Amidst the construction chaos last year, Robinson got a brand-new kiln, so the ceramics class has started creating once again. The kiln is an expensive piece of equipment similar to an oven, and it heats the clay until it completely hardens. The original kiln from about 20 years ago would break repeatedly. The classroom also had a terrible ventilation system so students would breathe in clay fumes. An improved feature of this new kiln is that it can automatically adjust the temperature of the clay it is exposed to.
“There are two kinds of firing we do, one is bisque firing where we put bone dry clay in [the kiln] that’s a 24-hour firing process. We heat it [the kiln] up to about 200 degrees then we just push a button. It heats it very, very slowly and then it comes back down very, very slowly,” Mary Wilson, the ceramics teacher said.
If this process is not done correctly, it can lead the clay to explode creating a very big mess. Thankfully, there haven’t been any clay pot explosions yet due to both the kiln being able to fire high temperatures slowly and the step-by-step nature of the class.
“If we are starting a new project, first we research what it is and how to make it, then we make it fire it in the kiln and finally we glaze and then we put it back in the kiln,” ceramics student, Victoria Dillard (’27) said.
The most recent project the class has finished was coil pots, with a full table lined with them in the art room. Currently, they are starting a new project called slab boxes.
“You start with a base which is when you cut out a square and then you add walls and then- we call it scoring it and slipping [this] is when you add indents to the side and you add the slick [a watery clay] and you stick another wall to it and then you make the lid and they’re supposed to connect,” Dillard said.
Once the students are finished with the projects they get to take them home. Their finished projects serve as a reminder of their favorite part of the process or favorite part of the class.
“I like glazing which is the painting part because she has a bunch of fun colors you can mix to make it pretty and have designs,” Dillard said.
Some students use the ceramics class to express themselves in new forms of media.
“Its [the ceramic class] much more materialistic than say painting or drawing. You’re wielding something with your hands and that’s pretty cool,” ceramics student, Samiya Palmer (’28) said.
However, there are some unfavorable differences between 2D art and ceramics.
“It’s messy that’s one thing. It’s cleaner to teach drawing and painting, and there’s dust in the air from ceramics and silica so we really have to keep the room clean,” Wilson said.
In the future, Wilson is excited to make more bowls, pots and cups with her students and is overall very excited to work with them.
“It’s fun to teach ceramics after 20 years. It brings back memories and I just love seeing what the kids do,” Wilson said.
