TAT Program | Ceramics | West Michigan Center for Arts + Technology

CERAMICS

getting your hands dirty

In our ceramics studio, students learn the basics of hand-building and wheel-throwing to create trinket dishes, plates, bowls, sculptures, and vessels. They expand on those foundational skills to create symmetry, add texture, and use advanced glazing techniques.

teaching artist | Abby Cushway

Abby Cushway (she/her) started at WMCAT in 2022 as a ceramics teaching artist. She has 15 years of experience with ceramics having taught at her in-home studio and as an instructor at Grandville Avenue for Arts and Humanities Cook Arts Center. Abby founded the Clay for VA program at Michigan Home for Veterans, a volunteer program offering pottery lessons to veterans. Abby Cushway was recognized at Kendall College of Art and Design as a regional awardee in the Scholastic Art Awards Competition in 2009 for Ceramics and Glass. Check out Abby’s work!

CERAMICS STUDIOS

Ceramics I

Eligibility: 9-12 grade GRPS students

Get your hands dirty in this ceramics studio designed for beginners and students with early experience. Learn core techniques including wheel throwing, slab building, hand sculpting, and glazing to finish and personalize your work. Projects combine independent and collaborative work, including custom ceramic clocks and large-scale group sculptures. Students will build a foundation in ceramics and leave with a body of work that is functional, expressive, and uniquely their own.

Ceramics II

Eligibility: 9-12 grade GRPS students

This studio is for students with ceramics experience who are ready to advance their skills and work more independently. Students will set personal goals and pursue self-directed projects while contributing to collaborative group artwork. Explore wheel throwing, slab building, and sculpture while developing a deeper understanding of process, artistic ideas, and personal growth as a ceramic artist. Part workshop and part creative community, this studio encourages experimentation, collaboration, and intentional artistic development.

teen arts + tech enrollment

Studios are first come first served! Students are placed in studios on a rolling basis.
We recommend turning in your materials ASAP to secure a spot!