Brinda Ambal

Junior Darcie Morgan and senior Annie Zahoran work on teapots in their Ceramics II class. The requirements for the project included the use of slabs and the creation of a linoleum stamp to make a functional teapot. “[When doing ceramics], you have an original idea in your head, and then [when] you try it out, and it doesn’t work out, you have to go back and revise,” Morgan said. “Originally, I was going to have different plugs on the teapot, but then I realized I didn’t go with my design, so I changed it so it’d be more geometric.”

Rolling slabs, cutting shapes and pressing in designs were all part of the process that came with the creation of teapots. Ceramics teacher Ashley Drissell selected junior Darcie Morgan and senior Annie Zahoran to participate in the High School Teapot Exhibition. This exhibition will consist of various schools throughout the St. Louis area in concurrence with Craft Alliance’s Tea Reflections exhibition beginning Jan. 21.

“I think it’s beneficial [for students to participate in the exhibition] because they get to see what their peers in the community are doing. They get to be a part of something a little bit bigger than our school, and [when] on the national level, bigger than just our community,” Drissell said. “It’s a good experience because it helps them identify that this is successful and [that] we can celebrate those things out in the world.”

Each school participating selected their best two to three teapots to present in the exhibit. Drissell chose Morgan and Zahoran because she thought their work best represented the ceramics program.

“I think my Ceramics program represents hard work. I think [ceramics] represents community [and] we have a strong sense of community here in my classroom,” Drissell said. “[My program also represents] perseverance because sometimes things happen, things don’t turn out the way you think they should, and we persevere through that. Those are kind of the traditions that I like to carry on every year.”

The teapots were the third project that the Ceramics II class completed this year. Drissel left a note on Morgan’s grading rubric telling her that her work was submitted into the exhibition and Morgan was excited for the opportunity for others to see her work after hearing about the exhibit.

“I love to see the confidence that happens from the beginning of the semester to the end,” Drissell said. “Students feel unsure or they feel intimidated by a process, or project and we work through it together. They get through to the other side, and usually feel pretty positive about their work. It’s nice to see their confidence change throughout the semester.”

For the past two years, Morgan has been a part of the ceramics program. However,  she has had experience with ceramics since elementary school through the art programs offered at her elementary and middle schools.

“I was excited [to have my teapot chosen for the competition]. [It’s] a good feeling to know that someone liked [your work and that] they like it enough to put it in a show,” Morgan said. 

Zahoran first began ceramics during her junior year and decided to continue due to the experiences she had from her Ceramics I class.

“[Ceramics] has opened my eyes to the opportunities you can get from making something with your own hands; it also helped me grow by forcing me to be more optimistic,” Zahoran said. “If anything went wrong, there is always a way to fix it or [a way that] it can be redone.”

Drissell has participated in the exhibition for the past three years to get students involved in the art process and local and national level art shows. In addition, Drissell wants to get students engaged due to the mental benefits Ceramics offers.

“I think that the arts offer a bit of a brain balance. Ceramics specifically is a chance to slow down and focus. It’s not immediate gratification working with clay; it’s a long process,” Drissell said. “Sometimes things fall apart, or they break, or they explode in the kiln, and you have to pick yourself up and you have to keep going. I think there’s a sense of perseverance that is built-in that process.”