The ceramics area at the Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design offers a rigorous, hands-on examination of clay. Explore aesthetic interests ranging from vessels to ceramic sculpture. Develop a conceptual foundation, technical expertise, and a commitment to art while expanding your knowledge of art history and developing a critical understanding of contemporary art issues.
Become a creative clay artist
Choose from three dynamic degree paths
Your space for building and making—24 hours a day
Housed in the Fine Arts Building and Studio Arts Annex, ceramics facilities feature private studios for B.F.A. and M.F.A. students—open 24 hours a day—as well as a variety of wood, salt, and soda kilns.
In shared classroom spaces, ceramics students meet together for seminars, critiques, presentations, and demonstrations by visiting artists. Because the Fine Arts Building also houses six other studio areas, students can easily collaborate with students and faculty from other disciplines. Ceramics spaces also include a plaster room, a glaze room, a shop area for wood and metal fabrication, computer stations, a kiln room, and a clay mixing room.
Tools + Equipment
Studio Arts Annex
- Skutt electric kilns (3)
- Olympic car electric kiln
- Amaco front-loading high temp electric kiln
- Small electric test kilns (various makes) (7)
- Cress electric kilns (3) Electric kilns (3)
- Updraft gas car kiln 30" X 60" x 40" (indoor)
- Downdraft gas kiln 24" x 45" x 40" (indoor)
- Wood-fired train kiln (outdoor)
- Soda kiln (outdoor)
- Salt kiln (outdoor)
- Gas reduction kilns (outdoor)
- Burry box style atmosphere kiln
Production + support
- Brent potters wheels (18)
- Large Brent slab roller
- Bluebird clay mixer
- Sandblaster
- Four canister ball mill
- Large air compressor
- Clay mixers (2, Bluebird and Soldner)
- Exterior mounted dust collection system
- Large grated glaze spray booth with venting
- Labconco vent and chemical booth
- Vented spray booth
- Pneumatic extruder
- Indoor dust collector
- Manual extruder
Fine Arts Building
- Skutt electric kilns (2)
- Olympic electric
- Small electric test kilns (2)
- Bailey downdraft gas kiln
- Alpine updraft gas kiln
Play + discover
Ceramics students experiment with throwing, molding, glazing, firing, and developing new techniques using wood, salt, and soda, as well as specialized tools and equipment such as wood, salt, soda, and raku kilns.
Visiting artists
Through the McKinney Visiting Artist Series and Ceramics Guild, the ceramics program hosts nationally and internationally recognized artists to meet with students, present their work, and give workshops and individual critiques.
Some of our past visiting artists include:
View upcoming visiting artistsAlumni making their mark
Stephanie Galli
Since receiving her M.F.A. from IU, Stephanie Galli has spent time making art in China and Italy, and has been a resident artist at Red Lodge Clay Center, AMACO, and MudFire Clayworks. Her sculptures and utilitarian vessels have been featured in publications such as Ceramics Monthly, American iPottery, and BADAO ART. Galli was chosen as one of Ceramic Monthly’s 2017 Emerging Artists. She currently runs the Ceramics program at Vincennes University.
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