2024 Art Grant Proposal UM
Ceramics Guild Workshop
Ryan Dickey, Alex Worden
September, 2024 - Master of Architecture 3G Students
Grant Narrative
We are extremely grateful and honored to have been accepted to Michigan’s master of architecture program as 3G students this past summer. Much of our work is done in 3D modeling programs, but we hope to gain more accessibility to ceramics as a medium for our work. As M.Arch 1 students we can only take 6 credits outside of the Taubman school during our three years, and taking a ceramics course through STAMPS is not possible with our projected schedules.
The kilns in the Art and Architecture Building are reserved for STAMPS students, but many other architecture students have expressed interest in wanting to work with forms through clay. We wish to grant accessibility to everyone interested in ceramics outside of class. We believe that these explorations will further help us understand materials that will be essential to our future careers and create an environment where students can connect over art in their free time.
What makes the 3G program unique is that it is already multidisciplinary in nature; all students come from a background other than architecture. Ryan got his BA in pre-dental biology and Alex got his BS in urban planning. These programs might not seem cohesive at first, but the two fields have common elements in terms of visual motifs and patterns of development.
Ryan has formal experience in bronze sculpture & metal casting, wax modeling, shoe design and various forms of printmaking. While Alex has experience in silkscreen printing, 3D printing, stamp making and wheel pottery. The previous experience and overall craftiness will create a unique and dynamic product specific to students taking our studio.
Both of us are board members for the ARC student organization, where Ryan is a social chair and Alex is the class liaison for 3G students. The funding of a kiln and related materials through this grant would provide the students at Taubman with the opportunity to create their own pottery, where we can lead our own extracurricular ceramics classes for members of the free organization. This would also allow students to further explore their mediums and build a community that will benefit them outside of Taubman as well as within. Many different disciplines coalesce and mingle to create ceramics. Like renaissance sculptors and artisans made their influential contributions known in baroque architecture, we hope to use our multidisciplinary backgrounds to inform our exploration of ceramics and vice versa with furniture making and architecture.
Student-Led Ceramics Studio
First, we will start off by creating an outside of class studio for any architecture students that are interested. We have planned a few projects which reflect this desire; they have different degrees of difficulty and potential for collaboration.
Process:
For the tile class, we will use skills that we have already deployed using Rhino 3-D modeling for architecture, a skill our peers all share. To begin, we will create the design that will be featured on the tile with simple 2D line art. Then, we take that and extrude the line surface to give it a depth of about 2 mm. We place this piece on top of a 3D tile template and merge them together creating the whole tile shape. Then we 3D print the model, create a silicon mold from it, and press the clay into the mold to create the tile. once the tile is removed from the mold, we use a glaze squeeze bottle to fill the small reservoirs created by the depth of the line art with glazes of varying colors and properties.
Eventually, we hope that our second ceramics class can be a collaboration among our cohort to create a tile collage for our college. We plan on repeating the process above, but with the architectural elevation drawing of the Taubman building. Each person creates one tile that will eventually create the whole piece when everyone is finished. This could be a warmly welcomed installation piece occupying the blank wall in front of our studio space.
Project 1: Beginner Tile Making
Project 2: Collaborative Tile Project Proposal
Project Budget
First, we hope to start off by creating an outside of class studio for any architecture students that are interested. We have planned a few projects which reflect this desire. They have different degrees of difficulty and potential for collaboration.
Electric
Kiln Electroplating Glazes
Price Range: $1200-$1600
FaceBook Marketplace
Porcelain Clay Block
Price Range: $96.85/block
x3 25 lb Blocks: $290
Total Estimated
Price Range: $2000-$3000
Price Range: $20/pint x5 Glazes: $100
Price Range: $300-$450
Shopping List
Home Depot -root kill -5 ft of copper pipe -10ft of 12awg wire -acetone
Pottery Wheel
Price Range: $200-$500
Tools: $30 x3: $90
Hobby Lobby -3 small glasses containers -indiaink -mod podge -paint brushes Walmart -miralax -better homes and gardens 4.5 cup container