Ceramics

Code: C0811-22

    • II

      Level II

      Students have a basic understanding of forming techniques, such as throwing and hand building. Students have taken one or two ceramics classes or workshops.

    • III

      Level III

      Students have significant experience with clay forming techniques, such as throwing, hand building and modeling. Students are comfortable with ceramics equipment, such as wheels, extruders and slab rollers. Students are self­-starting with some formal training and have taken a minimum of three classes or workshops.

    • IV

      Level IV

      Students have advanced skills and knowledge of the ceramics field. Students are highly motivated, have a minimum of five years experience in the field and have a portfolio of their artwork. Typical students are academics and professional artists.

Active Hands, Active Mind: Cone 3 Pottery

Jul 25 - Aug 5, 2022

9AM-5PM

Concept

Activate the hands and stimulate the mind with a variety of throwing and hand-building techniques. Students explore the details of various pottery forms and discover new personal solutions. Demonstrations cover wheel-throwing and hand-building techniques, bisque mold systems, form-finding exercises and Cone 3 firing strategies. Participants must have wheel-throwing skills (beginning throwing techniques are not taught).

Media

Pottery, wheel-throwing, hand-building, red earthenware, slips and glazes, electric and soda firing to cone 3

Supply List

Faculty

Matt Kelleher

Matt Kelleher is associate professor of ceramics at New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. He joined the faculty in 2015 after a decade of working as a studio potter in the mountains of western North Carolina. Matt has participated in residencies at Penland School of Crafts, Archie Bray Foundation, Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park, and Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute.

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Matt Kelleher, Pitcher

Join Waitlist for Active Hands, Active Mind: Cone 3 Pottery

Ceramics

In 1966, American raku ceramicist Paul Soldner selected the site for what is now Anderson Ranch Arts Center, forming the foundation for a thriving ceramics program. Then and now, Anderson Ranch is a place where students exchange ideas and examine ceramic art and pottery-making techniques. It has always been a place where seminal moments of growth happen in an artist’s creative and critical thinking. Here, both beginning and emerging artists gain strong fundamental support, while established artists achieve new perspectives and advance their techniques.

The Ranch Ceramics team provides support, feedback and technical problem solving, giving each artist the freedom to experiment and grow. Our primary focus is on personal advancement through a process of creative discovery. We also offer community engagement through events like our Locals’ Clubs “Circle of Fire” where artists engage with the Ranch outside of the workshop setting.

The Soldner Ceramics Center makes up more than 10,000 square feet in three buildings. The Lyeth/Lyon kiln building is equipped with gas, electric, soda and wood kilns for both oxidation and reduction firings at all temperature ranges. The Ranch offers three wood kilns, four gas reduction kilns, one soda kiln and eleven high-temperature electric kilns.

Anderson Ranch is happy to extend a 20% tuition discount* in summer one- or two-week adult workshops for NCECA members. Please register online and then email reg@andersonranch.org with your membership information and we will make the adjustment once you are in the system. You are also welcome to call 970-924-5089 to register. *Please note that the NCECA discount does not apply to The Center / Advanced Mentored Studies program, nor can it be combined with any other discount, scholarship or special offer. 

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Workshop Details

Supply List

Many of the items you'll need are available in the ArtWorks Store. Please click "View Full Supply List" to see a comprehensive list of items you'll need for this workshop.

Bamboo Brush

Buy

Ceramic Tool Kit

Buy

Notebook

Buy

Scissors

Buy

Stainless Steel Ruler

Buy

Variety of ribs

Buy

Writing Utensil

Buy

X-Acto knife

Buy

Lodging & Meals

Housing is limited and includes shared and private lodging options. Reservations will be managed on a first-come, first-served basis. The earlier you reserve housing, the better your chance of receiving your preferred option. Please note: Workshop costs do not include accommodations. 

We have established a Business Safety Plan with added layers of precaution that prioritize the health and safety of our staff, students, faculty and guests while continuing to provide you with the Anderson Ranch experience that you know and enjoy.

The Ranch Café meal plan that is included with Room and Board fees strives to provide healthy, creative meals that will nourish your artistic creativity. The meal plan includes 5 days of continental breakfasts that will include a hot offering, 5 lunches with a selection of offerings, and 5 dinners.

 

Scholarships, College Credit & Discounts

Making Art Accessible

Applications for scholarship support are encouraged. Specific scholarships are funded by Ranch supporters, either through endowed funds or special gifts.

Many colleges and universities offer college credit for workshops taken at Anderson Ranch. Discounts are available for students and teachers.

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  • I

    Level I

    Students are new to ceramics and have no formal training.

  • II

    Level II

    Students have a basic understanding of forming techniques, such as throwing and hand building. Students have taken one or two ceramics classes or workshops.

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Path into Practice: Wheel Throwing and the Creative Process

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This beginner-friendly workshop focuses on developing basic and intermediate wheel throwing, surface treatment, and firing skills, aligning them with key elements of the creative process. Covering the basic skills of centering, throwing off the hump, and teapot assembly, the course meets individual participants where they are, giving them new perspectives to broaden their creative horizons. Sources of inspiration and personal creative growth accompany skill building through discussions about observation, time, energy, and focus. Daily demonstration, sketching, practice, and assessment help students expand their practices. This course aligns the how and why in service of fresh directions and an open mind.

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  • O

    Open to All

    Students of any skill and knowledge level.

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Explorations in Kiln-Formed Glass and Ceramics

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This one-week workshop delves into the process of combining ceramic and glass in a technique known as slumping. Gravity and heat from a kiln shapes sheet glass into a mold. Simple commercial molds are available for this process, usually to produce a dish, bowl, or vase form, but here students take this process in a different direction, making sculptural objects by including the ceramic “mold” as part of the finished work. Students create ceramic forms and experiment with several glass firings to truly understand the stages of glass as it melts in the kiln, gaining the knowledge to develop this technique within their own practice.

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  • II

    Level II

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  • III

    Level III

    Students have significant experience with clay forming techniques, such as throwing, hand building and modeling. Students are comfortable with ceramics equipment, such as wheels, extruders and slab rollers. Students are self­-starting with some formal training and have taken a minimum of three classes or workshops.

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Building with Clay and Steel

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Investigate new materials and approaches to building sculpture in this two-week exploratory workshop. Students discover innovative ways to combine different materials, creating dynamic mixed-media sculptures. This workshop experiments with adding different materials to students’ work—such as clay, steel, and found objects—while considering how each adds formal information and intensified content. This rigorous studio environment gives access to a variety of new materials and fresh ways of approaching students’ studio practice. The workshop is open to students working in any media who are looking to try something different and add new skills to their toolbox.

Learn More

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