With spring break already here, students can forget scultping abs and start sculpting art at the Ceramics Studio on Dean Road.
"It's one of the best-kept secrets in Auburn," said Amy Kaiser, five-year member turned part-time instructor at the studio.
While students flock to the coast or cruise to exotic countries, the Ceramics Studio provides the community with a cheaper, alternative method of relaxation.
"It absolutely is therapeutic," said Cari Philen, art education specialist for the City of Auburn. "It's definitely a calming thing for me."
The process of making pottery is not an overly complicated one, Philen said; however, knowing what to do and doing it are two completely different things.
"It takes at least a couple weeks before you really get it down," she said. "It's definitely a feel process."
While pieces may only take minutes to mold, it takes weeks to render the pottery functional.
The mug will take one to two weeks to dry before it is ready for the kiln, the oven used for baking the clay. If a piece still has moisture in it, the kiln will vaporize the water when the clay is fired--with explosive results.
"It's not just a crack; it's an explosion," Kaiser said. "Steam doesn't just sit there; it escapes."
The studio, nestled in the back room of the Dean Road Recreation Center, offers classes on a quarterly schedule with a one-quarter membership fee of $35 that includes all clay and equipment.
Once trained in throwing, attendees like Kaiser can become independent studio members. This allows them access to the shop, provided they supply their own clay.
For those just starting out, one's mentality means as much as the form, Philen said.
"A lot of ceramics is confidence. The more calm, cool, collected and confident you are, the easier it is," she said. "If you're stressed and anxious, your work is going to look stressed and anxious."
Besides being a therapeutic release, much of the reward lies in creating art that combines aesthetics and functionality.
"It is an art form, but it's a really useful art form," said Tucker Hallmark, freshman in pre-med and independent studio member. "You can make functional things you use in everyday life, instead of painting where you just have something to put on the wall."
Despite the amount of patience and diligence exuded by the more seasoned members, Philen is quick to remind people that it's all about having fun.
"Who doesn't love playing with mud pies?" she said.
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