A new club has arrived at Baldwin Wallace, and they kicked off their career with a valentine’s ceramic sale at Strosacker Hall. The Clay Club, which is in the final steps of becoming an official student organization, has invited students to give ceramics a try in a low-stakes, supportive environment. 

Over the last few weeks, students have joined the club in the Kleist Center ceramics studio to learn the basics of ceramics and create some Valentine-themed pieces to prepare for their first student ceramics sale, which took place on Friday, Feb. 11. 

The objective of this sale is not only to get people interested in the club, but to encourage amateur artists to sell their art.  

“It is important to sell art to teach us how to release self-judgment and grow as an artist,” said vice president and first-year Ciera Olive. 

The Valentine’s sale highlighted the work done by students involved with the club and served as an opportunity to get the word out about the club to students who might not have heard about it yet. 

Olive, alongside president of the club, Carissa Ferguson, and their academic advisor Assistant Professor Benjamin Lamber, formed the club to give students a place to express themselves creatively without any pressure. 

“The main point of clay club is to create a nurturing environment to learn about clay and how to use it- allow networking, selling, and be able to help students get out there and sell their art if they want,” Ferguson said. 

One primary goal of the club is to encourage all types of people to get involved in a creative pastime.  

“There is a certain tactility of ceramics. It’s fun to get dirty with it. Ceramics is unpredictable; it loosens you up and is much more hands-on,” Ferguson said. 

Both Olive and Ferguson are working to build on their skills and learn how to teach students in a comfortable yet effective way. The pair plan to attend a professional workshop in April and are looking for experts in the field to come and perform demonstrations for the club. 

At a weekly meeting, students involved in the club expressed what intrigues them about the project. 

“I have enjoyed ceramics for a long time and love having a place where studio art majors can make free things without the pressure,” said one student.