Many of you who know me are aware I studied to become a ceramic artist at the NY State College of Ceramics at Alfred University, where I obtained my BFA in 1998. My discord avatar is one of my sculptures.
However, Alfred University offers a host of other extremely exciting artistic avenues of creation and sometimes they are mentioned in the news. Today I found this article in my monthly newsletter, as well as a YouTube video regarding the glass engineering team from Alfred University.
The Games’ medals were developed in collaboration with faculty and students at the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University.
Over the years I’ve visited many festivals and and art gallery openings, as well as a few museums, and I have found at least one other Alfred University artist’s creations at most of those venues I visited. Its always exciting when I do find them because it shows how important an art education can become. It not only enriches the student(s) who follow that path but the important accomplishments that can be attained through art education.
When I first started at Alfred the art department was not quite as vast as it has become today. They also had an extremely well designed glass art department that was developing along with the ceramic department. Today Alfred’s art and design departments are some of the best in the nation.
So many of my own instructors at that time were internationally known artists in their own right as well as educators. My favorite instructor was Val Cushing, who influenced many of the things I chose to pursue. He was extremely helpful in offering me opportunities to take my ideas from just thoughts to sketches then onto the medium to realize the images I went on to create.
Mr. Cushing also noted and encouraged me to follow the flow I was involved with. He was the first person to ever notice I was highly influenced by water and its movement. You can see that in my work most of the time, either by how I manipulate the clay itself or by the glazes I use.
