Dream Big Grants in Action: Ceramics Education

High-Fire Clay & Glazes Heat Up Ceramics Education at QHS

By: Katie Rodemich 2002

In the Art Department at Quincy High School, creativity is heating up—literally. Thanks to a $1,500 grant from the Quincy Public Schools Foundation in Spring 2023, the ceramics program has undergone a bold transformation. What began with basic low-fire techniques in Ceramics I has evolved into a robust, college-ready curriculum featuring high-fire clay, complex glaze work, and hands-on experience at the pottery wheel.

“With Ceramics I, the fundamentals of clay work and glazing works best with low fire. You can do coil, pinch, and slab work and when glazing, it’s similar to painting. Where you put the color, it stays and remains the color you want. It’s great in teaching how to layer glazes properly. When it comes to firing, the low fire clay doesn’t get that high in a temperature so that it’s forgiving and doesn’t shrink as much when doing the glaze firing,” explains QHS Art educator Lexi Brumbrugh.

By Ceramics II, students are ready for a bigger challenge—and Brumbaugh doesn’t hold back.

“I love teaching Ceramics II because when you get to college all you use is mid to high fire clay and glazes. So, in this class they have those basic techniques and skills learned in Ceramics I and can apply some of that knowledge to this new clay body. With mid to high fire clay, it is great for throwing on the pottery wheels. I love teaching the students how to use the wheel since most will have this when taking a college ceramic class. I focus this class on creating more functional, usable products.”

Students create functional, food-safe pieces using both hand-building and wheel-throwing techniques.

“They do cups, bowls, plates, vases, and ring dishes using both the pottery wheel and hand building techniques. These are all food safe and can be seen in stores when people buy and sell ceramic products.”

The firing process also becomes more complex. High-fire glazes act differently—often unpredictably—at extreme temperatures.

“These colors aren’t like paint and don’t always look like what they do in the container, Lexi says. They mix and change color when hitting their highest temp. Some of these get over 2000 degrees in the kiln. It teaches the students to find and explore what glaze combinations work and don’t work well together. Some are called Running Glazes, and you must be cautious with them since they could run off the piece onto the kiln and ruin both your piece and the kiln shelf. I also have brought into the curriculum firing with fused glass in the ring dishes they make at the end of the year.”

And while the wheel is a cornerstone of Ceramics II, it’s also a personal journey for each student.

“The first time on the wheel can be super overwhelming,” Lexi says. “I do a demonstration for every project. I’ve done it for years, so it looks easy. But once they’re on the wheel, some say it’s fun, others say it’s super hard. It’s a process.”

Students get four total weeks of wheel time per semester, rotating through in groups.

“Usually after the first two projects, they start to get the hang of it. I’m right there helping and supporting them through the whole process.”

And when the work doesn’t go perfectly? That’s part of the learning, too.

“Almost all of them love the glazing process and seeing the magic when it comes out of the kiln. All pieces can be re-glazed and re-fired, so if a piece doesn’t turn out how they like—it’s fixable.”

That mindset—of experimenting, learning, and refining—has propelled QHS ceramics into the regional spotlight. Lexi has made it a point to get her students’ work out into the world.

“I have strived to get us into as many art competitions as possible with QHS Art students. We now compete at John Wood Community College, Hanibal La-Grange University, Culver-Stockton College, and Quincy Art Center.”

“Hannibal La-Grange said this year we had the most three- dimensional artwork submitted -especially ceramics and fibers – compared to any other high school entry.”

The program’s growth wouldn’t have been possible without the support from the Quincy Public Schools Foundation.

“I am so thankful to get the program expanding with the help of this grant within my first two years with and receiving high fire clay and glazes to use!”

Now in her third year, Lexi has her sights set on the next big step: more wheels.

“This year, in my third year with the new curriculum, I would love to have brand new wheels for the students to use. The ones I found in storage in the art room that I was able to get working have been manageable in the last few years, but not up to the standards we need for creating great products. Having eight working wheels instead of five would open my class sizes and get more working at the same time with less rotations.”

Lexi is also building strong partnerships to help students see what’s possible after high school. One of the most exciting? Her collaboration with Western Illinois University.

“I have reached out to Ian Shelly at Western Illinois University, and we have been able to make two trips up there this year to see his ceramic studio and have the students create pieces while up there. He has offered next year to come to our school and help instruct a lesson to the students on his own free time. I love this partnership we have created with WIU.”

In just three years, QHS ceramics has grown from an introductory elective to a college-aligned, skill-building program that reaches countless QHS young artists each year. With support from QPSF and community partners, it’s firing on all cylinders—and shaping more than just clay. It’s shaping confidence, creativity, and futures.

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