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Indiana Statesman

Indiana State University, Terre Haute, Ind.

| For ISU students, about ISU students, by ISU students

Ceramic department opens doors to community Saturday

'Reach Out to the Community' day raises funds for department

Lana Schrock

Issue date: 3/3/08 Section: Campus

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Savannah Dubree, from Sullivan, Ind., gets a pug painted on her face by Jessica Hollon, a senior art education major, Saturday during "Reach Out to the Community" project. Community members were able to participate in various art projects to help raise money for the ceramics department. Anna Hollibaugh/ Indiana Statesman.

Spencer Shouse, from Linton Indiana, sports his pirate face paint as he makes a clay creation at the "Reach Out to the Community" event Saturday. Annie Hollibaugh/ Indiana Statesman

Up to her elbows in clay, nine-year-old Brienna Baudoin created her first clay pot during the ceramics department's "Reach Out to the Community" day Saturday.

"I'm going to give it to Mommy for Mother's Day," said Baudoin, a student at Chauncey Rose Middle School, as she started to work on her second masterpiece.

With a pottery sale, a tea ceremony, wheel-throwing, face-painting, a silent auction and a video projection of alumni and their accomplishments, the ceramics department raised funds for eight students to go to an international conference in Pittsburgh, Pa., said Ray Chen, the head of the ceramic department and coordinator of the event.

"We needed funds to help the students go to the conference, and it was a way to reach out to the community," Chen said.

Jami Carney, a sophomore nursing major, who is taking a ceramics class as an elective, brought her daughter (Baudoin) to the event.

"I thought it'd be fun for her, since she wants to be an artist," Carney said.

Visitors could also buy food or play with clay.

Six-year-old Kristian Irving created Mario and Frogger out of clay as he listened to the music playing in the background.

"The first thing he said when we walked in was, 'Oh, good, Mommy, the Beatles are playing,'" said Judith Irving, Kristian's mom, a senior art education major. "I thought it would be encouraging for Kristian to play with clay and see people doing this."

"Ceramics is my favorite medium," she said.

The ceramics department also sold ceramic tiles, which people could paint with a glaze, said Jessica Hollon, a senior art education major.

Adults and children could partake in the tea ceremony, which included different types of tea in different teapots.

"Making tea is an art," said Shawna Chung, a graduate of ISU who came back to help Chen with the event.

"Tea leaves have different functions, and different teapots create different tastes," Chung said. "Some people say, 'If you drink tea with a mug it's not really tea.'"

The tea leaves came from China and Taiwan, she said.

Chen said the art department is planning another event similar to this one.

"We'll possibly do an open house before the end of the semester," he said. "It's good to let the local people come out, play with clay and see what the art department has to offer."

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