AROUND THE POND
More Than Just Pots Pottery is a highly popular field for independent study at Taft, but the simply-worded topic “pottery” belies the variety of projects students undertake. From wheel work, handbuilding, and tile-inlaid furniture, to porcelain picture frames and sets of complete dinnerware, the scope of these projects is a credit to advisors Gail Wynne and Jo-Ann Schieffelin, who spend countless hours advising these students who’ve already completed a pottery course. This year Sarah Sicher is pit firing a number of large pots she formed on the wheel. Pit firing was introduced to Taft last year by Dan Kirchhof ’97 in his ISP, illustrating how students are also building on the work of other students, opening new possibilities and daring others to new challenges. Sarah is also experimenting with a color technique introduced last fall by Rockwell visiting artist Elizabeth MacDonald.
Continuity Another benefit of the ISP is that it allows a student to continue in a field long after exhausting the traditional coursework Taft has to offer. “Melanie Royster’s beautiful batik wall hangings have been admired by all since she took the fabric design course two years ago,” says advisor Gail Wynne. “This year she is applying her skills in watercolors and batik to paint on silk using dyes and wax resist.” As an upper mid, Melanie won a Goldberg Award for her ISP in jewelry making. Morgan Conger ’98 Athletic training Laska/Casio
Alyssa Davies ’98 House architecture Zuehlke
Campbell Gerrish ’99 Electronic music Nagy/Campbell
Georgie Grace ’98 Creative writing/photography Moriarty
Mike Healey ’99 Vacuum tube amplifier Mooney
Damon Cortesi ’98 & Jasper Speicher ’98 Robotics Mooney
Aaron Dickson ’98 Batik Wynne
Jillian Giardina ’99 Photography/poetry Moriarty/Beasley
Morgan Hanger ’98 Voice/piano Fifer
Mythri Jegathesan ’99 Indian Classical Dance Lewis/Wynne
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Spring 1998