Ceramics artist hosts demonstration, lecture and Q&A

Ceramics artist Jeremy Randall demonstrated his craft virtually today for student-artists studying ceramics in the School of Art + Design. His appearance, supported by Ohio University’s College of Fine Arts’ Visiting Artists and Scholars program, includes a public presentation and Q&A on Friday, February 26 at 9:00 am. Join the presentation and Q&A here.

Randall shared with student-artists the process of his work, building techniques, functional concerns for the piece, and his professional background. Allowing time for the clay to dry, the class will reconvene Friday to complete the demonstration and for the presentation/Q&A where Randall will discuss his thought processes around his work and concepts toward his work.

Professor of ceramics Brad Schwieger, along with the other Ceramic faculty invite artists annually who support the mission of the program. OHIO’s MFA ceramics program is ranked third in the nation. The ceramics faculty selected a potter this year for their visiting artists program. The faculty try to alternate between potters and sculptors each year to support the diversity of the students and their ideas. Schwieger invited Randall based on his unique technique that is unlike the technique of anyone at Ohio University.

“I worked next to Randall three or four years ago at an arts center in Montana and watched him hand build from little slabs of clay,” says Schwieger. “He has an arsenal of tools that I have never seen before and students can learn a lot from the way he manages the clay and his toolbox of knowledge and skill for textures, cuts, and slices.”

Randall has been making his hand-built pottery professionally since 2005. Based in Tully, New York, he owns and operates his home studio, Jeremy Randall Ceramics, which officially started in 2009. In April of 2015, Randall opened Rusty Wheel Pottery, to have a space where he could become more connected with the local community through teaching community classes. Randall has been involved in national and international shows and is represented by Red Lodge Clay Center, The Clay Studio in Philadelphia and Society of Arts + Crafts in Boston. He also has works featured in the permanent collections of Robert and Jane Myerhoff, Bailey Pottery Equipment permanent collection and the Southern Illinois University Museum.  

“Ceramics is so process oriented and having the ability to meet with students is prime for them to see technique, concept, and process coming together in real time,” says Randall. “I want students to be able to resonate and retain, some concept or idea of how someone can talk about their work and then see it reflected in practice.”

The School of Art + Design’s ceramics program operated virtually in fall 2021 due to COVID-19 restrictions, challenging the making of pieces. Yet, the program adjusted to a more intellectually driven course load and transitioned to virtual, 3D learning in small group classes in the studio to get hands-on work this semester.

“Whatever you have to do, you just have to find a way to keep making work throughout anything that happens,” says Logan Renyolds, MFA candidate in ceramics. “I think artists are familiar with the unexpected and uncertain situations anyways because it is not clear cut, and everyone has their own path. I think as artist we are ready to adapt to any environment or situation.”