CERAMICS

Jason Green's artwork using sculptural tile and architectural ceramic form is informed by his past experience living and teaching in Tuscany. This two-week workshop will focus on using both traditional and experimental maiolica glazing techniques. The maiolica process involves painting metallic pigments on top of tin-glazed earthenware. Italian maiolica thrived during the Renaissance as a decorative technique for tile, pottery and sculpture. Through demonstrations, presentations and site visits, participants will learn the history of Italian maiolica and the principles of pattern design for tile and vessel forms. Along with intensive studio investigation, visits to the famed ceramic production town of Deruta, as well as day trips to Florence and Orvieto will provide information and inspiration for all levels of makers. No prior experience with ceramics is necessary. Class price includes glazes and clay, additional supplies will need to be purchased.

The workshop invites artists to engage with the ordinary - objects, gestures, spaces, routines - as a catalyst for artistic exploration. Participants will cultivate a sensitivity to the overlooked, habitual, and intimate, in order to enhance their engagement with the everyday, and create new ways forward in their practice. The four-week workshop unfolds in two parts. It will begin with a series of virtual solo and group critiques designed to introduce each artist's practice and generate critical discussion. The virtual sessions will foster community, help articulate questions, and lay the groundwork for future site-based inquiries. Following the virtual phase, artists will gather for a two-week intensive residency in the Umbrian Hill town of Monte Castello di Vibio. Immersed in place, artists will visit museums and cultural sites in Florence and Assisi to engage with and experience historic visions of the everyday while creating works that build on and reflect their practices and experiences. The residency will culminate in an exhibition. Throughout the workshop, select readings (from poetry to cultural philosophy and memoir) will serve as a thread, helping artists expand their practice and deepen their engagement with observation and the everyday. The workshop is ideal for artists working across disciplines and media who aim to enhance their practice through slowness, observation, and reflection.