The undergraduate ceramics curriculum provides a firm base from which students develop a personal and singular approach to art-making, emphasizing early technical development and building toward self-determined investigations relating to the material. Students build skills in all major forming methods–including wheel-throwing, hand-building and slip-casting–and are exposed to various firing techniques and clay and glaze formulation.
Programs
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Ceramics students are encouraged to consider clay in combination with performance, video, sound, interactivity, installation, digital fabrication, and more. Experimentation and research are stressed as students are taught to exploit materials and processes for their conceptual ramifications, and to identify critical dialogues in which to contextualize their work. This developmental process is begun and reinforced through interaction with peers, faculty, artists in the regional community, visiting artists, and other scheduled art events.
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Artisans at the Depot A collaborative event of design, ceramic, and culinary art. Read more > |
Post-Baccalaureate Resident Artist Program
At the University of Arkansas, we understand the post-baccalaureate as someone moving through a transitional stage toward a pre-determined goal. For many this goal is admission into a top-tier graduate program, for others it may be the development of a body of work that launches a professional studio practice. The goals are varied, but whatever they may be, post-bac residents at the University of Arkansas are given the time and resources to ensure their goals can be met.
Our program can accommodate residents for 1 or 2 years. Post-bacs work side by side with graduate students in our ceramics seminar course. The topics of this course vary from semester to semester, but it always give residents ample opportunity for critical feedback, theoretical development, and professional practice. Many also take advantage of opportunities to attend advanced undergraduate and technical ceramics courses, which are available to our post-bacs at no additional cost. Furthermore, there are opportunities each semester for one-on-one guidance from the ceramics faculty. A requirement of the program is to present a new body of work at the end of each semester, for review by your peers and the ceramics faculty as a whole. At the conclusion of the first academic year, residents who wish to continue for a second year must demonstrate through their portfolio that sufficient progress has been made in the preceding semesters. Total cost for the program is 950 dollars per semester. Images from current post-bacs can be seen by following our Instagram.
Our post-bacs occupy a generous group studio space adjacent to the graduate and BFA studios. The space is 650 square feet and is typically divided among four residents. Each post-bac has a dedicated table, shelving, ware cart, sculpture stand, and potter’s wheel (if needed). Residents collectively decide on the division and origination of their studio according to the needs of the group. There is easy access to kilns, mixers, raw materials, and all other studio equipment. Our studio is among the finest you will find at any university in North America.
We expect our post-bac residents to be studio leaders, demonstrating a high level of commitment to their own work and also to the betterment of the studio as a whole. Active membership in our ceramics club (the Association of Ceramic Enthusiasts) is an important part of the post-bac experience, helping to place each post-bac at the center of the ceramics community. ACE organizes multiple events each year to help raise funds for visiting artists, offset costs for students who wish to attend the annual NCECA conference, and to help contribute to studio improvements. We also expect that each resident contribute 2-3 hours each week to the operation of the studio. This could mean managing kiln meetings, overseeing our critique space, loading kilns, or other tasks that help the studio run effectively.
Application materials must be submitted by April 15th and applicants will be notified by email no later than May 1st. We welcome interested students to visit the department firsthand or to speak with faculty about their interest in the program before applying. For more information please email Mathew McConnell at msmcconn@uark.edu.
The following materials will be required for applying:
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A short letter stating your interest in the program and the immediate goals you wish to pursue
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Ten images of your work
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One-page artist statement
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Resume
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Two names of professional references
Applications will be accepted via Slideroom
Clay Break
Clay Break is a ceramics residency tailored to artists whose primary training and focus lie outside of ceramics.
UARK Ceramics is a thriving community of ceramic artists, educators, and students with an interest in fostering a rich dialogue about clay’s role in contemporary art. Clay Break is an opportunity for us to open our doors and share our facilities and knowledge with artists who are clay-curious. The program was conceived with an awareness that for those who want to familiarize or reacquaint themselves with the material, locating a supportive environment that also provides a significant time period for uninterrupted development can be a challenge. We want to help. Our commitment is to provide the time, space, facilities, and a supportive community to assist our residents in the creation of a body of new works in clay—we wish to give our residents a break from the established routines of their practice, and help them discover something new for themselves in clay.
A furnished studio is provided, along with stocked ceramic materials, kiln firings, and a modest stipend. UARK Ceramics faculty and graduate students will be available to help familiarize residents with basic studio processes and help guide them through technical problems as they arise. The duration of the residency, and timing varies according to the needs of the residents and availability of space and faculty support. Most residents stay for 8-10 weeks.
We expect our residents to be generous and conscientious community members who demonstrate a high level of commitment to a healthy, productive, and engaged studio community, as well as to their own work. To this end, we ask that the residents maintain regular studio hours throughout their term, perform one public lecture during their stay, conduct 1-2 studio visits per week with graduate or advanced students, and engage in communal studio activities when possible (potlucks, exhibition openings, etc). We also request that one piece made during the residency be donated to the UARK Ceramics Teaching Collection.
Private studios are available for residents. These spaces vary in size (200-400 square feet), and offer easy access to kilns, mixers, raw materials, and all other studio equipment. Access to studios is 24/7. Dry materials, studio glazes, and kiln firings are included in the residency. Residents are responsible for any materials they wish to employ that we do not typically stock. Residents are also responsible for packing and shipping of works produced at the end of their residency.
Artists typically receive a modest honorarium intended to help offset living expenses. Travel and accommodations must be arranged by the resident. We’re able to help you with recommendations and have relationships with several local rental companies.
Emerging, mid-career, and established artists who are looking for an opportunity to work in clay are welcomed. Currently, residents are being selected through invitation. Recommendations and outside nominations to the program are welcome. If you are interested in recommending an artist for Clay Break, please email Mathew McConnell (msmcconn@uark.edu).
Facilities and Equipment
UARK Ceramics boasts nearly 20,000 square feet of studio, classroom, installation, and lounge space on the ground floor of the Studio Art and Design Center (SDCR). Generously sized classrooms and support spaces are equipped for all standard ceramics processes. There are dedicated spaces for clay and glaze mixing, glaze application, plaster prototyping and mold making, material storage, photo documentation, and ample space for installing work. The main classroom itself converts into a 3000 square foot gallery space that can be employed for end of semester exhibitions and reviews.
The ceramics area has twelve individual studios that house our graduate students, faculty, and resident artists. Six of these studios, from 210 to 275 square feet, are earmarked for our MFA students. These spaces are adjacent to the post-bac studio and resident artist studio, and are closely situated to the main classrooms. All spaces are amply sized with high ceilings, good light, and excellent ventilation throughout.
In the last ten years, more than $500,000 has been invested in equipment upgrades to complement our new facility and to further extend the technologies and processes available to our students. Below is a list of some of the major equipment we have available to our students:
INTERIOR Kiln Pad
- Blaauww automated 12 & 54 & 100 cu.ft. gas kilns
- Blaauww automated 18 cu.ft. electric kiln
- Bailey Studio Pro 12 & 18 cu.ft. gas kilns
- Bailey Thermal Logic 20 cu.ft. electric with two cars
- 12 computer-controlled Skutt electric kilns
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Counterbalance stacker
INTERIOR Kiln Pad
- Geil 8, 12, and 24 cu.ft. gas kilns
- Master Kiln Builders 24 cu.ft. soda kiln
Technology Lab
- Potterbot Super 10 clay printer (2)
- Enduring Images color decal printer
- Shop Sabre CNC Router
- Shop Sabre CNC Plasma Cutter
- Epilog Fusion Laser Cutter (multiple)
- Various 3D Printers (Prusa, Ultimaker)
General Studio/Classrooms
- Brent and Bailey extruders
- Bailey slab rollers (2)
- 20+ electric wheels
- 2 Lockerbie kick-wheels
Grinding room
- Torit Downdraft Table
- Tile Saw
- Sandblast Cabinet
- Wet Sanders (2) and Grinders
Clay Mixing Area
- 3 Soldner mixers
- Peter Pugger VPM-20 pugmill
- Peter Pugger VPM-60 pugmill
- RAM vertical blunger
Glaze MIXING and APPLICATION Rooms
- Glaze Mixing and Application Rooms
- Laguna seamless spray booth
- Scales and Balances
- Tilting dry material bins
- Excellent ventilation
- HEPA Wet Vacs (2)
Plaster area
- Bailey mold drying cabinet
- Refsan Plaster Lathe
- Refsan Jigger
- Band Saw and Drill Press
- Vacuum De-gassing Station
- Lehman Slip Mixers (3)
Students and Community
The Ceramics area at the University of Arkansas takes pride in fostering a strong and diverse community of artists, working within the studio and as contributors and participants in the burgeoning arts community of our region. We believe students get the best educational experience when they are working actively alongside their peers, whether it is on their own projects, participating in a clay club event, attending a visiting artist lecture, or simply loading a kiln together. To this end, we work hard to make our community one in which inclusiveness and personal diligence coalesce in an experience tailored to bring the best out of each student.
UARK Ceramics hosts a variety of events each semester that students are welcomed and encouraged to attend. In most semesters, there are multiple visiting artists (providing lectures, seminars, and critiques), ACE fundraising events, sponsored events outside the school, and an end-of-semester exhibition. We frequently host resident artists and have an ongoing graduate student exchange with Tainan National University of the Arts.
Our studio provides a year-round hub of activity, and has been expressly designed to place students of all levels in frequent contact in an effort to maximize an open exchange of ideas. At any given time, we typically have six faculty, six MFA students, four post-baccalaureate residents, and a dozen or more BFA Ceramics students working in close proximity (in addition to the 70-100 students enrolled in lower-level courses). The strength and dynamism of our program is unparalleled in this region.
The School of Art provides a robust schedule of exhibitions, visiting artist lectures, and other art-related events. There are far more events happening in the School of Art than any one person could reasonably attend. Within the Studio Art and Design Center, there are five generously-sized student install and critique spaces, in which BFA shows, MFA thesis shows, and many other exhibitions are frequently occurring.
Beyond campus, Northwest Arkansas is home to many different arts organizations and events; arts programming in the region is plentiful. Fayetteville is home to the Walton Arts Center, which brings Broadway quality theater, musical performances, and an art gallery to the city, as well as Theatre Squared, a impeccable stage for small-scale productions. And, if you venture just a few miles up the road, there are even more things to do. Bentonville (home to Crystal Bridges, The Momentary, and 21C) is a community deeply committed to integrating world-class art into the fabric of its identity, and drives much of the region’s
One of the fastest-growing regions in the country, Northwest Arkansas is home to over 450,000 residents and offers many unique cultural experiences. There are great restaurants and nightlife, an excellent farmer’s market, and a historic downtown area. Fayetteville is regularly listed as one of the top places in the US to live, by Forbes, BusinessWeek, and others. It is a bicycle friendly town (Fayetteville was the first city in the United States to be named a "Bike City" by the Union Cycliste Internationale), with trails and greenways to help get you around, and there is an abundance of outdoor activities in the surrounding Ozark Mountains.