Amber Ginsburg

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How to House a Kiln

With Department of Visual Arts at University of Chicago, Woodhouse Tinucci Architects, and University of Chicago art students

In 2014, I proposed to the University of Chicago’s Department of Visual Arts (DOVA) to expand their pedagogical offerings to include ceramics. I proposed to work with students to build an auxiliary building to the Logan Center for the Arts to house kilns and meet other community needs. Over four years and four courses, the building has been realized. The process began with a design course,  and then grew to include teaching alongside Woodhouse Tinucci Architects for two more design courses and a final build course. These classes taught the design and fabrication skills needed to collaboratively create this sculpture/structure that fully facilitates the firing of kilns and provides much needed critique and long term project space for DOVA students.  This project exemplifies the way I like most to teach — collaboratively and at the outer edge of my knowledge.

Permanently installed at University of Chicago — Chicago, IL — Completed 2018

Below: A short interview about the project with Amber Ginsburg. You can find a longer version here.