Susan accepts teaching a class for the 2019/2020 academic year

Nashville ArtsUniversity. Susan had been at Vanderbilt as the ceramics instructor nearly 20 years part-time and 15 years fulltime. She enjoyed full retirement for a full week when she was contacted by Cumberland University and invited to teach one ceramics course there for the academic year!

Even though this is a small college – only 5 minutes from the artist’s Lebanon residence – the school has 60 art majors, with ceramics being an upper-level 3D option.

Susan spent the first semester whipping the clay studio into shape and introducing new techniques to the program. The deep clean and major reorganization uncovered the minimum requirements of tools, supplies, and equipment for a good program. Some tools were made by the students, dried-up clay was recycled, and extensive glaze-testing was need to sort out what was what.

Students were introduced to handbuilding , as well as the potter’s wheel; and they are creating functional and decorative as well as sculptural forms. The students are great, and very receptive the course’s approach to this versatile medium.