Student Handbook
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Student Handbook WELCOME TO THE POTTERY LAB! We are so excited to have you join our community. Enclosed in your welcome packet you will Find information about the Pottery Lab, resources and recommendations For your pottery course, and a glossary oF related vocabulary. Words that appear with an asterisk (*) are listed in the Glossary (at the end of the Handbook). General Information Phone: (720) 379-6033 E-mail for general inquiries: [email protected] The Boulder Pottery Lab is located at 1010 Aurora Avenue in Boulder, Colorado. PARKING Parking for the Pottery Lab is on-street only. Some street areas near the Pottery Lab are restricted to 2- hour parking from 9am to 5pm, Monday through Friday (marked in red on the map). Other areas are less restrictive (marked in green on the map). ADA accessible parking is available in the driveway immediately in front of the Pottery Lab. Open Lab Hours One of the Pottery Lab’s greatest assets is its wealth of open studio time. These hours are available for all currently enrolled, adult program students (up to 12 hours each week) and are a fantastic resource for practicing and creating outside of your class time. Lab hours are for independent work and practice but staff members, students, and volunteers are available should you have a quick question. Open Lab Hours may change each session – you can find a current schedule online at studioartsboulder.org and posted throughout the Lab. 2 Pottery Lab Staff There is always staff on duty available to answer any questions regarding the Lab, to help you with equipment, get you a bag of clay* or offer some quick guidance with throwing, hand-building*, and glazing*. You can identify staff by their name badge, and there is often someone in the upstairs office. Staff members are a wonderful resource, so please feel comfortable asking for help when you need it! Additionally, the Pottery Lab thrives on its community of support. Most of our long-time students are happy to assist you with your questions! Director of the Pottery Lab: Aaron Winston Aaron studied printmaking for seven years, earning a master’s degree from the University of New Mexico. During that time, he began to practice a Japanese tradition of throwing porcelain. After graduating and a short, but life-altering visit to Japan, Aaron worked for two years with an industrial designer creating unique service pieces in porcelain. At this time, he also worked and studied at the San Diego Ceramic Connection. Aaron learned a great deal, not least of which is the many, subtle ways clay shapes those who collaborate with it. Aaron began teaching at the Pottery Lab in 2006. Executive Director: Kari Palazzari Prior to moving to Colorado in 2006, Kari earned a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Duke University and a law degree from UNC-Chapel Hill. She served as Board Treasurer of Studio Arts Boulder for nearly two years, helping transition the Pottery Lab from a city-run program to an independent non-profit organization. Kari is primarily responsible for the growth & expansion of the organization, including the capital campaign and construction process. As Executive Director she also manages the nonprofit support functions of the organization - finance, marketing, and fundraising - and reports to the Board of Directors. Operations Manager: Colleen McCarthy Colleen graduated from Northern Arizona University with a bachelor's degree in Recreation and Leisure Services and a Management minor. She moved to Boulder in 1989, where she and her husband have raised their two sons. She began taking pottery classes at the lab in January 2008. Shortly after, she became a volunteer assistant for the adult and teen classes, and began working part-time at the Lab in 2011. She has been a children’s pottery instructor, and currently oversees the Pottery Lab’s operations. Assistant Operations Manager: Curtis Rindels Curtis grew up in Scottsbluff, Nebraska and trained as a chef at the Culinary School of the Rockies. He worked as an assistant butcher at Old Major in Denver, known for its carnivorous specialties. He also cooked at The Kitchen and Flagstaff House in Boulder, where he rose to the position of sous chef. After starting classes at the Lab, his passions for creativity shifted from food to clay and he fell in love with ceramics. He aspired to be a teacher and began instructing youth classes at the Lab shortly after becoming a studio assistant. He now has direct responsibility for the day-to-day operations at the Lab and all customer service needs. Manager of Advancement: Hannah Hanssens-Reed Art has been a consistent focus throughout Hannah’s life. She completed her Masters of Education in Arts in Education at Harvard University and has taught in Boston, Longmont, and in Spain and Peru. Hannah has worked in nonprofits that focus on expanding arts and education to low-income students and students with disabilities, and she is passionate about arts as a form of social change. Her work at Studio Arts Boulder includes grant writing, instruction of youth classes, and development of community partnerships within Boulder. 3 For the First Class Please note that we have size limits For ceramic work, which is based on our ability to Fit pieces into our kilns: Height- 17" maximum; Rectangle- 15" x 7”; no more than a 12" diameter base Please check our mock up kiln shelves if you have any questions! Please come prepared For the First class with the Following items: - Clothes that can get dirty – When washing clay-covered clothing, it is helpful to first soak the clothes in a bucket, so that the pieces of clay don’t go into your plumbing system. - A towel - Your own clay tools. For new students, there is an 8-piece beginner’s tool kit that is available for purchase, which includes: o Wire clay cutter o Metal scraper o Needle tool o Loop tool o A potter’s rib o Wood modeling tool o Ribbon tool Here are some stores where you can Find pottery tools: In Boulder: Arvada/Denver: - Meininger Art Supply - Stoneleaf Pottery - Guiry’s Fine Arts - Continental Clay - McGuckin Hardware Online: - Bigceramicstore.com - Japanese Pottery Tools: http://www.japanesepotterytools.com/ - Bailey’s Ceramic Supply http://www.baileypottery.com/index.htm - Laguna Clay: http://www.lagunaclay.com/ The Journey of Each Pot A notebook that tracks your pieces through the system can be very helpful! (See attached template.) Here are some useful things to track: - What the piece is: size (number of pounds of clay), shape (perhaps a photograph or illustration), and any noticeable alterations or decoration - Where the piece is, along with a date when placed there: make notes as the piece moves from wet (downstairs shelf) à leather hard* (downstairs shelf) à trimmed (drying rack upstairs) à bone dry* (move to “to be bisqued” shelf) à bisqued* (find on the bisque* shelves) à glazed* (place on glazed shelves in glaze room) à fired* (find in the kiln* yard, downstairs and outside, on shelves) - How the piece was glazed: name of glaze(s) and any additional information on decoration YOU MUST RECOGNIZE WHEN YOUR PIECE IS READY TO MOVE FROM ONE SHELF TO THE NEXT, AND MAKE THIS MOVE YOURSELF. STAFF WILL ONLY LOAD WORK PLACED IN THE APPROPRIATE AREAS. 4 Recognizing the Stages of Your Ware Wet: Fresh out of the bag. Still able to be manipulated and sculpted without much breakage. The surface of the clay will easily take an impression and attaching is easy. Leather hard*: When the piece is stiff enough to work with, without it becoming distorted. This is the time to do carving, apply decorative slips, or just leave it alone! Leather hard clay is ideal for trimming*. When leather hard, clay should come off in ribbons – when squeezed in the hand, it will stick together. If trimmings are crumbly like grated chocolate, the clay is almost too dry. However, some people like to trim porcelain when it is drier. The trimmings will come off and crumble like soap shavings. Bone dry*: Stoneware and terra cotta will be much lighter in color and feel room temperature. At this point, the piece is ready to be bisqued*. Pieces are quite fragile during this stage, so handle with care. Move your piece carefully to the to be bisque carts. Ask if you are unsure whether the clay is ready to fire and, “If in doubt, leave it out!” How To: Tips & Instruction There is a LIBRARY at the Pottery Lab! Ask your instructor where to find it, and feel free to look through its books for information, techniques and inspiration! CUTTING CLAY - Use a wire tool to cut your clay from the bag. It is best to cut your clay evenly / horizontally, so that you can seal your bag as tightly as possible. This helps to maintain the moisture content of your clay. Holding the wire in both hands place the wire against the side of the clay furthest from your body. Then, with one hand pressed against the block of clay to hold it in place, pull the other straight back toward you. WEDGING* - There are different reasons to wedge clay before throwing: to remove air bubbles, to mix different clays, consistencies of clay or additives into clay, to evenly distribute moisture content, to make stiff clay more malleable and to prepare yourself for throwing. There are also many ways to wedge: cut and stack, ram’s head, spiral, chrysanthemum. Most methods blend the clay in a repetitive, kneading motion that presses the clay out and down then rolls or lifts it up to repeat the motion.