Recently, Mrs. Chubb had Janet Greer from the Potters’ Guild of Frederick come to Urbana High School to guest speak about her career pathway in ceramics.
Greer began with how she found her passion for ceramics at a young age. She talked about her early interest in high school and how she fell in love with clay and the art of ceramics. She mentioned how many people don’t know what they want to pursue, and that you can find love for a subject randomly and unexpectedly.
She continued on to describe what you can do as a high school student to pursue your interest in ceramics, and what to look out for. She talked about opportunities available, such as entering competitions to display your work, looking for schools with more prestigious ceramics programs (such as MICA in Baltimore), and exploring conferences and galleries. She continued by explaining how you can spend your time collecting inspiration from other artists online, keeping a sketchbook, exploring other artistic techniques and mediums, and dedicating time to making art.
Then, she described her educational experience in ceramics, mentioning what she had studied in college, including learning the basics and executing them well. This included learning how to sculpt, throw, hand-build, slab-build, and extrude well, decorating techniques, different ways to fire, how to clean and maintain equipment, how to use materials, and how to use and formulate materials to create (clay, glaze, etc.). Not only did she learn artistic skills, but also skills for success in ceramics, such as networking. She learned how to photograph, market, display, and promote her art, how to engage with artists and experience their techniques, and how to engage with collectors, traders, and museum and commercial venues, setting her up for success in her career pathway.
She also talked about how for some, a career in ceramics doesn’t always require a road through college or university. She mentioned nearby guilds and organizations you could go to for classes, workshops, sales, community involvement, networking, gallery opportunities, and more; such as Baltimore Clay Works, Frederick Clay Studio, Chesapeake Arts Center, Touchstone Center for Crafts, etc. She added how many of these organizations often offer scholarships if you decide to go to school for ceramics.
She ended with some last tips for students, such as putting yourself in places where good things and opportunities can arise, and opening up to opportunities that may arise. She also mentioned carving your own path – being flexible and open to what may come, as there is no one set route to success. She said to soak up as much new information and as many new experiences as possible – go to shows, galleries, festivals, markets, museums, events, take lots of reference pictures, and look for opportunities, don’t wait for them to come to you.
Mrs. Chubb’s guest speaker opportunities are great resources for students who have a career interest, want an inside scoop on their career, and want to learn about the steps they can take to succeed in that pathway. These presentations provide students with advice, essential resources, steps to success, and help figuring out their personalized pathway. Mrs. Chubb would greatly appreciate student input for what careers they would like to see presented and who they’d like to come speak.
