Guerrero/Pham Collaboration

To me, artist collaborations are truly incredible. When successful, they reflect the collaborators' mutual appreciation and respect. They typically require flexibility and perseverance, and challenge the artists to cooperate. The best results show the synergistic effect of artists working together, and express both artists' creative vision.

I recently collaborated with a very talented MCG ceramics student, Nancy Pham, to create a series of Asian-inspired tumblers and goblets. While I'm keeping a few for myself, several are available for sale on Etsy.

Mind you, Nancy is very excited to see these cups sell. She loves money, and can't wait to get paid. So support youth arts in Pittsburgh!

Another Semester in Homewood

This past year I taught an after-school ceramics class for middle school kids in the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Homewood. Homewood is what most people would call "the ghetto." It used to be home to the richest people in Pittsburgh, now it's home to the poorest. Violent crime, drug dealing and prostitution are commonplace, and the Crips that control the streets like it that way.

In the past year and a half I've come to know Homewood pretty well. Prior to teaching ceramics, I taught a variety of art projects in the middle school. In the process of arranging and promoting a pair of student art sales events at the public library, I've met Homewood residents from all walks of life, from street-people to state representatives. And I've visited every business in Homewood (except for its notoriously dangerous drinking establishments). For the most part, all have been welcoming, kind or at least respectful of an outsider trying to do some good in their community.

So it's with a good bit of anticipation that I prepare for another semester of Thursday nights in the hood. 

Dragons

This pair of soda-fired ceramic dragons guard my personal shelf in the studio's staff closet. I'm really fortunate to have a space amongst such talented artists: Amanda, Dave, Josh, Dacey, Junji, Carly and of course, Bill Strickland.

The dragon project was actually my introduction to ceramics. I went to a local middle school with Jamie Matthews to help teach this project to a group of kids. Jamie is the master dragon maker, I'm just a hack. I've helped him teach more than 100 kids the dragon project, but this past year Jamie got a regular teaching job in the suburbs. So I've been tasked with keeping the project going.

One thing I love about teaching art is creating examples for the kids. I recently made a new dragon using white stoneware clay. Our normal clay body is brown, which is strong but not ideal for bright glazes. Our porcelain is a beautiful bright white, but too brittle for dragons. White stoneware is a nice happy medium.

I used the paint sprayer like an airbrush (or spray can if you're into graffiti) to give the dragon some cool fades that would really appeal to inner-city kids. Of course they'll have to do their blending with ordinary paint brushes, but it's entirely possible.

If you're an art teacher, I highly recommend the dragon project. It's well-structured and relatively simple, but keeps kids active and engaged for a long period of time. It encourages a high-degree of creativity and self-expression. Kids often make unbelievably cool dragons, reflecting their personality or representing something highly imaginative.