Will Sawyer

Focus and Philosophy: To Professor Will Sawyer, teaching ceramics is a way for individuals to learn how to create art, to express themselves and refine their craft into pieces of fine art. His philosophy for teaching is that of a guide, believing that students will learn best by failing and trying again until they are discovering methods that are successful. Meanwhile, Will is supportive and brings his experience during the struggle of exploration and discovery to assist individuals and meet them at their level.

Background: When Professor Sawyer began his own study into fine arts, he chose ceramics as his concentration as he felt a connection to creating a physical expression with his art. He earned a BFA and MFA with his concentration in Ceramics and feels a call to help other individuals learn how to express themselves through a physical creation. Now, he teaches students at every level of ceramics from those just beginning their journey to those that wish to use ceramics in their own careers.

Teaching: Will’s teaching methods are built around being in a support role for the individuals in his classes. This means he demonstrates how to complete a piece and then goes to each learner to help them discover the most successful techniques and styles that will work best for them. Most students find that learning how to throw on the wheel is much more difficult than it looks on their phone. However, Will Sawyer’s classroom is a safe space to share vulnerabilities and insecurities and work with others to find resilience and confidence.

Research/Scholarship/Creative Work: Will has had shown works all over the globe from Japan to right here in Southwest Virginia. He has also won awards from multiple juried and competitive shows. While teaching ceramics, Will is also working on creating his own pieces to present in shows and conducting research through residencies. In his own work, Will explores how to humanize and bring modernization to the classical form. This is accomplished through the shape of the piece, glazing and firing techniques, as well as the colors chosen.

For more information about Will Sawyer, please open the tabs below. If you would like a digital copy of his complete CV, please contact him at wwsawyer@radford.edu.