Inside the Elective: Ceramics
Angie Bihl
Staff Writer
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Cumberland Valley High School offers a ceramics art course for those who are interested in exploring a different form of artistic expression.
Ceramics is taught by Ms. René King has been for the past 20 years.
“Students learn far beyond skills, but an understanding of design, arts, and how to problem solve carries into life,” King said.
Senior Dan Melder got involved in the ceramics course during his senior year of high school.
“I decided to take ceramics because I have never taken an art class throughout my years in high school. I have heard nothing but good things about the class and thought it would be a fun class to take to express myself,” Melder said.
Through the course of this class, students are taught various skills and are expected to apply them in projects.
“We learn to throw and trim pots, hand build things, and make mugs and teapots,” Senior Rose Shwani, a second year student, said.
In relation to the different projects assigned in the class, students use class time to work on their pottery over the course of multiple weeks.
“Depending on what the project entails, I can usually throw one or two pieces on a wheel a class period,” Senior Annabel Krebs, a fourth year student, said.
“It depends on the piece I’m working on, but many of my pieces are sculptural and they can take almost a month," Senior Kristy Richards, a fourth year student, said. "With other projects, it honestly just depends on what I decide to make.”
Outside of the classroom, students are given opportunities to enhance their creativity through pottery in the Clay Club.
“At a very young age, I had an interest in drawing and painting, but I wanted to try something new," Richards said. "After taking the ceramics class, I joined the clay club during my freshman year. Now, being a senior, I am the President of the club and I think it is a great way to share our artistic abilities outside of the classroom setting.”
Ceramics is one of the most popular art classes at CV, as it gives students access to an art form that they could not explore without the equipment CV has. It is a very hands-on way to express creativity, and is well-liked by students who have taken it.