Empty Bowls Project

Below is a message from Byron Myrick, from Jones Junior College.

This is a great project. Get involved!
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Hey everyone, I hope you can help us out again with the empty
bowls project. It was very successful last year, all the bowls were snapped up, and the money went to two good food projects, the Salvation Army, and the Red Cross.

Of course since it went so well they would like to expand it this year, the good news is that we have longer to make the bowls. They are going to move the delivery to March 2011, but since they would like more bowls I would like to get started as soon as we can. Can we do the morning on August 7th and then maybe one or two more mornings spread about a month apart.
We could do some throwing and maybe some glazing at the later Saturdays. I know everyone may not be able to make all the work secessions but any you can would be a big help.
I would like anyone that wants to, to make a small stamp/chop to mark the bowls they make. We didn't do that last year and there were lots of questions as to who made "my bowl" so if you like, maybe your initials in a simple design.

If you know anyone else that would like to join us in making bowls, the more the merrier. If you would like for me to call them send names and numbers Please let me know if you can make it, if you have any questions give me a call 601-752-5172 or email of course, bmyrick@bayspringstel.net.

Hope to hear from you soon
Byron

The New Semester Winds Down

What an interesting summer it has been so far. The first summer semester, basically the month of June, we had 21 students. For the most part there was excellent work being done. Some folks had a hard time with the intensity of the short time period and didn't plan well enough to get work done in-time for glazing and other finishing. Other folks went crazy making work. These students clearly were energized by the intensity of the program and the many hours spent in the studio charged them up and gave them licence to experiment and produce lots of works. Not that everything has been stellar. I think no matter how motivated someone is they have good stuff and crappy stuff. The crappy stuff is necessary on the way to the good stuff, but in the end it's all important to make and be seen. All in all I was happy with the final results and saw many challenges overcome with some good production and quality works.

In the second part of the summer, or semester two in the month of July, 13 students stayed on to continue the work started earlier. Some of the same issues arose, the main one being a struggle to keep up production after so many weeks of working hard. Keeping new ideas coming can also be a struggle. I have encouraged all the students to have multiple projects going so they don't burn out on any one thing. Production has dropped off in general, but I have also seen more quality in some student's work and that's a good thing. In addition I posted some information about a national juried teapot competition coming up and now many students are making teapots with plans on entering the competition. There are some really well done tea pots, all unique and representational of the artist makers.

I was very skeptical earlier this summer as to how two intense summer courses would work out, especially back to back, but I am pleasantly surprised. There is a wonderful energy happening with the students, a real core of artists is developing and I am seeing a great camaraderie that is beginning to define the sculpture program in a way I have not seen before. I am really hoping this energy works it's way into the fall semester and beyond. I think the 3D program is super (I am biased in that way!) and for many folks- students, staff and at least this faculty member, it really is beginning to feel like a real working studio. It's been hard work keeping everything going but it has been so very worth it!

I'll post some pictures of finished work at the end of July.