Southern Utah University

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Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Intermediate Ceramics: Hand-building and Sculpture (Face-to-Face)

ART 3620-01

Course: ART 3620-01
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: ARTD
CRN: 31339

Course Description

COURSE DESCRIPTION: This class is a continuation of Beginning Ceramics 1610. As an Intermediate level course, it will be more demanding of time and energy than Beginning Ceramics/Art 1610. Emphasis is on advancing skills in hand-building covering all aspects of the ceramic process.  As well, emphasis is placed on the development of one’s own artistic methodology and conceptual pursuits using the ceramic medium as a form of visual communication.

 (Fall, Spring) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Prerequisite(s): ART 1610 - Prerequisite Min. Grade: C 

Required Texts

Textbooks (recommended but not required):

The Essential Guide to Mold Making and Slip Casting, by Andrew Martin

Mold Making for Ceramics, By David Frith.


Learning Outcomes

Student Learning Outcomes: Students will build their skills in effective Critical Thinking and Creative Thinking.


Course Requirements

REQUIRED TOOL AND MATERIALS:

Sketchbook and a drawing implement. Always bring these to class.

Clay. Clay is available in the ceramic studio, but you must acquire a receipt from the cashier’s office in the student center. The price is listed on the board in the studio. You may expect to use at minimum two bags of clay. Your course fees cover the cost of glaze, slips, firing and studio tools and upkeep.

Basic ceramic tool kit found at the SUU Bookstore or online.

Items not available in the basic kit that you will need include:

A serrated rib (mandatory for 3620)

One or two watercolor or Chinese calligraphy paint brushes

A small plastic container with a lid, such as a recycled yogurt or ice cream container.

A large container for throwing (such as a one-gallon bucket).

A small towel.

An apron (if you do not want to get clay on your clothes)

Recommended supplementary tools: Surform tool, small carving tools. Online sources to order tools are: Mudtools, Tacoma Clay Art Center, Georgie’s Ceramic Supply. There are many.


Course Outline

List of Projects for 3620:
 
Project 1: Word Choice (15% overall grade)
 
For project 1 you must choose 1 word, then make all the letters of that word using slabs to create one piece. You must also use underglaze, sgraffito with terra sigillata and carving on your piece. Your piece may be designated as a wall piece, stand alone on the table or a combination. Whatever word you choose, your font choice and the way you compose your word must relate directly to what the word describes. For example, the word CHAOS – how would I make this word 3 dimensionally and have the font I choose the surface treatment and the glaze relate to this idea? Your smallest letter must be within a 6-inch dimension.
 
Project 2: Botanical Abstraction (20% overall grade)
 
Create an abstract sculptural form inspired by botany. Start by choosing a plant form or a part of a plant form and print out some images. The more the better. Next, you must develop a form based on your chosen image, but you have to abstract the form not create it representationally. Consider thinking geometrically. Your final form must attain 12 inches in one dimension. You must use coils or slabs for this project. Your piece will be assessed on strength of idea and how well the construction is executed. You must make a to scale drawing and have it approved before you start working.
 
Project 3: Cups and Bowls (15% overall grade)
 
For this project you are to make 4 cups using the slab technique and 4 bowls using the pinching technique. Your cups must have a handle and a coaster. Your bowls must have a foot. You may not use the wheel for either set of pieces. You may use a banding wheel. Your cups should be at least 5 inches tall in wet form and you must use 1.5 pounds of clay for the bowls.
 
Project 4: Self-Portrait (20% overall grade)
 
For this project you will make a human head approximately life size  in its leather hard state using the soft slab and coil method. You must use your own face as a model. You are only required to make the head from the neck up, BUT if you would like to add additional body parts or other forms below the neck you may. You may also add other components to your self-portrait that are connected or separate from your head.we will finish the pieces using underglazes and glaze.
 
Project 5: Container/Contents (20% overall grade)
 
You will make an object using the solid forming technique and create a ‘container’ for your object using slabs.
Your object may be anything you desire. An object you treasure, dislike, or even feel completely ambiguous about. But with every object come preconceived notions and ideas. It is important to contemplate what your object conveys metaphorically.
 
Now think about a container for your object. Perhaps your object dictates the form of your container, such as an egg does for an egg crate and is purely a utilitarian design. Or perhaps your container begins to tell a story and your object (the contents) finish the story. A box of animal crackers is a very good yet simplistic example of this. Or maybe your container is the antithesis to your object. Example: My four-year old daughter has a small Heart-shaped pillow with a pocket in it for when she finally loses a tooth. She can place her tooth in the pocket and leave it out for the tooth fairy. The heart shaped pillow with the pocket becomes a receptacle for her gift from this mythical being. In this case the pillow is the container, and the tooth is the object. The tooth fairy becomes the story and the purpose for the container. Again, there are many possibilities.
 
Project 6: Quiz (10% overall grade)
 

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Late Assignment Policy and/or Make-up Work:
Due dates for all projects are listed in the calendar provided with the syllabus. It is recommended students adhere to all due dates. The dues dates provided are for pieces in their leather hard state ready to be dried and bisque fired. If a student misses a due date for a project there is still time to complete the project with minimal affect on their grade. In fact, students may make up assignments or re-make assignments at any time during the semester with minimal or no affect on their grade up to the ‘Last Wet Clay Day’ where no student will be able to use wet clay in any form after that date. For this semester the deadline is November 14th. This is a hard and fast deadline, because the instructor is responsible for firing all of student work for this class and all other classes during the semester. The instructor needs the time after the ‘Last Wet Clay Day’ to ensure all the student projects are fired and complete. If a student misses this deadline without completing all the required projects, the only option is to give the student an incomplete for the course. The student will have to provide proof of a legitimate reason for not completing the course work on time, such as a medical emergency, death in the family or other situational cause.

Attendance Policy

ATTENDANCE POLICY: Because this is a Face-to-Face studio course it mandates you be in the studio to accomplish your projects for the class. Attendance is crucial to do well in this course. There is an Art and Design attendance policy - if you miss class more than one quarter (25%) of the class sessions you cannot receive better than a C. For this class that would amount to 7 absences. If you have an emergency, please contact me via email and we can make accommodations. You must be present in the studio for more than half of the class for it to count as being present. However, if your grade can be affected by too many absences, then it should be rewarded if you have zero absences. Thus, I will raise your grade by 5% if you make it all the way through the semester without missing one class session.

Course Fees

ART courses have a $19.00 per credit fee

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.