Course Description
This is a beginning level ceramics course that will introduce you to the technical and conceptual sensibilities inherent in clay. We will learn about the history and traditions of ceramics in Umbria and in other parts of Italy, leading into the traditional techniques and engaging in the production of ceramic works. We will take field trips to nearby museums and local ceramic artists’ studios. All students will display their finished work in an end-of-semester Art Show.

Course Objectives
Using local ceramics traditions as inspiration, you will learn various hand-building techniques including coil, slab, and pinch methods, as well as the glazing and firing processes. This will include learning about the ceramics of the ancient Etruscans who inhabited central Italy after 800 BC, the Majolica Method from Deruta, and the classic terracotta and black slip glazed urns which are extremely popular and often associated with Mediterranean ceramics.