Stubnitz Foundation donation used to purchase 10 new potters’ wheels for AC ceramics class
Posted Wednesday, November 13, 2024
Author: Mickey Alvarado
Ten new potter’s wheels are in the hands of Adrian College students after the Maurice and Dorothy Stubnitz Foundation recently donated $15,000 to the college’s studio art program.
Travis Erxleben, Adrian College Assistant Professor of ceramics and 3D design, said the new potter’s wheels will immediately improve the quality of the students’ classroom experience in the Foundations of Ceramics course.
“Our pottery wheels were over 35 years old and in desperate need of replacement,” Erxleben said. “This grant allowed us to provide a much better learning environment with less disruption.”
Adrian College junior Mariah Costelli, a studio art major, said she is very glad to have the new potter’s wheels in her classroom.
“They’re very easy to use, high-quality and easy to clean,” Costelli said. “They just make class go a lot smoother.”
“They are a lot less wobbly than the old ones,” said Adrian College senior Seth Losie. “I don’t have to compensate for the wobble and can just rely on my own technique to make my pieces more even all around.”
Jake Docking, Adrian College Dean of Retention and Enrollment Services, applied for the grant, noting the Maurice and Dorothy Stubnitz Foundation generously supports a wide range of charitable endeavors, including education, the arts, environmental and humanitarian causes, conservation, and other philanthropic initiatives.
“We are grateful for the Maurice and Dorothy Stubnitz Foundation’s support of Adrian College’s studio art program and our local community outreach efforts,” Docking said. “Through their generous grant, the Foundation is enhancing Adrian art students’ learning experiences and better enabling us to expand art educational opportunities to our local community.”
Erxleben said the ceramics program will be hosting workshops in the near future that will be available to the public.
“We are setting up a winter ceramics workshop in December for youth called ‘Pottery Palooza,’” Erxleben said. “We’re thrilled to now be able to offer unique, hands-on experiences to young artists in Lenawee County.”
For more information about the ceramics program, contact Erxleben at terxleben@adrian.edu.
