WNMU’s Ceramics Studio offers expert instruction, encouraging student exploration in wheel throwing, hand-building, material science, and kiln firing.  For over thirty years, WNMU’s Ceramics Studio has grown and through commitment, consistency and hard work, the department boasts facilities that rival larger institutions.

The Ceramics Studio at WNMU is housed in the McCray Building on campus and includes two well-equipped classrooms and a kiln yard featuring:

The WNMU Ceramics Program provides students with a well-rounded education and a carefully designed curriculum steeped in history. We prepare students to enter the world as successful ceramic artists. The Ceramics Department also boasts a history of visiting artist’s workshops with internationally-known clay artists, including:

• George Rodriguez
• Jamie Bates Slone
• Bradley Klem
• Stephanie Seguin
• Penelope Van Grinsven
• Sanam Emami
• Sunshine Cobb
• Julia Galloway
• Paul Soldner
• David Shaner
• Don Sprague
• Tara Wilson
• Tom Coleman
• Malcolm Davis
• Gay Smith

These workshops expose students to the lifestyle and dedication of the working artist.  The close-knit town of Silver City houses multiple working ceramic artists, galleries and the annual Clay Festival, providing students with a supportive, artistic community.

Postbaccalaureate students at Western New Mexico University are given studio work space and access to the WNMU ceramic facilities in exchange for work donated back to the ceramic studio weekly. Each student is required to participate in the Advanced Ceramics coursework and will receive a weekly appointment with faculty. As a mentor to undergraduate students in an academic environment without a graduate program, Postbac students are held to high expectations and receive individualized attention. This opportunity is tuition-free and requires a strong work ethic, ambition, and dedication.

WNMU is located outside of the 3.8 million-acre Gila National Forest in Silver City, NM. Each summer, the town and university host the Silver City CLAY Festival which features lectures, events, and a headlining workshop lead by some of the most influential makers in our field.  The Mimbres heritage in this region also provides students with quick access to historical ceramic scholarships and boasts one of the largest collections of Mimbres pottery in the world on campus. This is a growing program that gives Postbac students the space and support to move forward.

Visit Ceramic Postbaccalaureate Program for more information