Another Art Win for The Neighborhood Academy Students!

 

Shawn Terrell and Miles Guy have had their work excepted to The National Conference for Ceramic Artist and Educators! Only 150 pieces out of 1134 entries were accepted.  This is a prestigious event for all ceramic artist, and it is a great honor to have your work accepted by the jurors.

This year the conference will be held in Seattle, Washington.    In a couple of weeks, the piece will be packed up and begin its long journey to Seattle.

As a result, Shawn will be eligible to apply for a scholarship for college if he decides to pursue art.  I am hoping that we might win a prize again this year. Good luck Shawn and Miles!

DIY for the Holidays: Take Two

Spoiler alert:

Student-made ceramic jewelry has been backed, strung, and wrapped.  You may find it soon under a Christmas tree near you.

Ms. Sandy and the students put on the finishing touches.

Three pendants for three special people.

Coordinating bead work

Choosing tissue paper

Wrapping: Step One

Wrapping: Step Two

Voila!

Have a happy holidays and we’ll see you after break!

Ceramic Installation Progress Continues

Arts Connection students working with teaching artist, Sandra Moore have been shaping the ongoing ceramic installation project.  See the students in action!

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TNA Ceramic Students Win School Competition!

For the past two years, the Neighborhood Academy ceramics students led by senior, Shawn Terrel and teaching artist, Sandra Moore have been working on a city scape ceramics installation (see previous story).

Their hard work has paid off!

Senior Shawn at the Clay Place

After being juried into a private school ceramic competition at the “Clay Place”, a gallery located in Carnegie, PA, the pieces won best in show!  The grand prize is 500 pounds of clay.

Best in Show!

Ceramics instructor, Sandra Moore describes the event…

“Shawn Terell and I went to the opening Friday night to represent our school.  The gallery owners let us go through their art store and pick out things we need. Shawn got tools to use when throwing on a wheel and detail tools for his work in clay.  It was a great night for our school!”

Congratulations Shawn!

And Shawn is no stranger to the winner’s circle.  Shawn won an award this past spring at the National Clay Educators and Ceramic Artist convention in Tampa, FL.  To read about his previous win click here.

 

 

Artist of the Month

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Congratulations to Miles,

our artist of the month!

His piece, “Porcupine” is featured below and on the sidebar as our featured artwork of the month.

Below, Miles explains his creative process in making “Porcupine”.

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Turning Down the Heat, Low Fired Raku Ceramics

Ceramics instructors at The Neighborhood Academy are excited about the new building’s ceramics space and equipment. As part of this fall’s Arts Connection, the ceramics class has been shaping, glazing, and firing pieces for an upcoming ceramics show.

Arts Connection student, Miles learns the ins and outs of raku firing

The other week, teaching artist Sandra Moore set up a raku firing on the back patio.

Raku is a historic, fast firing process that was developed in Korea and Japan. The American technique has evolved to incorporate a reduction process.  After the ware is fired at 1850 degrees Fahrenheit, the hot pots are thrown into cans filled with news paper, saw dust, cardboard or any other organic materials that catch a flame. Lids are put onto the cans to prohibit the oxygen from feeding the flames. This draws the metals to the surface of the glazes. This process is why raku has a metallic look. Students had the opportunity to engage in all steps of the process.

Images of the finished works coming soon!

709 North Aiken Avenue… Here We Come!

The Neighborhood Academy is pleased to announce our new location off of N. Aiken Avenue!

Arts Connection student, Jordan, is excited for the new space!

The new school year is off to a fantastic start!  Not only are we enjoying our amazing new arts space (which includes a dark room, ceramics studio, music and dance space, an art display space, and an abundance of natural light), but we are also jumping into this fall’s Arts Connection programming.

This past Tuesday, Arts Connection students and staff visited the Mattress Factory to learn more about installation art.

At the Mattress Factory

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Students toured the permanent collection and learned about site-specific installation work.

It was quite inspirational!

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Installation Inspiration

Arts Connections students will be putting that inspiration into action in the coming weeks.  Stay tuned!

TNA Student Wins Big at the National Clay Educator and Ceramic Artist Convention in Tampa, Florida!

Shawn Terrell has won an Artistic Merit Award for his piece that went to NCECA (National Clay Educators and Ceramic Artist convention) in Tampa.

This piece is the prototype of the large installation being built for the new school. The idea is for the students to imagine what they would like their city and neighborhood to be like – people playing games on the sidewalk, talking, growing food on the roof tops, playing in the tree house in the woods,making music,building relief art walls, baking in the bake shop, selling shoes in the shoe store and all the garbage is recycled in containers and there is no litter. Best of all everyone is happy, healthy and having fun!

Teaching Artist Sandra Moore Talks Art with the Post-Gazette

Recently the Neighborhood Academy’s teaching artist Sandra Moore talked to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about her own art work and work at TNA.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10215/1077132-437.stm?cmpid=news.xml#ixzz0y2iQbbCQ

Excerpt:

“Her favorite art project is one she worked on with students of the Neighborhood Academy in Garfield for the 250th anniversary of Pittsburgh.

" Artist Sandra Moore uses real horse hair and Japanese firing methods to create her pottery. She teaches children about the process and the 'magic of the fires.'"

‘Five students and I canvassed Penn Avenue corridor’s businesses and galleries asking questions about stories they could share with us. We also asked if they would donate an artifact to place in the mosaic murals we were assembling,’ she says.  The murals were an unqualified success and hung on the walls of the students’ school.”

Faces of the Future Gala

The Neighborhood Academy’s annual fundraising gala is fast approaching!  Mark your calendars for May 21st.  Student artwork will be on display for viewing and purchasing.  The event will feature student-made stained glass mosaics, drawings and paintings, ceramic work, spoken word and poetry, and fiber art!

We hope to see you there!