February with Fairfax High School

Fairfax High’s Sculpture class paid a visit to Craft in America Center to see the handmade drinkware and implements in our Crafting the Cocktail exhibition. Three featured Cocktail artists were here to talk about their work in the show and the trajectory of their careers. Thanks to Peter Sheldon, Hiromi Takizawa, and Bari Ziperstein for joining us!

Peter Sheldon

Hiromi demonstrating the tools of her glassblowing trade

Students admiring Wyatt Amend’s ceramic goblets

Bari Ziperstein

Hiromi demonstrating the tools of her glassblowing trade

One week later, Bari visited Kelly Cohen’s Sculpture class to lead a ceramics coaster workshop. (The coaster’s in Bari’s design line are among the top-selling items.) The students prepared their own clay slabs, applied their choice of slip (cobalt, iron, copper) and carved patterns and images into the clay using the sgraffito technique. For inspiration, Bari brought in a selection of her own coasters and shared images of fantastic ceramic sculpture made with sgraffito.

Bari demonstrating sgraffito

Applying slip

Fishscale pattern

Student practicing sgraffito

Bari and students