Important Note: This course was formerly ARCW 350.

Course Description
This is a beginning-level ceramics course that will introduce you to the technical and conceptual sensibilities inherent in clay. You will learn about the ceramic traditions in Italy and Umbria as a springboard for learning various hand-building techniques including coil, slab, and pinch methods, as well as the glazing and firing processes. These include learning about prehistoric pottery in central Italy, Etruscan figurative work, and the Maiolica Method from Deruta, as well as the classic terra cotta and black slip glazed urns that are so popular and are often associated with the Mediterranean. We will explore the ceramics of the region of Umbria first hand, taking trips to archeological museums, visiting local ceramics studios, and viewing work made by local ceramicists using the Maiolica method.

Course Objectives
By the end of the course, students will have:

– learned about the history and traditions of ceramics in Italy and Umbria;
– have a basic understanding of the properties inherent in clay, firing, and glazing;
– increased their proficiency in different hand-building techniques such as pinch, slab, and coil;
– gained an appreciation and greater understanding of a ceramic form and the aesthetics of three-dimensional
objects.