Department Head, Graduate Program Director
Katy Schimert
Learn more about Ceramics at RISD
Department Location and Contacts
Curriculum
Learning outcomes
Graduates of the BFA program are able to:
demonstrates proficiency in ceramic construction skills (hand-building, slip-casting, mold-making, and wheel-throwing) along with clay and glaze composition and effects of the firing sequence.
develop work for different contexts, including indoor and outdoor installation, tile-work and tableware for restaurants.
articulate the effects of ceramics in various environments (gallery, home, restaurant, architectural), including consideration of visual, functional, environmental and political aspects.
understand the effects of new technologies on the field.
identify and commit to focused study of a particular field in ceramics, such as sculpture, environmental arts, architecture, pottery or design.
Graduates of the MFA program are prepared to:
analyze fields of study in ceramics from different philosophical and historical perspectives.
perfect clay construction, material experimentation and effects of firing.
identify qualities in works of art and be able to reconstitute these qualities through making.
understand the medium as a vehicle for expression and cultural advancement.
distinguish roles of form and function in an object.
collaborate through dialogue and making.
articulate and develop one's own visual language and manner of making.
demonstrate installation skills and aesthetic sensibility for exhibiting work.
evaluate one's own motivations for a chosen direction of work.
situate one's work in both historical and contemporary contexts and base development of a chosen form on a thorough understanding of history.
manage and maintain a professional studio practice.