Sarah Mednick/Roundup
The sixth-annual Ceramics Festival was hosted by the Art Department Saturday at the Fine Arts Building, to raise money for Pierce College.
The event was open to dazzle the community with student artwork and allow people to purchase art for holiday gifts. A wheel game was also featured where people could win prizes.
Professor Chris Spradley and Reggie Alfon, 33, bought two ceramic pots and bowls. Spradley said he was buying a Christmas present for a friend. Alfon was buying them for gifts and to support the school.
Ceramics professor Melody Cooper organized the event and says they plan to keep doing it every year. She organized the event not only to raise money but to give ceramic students the experience of selling their art.
Most artists work on commission and not an hourly rate, according to Cooper. She said more than 75 percent of the profits go to the students and 20 percent goes to the department for equipment and supplies.
Nick Lapointe, an art major at Pierce, was demonstrating the making of pottery and his love of art. He said art is a therapeutic creative outlet that allows an artist to express themselves.
Lapointe has 11 years of experience in pottery and is learning more to get better at his art.
“A lot of what you make is a reflection of what you feel and what you do,” said Lapointe. “You’re forming things out of a lump of dirt and it becomes beautiful.”
Charles Singer, a Pierce student, is a former Los Angeles City Administrator. According to Singer, toward his retirement he went back to school after deciding he wanted run a studio.
Singer said pottery survives through time. an example being when archaeologists discover pottery in ancient tombs.
“It is important that we sell pottery to fund the school,” he said.
Student Kyle Kunnecke was selling handmade scarves, sweaters, blankets, cards, paintings and snacks.
“I started knitting when my roommate taught me how, and just became obsessed with it,” Kunnecke said.
Through knitting, he befriended many people who share his passion. According to Kunnecke, only 10 to 15 percent of knitters he has met are men. He said they hide because people only expect women to knit.
“I am not one of those men,” he said. “Knitting is a part of who I am and I am very comfortable with that.”
Selling ceramic jewelry was Pierce student Nicole Dembowich and her family. Dembowich said she and her family received “Best in Show” for their jewelry at this year’s Orange County Fair and took home first prize in the Tapestry Division at the L.A. County Fair.
“Art is not limited to just one medium,” she said. “Jewelry is my medium and it helps me get away from everything.”
Dembowich also said the stones are from Tucson, Ariz. The stones on display included opals, turqoise, cora, amethyst, pearls and other semi-precious stones.
“It’s fun to help a customer pick out a gift not just for the holidays, but for any occasion,” Dembowich said.
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