Keeping It Real with Clay

The Pottery Club had their annual pottery sale on Saturday, Dec. 7. The sale took place in the pottery studio on the bottom floor of the Earl V. Dickinson building. 

The mood was set with colorful tablecloths and an iphone playing music from inside one of the clay pots. The studio had pottery wheels neatly lined up to the side and cubbies along the walls for students to leave their supplies and unfinished work. In the center, space was cleared to make room for large tables holding the homemade bowls, cups, plates and vases, all ranging from $10-50. The tables were set up so customers could easily walk around and view all the pieces, marketplace style. 

As customers came in, they were greeted with a door prize. People could put their names and emails into the pot and potentially win a bowl made by Tom Clarkson, professor of art, and  head of the ceramics department and club. Half of what students made from their sales go to themselves, which they can use for tuition for the next semester, and the other half goes to the Pottery Club. 

While Tuesday nights are the official meeting times for the Pottery Club, Clarkson said, “We are about as informal as you can get,” so whenever you are creating ceramics or contributing to the clay community, Pottery Club is happening. Or as Clarkson said, “You can’t be in the Pottery Club if you’re not in a pottery class, and if you are in a pottery class then you’re a part of the Pottery Club.”

The Pottery sale is an annual event that allows students to show and experience selling their work. Clarkson said that he spent most of his career selling his work, and he thinks it’s important for students to experience selling since it is such a big part of being in ceramics. 

Clarkson said, “I think there’s a misconception about pottery. People think it’s easy to do, but it’s not.” This event gives students a chance to show how hard they have been working and share the art that is pottery.