After a year of inactivity, the Hopkins ceramics club reconvened to once again get their creative juices flowing.
This past Friday, Oct. 4, Ceramics Club members ended the stressful midterm week with a visit to the Potter’s Guild of Baltimore. Nestled in the Hampden neighborhood, a mere five-minute drive from the Homewood campus, the Potter’s Guild of Baltimore provided a convenient outlet for the artistic students.
Thanks to the Student Government Association (SGA) generously funding the club’s fall activity, the student potters were fortunately able to create without having to fundraise pricey studio expenses — a colossal problem faced in previous years.
The group of 15 reserved the Guild’s workshop for two hours, and after a brief tutorial by artist Judith Frederick, they zealously took to the wheels.
Although many members have years of pottery experience under their belts, The Hopkins Ceramics Club welcomes all levels of experience (or lack thereof). Anyone willing to step out of his or her comfort zone and get their hands dirty is fully qualified.
Adept members happily aided those with minimal practice, and learning along the way proved to be just as rewarding as the final products. This week’s session resulted in charmingly crafted mugs, bowls, vases, spoons and plates.
Unbeknownst to most, The Potters Guild of Baltimore has a rich and relevant history. In 1955, 15 students, fed up with the class limitations of The Baltimore Museum of Art, banned together, intent on furthering their artistic development. Nearly 60 years later, the Guild continues to serve students with limited ceramic options and inadequate opportunities to reserve studio time.
The appeal of pottery making extends beyond simply adding to a kitchenware set. The hands-on experience is remarkably meditative and provides a sense of pride that satisfies differently than the too familiar graded assignments. More students should explore the cathartic benefits of being at the wheel.
The club hopes to regularly meet throughout the semester to continue practicing, in the words of the pottery’s original president Lucinda Primrose, “sincere, honest and creative craftsmanship.”
