From clay to stained glass, upper school art students at Wellington are expanding their creative boundaries beyond campus. Through visits to The Kiln Room and Franklin Art Glass Studios, students experience professional environments where artistry and craftsmanship meet. These immersive trips highlight the intersection of technique, history, and community, giving students a firsthand look at how traditional mediums continue to shape modern creative expression.
By Jaime Bennati, upper school art
Ceramics Class Trip to The Kiln Room
Each trimester, ceramics students visit The Kiln Room, a professional studio on South High Street in Columbus, to experience a working space and gain a deeper understanding of the craft beyond the classroom. Students explore large kilns, pottery wheels, and essential tools such as a ram press, pugmill, and slab roller, gaining insight into the technical side of ceramics. The Kiln Room also emphasizes the strong sense of community within the field, functioning as both a business and a creative hub where independent artists produce work for exhibitions and personal practice.
Owner Eric Rausch, an Ohio State graduate and experienced ceramic artist, shares his expertise in both technique and the science behind the medium. He and his wife collaborate on large-scale public art projects, including the ceramic mosaic pillar outside Valentina’s at Bridge Park and a 30-by-11-foot mosaic in the convention center parking garage. During our most recent visit, we were also able to see a mosaic in progress at a site off East Broad Street. These real-world examples show how ceramics can connect art, public spaces, and community.
A key part of the visit is the group experience of wheel throwing. This hands-on skill requires patience, practice, and a willingness to learn through trial and error. Experiencing it together builds a supportive environment where students can relate to one another’s challenges and celebrate progress, often with a bit of laughter. Eric demonstrates his own throwing process and emphasizes that mistakes are an essential part of learning and experimentation.
The trip often inspires students to continue exploring ceramics beyond high school, deepening their connection to Columbus’s vibrant ceramics community.
Glass Art and Franklin Art Glass Field Trip
The stained glass course, launched in 2014 by former upper school teachers Rachel Althof and Michelle Neely, offers students the chance to explore a centuries-old craft through design, precision, and patience. I took over in 2016 and have since enjoyed learning alongside my students as we explore stained glass, a medium that was new to me at the time. As both an artist and educator, it is incredibly rewarding to grow and experiment with new techniques in a shared creative space.
From the outset, students learn that stained glass is a rigid medium that demands careful planning. Each design begins with detailed drafts that determine every cut, color, and solder line. A cornerstone of the course is the creation of a one-of-a-kind window that holds personal significance, encouraging self-reflection and artistic growth. Many students develop a lasting connection to the craft. Alumni like Megan Johnson ’19 have continued working with stained glass long after leaving the classroom, a testament to the medium’s enduring impact.
One of the highlights of the course is a visit to Franklin Art Glass Studios in German Village, one of the oldest glass studios in the United States. Owner Gary Helf offers students a behind-the-scenes tour, sharing insights on window-making, restoration, and the art form’s deep historical roots. Students also have the opportunity to select glass for their own projects, learning to plan materials, manage budgets, and meet deadlines — all valuable real-world skills.
This course is deeply hands-on and labor-intensive. Students learn through tactile experience, scoring and breaking glass, applying copper foil, soldering, and carefully cleaning each piece. In an age dominated by digital technology, students find it meaningful to engage in a process that is entirely analog. Working directly with their hands, they gain a tangible sense of craftsmanship that connects them to centuries of artistic tradition.
Ultimately, this course offers more than artistic growth. It connects students to history, tradition, and the satisfaction of creating something truly lasting.