Clay

The ceramics curriculum encompasses many aspects of the medium from the creation of unique clay vessels that satisfy both aesthetic and functional needs, to the construction of sculptural imagery and the speculative, expansive, unnamed form.

Ceramic classes emphasize clay as an expressive medium while offering a concise three-dimensional art experience for the uninitiated. Traditional and contemporary methods of construction, manipulation, and imagery are explored, with an emphasis on seeking the integration of form, design, color and concept. The history of the ceramic arts is seen as a rich resource from which the student can test art precedents within their own cultural context, address contemporary art concepts, and expand their own aesthetic vocabulary.

Students are introduced to numerous forming methods such as coil and slab construction, wheel thrown forms, sculptural construction, mold making and slip casting, clay figure modeling, bas/haute relief in tile design, as well as a wide range of glazing and kiln firing techniques. There are normally three to four classes in the Clay studio per semester which gives each student adequate space to work and store their in-progress three dimensional projects.

The ceramics curriculum encompasses aspects of the medium, from the creation of unique clay vessels that satisfy both aesthetic and functional needs to the construction of larger scale sculptural forms, and the speculative, expansive, unnamed form.

Ceramic classes emphasize clay as an expressive medium while offering a concise study of three-dimensional art. Traditional and contemporary methods of construction, manipulation, and imagery are explored, with an emphasis on seeking integration of form, design, color and concept. The history of ceramic arts is seen as a rich resource from which the student can test precedents and expand their own aesthetic vocabulary.

Students are introduced to numerous forming methods such as coil and slab construction, throwing, clay figure modeling, bas relief and tile making design, and mold making and slip casting, as well as a wide variety of glazing and kiln firing techniques. There are typically three classes in Clay offered each semester, providing each student space to work and store their three dimensional projects. The Clay program has over 100 students per year.

Nicholas Wood, head of the Clay program and Area Coordinator, is a multi-media artist and has been exhibiting his artwork for over 35 years in a number of media, including clay sculpture, collage, drawing, mixed media sculpture, painting, photography, and site-specific installations. He has created public artworks in Bad Konigshofen, Germany, San Francisco, California, and Arlington & Dallas, Texas. He is also an independent curator of nine exhibitions, most recently Layered, Stacked, Assembled, Arlington Museum of Art and OBJECTification, The Gallery at UTA. His recent exhibitions include: First This/First That, Angelo State University Gallery, San Angelo TX; So Tiny, University of Central Arkansas; High Voltage, William Campbell Contemporary Art, Tangents & Adjustments-Drawings/Sculptural Objects, Ft. Worth Community Arts Center; Nicholas Wood: Sculpturen und Zeitungs, Galerie Palais Walderdorff, Trier Germany; Der Zeitgenosse, Easter Washington University Art Gallery; Material/Object, Gallery 414, Ft. Worth, TX; Nicholas Wood-Recent Works, Creative Arts Center, New Haven, Connecticut; “capsulated…mostly”, Langdon Center for the Arts, Granbury, Texas; TX/OK Art Prize, Wichita Falls Museum of Art; Strata, American Institute of Architects, Dallas, Texas.

Facilities

• The kiln facility has a combined 1600 square ft. indoor and outdoor areas.
• 7 electric kilns, two 40 cubic ft. & one 30 cubic ft. updraft kilns and a raku kiln.
• 8 hand-building and sculpture work tables
• 14 pottery wheels
• A large slab roller
• 2 extruders
• Separate rooms for Plaster use, Moldmaking, Casting, Spray Booths, Glaze Mixing, & Glazing.