Jesuit students patiently sit on stools in the ceramics lab with their eyes pointed intently forward as a guest artist transforms brown, lifeless clay into an ornate vase full of expression. On Friday, April 1, 2014, Jesuit held ceramics demonstrations by artist Zan Barnes.
Zan Barnes, who was born into a potter family, has always been interested in following the family profession. She grew up in North Carolina where her parents owned, and still own a studio. Growing up around potters, Zan Barnes loved ceramics and knew exactly what her profession would be. She earned her undergraduate degree at University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Then, she moved on to peruse her MFA, Master of Fine Arts, at the University of North Texas, where she currently studies.
Demonstrating in front of Jesuit students wasn’t difficult, since Zan Barnes also teaches beginning classes at UNT and is accustomed to the pressure created by the many art exhibitions she has participated in. She participated in her first exhibition in 2003 as a student at North Carolina, and, in 2013, she began using her skill and experience as a teaching assistant at UNT. When Zan began forming her first piece in Jesuit’s ceramics lab, the students had the chance to witness the skills of a seasoned potter.
Throughout her years of experience and “four tons of practice,” she has learned to never become discouraged. Explaining that failure is a necessary part of success, she stated, “It’s not precious. It should be used everyday. It’s not for sitting up on the shelf. It’s for having in your hand everyday.” Although most artists will become angry when their pieces are accidentally ruined, Zan takes the opposite approach. She loves the “tactile interaction with the clay” and draws a comparison between its flexibility and ever-changing life. Even though things might seem terrible, things move on and should never hinder you from experiencing joy.
The students who watched the demonstration had the opportunity to experience an expert working at her trade. Hunter Gilbert ’16 enjoyed his first encounter with ceramics and said, “I found it interesting to learn about a form of art I had really no interest or knowledge about prior to the presentation. The process of making art from pieces of blank, bland clay fascinates me now.” This demonstration exposed many students to the art of making pottery.
Jesuit art teacher Mr. Raymond Ochs explained how this unique opportunity came about. Mr. Ochs explained that this demonstration happened because of an unexpected encounter when he “met her at the Western North Carolina Pottery Festival and asked her if she would be willing to show her work and technique to my classes.” Explaining the goal of the demonstration, he said, “Zan works in a different manner than I do, and I wanted the students and myself to get a different perspective in how to work with clay.” Anyone from an inexperienced student to an artist could learn something new things from the demonstration. Even though Jesuit enjoyed hosting this demonstration, the next artist demonstration might not be for quite some time, because, according to Mr. Ochs, “a day of studio time is not something that is lightly given away.”
Overall, the demonstration by potter Zan Barnes was a positive experience. Barnes enjoyed presenting to interested students who appreciated her art, and most of the students who attended liked watching Barnes work. Students who had previously taken ceramics had the opportunity to observe Barnes particular style and skill, and the rest of the students had the opportunity to learn about a completely different artistic medium. Jesuit looks forward to the next time we can host another artist and won’t forget the valuable lessons we learned through Zan Barnes.
