Ceramics

Within the Ceramics department, critique and discussion are foundational to the growth of a student’s critical practice.  Our formal weekly critiques are open to other departments, making for a lively interdisciplinary discussion through the lens of ceramics. Students participate in individual meetings with Artists-in-Residence, various group critiques, individual studio visits with visiting artists/critics, and studio visits during department travel.

We embrace the possibilities of cross-disciplinary ideas and explore how a materially specific dialogue and process can influence larger discussions in art and design. We offer individual and small group demonstrations, tool and skill training, plus a host of peer-to-peer learning. Regular studio meetings introduce upcoming studio events, creating a sense of community, and each winter we engage in a week of deep work with no talking and no meetings in an attempt to fully engage our studio practice.

Visitors are selected based on the direction of work in the department and represent a broad cross-section of contemporary work in and around the field of ceramics. These include designers, critics, and curators as well as practicing studio artists.

Due to the intimate size of our department, students have a unique opportunity to spend time with our visiting artists and critics and to gain valuable insight into their work and process. Extending the experience, we also collaborate on larger projects with artists, designers, and art directors, giving students first-hand experience in the world of ceramic production.

The Ceramics facility is designed to accommodate a wide range of material practices and specialized projects. We hope to work simultaneously within established ceramic traditions, as well as to challenge the material, its process, and its place in contemporary ceramic art and design. Cranbrook was one of the first programs in the country to integrate energy-efficient kilns, which allows students a rare opportunity to work with industrial equipment in the context of a studio-based program.

• 5 energy efficient Dutch Blaauw gas kilns 
• 4 medium and small electric kilns
• Hydraulic extruder 
• 2 Soldner clay mixers
• Slab roller 
• Tile saw  
• Sandblaster 
• Large-scale spray booth 
• 3D clay printer
• Comprehensive materials lab for clay and glaze formulation 
• Marble top table for mold making and casting 

The Academy also offers access to 3D milling machines, 3D printers and scanners, a laser-cutter, large format printers, and other equipment that can be used to extend the options for making.