STUDIO CRAFTS: The Ceramics Program at Watauga High School
March 30th, 2022 - April 23rd, 2022 | Alexander Community Gallery
Kathleen Manning Gibson (senior), Heavenly bodies, 2022, porcelain, underglaze, and glaze
Sophie Wampler (junior), Cottage Box, 2022, clay and glaze
Watauaga High School’s ceramic program is a cornerstone of the institution’s arts education curriculum. Reaching its 50th year in 2023, the program now consists of Ceramics I and Ceramics II. Offered under the rubric of Studio Crafts, it provides students with the opportunity to learn the rich history of the clay medium, develop technical skills to make, fire, and glaze their work, and expand their own vocabulary as artists and makers. The program is unique at WHS for its semesters-long focus on a single medium, allowing students to dive deeply into traditions that are particularly relevant to this region. This course of study mirrors the rich history of pottery and craft in the High Country and encourages students to explore a vital aspect of their local culture.
This installation gathers together work that advanced students in Ceramics II have developed throughout the semester and in anticipation of this exhibition alongside juried works from new students in Ceramics I. Reflecting the program’s progression from skill-building and technique to a more self-guided, project-based approach, the objects seen here exemplify the program’s pedagogy: rooted in historical and contemporary approaches to clay while leaving room for creative freedom and personal development.