With late autumn and winter holidays approaching, John Adams High School prepares to celebrate with the community. Beginning Dec. 5, our John Adams ceramics studio is hosting its annual winter holiday sale! Each item placed in the sale is handmade and glazed by a student or teacher. As a student, our classes have been working to aid in this sale, specifically by making festive trees! Students hand-craft trees small and tall, adding unique textures and clay-on-clay designs.
Ms. year, each ceramics level is assigned a holiday assignment. Ceramics I classes are tasked with creating ornaments, and ceramics II—trees! Each student utilizes their sketches to create their festive pieces—with various tools like cookie cutters and traffic cones.
What’s most special about our annual ceramic sale is the individuality of each piece. Even if the themes of the pieces repeat each year, every single creation is handmade and different from another. The idea that there are no two, identical pieces emphasizes the sentiment of handcrafted artworks, even more so around a cherished time of year. Not only does the funds sale contribute to John Adams and our ceramic studio, but it also helps our art involved students, creating opportunities of expression for one’s self as well as the community!
Ceramics teacher, A. Zablocki explains the concept of the holiday sale and what she loves about it, “The ceramics program fundraiser began as a way to recover after the challenges of COVID-19. With much of our equipment in need of replacement and rising glaze costs, the proceeds from the sale go directly back into supporting our ceramics studio. This year, part of the proceeds will also honor the memory of Jay Clark, the beloved ceramics teacher who passed away this year. Jay was instrumental in shaping our program into what it is today. When he first started teaching ceramics, there were only two classes.
Today, the program has grown to include nine classes taught by two instructors—a testament to his legacy and passion. What I love most about the sale is the joy it brings to everyone involved. Visitors are thrilled to purchase these unique pieces, and students feel a sense of pride and excitement when they see their work appreciated by the community. It truly is a feel-good event for all. This fundraiser also offers an important lesson for our students: the value of community service. Giving back to a community they love helps them understand that the reward of helping others is just as fulfilling as receiving something in return.
Here are a few creations waiting to be featured in the upcoming sale!
