Ceramics
At the heart of UArts' Ceramics program is thinking through making. If you are passionate about working with your hands and engaging with material to create something meaningful, the study of ceramics at UArts is just right for you. As you learn the technical aspects of ceramics, you'll also learn how to process the ideas and concepts associated with the art—a unique balance of analyzing and creating.
Having experienced all aspects of making, from initial design to the final finished piece, the University of the Arts' Craft graduates are flexible and well-prepared to become independent studio artists, or to find positions in related fields in design, business and industry, or go on to pursue advanced degrees.
While he was a senior at UArts, John Souter BFA ’12 awarded a prestigious $15,000 Windgate Fellowship to research the color of stained glass windows at Sainte Chapelle Chapel in Paris and at Chartres Cathedral in Chartres, France.
His work is represented by the Snyderman-Works Gallery in Philadelphia, where he had his first solo exhibition shortly after he graduated.
For a young artist, John Souter’s creative development has had a remarkable trajectory.
- Snyderman-Works Gallery
John has been an artist-in-residence at the prestigious Guldagergaard International Ceramic Research Center in Denmark and at Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Colorado. His work ranges from ceramics to painting, drawing, collage and mixed media sculpture.
The objects he creates are in private collections across the U.S. and he has been featured in stories in American Craft, Ceramic Review and Ceramics Monthly.
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Sample Courses in the Craft + Material Studies Major with a concentration in Ceramics
First Year
Drawing: Objects & Space
Drawing: Natural Forms & The Human Figure
Image/Time
Color
Object/Environment
Found & Fabricated
Second Year
Sophomore Projects
Computers for Object Makers
Handbuilding Exploration Projects
Throwing Exploration Projects
Throwing Exploration Studio
Third Year
Junior Projects/Discourse
Ceramics Junior Studio I
Ceramics Junior Studio II
Ceramics Junior Projects
Fourth Year
Ceramics Senior Thesis I
Ceramics Senior Thesis II
Ceramics Senior Studio
Craft Senior Projects
About the Curriculum
At the heart of the curriculum of the Craft + Material Studies Major with a concentration in Ceramics is the notion of thinking through making. Ceramics students are passionate about working with their hands and about discussing the ideas and concepts underlying their art. Ceramics students learn to express themselves through material and process. A student who pursues Craft and Material Studies will work closely with an advisor to determine the curricular path that best matches their artistic goals.
Students who complete the Craft + Material Studies Major with a concentration in Ceramics will:
- Demonstrate independent, creative problem solving and original thinking. They exhibit a distinct and personal approach to art making.
- Demonstrate knowledge of contemporary issues and historical precedents. They have an appreciation for experimentation/innovation as well as for the traditions of making as applied to contemporary craft practice.
- Acquire and demonstrate the professional skills needed to be successful as artists, entrepreneurs, designers for industry and productive citizens.
- Be able to talk and write about art (including their own work) critically, intelligently and with considerable insight.
- Acquire the level of technical skill required for them to reach their career goals. They establish a work practice appropriate to their ideas and demonstrate a deep familiarity with materials and processes.
Ceramics can also be studied as an emphasis in the Fine Arts Program.
To explore the full curriculum, click here.
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BFA '17
BFA '12
BFA '17
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