel throwing and hand building construction techniques and explore an expressive range of surface treatments for creating functional and sculptural vessels.(image: Josephine Burr)

Registration Forms
General Public: PDF | WORD
Harvard Employees: PDF | WORD
Harvard Students: PDF | WORD
Registration Fee PDF
Weissmann Application html

Intermediate-Advanced

Adding to Your Toolbox:
Moldmaking for vessels, sculpture, tiles, and murals
Tuesday mornings, 9:30 am - 12:30 pm
Instructor: Forrest Snyder

Essentially, plaster moldmaking and ceramic casting may be thought of as a printmaking technique with both original and copy holding unlimited potential for function, architectural design, and modular sculpture. In this course, we'll work our way through creating one, two, and multiple part molds to produce ceramic works. These weekly hands-on lessons will set the stage for artist initiated projects. Along the way, students will replicate and alter vessels, sculpture, and found objects. A "go-for-it" approach will challenge more advanced students.

So you think you can throw?... a dinner party?
WAIT LISTED
Wednesday evenings, 6:30 - 9:30 pm
Instructor: Shawn Panepinto

This class will challenge you to think about table settings in conventional and unconventional ways. Expect the unexpected as we use advanced techniques to alter thrown and hand-built forms while developing rich surfaces through the use of colored slips and experimenting with glaze combinations. (image: Delanie Wise, "Dancing Teapots")

Registration Forms
General Public: PDF | WORD
Harvard Employees: PDF | WORD
Harvard Students: PDF | WORD
Registration Fee PDF
Weissmann Application html

Independent Study

Self-directed work for those previously enrolled in a class at the Ceramics Program and capable of processing their own work. Includes studio access, participation in firing and visiting artist workshops.

Registration Forms
General Public: PDF | WORD
Harvard Employees: PDF | WORD
Harvard Students: PDF | WORD
Registration Fee PDF
Weissmann Application html

Mini Courses

Creative Cups and Vases
Friday evenings, 6:30 - 8:30 pm
September 26 & October 3 - 24, 5 sessions
Instructor: Stephanie Young

Introduction to basic wheel and hand construction processes.

Make Extraordinary Bowls
Friday evenings, 6:30 - 8:30 pm
October 31 - December 5, 5 sessions (no class on 11/28)
Instructor: Stephanie Young

Introduction to basic wheel and hand construction processes.

Material Awareness
Thursday evenings, 6:30 - 9:30 pm
October 2 - November 6, 6 sessions
Instructor: Josephine Burr

Through presentations and hands-on experiences, students will examine the basic properties clays, slips, glazes, and firing processes in order to use them effectively. A few participants will focus on researching clays and slips for the development of a ceramics micro-enterprise project in Nicaragua.(image: Lisa Houck, photo by Stewart Clements)

Mosaics
Saturday afternoons, 2 - 4 pm
October 18 - November 22, 6 sessions
or
Sunday mornings, 9 am - 1 pm
January 11 - 25, 3 sessions
Instructor: Lisa Houck

This course will provide an in-depth experience with mosaic design, fabrication, and mounting practices. Each participant will create a mosaic with traditional Italian glass smalti. Participants will gain experience with the unique design potential of this media and learn more about its rich history. The instructor will share her recent experiences with large public and private art commissions for tile and mosaic projects. The $100 lab fee covers the cost of one square foot of materials. (image: Lisa houck, "A Watery World VI")

*option: 1 graduate level credit through Framingham State College, Fee $65

Chinese Brush Painting on Paper and Clay
Saturday mornings, 10 am - 12 pm
September 27 - November 15, 8 sessions
Instructor: Meng Zhao

Students will learn basic and advanced brush painting techniques for depicting imagery and abstract textures on both paper and clay. For those not enrolled in another studio course, the Chinese Brush Painting tuition fee does not include studio access outside of class time or firing opportunities

Registration Forms
General Public: PDF | WORD
Harvard Employees: PDF | WORD
Harvard Students: PDF | WORD
Registration Fee PDF
Weissmann Application html

Visiting Artist Master Classes & Workshops

Vessels, Food, Table
Project director: Nancy Selvage

Magdalene Odundo, Kenyan artist
date to be announced

Yoshimura Toshiharu: a masterclass by a Kyoto Sculptor
October 21, 2008, 11 am - 1 pm

Raku firing: Playing with Fire!
Kathi Tighe
date to be announced

Soda firing: Spray the Glaze through the Flames
Crystal Ribich
date to be announced