Department of Art
Ceramics
The foundation level ceramics class (Art 224) fulfills the ceramics obligation for BFA students and is a 3D option for BS and BA art students. It may also be taken as an elective for non-art students. As such, it presents the entry-level experience in ceramics essentially through wheel throwing. The beginning student is urged to experience the strong connection between ceramics as art and the rich tradition of utilitarian objects.
Subsequent ceramics classes (Ceramics II-VI) introduce a wide variety of techniques including advanced throwing, hand-building, extrusion, press molds, slip casting, clay in combination with other materials, installations, and conceptual approaches.
Ceramics at Montevallo is unique in the diversity of its firing options. Starting in 1999, Dr. Meyer led a large effort that involved students in the construction of three kilns on campus. A 35 cf. salt kiln, a 75 cf. coffin-style wood fired kiln and a rare 300 cf., 40' anagama wood fired kiln. Along with the more traditional Raku and glaze kilns, these construction and firing opportunities present every existing way to fire clay to the developing clay artist. In this environment, the growth of imagination rests on and is informed by all that is possible. With the communal nature of many of these firing techniques, students see themselves as necessary parts of a team as well as individual artists.
Students graduating with their BFA concentration in ceramics have gone on to graduate work at prestigious ceramics programs at Alfred, School for American Crafts at
R. I. T., Ohio University, U. Mass. Dartmouth and S. U. N. Y. New Paltz. Two graduates have studied in Japan with National Living Treasure Jeroemon Fujita.
The anagama kiln is one of a small number of such kiln in the country on a university campus and the only one of its size constructed and fired by undergraduates. The kiln is attracting a large number of artists who come to work and fire with the students. Visiting artists have included Peter Calls, Jeroemon Fujita, Richard Hirsch, Gunner Kaldewey, Yi-Wen Kuo, and Don Reitz. Visitors this February will be Richard Notkin, Janet Mansfield, and Tip Toland. Visiting artists tend to return.
The ceramics facility has 2000 square feet of interior space. It has 8 electric and 12 kick wheels, slab roller, extruder, large electric bisque kiln, spray area, clay and glaze mixing area with pug mill. Outside is a 65 cf. downdraft gas kiln and a Raku area. The atmosphere kilns described above are located at a wooded site across campus. A full wood shop, mold making, metal casting and steel fabricating, hot and cast glass and stone carving facilities are part of the 3D area which ceramics shares with sculpture. Their proximity to each other suggests their connection pedagogically as well as logistically.
For more information contact:
Dr. Scott Meyer
Ceramics
meyer@montevallo.edu
