An undergraduate honors course at the Colorado School of Mines, taught fall semester of 2024. Curriculum developed with professor Lauren Shumaker. More documentation upcoming. Course description below:

Mutable Mud: The Art and Science of Ceramics

As a vital component of human life from ancient to modern times, clay impacts our lives in a multitude of ways from the sentimental to the scientific. This 400-level course explores the intersection of technology and culture through theoretical exploration and hands-on studio practice. Students will immerse themselves in the pottery studio at the Foothills Art Center to gain a comprehensive understanding of ceramics as both an art form and a scientific discipline. The weekly three-hour classes will combine studio practice, lectures, and discussions with an intersectional approach, examining how ceramics integrally relate to various aspects of society, including history, geology, industry, culture and the environment. Through studio projects and select readings, students will critically analyze the role of ceramics in shaping and reflecting cultural identities, economic systems, environmental practices, and creative artistic expression.

The studio component of the course provides students with hands-on experience in ceramic techniques including handbuilding, wheel throwing, and glazing. Through guided projects and independent exploration, students will develop technical proficiency and creative expression with clay as a medium while also learning to interpret ceramic artworks within their cultural, historical, and scientific contexts. By the end of the course, students will have gained a comprehensive understanding of ceramics as a dynamic and interdisciplinary field which has enriched human lives both materially and culturally for millenia.

Site selection, material collection, and processing:

Student work, class demos and more: