Students build art and comradery in class<\/p>\n
The ceramics department at San Jose City College offers creative outlets for students while educating them on the fundamentals of working with clay.<\/p>\n
The campus offers three different classes for ceramics: Beginning Ceramics I (Art 46A), \u00a0Beginning Ceramics II (Art 46B) and Special Projects in Ceramics (Art 89). Students can earn three units for taking any of the courses.<\/p>\n
The classes are held jointly in the same room at the same times.<\/p>\n
Michelle Gregor, the only full-time ceramics professor, has been teaching at SJCC for 12 years.<\/p>\n
Instead of tests, Gregor holds class critiques where each student explains the type of clay, paint and glaze they used. She grades art by technique, craftsmanship, glaze application and concept.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe class is busy, friendly, and inspiring,\u201d said second-semester ceramics student Truc Anh, 26, social work major.<\/p>\n
Gregor makes each student explain what they would have changed about their work and which other student\u2019s piece they admire.<\/p>\n
Leslie Urbina, 52, liberal arts major, is taking ceramics for the third time. She created a sentimental series of bowls that were associated with her family.<\/p>\n
One bowl represented her relationship with her father and included a crossword puzzle, a National Guard symbol and the text \u201cHey Dad, (Big Hug) I Love You.\u201d<\/p>\n
Urbina said she and her dad never said \u201cI love you\u201d to each other, and he passed three months after they started saying it.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor someone who\u2019s not into art, this class helps discover another part of yourself,\u201d Urbina said.<\/p>\n
Many beginning students\u2019 works are technique driven, but advanced students use emotional and cultural components.<\/p>\n
Gregor said one of the most challenging aspects of the class is learning how to use the potter\u2019s wheel.<\/p>\n
Starting next semester, a ceramic sculpture class will be taught at SJCC for the first time.<\/p>\n
\u201cFunction is not a goal when creating sculptures,\u201d Gregor said.<\/p>\n
Bas relief is a style of ceramics that attaches to a wall. Hollowing is building armatures that are empty in the middle. Gregor said she plans to explore both techniques in ceramic sculpture.<\/p>\n
There will be a material fee of $25 for each student taking any ceramics class.<\/p>\n
Evergreen Valley College does not offer ceramics classes, making SJCC the only college in the district to offer them.<\/p>\n
Many ceramics students expressed having a high interest in the beginning ceramics class and were interested in taking the class again.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Students build art and comradery in class The ceramics department at San Jose City College offers creative outlets for students while educating them on the fundamentals of working with clay. The campus offers three different classes for ceramics: Beginning Ceramics I (Art 46A), \u00a0Beginning Ceramics II (Art 46B) and Special Projects in Ceramics (Art 89)….<\/p>","protected":false},"author":88904,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,8],"tags":[],"staff_name":[629],"class_list":["post-9367","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-arts-entertainment","category-campus-life","staff_name-justin-san-diego"],"yoast_head":"\n