On Oct. 3 and 4, Ceramics Co. of the SUNY New Paltz Ceramics Department held their ceramics sale in the lobby of Sojourner Truth Library. The sale, managed by Bachelor and Master of Fine Arts ceramics students, took place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Students and faculty alike made their way to the library lobby to purchase the pieces handmade by their peers and students.
Ceramics Co. is an organization made up of BFA and MFA ceramics students that raises money through sales for workshops, trips, and visiting artists who contribute to keeping the ceramics department alive and exciting. Every year, these funds make it possible to pay for transportation, hotels and admission into the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) conference: an opportunity for students to experience the larger community within their field outside of SUNY New Paltz. Visiting artists provide exposure to experience beyond the range of what students already know. They lecture, demonstrate or even hold one-on-one studio time with students.
“It is so special to be able to [have them],” said Lilly Zuckerman, a lecturing professor in the ceramics department who believes there is true value in exposing students to connections beyond the campus community. Community is, after all, something Professor Zuckerman considers deeply “vital” to ceramics as an artform.
“Ceramics as a field is extremely community-based … partially because kilns are big, materials are heavy, you need people around you. We try to teach our students from the very beginning that they have to work together to get stuff done.”
The sale itself takes an extensive amount of time and energy from each person involved, from creating the pieces and curating the sale to setting up and tearing down each day. And it’s not for nothing. The New Paltz community flocks to art sales every time they happen, making it possible for these programs to flourish.
“Some families will come and they’ll tell you ‘I come to campus whenever you guys have [a sale]’ and it’s really sweet that it expands beyond the school,” said ceramics BFA student, Jordan Yarusso. “When there are other sales like metal and printmaking, I go to see what the students of New Paltz are making and try to support them since we’re all so interconnected. It’s like [seeing] a visual [representation] of the major and of the artist’s brains.” Community is on display at these events just as much as the art itself.
Along with the motivation to earn money to support their own pursuits, the ceramics sale also provides students with incentive to make pieces they’re proud of. Students who might otherwise only be making work for classes or for themselves are pushed to try techniques and glazes outside of their comfort zone if they know it might be a better fit for the sale. Speaking to the popularity of the twice-a-semester sales, Zuckerman said, “they know there will be a lot of eyes on them, so they’re trying their best to make well-made work that they’re proud of.”
It’s a unique experience to choose an item for purchase and then find out that the artist who created that piece is the one sitting on the other side of the cash register. There’s something special about being able to put a face to the initials carved on the bottom of a mug. As Zuckerman said, “There’s incredible potential for connection through handmade objects and connection to the maker.” Yarusso confirmed the value in this: “Having your art in other peoples’ homes and hearing their opinions on your pieces is really great.”
Robust excitement and valuable interactions facilitated through these sales, rewarding the hard work and confirming the enthusiasm that can be felt across sale organizers and every person attending. Ceramics sales are held twice per semester, typically around the holidays. For updates on future sales with specific dates and other information about the program, visit @newpaltzceramics on Instagram.