On Friday, April 13, artists will have their moment to shine on campus through ceramics, metal work and printmaking.

From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., students will be selling their pieces in the Hall of Nations at the annual Ceramics Sale. The event is a successful one, as the works are usually sold out by afternoon.

Thirty percent of the profits will be going towards a new salt kiln for the ceramics club, along with other supplies and projects.  

UWL junior Ellie DeMuth is the ceramics studio assistant and President of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse’s Ceramics Club, which includes the students who are enrolled in the different levels of ceramics courses.

She mentioned that ceramics classes on campus include wheel throwing, hand building, regular glaze kilns, and a wood fired kiln, which will be started next week.  

DeMuth said, ““I like to throw mostly on the wheel, so making mugs, bowls, pitchers. I don’t like hand building very much.” She, an art education major, is proud of a long history of experience with ceramics, which started by taking classes in high school. She continued improving her skills during her second year of college.  

The time in the classroom is usually started with a quick meeting between the students and the professor before the class is allowed to begin work on their separate projects. The class is stacked, which means the different levels of experienced students come together, averaging about fifteen enrollees.

“Everyone’s at different levels sharing what they’ve learned with each other,” DeMuth mentioned enjoying. “I just love being in the studio setting.” 

For the sale, the ceramics club will be including many different types of creations including pitchers, bowls, candleholders, and mugs, which on average take approximately a week to create. There will be six tables set up for ceramics, with two others present for metals and printmaking.

DeMuth expects jewelry to be available at the metals table, with printmaking offering posters and the opportunity to sign up to have personal t-shirts created. Ceramics will range in price from approximately five to 50 dollars, depending on the size of the product.  

“I know the students have been working hard getting their art work ready for the [sale],” Associate Professor and Art Department Chair Robert Dixon stated about the upcoming event.  

DeMuth concluded, “I think art is important because it’s a way of expressing whatever you want to express. Ceramics in general is very interesting. It’s a very different form of art because it’s functional ware for the most part.” 

For more information about the ceramics studio and the classes offered, visit https://www.uwlax.edu/art/.