9.25.2014

Glaze Calculation Online from Alfred University.



Have you ever wondered why cone temperatures are seemingly random? Have you been frustrated by a glaze that you can’t get to stop crazing. Have you had enough of your clay body slumping?  What is the deal with Cone 6 anyway? Have you ever wanted to learn about how glazes work? Do you wonder what goes on in our clay bodies when we fire them? Do you need a refresher in ceramic materials, or just want to learn some cool things about clays and glazes?
 The New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University has a new opportunity for all ceramicists out there. This December and January we will offer our Glaze Calculation and Raw Materials course online. The course will be offered during our Allen Term, which runs the course of our winter break, December 15th to January 16th. The class is open to everyone around the world who wants to learn about ceramic materials.  It is a perfect opportunity if you attended a school that does not offer a materials course, or if you missed the window to take it at your school.  The course will be offered for credit for students currently enrolled at other schools. It is also open to the general public, if you are a lifelong learner. Maybe you are someone just getting started in ceramics and want to know more about what is going on when you fire a glaze. It is also perfect for the professional who wants to develop the glaze they see in their mind, but just can’t seem to get on their work.
We will explore everything you need to know about ceramic materials.  The nature of glazes and clays, the background on raw materials, ceramic chemistry, how colors work, oxidation and reduction, firing temperatures and schedules, glaze and clay flaws and failure, special effect glazes, maximizing clay bodies, food safety, the unity molecular formula. Everything that you need to know to make your studio the best it can be.
The New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University is an internationally renowned school for the study of ceramics. We have a long history of educators dedicated not just to ceramic art, but the holistic study of Ceramics. Pioneers such as Daniel Rhodes, Val Cushing and John Gill have strived to make ceramics a dynamic and exciting art form for over 100 years. Alfred also has one of the world’s best ceramic engineering programs. Professors like Dr. Bill Carty, pioneers in the study of ceramic science from the artist’s perspective.
Glaze Calculation Online will be taught by Matt Katz, Alfred’s professor specializing in ceramic materials. Matt has been teaching Ceramic Materials at Alfred for over 12 years. Originally studying in the school of art and design, Matt went on to study with Dr. Carty for many years. Matt has a special perspective of materials from both the artist and engineer’s point of view.  Matt’s experience has allowed him to design a new version of glaze calculation that includes the intrinsic knowledge of the artists with the wisdom of the ceramic scientist.
We hope that you will join us online this winter; it will be a course you will always appreciate as you continue to strive to make your studio experience better. 
Course listing:
Topics: Introduction to Glaze Formulation Online - ART 300 01
For more information regarding enrolment please contact the university at 607-871-2123
Or visit http://www.alfred.edu/academics/allen-term/

If you have questions you can email Matt Katz: katz@alfred.edu