Pottery has a long tradition in North Carolina and Randolph County. The industry produces a wide variety of decorative and useful items which include valuable works of art, inexpensive dinnerware, vases, and other household items. Select pieces can sell for hundreds of dollars. If you have long admired the beautiful pottery pieces produced from local kilns and always wanted to try it for yourself, Randolph Community College’s Pottery program could be your chance to obtain those basic skills.
RCC currently has openings in its Continuing Education Pottery program on the Asheboro Campus. Two seats are available in the morning class, which meets from 9 a.m.-12 noon; four seats are available in the afternoon class, which meets from 3-6 p.m.; and five seats are available in the evening class, which meets from 6:30-9:30 p.m. All three classes meet on Mondays and Wednesdays, July 14-Oct. 20. Louis Ragsdale is the instructor for the morning class, and Christie Eubank teaches the afternoon and evening sections. To hold a seat, you must register and prepay by July 7.
The RCC Pottery program is divided into four distinct, sequential sections requiring about two years to complete. In the first semester, all students will begin with Clay Properties, Handbuilding, and Introduction to the Wheel. After that introductory course, students will complete a sequential program that includes wheelwork, glaze chemistry, and firing dynamics. Each course involves two sessions a week. By the final portion of the program, students are expected to have developed a distinctive style of their own and be capable of producing marketable work.
Costs include $60 per section registration fee plus approximately $50 for supplies per semester. Registration fees are waived for those 65 years of age or older. For more information or to register for the open seats, contact Kathy Thornburg at Randolph Community College, 336-633-0216, or e-mail kwthornburg@randolph.edu.
