Vince Pitelka on tue 30 dec 03
> I have been reading this thread with interest, and I keep
> thinking that maybe the university (which nowadays in the US
> can total, what? $40,000 - $80,000 investment - more, maybe,
> depending on the school) may not be the most practical
> entrance to learning to be a potter. Do fine woodworkers go
> to college to learn to be woodworkers? Blacksmiths?
> Woodturners? Basket-makers?
Holly -
We go around on this every few years, and I am always one of the ones who
pipes up in support of academic education for pottery. Anyone who views
university education primarily as vocational training is missing the point.
University education is primarily about life enrichment, although many
administrators in universities around the country don't seem to understand
that any more. A broad-based liberal arts education broadens a person's
horizons, and it gives advantages which last the rest of your life. It will
help you in almost any career you choose. And while you are enriching your
life, it is mighty fine to ALSO be able to learn a career. So if you want
to be a potter, and if there are universities out there that offer good
programs in functional pottery, what could be better? You get a broad-based
liberal arts education and you get to learn to be a potter all at the same
time.
Sure it's expensive, but you are investing in the rest of your life, and
what amount of money is too much for that? There are numereous grants and
scholarships available, plus opportunities in financial aid including
work-study and loans, plus part time employment. Even if you have to pay
your way, and it costs you 100 grand, it is still an investment that
radically changes your entire life.
Pursuing every available educational opportunity is one of the very best
things a person can do in living a rich, rewarding life. For a serious,
committed student, a well-chosen college is NEVER an expensive luxury. In
terms of the outcomes, college is one of the most cost-effective investments
you can make.
And in our case, yes, students do go to college to learn woodworking,
blacksmithing, and woodturning.
Best wishes -
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
Home - vpitelka@dtccom.net
615/597-5376
Office - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 x111, FAX 615/597-6803
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
http://www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/
Mert & Holly Kilpatrick on tue 30 dec 03
Stephen from Georgia wrote:
From: "Stephen"
> I hear this all the time, that pottery is a dying art. I
always answer to
> the contrary. I know for sure that There are more potters
in Ga. now than
> when I was learning over 25 years ago. There are many more
ways to learn
> now as well. A show I was in in September of just Ga.
potters Had 45
> potters in it. These were all professionals. most of them
were from around
> Athens and Atlanta. The rest of the state was sparsely
represented. I know
> there are many more in Ga. than these and this is just in
Ga. The
> traditional potters alone in Ga. alone could keep pottery
going. What I
> have noticed is how much pottery remains in flux,
constantly evolving.
> Stephen
I have been reading this thread with interest, and I keep
thinking that maybe the university (which nowadays in the US
can total, what? $40,000 - $80,000 investment - more, maybe,
depending on the school) may not be the most practical
entrance to learning to be a potter. Do fine woodworkers go
to college to learn to be woodworkers? Blacksmiths?
Woodturners? Basket-makers? For thousands of years,
pottery was made without a college education. Some will say
that was because there were apprenticeships then. But now
pottery students have exposure to such a wide variety of
learning experiences, that apprenticeship is not the only
way to acquire information. In those old days, techniques
may have been more guarded secrets, and/or there was no easy
way to share information.
Some may say, without college people wouldn't get a broad
exposure to art, literature, etc, whatever one is required
and encouraged to take in addition to ceramics. But again,
for the proactive motivated student, that is available
through other sources.
College is a rite of passage in the US, and a much-touted
social experience for young people. But for functional
potters, unless they want to teach, it may be an expensive
luxury. At the least, there are other approaches these days
in the US for those who prefer a different alternative.
Holly
East Bangor, PA
Antoinette Badenhorst on wed 31 dec 03
I did not catch this posting from the start, but I want to add to what
Vince says. College is a package that is preparing a student for a
career. This is the one place where one can fool around a little, while
working. (Take note I say "a little".....things change for kids every
day)It is the one place where one can get a broader vision and spread
your wings.
It is also true that if one is through all these experiences in life and
you want to specialize, it might be better to seek other institutions
that offer that. I think one get at a stage in your life where you would
want to get right to the point with certain things.
I've been in college in the seventies. I did not even know about pottery
at the time, what to say consider a career, but I had a wonderful life
experience. Today I think I can call myself experienced as a potter, but
I have to say, I really wish I've done liberal arts, since that would
have been a double asset. There are so many times that I think that if I
had a liberal arts background, I would have had more confidence in what
I do. Knowledge is power and if I can advice anyone that starts out
today, I would say: Get your Liberal Arts background and then apprentice
with someone experienced for a few years.
Antoinette Badenhorst
105 Westwood Circle
Saltillo MS
38866
662 869 1651
www.clayandcanvas.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Clayart [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG] On Behalf Of Vince
Pitelka
Sent: Tuesday, December 30, 2003 10:56 PM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: Re: learning functional pottery in universities
> I have been reading this thread with interest, and I keep
> thinking that maybe the university (which nowadays in the US
> can total, what? $40,000 - $80,000 investment - more, maybe,
> depending on the school) may not be the most practical
> entrance to learning to be a potter. Do fine woodworkers go
> to college to learn to be woodworkers? Blacksmiths?
> Woodturners? Basket-makers?
Holly -
We go around on this every few years, and I am always one of the ones
who
pipes up in support of academic education for pottery. Anyone who views
university education primarily as vocational training is missing the
point.
University education is primarily about life enrichment, although many
administrators in universities around the country don't seem to
understand
that any more. A broad-based liberal arts education broadens a person's
horizons, and it gives advantages which last the rest of your life. It
will
help you in almost any career you choose. And while you are enriching
your
life, it is mighty fine to ALSO be able to learn a career. So if you
want
to be a potter, and if there are universities out there that offer good
programs in functional pottery, what could be better? You get a
broad-based
liberal arts education and you get to learn to be a potter all at the
same
time.
Sure it's expensive, but you are investing in the rest of your life, and
what amount of money is too much for that? There are numereous grants
and
scholarships available, plus opportunities in financial aid including
work-study and loans, plus part time employment. Even if you have to
pay
your way, and it costs you 100 grand, it is still an investment that
radically changes your entire life.
Pursuing every available educational opportunity is one of the very best
things a person can do in living a rich, rewarding life. For a serious,
committed student, a well-chosen college is NEVER an expensive luxury.
In
terms of the outcomes, college is one of the most cost-effective
investments
you can make.
And in our case, yes, students do go to college to learn woodworking,
blacksmithing, and woodturning.
Best wishes -
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
Home - vpitelka@dtccom.net
615/597-5376
Office - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 x111, FAX 615/597-6803
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
http://www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/
________________________________________________________________________
______
Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
Tom Sawyer on wed 31 dec 03
I'm wholeheartedly with Vince on this one. A liberal arts education exposes
one to many ideas that they might not otherwise encounter on their own
efforts. It seems to me that creativity is often the amalgamation and
rearrangement of ideas and experiences that one has during life. If I might
use the term "meme" [from a book by Dawkins The Selfish Gene] for ideas &
experiences, our memes interbred and give birth to new ideas much like our
genes intermix and form new life. I believe the more experiences and more
memes one acquires, the more opportunity for new life/ideas .. creativity.
For that reason, I believe reading, looking at others work, doing workshops
and exchanging ideas on a forum such as this helps to create better artists
by providing us with new memes. While many successful people/artists have
circumvented formal educations, I believe that most of these have been
successful because of an insatiable thirst for knowledge that they have
pursued on their own. For those who have yet to learn the self discipline
and the love of work that it requires to be good at any profession, formal
education often provides the impetus - the spark that they can then carry
forward in life to be successful.
Just my opinion.
Tom Sawyer
tsawyer@cfl.rr.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Clayart [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG] On Behalf Of Vince Pitelka
Sent: Tuesday, December 30, 2003 11:56 PM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: Re: learning functional pottery in universities
> I have been reading this thread with interest, and I keep thinking
> that maybe the university (which nowadays in the US can total, what?
> $40,000 - $80,000 investment - more, maybe, depending on the school)
> may not be the most practical entrance to learning to be a potter. Do
> fine woodworkers go to college to learn to be woodworkers?
> Blacksmiths?
> Woodturners? Basket-makers?
Holly -
We go around on this every few years, and I am always one of the ones who
pipes up in support of academic education for pottery. Anyone who views
university education primarily as vocational training is missing the point.
University education is primarily about life enrichment, although many
administrators in universities around the country don't seem to understand
that any more. A broad-based liberal arts education broadens a person's
horizons, and it gives advantages which last the rest of your life. It will
help you in almost any career you choose. And while you are enriching your
life, it is mighty fine to ALSO be able to learn a career. So if you want
to be a potter, and if there are universities out there that offer good
programs in functional pottery, what could be better? You get a broad-based
liberal arts education and you get to learn to be a potter all at the same
time.
Sure it's expensive, but you are investing in the rest of your life, and
what amount of money is too much for that? There are numereous grants and
scholarships available, plus opportunities in financial aid including
work-study and loans, plus part time employment. Even if you have to pay
your way, and it costs you 100 grand, it is still an investment that
radically changes your entire life.
Pursuing every available educational opportunity is one of the very best
things a person can do in living a rich, rewarding life. For a serious,
committed student, a well-chosen college is NEVER an expensive luxury. In
terms of the outcomes, college is one of the most cost-effective investments
you can make.
And in our case, yes, students do go to college to learn woodworking,
blacksmithing, and woodturning.
Best wishes -
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166 Home - vpitelka@dtccom.net
615/597-5376
Office - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 x111, FAX 615/597-6803
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
http://www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/
____________________________________________________________________________
__
Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
iandol on fri 2 jan 04
Dear Lee Love,=20
<>
<<.."Better than any argument is to rise at dawn and pick dew-wet red =
berries in a cup. "--Wendell Berry..>>
For the former I thank you. As for the latter I prefer your originality.
Best regards,
Ivor Lewis. Redhill, South Australia. Sharing Apricot evening skies with =
an advancing Moon and the scent of dryness.
Lee Love on sun 4 jan 04
----- Original Message -----
From: "iandol"
.."Better than any argument is to rise at dawn and pick dew-wet red berries
in a cup. "--Wendell Berry
>For the former I thank you. As for the latter I prefer your originality.
Some of us like to quote technical manuals. Others of us prefer
quoting poetry. Viva la difference! ;^)
--
Lee In Mashiko, Japan
http://Mashiko.us
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