Ceramics
Our Ceramics Department is one of the oldest and most well established departments at Southwest School of Art and serves nearly 500 adult students each year in a positive, creative, community atmosphere. The ceramics program offers classes on hand-building, wheel-throwing, raku, glazing, digital embellishments and much more. Students also have the opportunity to participate and learn from visiting artists during workshops that are offered frequently throughout the year.
Ceramics Note
Students registering for ceramic classes should be physically capable of lifting up to 25 lbs. Intermediate and advanced students will be required to spend time outside of the scheduled class period to load, fire, and unload kilns (under appropriate supervision). Currently, students registered for an in-person studio ceramic class will only be allowed practice time on the same day their class is scheduled on. Open studio hours will not be available at this time. Students registered for online classes will have assigned times to drop-off and pick-up work from firing as well as for in studio glazing.
Ceramics Material List
Materials List
Classes not listed here will either have required materials in the class description, discuss needed materials during the first class, or the materials will be supplied.
Ceramics Course Descriptions
These are the course descriptions only. Please scroll down to Quantity and Pricing to register.
1001 | Introduction to Throwing | Studio Class
Level: Beginning | Instructor: John Bogovich
Dates: Sat, 9/19/2020 to 11/14/2020 | 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Studio: Wheelthrowing Studio | Building: McAllister Building
Tuition: $295.00 | Friends/Seniors (65+): $280.00
This class will focus on the basic skills of wheel throwing-centering, opening, and pulling vessels-followed by learning to form bowls, cylinders, and cups. Students will also learn to evaluate form and how form serves a vessel's function while working in mid-range clay and glazes in the electric kiln. *See Ceramic Note. Practice time to work on and complete projects for this class will be Sat from 9:30am - 2:00pm only. No class Nov 7.
1030 | Throwing Skills | Studio Class
Level: Intermediate | Instructor: John Bogovich
Dates: Tues, 9/22/2020 to 11/17/2020 | 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Studio: Wheelthrowing Studio | Building: McAllister Building
Tuition: $295.00 | Friends/Seniors (65+): $280.00
Expand and refine your throwing skills through the forming of bowls, cups, lids, pitchers and the assemblage of two-part forms. Presentations and discussion will cover how to integrate form with function using an array of surface decoration techniques. This class will use high fire clay and glazes. *See Ceramic Note. Practice time to work on and complete projects for this class will be Mon from 5:30 - 10:00pm only. Prerequisite: Students should have completed at least two Introductory to Wheelthrowing courses. Also offered as an Online option. No class Nov 10.
1071 | Altered Throwing | Studio Class
Level: Intermediate | Instructor: Ryan Takaba
Dates: Thurs, 9/24/2020 to 11/19/2020 | 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Studio: Wheelthrowing Studio | Building: McAllister Building
Tuition: $295.00 | Friends/Seniors (65+): $280.00
Create dynamic ceramic shapes using thrown forms as the foundation for adding and subtracting to manipulate the volume. By cutting, darting, paddling, or adding hand-built components, explore turning a simple cylinder into a myriad of vessel or sculptural forms; the relationship between form and function will also be considered. This class will use high fire clay and glazes. *See Ceramic Note. Practice time to work on and complete projects for this class will be Thu from 9:30am - 2:00pm only. Prerequisite: Students must have had a minimum of two intermediate level throwing classes. No class Nov 5.
ON-1002 | Beginning Handbuilding | Online
Level: All Levels | Instructor: Hollie Lyko
Dates: Mon, 9/21/2020 to 11/16/2020 | 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Studio: Online
Tuition: $270.00 | Friends/Seniors (65+): $255.00
Please register by September 14. Fundamental handbuilding skills and techniques will be covered including pinch pots, coil building, and slab construction with focus on fun, artful, and utilitarian forms as well as surface techniques to add decorative elements to make the work truly one-of-a-kind. Low-fire clay and glazes will be used; clay and materials can be purchased through Roadrunner Ceramics. No class Nov 9. See *CERAMIC NOTE.
ON-1030 | Throwing Skills | Online
Level: Intermediate | Instructor: Ed Escobedo
Dates: Wed, 9/23/2020 to 11/18/2020 | 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Studio: Online
Tuition: $270.00 | Friends/Seniors (65+): $255.00
Please register by September 14. Expand and refine your throwing skills through the forming of bowls, cups, lids, pitchers and the assemblage of two-part forms. Presentations and discussion will cover how to integrate form with function using an array of surface decoration techniques for high fire clay and glazes. Prerequisite: Students should have completed at least two Introductory to Wheelthrowing courses. Students will need to have access to their own wheels. No class Nov 11. See *CERAMIC NOTE.
ON-1035 | Figurative Sculpture: Online
Level: Intermediate/Advanced | Instructor: Ryan Takaba
Dates: Tues, 9/22/2020 to 11/17/2020 | 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Studio: Online
Tuition: $270.00 | Friends/Seniors (65+): $255.00
Please register by September 14. Learn about basic figurative construction techniques using handbuilding techniques-coiling methods and modeling techniques-to construct hollow standing figures ranging from 15-20 inches. The language of the pottery vessel such as the belly, waist, and shoulder will be studied to inform the construction process, as well as historical ceramics from Greek forms to Japanese Haniwa and.Chinese terra-cotta funerary figures. Low-fire red clay will be used. *See Ceramic Note. Prerequisite: Students must have had a minimum of two intermediate level handbuilding classes. No class Nov 10.
ON-1068a | Ceramics Independent Study | Online
Level: Intermediate/Advanced | Instructor: Hollie Lyko
Dates: Fri, 9/25/2020 to 11/20/2020 | 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Studio: Online
Tuition: $270.00 | Friends/Seniors (65+): $255.00
Please register by September 14. Independent Study is designed for the motivated ceramist that wishes to pursue self-driven projects with the guidance and input of an instructor and other ceramic peers. You should come prepared to the first class with ideas for a series or body of work that will be the focus of this studio practice. Prerequisite: Students must have completed at least two advanced level classes and can select which temperature range they desire to work in. See *CERAMIC NOTE. No class Nov. 13.
ON-1068b | Ceramics Independent Study | Online
Level: Intermediate/Advanced | Instructor: Ryan Takaba
Dates: Sat, 9/26/2020 to 11/21/2020 | 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Studio: Online
Tuition: $270.00 | Friends/Seniors (65+): $255.00
Please register by September 14. Independent Study is designed for the motivated ceramist that wishes to pursue self-driven projects with the guidance and input of an instructor and other ceramic peers. You should come prepared to the first class with ideas for a series or body of work that will be the focus of this studio practice. Prerequisite: Students must have completed at least two advanced level classes and can select which temperature range they desire to work in. No class Nov 14. See *CERAMIC NOTE.
ON-1850 | Glaze of Our Lives: Understanding Glazes | Online
Level: SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY | All Levels | Instructor: Rose & Matt Katz
Dates: Self-Paced
Studio: Online
Tuition: $90.00 | Friends/Seniors (65+): $75.00
Please register by September 28. SSA is please to offer this online class Glaze of Our Lives: Understanding Glazes for the Beginner to students for a one-time discounted rate. The course is a self-guided, designed by Rose and Matt Katz of Ceramic Materials Workshop, is an on-demand exploration of glazes like no other. The workshop was developed to help makers of all levels understand how their glazes really work. They answer all the questions you have always wondered about and smash a lot of ceramic myths you may have been told. Topics covered include types of firing and firing temperatures, glaze types and glaze flaws, reading formulas, glaze ingredients, additives, and colorants, and Unity Molecular Formula. The link to follow the self-guided workshop will be sent Oct 5.