ART 245 - Ceramics 3

3 credit hours - Two hours of lecture and two hours of studio weekly; one term.
Build on the knowledge acquired in ART 146 or ART 146H. Specialize in an area of personal interest, such as wheel-thrown wares, hand-built pieces or sculpture. Explore, experiment with, and participate in the functioning of the ceramics studio to develop personal forms of expression. Lab fee $75.

Prerequisite(s): ART 146 or ART 146H or permission of department chair.

Crosslisted: Also offered as ART 245H ; credit is not given for both ART 245 and ART 245H .

Note: Typically offered at MC; fall, spring, and summer terms.

Course Outcomes:

Design and produce a series of functional or sculptural ceramic artworks exploring a personal area of interest.

Learning Objective 1 - Design an overall plan for creating ceramic forms.

Learning Objective 2 - Construct a variety of functional or sculptural ceramic forms using personally selected methods of forming.

Learning Objective 3 - Explore a variety of decorating and glazing techniques that are selected to suit individual forms.

Demonstrate an understanding of clay and glaze chemical and physical characteristics, and how to test them.

Learning Objective 1 - Describe the characteristics and interactions among each of the basic glaze chemical groups.

Learning Objective 2 - Design and produce a personal series of glaze experiments and analyze the results.

Learning Objective 3 - Design a series of glaze tests to solve a glaze problem.

Demonstrate an understanding of kiln firing schedules and how to adjust them to obtain specific results.

Learning Objective 1 - Describe the fundamental chemical and physical changes behind important stages in different kinds of kiln firing.

Learning Objective 5 - Program an electric kiln, demonstrating the use of segments that include ramps, set points, and holds.

Demonstrate the ability to observe and analyze a work of ceramic art and to explore an artist’s intent to arrive at an overall evaluation of an artwork.

Learning Objective 1 - Examine, analyze and evaluate ceramic art pieces in written form, presentations and group discussions.

Learning Objective 2 - Apply the principles of analysis and evaluation to personal ceramic artwork and apply the information to design and construct new pieces, exploring a personal area of interest.