Marcia Selsor on sun 13 sep 98
Dear Dona,
I agree with some of what you said. I have taught undergrads for 24 years. I
loved it. But lately tuition has continued to climb, operating budgets have
disappeared completely. -program funded by lab fees is running on very old
equipment (some of our wheels were handmade in the '50s)
I have found students need to work one or two part time jobs to pay for
school. This leaves them with zero time to devote to learning to throw. Forget
about time to fire a kiln. Yesterday I spent the entire day (no classes)
aggravated about the Facility Services charging outrageous prices for
delivering shipments to our building (clay pallets), or
what they would or wouldn't do. Ex. They charged one dept. $160 for hanging
four pictures. They charged the clay lab fee $2.00/box to deliver from the
other side of campus. Tana P, my colleague, had ordered premixed clay not
realizing there would be a delivery charge after it arrived on campus.
I studied clay with Bill Daley, a wonderful teacher. My grad teacher, Nick
Vergette, was a true poet. He died during my last year at grad school.(I hate
to sound like this but...) When I was a student we lived and breathed mud. We
were kicked out of the studio at midnight. We got special permission to fire
the salt kiln over night and got to make pots all night while we fired. I can
retire early after 25 years. I am looking forward to my studio. I hope I will
do workshops with people who are interested in clay!I recently had a show in
town where a former student was really excited about the work in the show but
had no idea it was mine. I don't want my students copying me. I want them to
develop their own way with clay. Sorry for the soap box.
Marcia in Montana
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