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pottery centered programs.....

updated fri 16 dec 11

 

Hank Murrow on sun 11 dec 11


...... with an strong interest in locally prospected and harvested =3D
materials.

Are there any? Anywhere in North America? Any colleges or universities =3D
that teach the geology of earth materials, have active labs for =3D
processing them, and making pottery with such mterials?

Curious minds in Eugene OR want to know!

Cheers! & Sweet Holidays to All,

Hank Murrow=3D

Craig Edwards on mon 12 dec 11


Hank: Saint Johns/Benedict College's have a very good program that focus's
on natural materials and wood firing.
You can even apprentice there.

Make Good Pots
~Craig
New London MN
http://woodfiredpottery.blogspot.com/

On Sun, Dec 11, 2011 at 10:43 PM, Hank Murrow wrote:

> ...... with an strong interest in locally prospected and harvested
> materials.
>
> Are there any? Anywhere in North America? Any colleges or universities
> that teach the geology of earth materials, have active labs for processin=
g
> them, and making pottery with such mterials?
>
> Curious minds in Eugene OR want to know!
>
> Cheers! & Sweet Holidays to All,
>
> Hank Murrow




--

Vince Pitelka on tue 13 dec 11


Hank Murrow asked about pottery-centered programs with a strong interest in
locally prospected and harvested materials and went on to ask, "Are there
any? Anywhere in North America? Any colleges or universities that teach the
geology of earth materials, have active labs for processing them, and makin=
g
pottery with such materials?"

Hank -
If you are talking about colleges and universities, I don't see how there
could be. Are you talking about pottery being the focus over sculpture? I
suppose there are a few that make that distinction, but in regards to the
studies you mention above, what part of the curriculum and facilities would
you diminish or drop in order to open up time and space for these studies?
The reality is that most college and university programs are limited in the
number of credit hours they can require in fulfillment of the degree. So, i=
f
you add something, you have to take something away. Any well-rounded
university art program must require the full gamut of art foundations, art
history, and a reasonable amount of experience in other media areas. So it
is a struggle to pack in the necessary studies to make sure that the studen=
t
becomes competent in their primary medium. As much as I would love to be
teaching the things you speak of, there simply is no opportunity other than
piecing in a little here and there during other discussions. As the person
in charge of the clay program at Tennessee Tech University's Appalachian
Center for Craft, I am proud that we have a very pottery-friendly program,
and it pains me that the number of such programs is diminishing. My take o=
n
the studies you mention above is that the information is out there for any
student who wants to be a ceramic materials locavore. You can't cram in
everything, and part of what we are teaching is the willingness and ability
to find and implement needed information after our students graduate.
- Vince

Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft
Tennessee Tech University
vpitelka@dtccom.net
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/

Nefsigh@AOL.COM on wed 14 dec 11


It seems that Hank is asking if there are any programs that go with a "back
to the earth" emphasis. I don't know of any, and frankly, don't see any
need to do so. Why is it that potters feel this "guilt" for using material=
s
that someone else processed? Painters rarely make their own paints--Why
should they when Windsor-Newton produces such fine pigments? I don't make =
my
own chalks as Rembrandt brand, among others, offer great service and
value-plus they mix better than I probably would. Folks working in metals =
don't
smelt their own steel, bonze, copper and the like--they buy it already
processed, ready for exploration. Most people who make paper, use it as a =
building
medium, few actually print on it anymore- I could go on, but I think you
get the picture.

Locally prospecting clay is fun once--ONCE, but it is by no means an
efficient use of classroom nor personal time. I would much rather spend my =
time
working on art pieces than digging, shoveling, sifting, washing, drying
testing and re mixing local clays. Heck, I currently pay others to make the
clay bodies for me when I am not using commercial bodies--I have made my s=
hare
of clay and find it doesn't offer any rewards but does offer ruptured
discs, strain wrists and the like.

The idea the people working in clay need this "connection" to the gerund,
is, in my opinion, a dated aromatic notion--much like the notion of the
grunt and squat, humble potter- a myth with some basis in fact, but not
terribly relevant in today's world.

I expect my comments will raise a few hackles, but if so, that's life-
reality isn't always what we want it to be, and sometimes we can be gratefu=
l
for that.

Ciao
Lenny Dowhie
Professor of Art, Emeritus
University of Southern Indiana




In a message dated 12/13/2011 10:05:12 P.M. Central Standard Time,
vpitelka@DTCCOM.NET writes:

Hank Murrow asked about pottery-centered programs with a strong interest
in
locally prospected and harvested materials and went on to ask, "Are there
any? Anywhere in North America? Any colleges or universities that teach th=
e
geology of earth materials, have active labs for processing them, and
making
pottery with such materials?"

Hank -
If you are talking about colleges and universities, I don't see how there
could be. Are you talking about pottery being the focus over sculpture? =
I
suppose there are a few that make that distinction, but in regards to the
studies you mention above, what part of the curriculum and facilities woul=
d
you diminish or drop in order to open up time and space for these studies?
The reality is that most college and university programs are limited in th=
e
number of credit hours they can require in fulfillment of the degree. So,
if
you add something, you have to take something away. Any well-rounded
university art program must require the full gamut of art foundations, art
history, and a reasonable amount of experience in other media areas. So it
is a struggle to pack in the necessary studies to make sure that the
student
becomes competent in their primary medium. As much as I would love to be
teaching the things you speak of, there simply is no opportunity other tha=
n
piecing in a little here and there during other discussions. As the perso=
n
in charge of the clay program at Tennessee Tech University's Appalachian
Center for Craft, I am proud that we have a very pottery-friendly program,
and it pains me that the number of such programs is diminishing. My take
on
the studies you mention above is that the information is out there for any
student who wants to be a ceramic materials locavore. You can't cram in
everything, and part of what we are teaching is the willingness and abilit=
y
to find and implement needed information after our students graduate.
- Vince

Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft
Tennessee Tech University
vpitelka@dtccom.net
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/

Lee on wed 14 dec 11


On Tue, Dec 13, 2011 at 11:41 PM, wrote:

>
> I expect my comments will raise a few hackles, but if so, that's life-
> reality isn't always what we want it to be, and sometimes we can be
> grateful
> for that.
>
>
What is great about our craft is that there are so many approaches to it.

It is too bad studio programs at the Universities don't understand this
and find perennial approaches threatening.


--
Lee Love in Minneapolis
http://mingeisota.blogspot.com/

"Ta tIr na n-=3DF3g ar chul an tI=3D97tIr dlainn trina ch=3DE9ile"=3D97tha=
t is, "T=3D
he land
of eternal youth is behind the house, a beautiful land fluent within
itself." -- John O'Donohue

Steve Mills on wed 14 dec 11


Dear Professor Dowhie,
As a production potter, my objective was to be as efficient a maker as poss=
i=3D
ble in order to earn enough to support Wife and Family. My College training=
h=3D
owever had largely ignored the possibly advantageous use of local materials=
,=3D
and I now realise this was a serious omission, as, while I might not have =
u=3D
sed all of this knowledge during my production career, what I did belatedly=
p=3D
ick up proved very important, and has allowed me in my "retirement" to expl=
o=3D
re more fully that facet of my craft. Consequently I am a little at odds wi=
t=3D
h your rather sweeping statements.=3D20

What I did learn at college was the efficient use of my physical self, as a=
r=3D
esult of which I have reached my current age of 74+ relatively unscathed co=
m=3D
pared to some of my fellows.=3D20

In the apparent light of your own experience I hope that you are including =
t=3D
hat important knowledge as part of your student's curriculum. =3D20

Steve Mills.=3D20
Bath
UK

Sent from my iPod

On 14 Dec 2011, at 05:41, Nefsigh@AOL.COM wrote:

> It seems that Hank is asking if there are any programs that go with a "ba=
c=3D
k
> to the earth" emphasis. I don't know of any, and frankly, don't see any
> need to do so. Why is it that potters feel this "guilt" for using materi=
a=3D
ls
> that someone else processed? Painters rarely make their own paints--Why
> should they when Windsor-Newton produces such fine pigments? I don't mak=
e=3D
my
> own chalks as Rembrandt brand, among others, offer great service and
> value-plus they mix better than I probably would. Folks working in metal=
s=3D
don't
> smelt their own steel, bonze, copper and the like--they buy it already
> processed, ready for exploration. Most people who make paper, use it as =
a=3D
building
> medium, few actually print on it anymore- I could go on, but I think you
> get the picture.
>=3D20
> Locally prospecting clay is fun once--ONCE, but it is by no means an
> efficient use of classroom nor personal time. I would much rather spend m=
y=3D
time
> working on art pieces than digging, shoveling, sifting, washing, drying
> testing and re mixing local clays. Heck, I currently pay others to make t=
h=3D
e
> clay bodies for me when I am not using commercial bodies--I have made my=
s=3D
hare
> of clay and find it doesn't offer any rewards but does offer ruptured
> discs, strain wrists and the like.
>=3D20
> The idea the people working in clay need this "connection" to the gerund=
,=3D

> is, in my opinion, a dated aromatic notion--much like the notion of the
> grunt and squat, humble potter- a myth with some basis in fact, but not
> terribly relevant in today's world.
>=3D20
> I expect my comments will raise a few hackles, but if so, that's life-
> reality isn't always what we want it to be, and sometimes we can be grate=
f=3D
ul
> for that.
>=3D20
> Ciao
> Lenny Dowhie
> Professor of Art, Emeritus
> University of Southern Indiana
>=3D20
>=3D20
>=3D20
>=3D20
> In a message dated 12/13/2011 10:05:12 P.M. Central Standard Time,
> vpitelka@DTCCOM.NET writes:
>=3D20
> Hank Murrow asked about pottery-centered programs with a strong interest
> in
> locally prospected and harvested materials and went on to ask, "Are ther=
e=3D

> any? Anywhere in North America? Any colleges or universities that teach =
t=3D
he
> geology of earth materials, have active labs for processing them, and
> making
> pottery with such materials?"
>=3D20
>=3D20

Rimas VisGirda on thu 15 dec 11


http://www.youtube.com/w=3D

No hackles here... Happy Holidaze! -Rimas=3D0A=3D0A =3D0Ahttp://www.youtube=
.com/w=3D
atch?v=3D3DsXeIz6lERCI&feature=3D3Dplayer_embedded

Margaret Flaherty on thu 15 dec 11


I didn't know Santa was such a good dancer....maybe he's revved up after
losing all that weight!

On Thu, Dec 15, 2011 at 7:37 AM, Rimas VisGirda wrote:

> http://www.youtube.com/w
> No hackles here... Happy Holidaze! -Rimas
>
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DsXeIz6lERCI&feature=3Dplayer_embedded
>