The Pingree Arts Department offers many different courses for students to explore during the academic day, including H-blocks and elective classes. Ceramics classes are a particularly popular choice for students. One of the main reasons students love ceramics is because of our teacher, Mr. Pickett.
Mr. Pickett has wanted to be an artist since he was little. “I always loved doing projects as a kid; the ability to make something from nothing really got me into ceramics, and it also helped that I did it with friends.” Mr. Pickett highlights why so many students enjoy ceramics – the freedom to be creative and the opportunity to learn collaboratively.
Mr. Pickett is interested in different styles of ceramics; he follows current innovations in the field along with what he teaches in class. “Right now what’s piqued my interest is ceramics furniture, artists like Austin Coudriet and Kelce Rudolph.” When he discusses his interest in ceramics furniture, it is clear that Mr. Pickett has a real passion for ceramics which truly carries over into his teaching.
This interest in observing ceramic artists and gaining inspiration from their work is also reflected in how he uses classroom time. In advanced ceramics class, he recalled a specific exhibit that was inspiring. “Taking my advanced ceramics class to the MFA last year was amazing…we got to see an exhibit on David Drake and his large storage jars. [Drake] was an enslaved potter from Old Edgefield, South Carolina, and it was sort of the first exhibit of its kind so to share it was special.”
Opportunities like trips to the MFA give students the ability to gain inspiration from other artists, while also learning about the diverse history of ceramics.
Mr. Pickett is also passionate about the acknowledgment of student-created ceramic art on display at the Bertilon Gallery. Students in the hand-building ceramics class have created pinch pot whistles, hard slab boxes, and kurinuki jars for viewing. From the wheel class, students have made lidded jars, lidded forms, and assorted dishes like plates for display. Along with the ceramics at the Bertilon Gallery, students can also view the narrative coil pots on display at the gallery beside the theater entrance. In the upcoming trimesters, the ceramics seminar class will be producing a different style which is working on making ceramics at a higher, more conceptual level, as well as self-portrait busts from the ceramic sculpture class. All of these pieces show the meticulous effort put into the medium, and why it should be appreciated for the hard work it takes.
If students have any interest in creating works of art like the ones displayed across campus then Mr. Pickett encourages students to join a class no matter their level of experience. The classes he recommends starting with are either hand-building or wheel. Mr. Pickett hopes to see any interested students in ceramics classes soon!
