CHEM 12
The Practice and Processes of Making Pottery Winter 2024

This course will introduce students to creative methods of working with clay and glazes to create functional pottery, and to the materials and processes of ceramics. Classes will take place in a working Williamstown pottery studio with potter’s wheels and space for hand-building and discussions. Studio lessons are designed to stimulate creativity and discovery. Instruction and projects will be tailored to each student’s interests, experiences, and abilities. Students will be encouraged to consider how value and beauty can be found in that which is incomplete, impermanent, and/or imperfect. Genuineness and authenticity will be encouraged and valued. We will learn about the origins and properties of clay and glaze materials and about how combinations of materials and the high temperature processes result in mature clay bodies and glazes. We will study the major components of glazes and how the manipulation of these materials changes how glazes appear and function. Evaluation for this course will include a final project, and the critical review of the same. Assessment will take place during individual discussion with the instructor during the construction and finishing processes and in a structured, group critique where finished work will be evaluated by all members of the class through a group discussion led by the instructor. No previous experience is necessary. The only prerequisite for this course is an honest interest in learning about the making and chemistry of pottery. Studio time will likely be afternoons and early evenings, with an optional weekend session to accommodate schedules. Class time is about 12 hours weekly, and may include some outside of class reading and other assignments.