AP Art and Design students recently had the opportunity to engage in a hands-on ceramics experience at Queen City Clay as part of the Contemporary Arts Center’s School Outreach Program. This visit provided students with a deeper understanding of clay as an expressive medium, exposed them to wheel throwing techniques, and provided them with a glimpse of how the largest ceramics studio in the world operates. During the workshop, students explored wheel-throwing techniques under the guidance of professional ceramic artist, Jon Stein, and the QCC team.

The collaboration between the Contemporary Arts Center and Queen City Clay exemplifies the importance of community partnerships in arts education. By stepping outside the classroom and into a professional ceramics studio, students gained invaluable insights into process-based artmaking and problem-solving. This experience not only enriched their artistic practice but also connected them to Cincinnati’s broader arts community, reinforcing the idea that experimentation and interdisciplinary learning are vital to artistic growth.