BFACeramics

Ceramic art at CCA incorporates a wide range of disciplines, including printmaking, sculpture, and glass. Students learn to develop an intensive studio practice that incorporates many different perspectives, materials, and techniques.

Under the mentorship of our award-winning faculty, including Nathan Lynch, Arthur Gonzalez, and Nancy Selvin, students embrace risk-taking and master fundamental skills—drawing, sculpture, design, and research—that will prepare them for lifelong careers as ceramists.

Our BFA in Ceramics program is nationally recognized. We train students to become interdisciplinary artists and nimble collaborators. Students investigate the history of ceramic arts, contemporary theory, and material possibilities within the context of an art and design school. The college’s ties to the Arts and Crafts movement and the Bay Area’s thriving contemporary art scene attracts many renowned visitors for our yearly lecture series. Students also benefit from project-based work that introduces them to architects, geologists, painters, writers, and more.

Connect beyond campus

The Nancy Selvin Award provides undergraduate students whose work is engaged in the practice of ceramics the opportunity to travel to a residency or conference. Artist and CCA faculty member Nancy Selvin, the award’s namesake, has had a huge impact on the field of ceramics and art education across the country. This travel award allows recipients to step away from their daily routines, immerse themselves in their work, and make new connections within the clay community.

Chair Nathan Lynch is a ceramicist, sculptor, and performance artist. While his work operates at the intersection of several disciplines, clay has been his primary material for a number of years. The Seabird Nest Program, which Lynch leads in collaboration with Oikonos Ecosystem Knowledge, is focused on designing and fabricating ceramic nesting modules for bird species on California’s Año Nuevo Island.