Last month, a group CSArt team members and ceramic students travelled to Minneapolis, Minnesota, to attend NCECA! This was my first time attending NCECA, so I was very excited for the new experience and inspirations to come. With this being my last semester as an undergraduate student, I wanted to use this trip to better prepare for graduate school, learn about summer workshop opportunities, and find inspiration to further improve my own work. I was lucky enough to do all three!
At NCECA, I attended several lectures ranging from the history of tea and teapots to preparing for graduate school. I also had the joy of representing Clemson University at our booth, telling other students about our art department and my participation in CSArt both as a selected artist and CI member.
The lectures that I attended where extremely insightful, and I tried to visit a wide range of lecture topics so I could take in as much information as possible. My favorite lecture that I attended was “Pots VS. MFA”, a panel led by John Neely, Margaret Bohls, and John Balistreri. This panel discussed the difficulty of breaking the norm of focusing on sculptural work as a master’s student, and how one can continue to be a potter while in school. They gave great advice for new graduate students, being extremely encouraging and supportive of our passion for being potters. After attending this lecture, I feel more prepared for what graduate school has in store for me. Another lecture that I found particularly interesting was the History of Tea and Teapots, led by Jim Connell. As a South Carolina native, Jim included several facts about our area in relation to tea production that I did not know about. He was very enthusiastic, making the lecture light-hearted and inspiring.
After talking to several different residency and workshop programs, I have decided that I would like to apply for a summer residency or workshop. The deadlines are steadily approaching, but I was able to learn a lot of great information at the booths, and now I know which programs would work best for me and my vision as an artist.
Overall, I am so beyond thankful that I was able to make the trip to NCECA this year. I was able to meet the faculty and students at San Diego State University (the school I am attending in the fall), view (and purchase) some amazing artwork, learn about the many opportunities I have as a ceramic artist, prepare for the next steps after graduation, find inspiration through art and lectures, and represent Clemson University all along the way. I now have so many ideas of what to work on and create next, and I cannot wait to bring these ideas to life in the next few months. I am so very thankful for Clemson CI for making this trip happen; I now feel more inspired and prepared for the next step in my life.
Katie Francis
Clemson CSArt Spring 2019 Sales
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