COLORADO ROCKY MTN HIGH SCHOOL

Klara Greyvensteyn

Memory House
Over the years my mom has built up a truly impressive amount of decorations that we put up during Christmas. One of them was a set of three decorative houses. They were simple and varying in size, one burgundy, another cream, and the last a dark sage green. They had black metal rooves with chimneys and open windows. On the top of the metal roofs, the words family, love, and, home were written. They would sit on our rice chest in the foyer every winter. I find it funny that out of all the memorable Christmas decorations my family has, I have such a clear memory of these houses. I think it was the place they were in the apartment. Every winter when I would leave I would see them, and every time I returned home I would see them. I think I came to associate those houses with coming home and by extension the words written on them. They vaguely resembled townhouses when I think of it and perhaps my choice to recreate a townhouse was me trying to bring the feeling of coming home back into my life.

Dylan & Kylie Baker

Hands
“If you could hold on to just one thing, what would it be?” Through this work of art we wanted to show the connection between us and nature. We designed our piece with our hands grasping our rare connection with nature. We wanted to include our exclusive connection with the ocean, based on our childhood and culture growing up. This is important because it has supported us and played a significant role in our growth throughout our lives. If everyone spent time valuing our earth, we would have significantly less pollution and ecological problems. We want everyone to protect our one earth. We want to convey the gesture of our earthen hands as more timid, reaching out to almost test the water for its temperature before moving forward.  On the contrary, the aquatic hand is open, inviting you in.  This represents how nature welcomes those who respect it.  We also must realize that even though we feel disconnected from nature and usually feel like we are not a part of it, we are natural beings.  We come from nature and will return to it.

Evie Kelly

Bowl & Vase
This interim experience was one that I enjoyed and got a lot out of. As someone who takes ceramics as an art class and is in the service crew, I found it amazing to hone in on some skills that I wanted to develop. Not only did I learn more about clay, but I also learned about art and how that affects society. Our group looked at many examples of this in all shapes and sizes worldwide. We learned and found how much these installations can impact how people think about certain issues. Some of these works have also had the same outcome for me as it has for others. I think art can be super powerful, and that is incredible. In these two weeks, a major skill I developed was my work on the wheel. Not only can I center small chunks of clay with ease, but I’ve also leveled up to much larger pieces. With this new skill, it allowed me to explore throwing larger pieces. Although I definitely haven’t mastered this skill, I’m still proud of the progress I have made. I developed the studio habit of curiosity the most because I used this time to be very experimental with many of my pieces. I tried many different glazing and under-glazing techniques and focused more on figuring out new stuff on the wheel than getting a good end product. This has taught me, in ceramics and life, that I don’t need everything to be perfect, and it is ok to take some risks. It is important to be curious and experimental in everyday life so I’m glad I could develop that skill in the ceramics studio. I have grown tremendously, and I’m so happy with what I got from this experience.

Presley Vaitonis

Green Fish
I got good at persevering because in ceramics you're never really in control. The clay is always in charge, and if its too wet it decides it doesn't want it to do what you want it to do. The same if it's dry it likes to crack or if there's too much air inside. You have to accept that there will be times you come in with high expectations and there is a big chance that something goes wrong or just doesn't work.

Payten Jenrich

Teapot
My Interim experience was wonderful. Although I was not exceptionally experienced in ceramics, I found out how much I love it and how much I want to continue it. Heather, Katie, and Nancy opened my eyes to both nature and how art can connect so strongly to it. I found a place where I could express my ideas and my artistic ability using a variety of things I love: clay, painting (glaze), and making useful art that can be used to eat and connect with the community. A skill I developed greatly was my ability on the wheel. I found that with a lot of patience and effort, I could create something I loved. This also helped me with perseverance because oftentimes in ceramics, Your pieces can be destroyed or ruined, and they might not turn out the way you would have liked. By persisting through these challenges, my artistic ability to challenge myself has grown immensely, and I feel much stronger in that I am able to better defeat the problems that face me. These things have let me create some wonderful works that I am extremely proud of, like my teapot and vases. I am also excited to share these things with others.

Nina Villafranco

Orange Fish

Garden Vessel: Food Cycle

Vitti Gortan, Nina Villafranco, Payten Jenrich, Finn McDermott, Evie Kelly, Presley Vaitonis, Stewart Corona

Our "Food Cycle" sculpture embodies the relationship between pollinators, flowers, food, and the regrowth of it all. It emphasizes their vital role in the survival of our species and the environment as a whole. By highlighting these things we can show the cycle of regrowth and represent the importance of sustainability. 

The compost images within the sculpture represent growth, stability, and reuse - an essential process in the cycle of life. The honeycomb, flowers, and bees represent the intricate and beautiful structure created by pollinators and the vital role they play in the ecosystem. The compost represents the idea of sustainability and regrowth that help us keep a stable environment through all it does.

The shape of the piece itself is designed to facilitate the growth of plants, emphasizing the importance of a healthy and sustainable food system. It represents the creation of new life in nature - a never-ending cycle of growth, renewal, and transformation. We hope that this sculpture serves as a reminder of the importance of our garden in sustainability and regrowth, inspiring viewers to appreciate the beauty and importance of the natural world as we take action to protect it.