Civic Ware
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Village Gardens, an 85,000 square foot urban agriculture program, uses sustainable organic gardening and farming to increase access to healthy food, improve economic opportunities and build unity with low-income residents of North Portland. -
Village Gardens addresses community issues including “food deserts,” community revitalization, environmental stewardship and economic development. Discussing and designing visual solutions to these inequities, students will develop critical thinking and creative problem solving skills. -
Deriving meaningful designs from these concerns, students will learn fundamental processes of ceramics including: mold making slip casting, kiln operation, glaze mixing and clay formulation -
Questions of aesthetics and functionality of the ceramic ware will be defined and directed by the issues identified in previous exchanges with the community partner. -
The ceramic ware developed over the course of this project will be presented with a specifically designed meal, served with food grown in the gardens and farm run by Village Gardens, as part of the Academic Civic Engagement (ACE) Reception. In addition, students from the Civic Ware project will give presentations on their experiences collaborating with Village Gardens and in their process of developing distinct and purposeful design. -
Encouraging a deeper understanding of the transformative potential of visual art, the Civic Ware project will foster advancement of collaboration and leadership skills, a greater sense of empathy, and an understanding of how artists can effectively contribute within their community. -
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