Week 13, Fall 2024

Week of Blog Post #13 I did my Southern Illinois Visits. I started with Carbendale meeting with Pattie Chalmers and a few grad students. Then I drove up to Edwardsville and met with Mike Strumbus, Thad Duhigg, a few grad students and Cacey Beck during his workshop. Each visit and program has its pros and cons, but I have a gut feeling neither are the right program. Visiting schools in person made all of this a reality and made me reevaluate how I’m looking at schools and what I want to get out of them. Pattie said, “going to grad school is one of the biggest gifts you can give yourself and your work.” So I want to indulge and be selfish with finding a school that has everything I need in order to do the work I want to make. I know no program is perfect but I’m not going to settle when I know there is a better fit out there. 

I also started to throw a little before I left for Illinois in prep for the wood kiln but other than that I wasn't too productive in the studio this week.  

I did some glaze kiln flipping at UofL. I know that doesn’t count as “newness in the studio” but because I was thrown into that role halfway through the semester and still learning how to help bring a facility up to “normal” operating capacity, I feel like what I do over there can count as me growing as a professional ceramicist. It's been challenging me in a weird way. I know how to do this, I have the skills to fulfill every request Lalana has, but keeping up with two different studios it's an adjustment for sure.