Emily Lamb thought she knew exactly what she wanted to major in after Art Foundation—she loved to draw, so Communication Arts seemed like the perfect fit. But during a gap year after AFO, Lamb took classes across a variety of media—drawing, painting, ceramics, sculpture, metals and color theory—in a creative journey that revealed to her a totally different landscape of the arts. She returned to VCUarts as a Craft/Material Studies major, carrying with her a strong desire to continue developing her newfound passions.
“I was thrilled to be in a department where there is such a wide range of materials and skills,” says Lamb, “all which have made me into the well-rounded artist I am today. With the skill set this program gave me, I feel confident I can tackle any project that comes my way, as well as feel prepared for any career and problem-solving skills required of me in the future.”
At VCUarts, Lamb worked in steadily more delicate and difficult mediums. Her work as a senior has captured in glass and porcelain the emotive exteriors and interiors of the human body. Such materials require a lot of time and pressure to take shape, but she says the all-nighters in the studio were among her fondest memories in Craft/Material Studies. “It makes you feel like you own the place and envision how you belong in a studio situation.” And when working overnight with her fellow undergraduates, “a great deal of delirious bonding can happen.”
Detail of “Into the Fringe.” Photo Courtesy of Emily Lamb.
Lamb looks forward to spending her days after graduation traveling and learning more with the glassmaking community. This month, she’ll be heading to the Cleveland Art Institute for a weeklong class before jetting to Norfolk to attend the Glass Art Society Conference. In August, she plans to serve as a teaching assistant for Professor Jack Wax upon returning to the Haystack Mountain School of Craft. Over the next year, she’ll be visiting overseas glassblowing communities in Denmark, Norway and Italy as part of a travel grant, hoping to take her career as far as she can.
Feature image courtesy of VCUarts.
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