Gail Nichols on fri 2 jun 00
If ceramic theory and practical studio skills are what you want out of =
your degree program, then you should do some research BEFORE you start =
the course....what's in the curriculum, what are the aims of the =
ceramics department, the backgrounds of the instructors, what sort of =
work is being produced by current students, etc.? Choice of =
institution, and (most importantly) teachers, is critical...pick ones =
that fit your purposes. Unless you're just interested in acquiring a =
piece of paper with a degree named on it, of course...any place can =
provide you with that.
Vince is right....studying is about LEARNING and that requires some =
responsibility, curiosity and initiative from the learner as well as the =
teacher. Anyone who does postgrad study mainly to qualify for a =
teaching position (rather than as an opportunity to expand their =
knowledge and develop their work) is likely to be someone I wouldn't =
want to take on as my teacher!
Gail Nichols
Sydney, Australia
gailnichols@optusnet.com.au
Jim Bozeman on fri 2 jun 00
To clarify myself, I DID fly out and visit with the teachers at the school I
attended and asked LOTS of questions and asked other students what they
thought of the teachers, classes, etc. What I didn't know was that the
teacher I visited with, in the ceramics dept., was going to leave the term
after I signed up at the school. Perhaps if she informed me that she was
leaving and that the school was going to hire a teacher who was at odds with
the way I wanted to learn I would have chosen another school. Jim
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vince pitelka on fri 2 jun 00
> It seems to me that the degree M F A gives one a clue. ( Fine Art ) I
> think few if any colleges and university's give a hoot about the
> business of pottery. People looking for training so as to support
> themselves in selling their pottery would be better off with a business
> degree and some years as a studio assistant to a professional potter.MFA
> degree's are into another field all together. Mike Gordon
Mike -
Again, it all depends on where you go for the MFA. There are many programs
around the country which are very supportive of the quest for fine pots.
One must do the research. There are plenty of successful studio potters
around the country who have the MFA degree, and attribute their success to
the concentrated immersion in the media which graduate school affords.
Business education is nice, but nothing is as valuable as professional
autonomy in the medium.
Best wishes -
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Home - vpitelka@dekalb.net
615/597-5376
Work - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803
Appalachian Center for Crafts
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
http://www.craftcenter.tntech.edu/
Mike Gordon on fri 2 jun 00
It seems to me that the degree M F A gives one a clue. ( Fine Art ) I
think few if any colleges and university's give a hoot about the
business of pottery. People looking for training so as to support
themselves in selling their pottery would be better off with a business
degree and some years as a studio assistant to a professional potter.MFA
degree's are into another field all together. Mike Gordon
Earl Brunner on sat 3 jun 00
Yep, those things happen. I don't remember my BFA program
as being that great. My professor stayed in his office
pretty much. I learned most from other students. Part of
the problem I think, comes from the drive and passion that
we bring to what we want to do. Personally I think that the
struggle was good for us. There were some shinning stars
before I went to school there and no doubt some since,
However I don't think they have ever had a group like the
one that was there when I was. A very, very high percentage
of the potters in the program back then are still in clay.
Jim Bozeman wrote:
>
> To clarify myself, I DID fly out and visit with the teachers at the school I
> attended and asked LOTS of questions and asked other students what they
> thought of the teachers, classes, etc. What I didn't know was that the
> teacher I visited with, in the ceramics dept., was going to leave the term
> after I signed up at the school. Perhaps if she informed me that she was
> leaving and that the school was going to hire a teacher who was at odds with
> the way I wanted to learn I would have chosen another school. Jim
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--
Earl Brunner
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mailto:bruec@anv.net
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