Introduction

Women have been underrepresented in practically every field throughout time, most notably in political, economic, and military history. What most people wouldn’t think about however, is how underrepresented they have been in the arts, specifically in pottery. Pottery Made to Cherish: Holding the Memory of Female Artists aims to highlight the most significant contributions of women to the making and design of pottery throughout history, thereby serving as a counterbalance to the historical erasure of women's contributions to the making and design of pottery.

History & Distinction

Dating back to 14,000 BCE, the Japanese Jomon people became one of the first ever cultures to create pottery (Schukei, 2021). This is extremely significant, due to the wide belief that Jomon women were the primary makers of the pottery during this period. Vessels for storing and cooking food were of high demand for the women in this culture, causing a need for them to create them by hand coiling pots. In order to properly hold the memory of the women who innovated pottery, it was necessary to focus on a number of cultures and artists, such as Pueblo artist, Maria Martinez, and H. By learning the methods of these women and taking inspiration, the projects created within this workshop effectively recognize the true creators of pottery.

Methods

In order to find information pertaining to the history of pottery, I first searched through scholarly articles online, where I was able to find direct answers regarding the first cultures to start creating ceramics. I needed more information, however, which I sought out by finding resources at my local library, as well as visiting the Baltimore Museum of Art and paying close attention to the pottery displayed there. By reading and seeing real life examples of the female influence on pottery, I was able to learn so much more about this research topic. In each lesson plan, I focused on a specific female artist that I had researched. By teaching a mini lesson on a different artist each week, I showed examples of their artwork, taught about the styles they popularized, and instructed students to create their own piece inspired by the artists.

Audience

The main audience of this workshop was the students within College Park Arts Scholars, more specifically the ones enrolled in the workshop. By providing students with instruction on basic forms of pottery, including pinch pots, score and slip, rope coiling, and more, they were able to take what they learned and combine them with their prior knowledge to create something new. Since I did not know the skill level of students before the workshop began, it was important to me that regardless of their abilities, they would be able to grow their creative skills. By learning about artists that they did not have prior knowledge of, students were able to take inspiration and challenge themselves to create their own pieces of pottery.

Through this experience, I have learned so much about the impact of women in the arts. Through the research process, lesson planning, and teaching, I discovered so much information about female potters that I did not know before. Finally, watching my group of students create their individual pieces has been extremely rewarding. I have been able to see so much of their personalities through their work, all while seeing how they incorporate details from the artists discussed in class. Furthermore, I have learned more about time management, organization, and leadership through the process of preparing materials for class and actually running a classroom.

References

Nochlin, Linda, and Maura Reilly. Women Artists : The Linda Nochlin Reader. London, Thames & Hudson, 2015.

Schukei, Abby. “Introducing the Ancient Art of Jōmon Pottery.” The Art of Education University, 29 Mar. 2021, theartofeducation.edu/2021/03/introducing-the-ancient-art-of-jomon-pottery/.

Zimmer, Lori. I’m Not Your Muse. Running Press Adult, 25 Feb. 2025.

Acknowledgements

I am so grateful for each of my students and all of the work they put into class each week, bringing a positive attitude every time. I first thank my fellow sophomore students, Eliana, Madelyn, Skylar, and Nzinga. Thank you for trusting me as your workshop leader and closing out Arts Scholars with me! To Nicole, Lilly, Valentina, Sophia, Hayley, Kathy, and Micah – you are all absolutely wonderful! I am so glad you allowed me to lead your first ever workshop and I truly hope this experience was as meaningful to you as it was to me. Furthermore, I am so grateful to Val, Irene, Harold, and Heather for helping me through this process, offering advice and criticism when I needed it, and teaching me so much.