Sep 14

Ceramic Arts of the Japanese Tea Ceremony

Fri, September 14, 2018 - Mon, November 26, 2018 • Gould Library, 4th Floor, Athenaeum

Shigaraki Vase

Image Courtesy of The Flaten Art Museum, St. Olaf College

Gift of Stephen and Sophie Mathonnet-VanderWell 

This exhibit highlights a selection of ceramics from the Mathonnet-VanderWell Collection at the Flaten Art Museum, St. Olaf College.  Students in ARTH 266/ARTS 236 will do research and prepare exhibition labels for these objects, and they will be exhibited in a larger exhibition of tea ceramics during spring term (2019) in the Groot Gallery of the Flaten Art Museum. (Find more information about that exhibit here.)

ARTH 266 and ARTS 236 are an experimental dyad in which students register for both the art history and the studio art classes simultaneously. Professors Kelly Connole and Kathleen Ryor designed these two courses to deeply integrate the study of the history and aesthetics of the Japanese tea ceremony (chanoyu) with the process of making ceramic vessels associated with it.  On the art history side, students examine the relationship of social status and politics to the development of chanoyu; the religious dimensions of the tea ceremony; gender roles of tea practitioners; nationalist appropriation of the tea ceremony in the 20th century; and the international promotion of the Japanese tea ceremony post-WWII.  On the studio art side, students learn about the basic methods used in creating objects on the potter’s wheel and by hand building techniques traditionally used in Japanese ceramics, are introduced to creative thinking and problem solving, potentially new ways of understanding the creative process, and avenues to better understand cultural appropriation and global influence in ceramics.  Together these two courses provide an opportunity for students to learn about another culture and the global influence of a particular cultural practice through a variety of methods that encompass academic study, experiential learning and creative expression.

Curated by Kathleen Ryor and Kelly Connole in conjunction with their joint courses, 'Arts of the Japanese Tea Ceremony' (ARTH 266) and 'Ceramics: Vessels for Tea' (ARTS 236).

 

Event Contact: Zoe Adler

Event Summary

Ceramic Arts of the Japanese Tea Ceremony
  • When
    • Friday, September 14, 2018 - Monday, November 26, 2018
  • Where
    • Gould Library, 4th Floor, Athenaeum
  • Event Contact
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  • Intended For: General Public, Students, Faculty, Staff

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