South High School- David Olsen- Residency 4hrs
This week I visited my placement at South High School in Minneapolis. It was the first time I’ve been in a high school since I graduated in 2014. It was interesting being around a younger generation, I felt mentally very different, but physically very similar. Most the students are my height or taller and the only real marker of the age difference being my facial hair. When I got into the school I was told to visit the welcome desk, then the main office, and from there I was allowed to go to the ceramics room. The halls were packed with student’s going to lunch. The large amount of students swarming the halls reminded me of how small and intimate of a school MCAD is.
I met David Olsen at the beginning of his class period, his students were preparing the last of their pieces and getting ready for review. I followed along in class with David’s lecture, taking notes and refreshing myself on the ceramic terms and processes. I was also able to take the semester test and completed almost all of it. For the next period of class David showed me the rest of the art department and introduced me to the other art teachers at the school. He also showed me the clay extruder and the mixer.
During David’s next class he encouraged me to work with the clay and make something. Thinking back to my high school ceramics experience I made a pinch pot head. Using Scoring and slipping I attached multiple pieces into the small head with liberty spikes. In the last period of the day I finished up my sculpture and then helped clean. I rinsed old bottles out so that they could be reused and then helped prep things for the kiln. I used a wet rag to make sure that none of the pieces had glaze on their bottoms.