Lane Tech Ceramics

Raku!

2012-01-30T20:49:00.014-06:00

Raku vessels by Patty, Nicole, Rebecca, Madeline, Sean & Sophie

Thanks goes out to Carl Mankert for offering us another awesome raku-a-thon workshop this year. His expertise and energy provided us a fun experience with amazing results on our pots. We also enjoyed working with Mr. Reid's chemistry classes, making ceramic works and then watching reduction and oxidation in action. Mr. O'Donnell captured some highlights of the day in these great photos.

Sewing at Lane

2011-12-15T10:43:00.016-06:00

Lane Tech is known for its history of macho tech classes - machine shop, auto shop, wood shop, etc., and I'm not sure if a sewing machine has ever entered a classroom here in our 100 year history. But thanks to local artist, teacher, and Wishcraft owner Candice Cummins, we have added a sewing machine to our repertoire of tools and techniques. After teacher and student sewing workshops with Candice, the students made modular paper sculptures and interlocked the parts together with slots, glue & stitches. Thanks goes out to Candice for helping us acquire the basics of using the machine and learning about some exciting new possibilities. Candice offers classes for adults and children at her Wishcraft studio around the corner from Lane Tech on Roscoe. Here's a link to her shop: WISHCRAFT

ProtoStudio Art Group

2011-11-20T17:00:00.012-06:00

Michael Webster, an MFA candidate at SAIC, has been working with Lane Tech students at weekly ProtoStudio Advanced Art club meetings. They have done a number of exciting, contemporary projects ranging from metalsmithing at Lill Street, creating miniature curated art shows, visiting the School of the Art Institute, constructing collaborative speed sculptures, and making tape installations in the hallways at Lane. This has provided an enriching experience for all participants and observers. To find out more about the club at Lane, please visit the ProtoStudio website:https://protostudio.wordpress.com/

Metal rings from a visit to Lill Street

Designing an Exhibit

A Walk Through an SAIC Installation

Collaborative Speed Sculpture

Tape Installations

1-Hour Sculptures

2011-11-14T17:39:00.006-06:00

This was some quick fun. The students made 3-D paper idea sketches in one period, then spray painted them.

Melissa Porter & Pit Firing in Africa

2011-11-07T15:08:00.003-06:00

In preparation for our trip to Michigan, ceramic artist, traveler and teacher Melissa Porter came to share her experiences of doing pit firings in Mozambique. She helped to revive a lost local art there by searching for sources of raw clay, digging it out, experimenting with clay bodies, and working with locals to establish a small pottery industry to serve the community. So inspiring!
To see pictures of her journey click here:
http://share.shutterfly.com/share/received/welcome.sfly?fid=1e07f10eae702e41&sid=8AaMm7ds3bM2F3

Good Times in Michigan

2011-10-31T21:02:00.008-05:00

It's getting close to a decade that we've been visiting Dawn Soltysiak at her amazing studio in Michigan. Participating in an ancient pit-firing, holding a chicken, petting a llama, checking out a barn gallery, and taking a walk through apple orchards are just some of the highlights. These photos were taken by chaperone Liam O'Donnell. Thanks to Mr. O'Donnell, Ms. Fidalgo, Dawn, Chuck, and a great group of Lane students for making it another fantastic trip.

Visiting Artist Judy Huppert

2011-10-06T20:25:00.005-05:00

Local potter and Lane Tech parent, Judy Huppert, was our first visiting artist of the year. Her demonstrations made us excited to start up the wheels.

Cardboard Chairs

2011-09-22T20:47:00.012-05:00

Amazing Chairs by Paulina, Kevin, Sophie, Faris

Carmen, Rob, Alex, Amanda & Abbie
(click pictures)

Stokin' the Kiln

2011-06-07T05:58:00.006-05:00

Thanks to Jay Strommen, Sangeet Gupta, and Tom & Judy Sykes for sharing their knowledge and space with the students for a great wood firing.

Metals, Torches, & Soldering

2011-06-01T19:14:00.006-05:00

Alex Agudo, a Lane Alum, brought his torches and equipment to help students learn the basics of metalsmithing - a fantastic workshop! Thank you Alex and Caravan Beads!

T-Shirt Design by Karl G.

2011-05-23T19:26:00.003-05:00

Face Jugs

2011-05-09T11:39:00.007-05:00

Good Wishes for Japan

2011-04-25T11:27:00.004-05:00

In ceramics classes we are always referencing the great history and precedents of Japanese pottery. As we finished a raku firing and get ready for our annual wood firing camping trip, we owe a lot to the ceramic traditions and technology invented in Japan. Our hearts are with Japan during this time. We have created over three thousand cranes to be included in a giant installation of 100,000 cranes to be sent to Japan by "Students Rebuild" in the United States. The Bezos Family Foundation has donated $2 for each crane made for the effort, so we have been able to raise over $6000 for relief. Thanks to all the Lane students who contributed to help Japan.

Jayson Lawfer & ArtReach

2011-04-11T10:08:00.005-05:00

One of our dreams has always been to team up with Lill Street, a great ceramics center on Ravenswood. Jayson Lawfer and ArtReach did an awesome workshop and soda firing with our students. A group of Lane potters went last week to load, fire, & unload the gas soda kiln. It was a lot of work & a lot of fun!

Visit to Art Institute & Perimeter Gallery

2011-03-21T20:21:00.004-05:00

Melting Snow Sculptures

2011-02-17T19:18:00.008-06:00

After being hammered with a couple feet of snow from the blizzard two weeks ago, the snow sculptures are now melting into puddles in the sun. If you didn't get a chance to visit Navy Pier, check out the snow carvings:

Child at Play - a frozen bathtub sculpted by Loryn N, Brandon S, Alex C, Chris T, and Yaro B

The City is a Gift - a homage to Chicago created by Krizza J, Allison H, Daniel S, Joseyln I, and Sabrina H

Cabeza de Barro Exhibit at NMMA

2011-02-12T20:06:00.002-06:00

Today I stopped by the National Museum of Mexican Art and saw this fascinating exhibit of figurative work by Chicago ceramicists. Check it out!
"Two Chicago-based artists explore a spectrum of ideas through their original and provocative works. The pieces transform our perceptions of human anatomy, identity, and social and cultural structures through their natural and constructed forms."

Empty Bowls

2011-02-09T21:26:00.004-06:00

This year, we joined a national effort of potters around the world to sell bowls then donate the money to food relief organizations. It was beyond our expectations. We hoped to raise a few hundred dollars but ended up selling enough bowls to send $1000 to the Chicago Food Depository and another $1000 to the World Food Programme. Special thanks to all the parent, student, and teacher patrons and to my generous students for your time and enthusiasm for this project.

Zoe McCloskey

2011-01-12T16:36:00.003-06:00

Zoe McCloskey visited Lane and offered the students a fantastic workshop on wheatpaste and printmaking. She has traveled the world creating installations and street art from China to Argentina. She has a great sense of humor and had such a lively and engaging presentation. The students had the best time creating prints from her wood carvings and decorating our room with them, like our classroom clock that is now thinking about a mystery present. Click on the title above to check out her work.

Art Institute Winter Free Days

2011-01-09T10:22:00.002-06:00

Did you know the Art Institute is free every weekday until February 4th? The museum houses world ceramic treasures, such as this pillow... yep, a ceramic pillow, made in Song era China in the 12th century. Here are the free hours:
M-W 10:30am-5pm
Thurs & Fri: 10:30am-8pm

The Wheels are Back

2010-11-22T16:25:00.002-06:00

The electricians finished & we're back in business.

Trip to Fennville

2010-11-04T21:01:00.002-05:00

It has become an annual tradition to visit Dawn Soltysiak's farm in Michigan every fall, and it's the highlight of our year. Dawn hosts our pit and smoke firings, bringing us back in time when ceramic work was fired in the ground with combustible materials, the way it's been done for tens of thousands of years before gas & electricity. Dawn's life is inspiring. She chose to leave her traditional job behind to pursue her passion for ceramics and farming. She now runs classes and a gallery in a converted barn, while working to create a healthy and sustainable local farm along the Michigan coast.

Yong Chung Visits Lane Tech

2010-10-30T09:23:00.003-05:00

We had a day of great demonstrations by Yong Chung, our first visiting artist of the year. He shared a wealth of tips for learning the basics of throwing on the wheel and surface texturing. He talked to the students about his experiences learning ceramics in Korea, then at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. His functional pottery, stacked vessels, and installations were very inspiring. Thanks, Yong, for an amazing day at Lane!

Spirit Day

2010-10-08T18:02:00.004-05:00

Kiln-Baked Pizza

2010-05-20T19:05:00.003-05:00

Here are Jessica, Tanzy, Breanna, Sabrina, & Ash w/their proud creations. We made the dough yesterday and baked over 100 pizzas in the kiln today!

Jay Strommen's Wood-Firing Workshop

2010-04-29T08:43:00.002-05:00

Next weekend, we are going to camp in Galena & stoke the wood kiln there for a few days. I can't wait to mix the adobe and put the kiln together and stay up chatting in front of the fire all night. This is a picture of Jay visiting Lane to show his master potter skills & to tell students about the wood firing tradition.

Momoko Usami Visits Lane Tech

2010-03-09T11:05:00.003-06:00

Momoko Usami is an artist from Japan who is currently the ceramic artist in residence at Lill Street Art Center. She showed the students her vast array of sculptures, pottery, and installations, and she demonstrated a really cool technique for painting images onto work by inlaying oxides into carvings she scratched through wax resist onto greenware. Her presentation was inspiring.

Snow Sculptures 2010

2010-02-11T18:00:00.004-06:00

Here are some pics of the two teams sculpting snow blocks in Grant Park last week. They hacked away for three days in below freezing temps & sub-zero wind chills. Congratulations to the teams for their amazing dedication & final sculptures:Izabela Feret, Tori Rogallo, Erick Madrigal, Marta Kondratowicz, Alicia Sheridan, Danielle Larsen, France La, Noemi Reyes, Marina Diaz, and Maricel Tabalba.

Raku Firing

2010-02-06T13:35:00.002-06:00

Hundreds of students participated in our raku-a-thon this year, from 8am until midnight. AP Chemistry students joined us in making ceramic works & watching the amazing transformation of copper & crackle glazes in the post-firing reduction.

Egg Drop 2009

2010-01-20T06:50:00.002-06:00

Right before winter break, we had our annual egg drop off stairway "D" at Lane, one of the only stairwells that goes up all four flights. This picture shows Joanne's design, which I'm pretty sure could sustain a helicopter drop from 1000 feet in the air. We threw it hard around the room, and there's no way to crack the egg in this contraption.

Pit Firing 2009

2009-10-31T08:42:00.005-05:00

Here's a picture of students digging out the pit. We went on a fieldtrip to Dawn Soltysiak's studio and farm near South Haven, Michigan. She showed us how to do smoke and pit firings of the ceramic pieces we made in class. Pit firing is the most ancient form of turning clay into ceramic. It involves burying the pieces below ground and covering them with combustible materials and making a bonfire. There is no glaze used on the pieces, just natural materials like banana peels, straw, wood, and we even added dog food to get some vitamins and minerals to color the work. It rained all weekend, so it was a soggy adventure, but really, really fun.

Blindfolded at the Wheel

2009-09-30T11:05:00.003-05:00

Here's a picture of the students today, trying to center & pull a cylinder without looking...

Karla's Window

2009-07-17T20:57:00.003-05:00

Karla DePina was honored last week by the College Board with an announcement that the sculpture above will be part of a national traveling exhibit of senior work. 30 pieces were chosen among the nation's 35,000 students who submitted portfolios for review. The exhibit will travel to Princeton, NJ, Lake Wales FL, Dallas, TX, Baltimore, MD, and it will also be in Chicago at Gallery 37 in November. Hope you can be there. Now, after her second national award this year for an architectural sculpture, Karla has decided that architecture is indeed her calling. She plans to pursue architecture in college. I hope to live in one of her creative dwellings some day!

Oppenheimer Grant Funds Tea Party

2009-06-06T21:38:00.002-05:00

Former teacher and current arts & education patron, Ted Oppenheimer and Foundation, generously granted our art department the funding to study and celebrate the history and art of tea and the teapot. We constructed panels for a mosaic mural, while each student created a teapot and cups from which we sampled teas from around the world. Students performed live music, baroque to contemporary, while we ate food from hand-made serving dishes and sipped teas. Thank you to the Oppenheimers for their amazing generosity and support to make school a creative and fun place.

Wood-Firing 2009

2009-06-02T10:07:00.006-05:00

On the day our portfolios were finished, we went on a celebration fieldtrip to Galena to do a wood firing and a salt firing. We had SOOOOOOOO much fun camping for the weekend and stoking the kiln all night. Students made incredible food....Yum. Thanks for the tamales Aurora & family...We had great chaperones, too. Thanks to Mr. Couty, Mr. O'Carroll, Ms. Melendez, and Ms. Arter. They not only supervised so we could take the trip, but they brought art activities, stories, and camping expertise.
Jay Strommen led the workshop and he was a wealth of information and insights about art, ceramics, and firing. We plan to go there every year!!! The kiln will be cooled this weekend; we can't wait to see the work.
Click here to see pictures from the weekend.

Portfolio Winners at MCA

2009-04-20T20:13:00.004-05:00

Aurora Aguiniga, Maria Curiel, and Andrea Gonzalez have created so many impressive works this year and they have been chosen as portfolio & scholarship winners at the All-City competition. Their art will be on display at the Museum of Contemporary Art until May 3rd.

Barb Boksa: 2009 All-City Poster Winner

2009-04-16T10:37:00.004-05:00

Barbara Boksa from Lane Tech is the All-City poster winner for 2009! Her bird, created from found objects including forks, a tennis ball, dart wings, and buttons, was one of many creative birds she has constructed from random materials. This piece will be featured next year on all of the All-City invitations, posters, and other materials advertising the event for 2010. Barb's imagination and sense of humor shine through in her fun works of art. Congratulations, Barb! Click here to see Lane students and their work at the All-City Show.

Lane Students at All-City Art Show

2009-03-30T16:15:00.002-05:00

Some of this year’s best sculptures by Lane students will be exhibited at an IIT gallery in April and May. Please join us for opening night from 4-7pm, Monday, April 13th at Hermann Hall Conference Center – 3241 S. Federal Street. The following students will have their work on display and won medals for their outstanding achievements in ceramics, sculpture, and design objects: MaryCate Banaszkiewicz – silver medal, Barbara Boksa – silver medal, Amy Chemeleck – silver medal, Emina Mahmutovic – 2 silver medals, Kayla Marty – silver portfolio medal, Inela Masic – silver medal, Patrick O’Carroll 2 gold medals, Odette Ramirez – silver portfolio medal, Geri Raymundo – gold medal, Maria Rusnaczyk – gold medal, Kelly Segarra – 3 gold medals & 1 silver medal, Nermana Smajlovic – gold medal, Arielle Trinidad – 2 gold medals, Jazmin Villegas – gold medal, & Sarah Whitehouse – silver medal.

Lane Alum Tara O'Hara at BFA Show

2009-03-24T18:28:00.005-05:00

This week and next you can see the work of current BFA graduates from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, including tens of graceful ceramic bottles created by Lane '05 graduate Tara O'Hara, who has been studying ceramics and art at SAIC for the past four years. Her work is shown among over two hundred other graduates working in a variety of media. The show is open until April 3rd, and located at 37 S. State Street, downtown. It is on the 7th Floor and open from 11am-6pm, Tuesday-Saturday. Congratulations, Tara. Your work is amazing and we are so proud of you!!!

Snow Days 2009

2009-03-09T09:02:00.005-05:00

A couple weeks ago, two groups of Lane art students finished creating impressive six foot sculptures made from snow as part of the first ever "Snow Days Chicago" event. On the corner of Michigan and Balbo in downtown Chicago (where the sculptures have slowly been melting), the teams carved out their designs in sub-freezing temperatures. They did a fantastic job. Check out the pictures by clicking on the heading "Snow Days" above. One team, including Patrick O'Carroll (captain), Drea Gonzalez, Sara Mitchell, Juline Planthabar, & Arielle Trinidad, carved a roaring lion from the block of frozen snow. The other team, including Kayla Marty (captain), Maria Curiel, Odette Ramirez, Kelly Segarra, and Nermana Smajlovic, sculpted an upside-down head being held there by a hand. On our first day of sculpting, it was warm & rainy, so we went to the Spertus Museum and the Art Institute for the day. Then these dedicated students sculpted all day on Lincoln's Day, then came back the next night to work until past midnight, when the temperatures were cold enough to do detail work. We met a lot of great professional sculptors at the event and it was one of the best experiences ever. Much thanks to Anne Hickey from the Mayor's Office, and Nancy Cortes from the Office of Art Education at CPS, for inviting us to participate in this awesome event. It was SO much fun!!! I hope they do it again next year!

Go to the City Museum!

2009-02-02T22:09:00.005-06:00

If you are able to take a weekend road trip with your family and friends, I HIGHLY recommend St. Louis. Just four to five hours away you can see the City Museum, a really off-the-wall place put together by a bunch of artists in St. Louis. The museum is encrusted in mosaics made from traditional tiles to found objects, and there are wacky exhibits all over the museum, including giant slides, climbing tunnels (including steel-mesh outdoor climbing tubes four stories in the air that lead from found broken buses to airplanes to fire engines). On the premises, there is a glass-blowing studio, skate park, old pinball machines, the Museum of Mirth, Mystery, and Mayhem, thrift shops, "enchanted" caves, an aquarium, real ball pits, a shoelace factory, and other oddities. It is one of the most interesting stops in America. While you're in St. Louis, you can also see the St. Louis Museum of Art, which has an excellent collection of ceramics and crafts. And, of course, you should visit the Gateway Arch, designed by architect Eero Saarinen, where you can ride an egg-shaped elevator up 630 feet high for an incredible view of the city and the Mississippi River. Say "hi" to my grandma while you're in town.

Amber Featured on AP Central!

2008-12-10T22:41:00.008-06:00

Amber Cancino, a talented Lane Tech student in last year's AP Sculpture class, and just an awesome person in general, has just had her portfolio posted on the AP Central website as an example of the highest quality work from 2008. Her intricately carved paper sculptures combined geometry and shadow casting imagery to create beautiful decorative wall works, and the construction of "something from nothing."
Check it out: http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/members/exam/exam_questions/201646.html

One of a Kind Show

2008-12-01T10:07:00.004-06:00

The Merchandise Mart will host its annual "One of a Kind" Show, featuring hundreds of artists that work in the crafts: sculpture, glass, wood, ceramics, jewelry, fiber, fashion, and furniture. Starting on Thursday and ending on Sunday, their hours are: December 4 • noon-9 p.m., December 5 • 11 a.m.-9 p.m., December 6 • 10 a.m.-7 p.m., & December 7 • 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tickets are $7.

SOFA - International Expositions of Sculpture Objects & Functional Art

2008-11-06T10:25:00.007-06:00

This show is not to be missed! It includes some of the best ceramics galleries in the world, among other exhibits featuring glass, jewelry, metals, fibers, and woodworking. For just this weekend, Friday, Saturday, & Sunday, you can see hundreds of modern 3-D works at the Navy Pier. Hours are: Friday & Saturday - 11am-8pm, & Sunday - 12pm-6pm. Admission is $15, but there may be a discount w/student IDs.

Thank you, Ms. Mansfield!!!

2008-10-09T16:26:00.002-05:00

Karen Mansfield, a local potter and teacher at Lill Street Art Center, as well as a Lane Tech mom, has been helping our wheel-throwing classes learn basic potting techniques and the art of creating a great work on the wheel. The students have grown so much thanks to her volunteer time and guidance in our classroom every week. She has been so generous with her skills and time. Thank you, Ms. Mansfield!!!

Ravenswood Art Walk TODAY & TOMORROW!!!

2008-10-04T07:58:00.006-05:00

Today & tomorrow would be a great time to complete your assignment to visit a museum, event, or gallery in Chicago: see local potters & sculptors at work! The Ravenswood Art Walk is only open once a year & it is a great event for ceramics fans. Here is the link: http://www.artwalkravenswood.org/ It runs up Ravenswood along the Metra train tracks, between Cornelia (just south of Addison) up to Montrose Ave., where artists have converted old warehouses into studio spaces and lofts. It's fascinating to see artists at work, making a living from selling unique pieces of art. For the assignment: Upload 20 digital pictures to your Flickr account, including one or more of yourself at the location. (You will need to create a flickr acct. if you do not already have one; I'll send you an invite...) I hope lots of you get a chance to go to part of the events. They have artists giving demonstrations such as "Throwing Plates" at 4043 N Ravenswood at 1pm & 4pm today, 12pm, 2pm, &4pm tomorrow - and - from 12-5pm today & tomorrow you can see welders making sculptures at the Fire Arts Center of Chicago at 4147 N Ravenswood. Don't miss it!!!

http://www.artwalkravenswood.org/

Visit to Khnemu Studio in October

2008-09-25T13:07:00.005-05:00

The AP 3-D Design class will be traveling to a farm & studio near South Haven, MI next month. Dawn Soltysiak is a local ceramicist there who will show us how to conduct pit and smoke firings of the work students have created at Lane Tech. We are busy making self-portrait sculptures, figures, and pottery for the trip.