2 minute read
STEM Meets Art
If you were to walk into Nerinx’s Ceramics studio, you’d find one of the school’s latest technologies — a clay 3D printer. Unassuming, the 3D Potter appears small enough to fit in a suitcase, yet its capabilities are infinite. As is the students’ capacity when using the printer and its accompanying software. “Fusion 360, our design software, recently started allowing students to use it for free,” said ceramics teacher Tom Hunt. “Students receive their own license, which is good for three years.” Mr. Hunt refers to Nerinx’s printer as “the Cadillac of 3D clay printers.” The design software is considered professional-grade, one that engineers might use as part of their work. We are one of only two high schools that has this particular model, giving students the chance to design and print anything from a coffee mug or vase all the way to something as intricate as a clay sculpture. Since the clay printer came to Nerinx in March, Mr. Hunt has also done some learning of his own. Unfamiliar with the technology, he has enjoyed discovering its features and playing with new designs. The best part — he has the chance to learn alongside his students. “Learning together is truly the coolest part for me. I can say to them, ‘I’ve never done this before. Let’s see what happens,’” he said. “Students were teaching me, and I was teaching them. They were discovering things, and we would get together and learn about them.” The process of creating something from start to finish is actually quite complex, but once properly trained, easy for students to pick up quickly. According to Mr. Hunt, it can take hours to create a design on the computer, using the printer’s software program. During that process, students can play around with different designs; see the image from a variety of vantage points on the X, Y, and Z axes; and make adjustments as needed. Once the design is ready, it takes roughly 15 minutes to print a small clay mug, after which the mug is fired and finished.
Vase designed by Tom Hunt and made using the 3D printer
Through this process, one can easily see the beauty that takes place when STEM and art come together. And, according to Mr. Hunt, it’s only a matter of time before we see its true potential to revolutionize not just technology, but art in general. “Some consider this not only art, but also design. Looking at this from a historical angle, we remember that when photography was created, people said ‘panting was dead.’ Instead, painting became revolutionary as it freed the artist from pictorial representation,” he said. “I think these new technologies are going to have a similar effect.” So far, students have quickly become drawn to the printer with the desire to use it often. This fall is the first time the printer appeared in the curriculum; however, last year, students enrolled in independent studies were already creating and innovating. “Those students were creating designs way beyond just mugs,” Mr. Hunt said. We look forward to seeing all the possibilities and potential that will come from this incredible new technology!
--Tom Hunt
