Studio…
Our studio is now open on Saturdays. It took some negotiating with the principal but after some going back and forth about what we wanted (24 hr access) and what they could offer, we ended up with Saturday 10-4 and Monday – Thursday 5-9. Fridays we have to be out at 7. Classes start at 8.30 and finish at 4.30. The school opens at 7 am Mon – Fri.
It was an interesting process to go through. Here we are, 16 students taking a ceramic course, and only half of them are interested in being there A LOT. The other half has children or a life and go back to enjoy that in the weekends. But the ones who came from BC, Quebec, the US (or nearby but don’t have money to travel back and forth) are in Haliburton 24/7. So you might as well be in the studio. I mean, it is a beautiful area but if there is 6 feet of snow who is going to go for a walk? We should be practicing handles.
Barb Bolin (principal) understood all of this very well. And it wasn’t a matter of not wanting to let us use the studio, but the matter was money. There had to be someone in the building if the studio was in use. That means you have to pay that person. But the construction wasn’t finished yet and they ran out of money. It makes sense she would rather replace the plastic with glass in the entrance door than having 4 students making ugly handles and 2 textile students sowing their brains out. I mean, if the choice was up to me and I had to pick one I would choose the glass myself.
We were very persistent and she tried really hard to make it work and she did make it work. We were very thankful for that because if you look at it from a logical and economical point of view it is hardly worth considering. Hopefully one of us will become really famous and will be able to donate a beautiful piece to the school for the auction.