The Chicago Park District’s Athletic Field Ceramics Building in Irving Park is home to a 13-week course that runs three times each year for Deaf, hard of hearing, blind and visually impaired individuals to practice ceramics in a professionally equipped space. 

Tim Owens is a program and event coordinator for the park district who specializes in translating for those who are Deaf or hard of hearing. His coworker, Sheena Hager, holds the same title but specializes in working with blind and visually impaired individuals.

Peter Ronan and Johnathon Kusner are the two ceramics teachers who permanently reside at this location. Though they are not professionally trained, all of the studio workers, regardless of their position, are willing to help out wherever necessary and communicate with the class to the best of their ability.

As instructors guide the students through different ceramics processes, most of the learning is hands-on so that they can feel the different steps of a project. There is no set curriculum for this course, as many of the participants come in with their own ideas of what they would enjoy working on.

TRANSCRIPT:

00:00:18:16 – 00:00:29:10

Tim Owens

This is a ceramic course that is a combination of both deaf and hard of hearing, as well as visually impaired participants. 

00:00:29:12 – 00:00:55:20

Tim Owens

My first name is Tim and my last name is Owens. So my position here is program and event coordinator. I mainly focus on deaf and hard of hearing. This program in particular has been impactful because there is actually a big arts community within the deaf and hard of hearing group.

00:00:55:20 – 00:01:03:15

Tim Owens

And I think that this is the space that they can come together.

00:01:03:17 – 00:01:51:14

Tim Owens

My coworker and I, Shenna, she does the visually impaired programming. And then we have two ceramic instructors that are actually part of this facility, and they know ceramics. So they’re the one actually, you know, teaching the class.

Herminio Cardona Jr.

Herminio, and this is my sign name. My last name is Cardona Jr. 

The best part of the class is the teachers. They understand and are willing to help describe in deep detail. This motivates the creativity in my own work. 

Right now, I like to make pottery, and I thought, why not add different faces to it. So far, I have made three pieces like that. 

00:02:21:17 – 00:02:45:03

Tim Owens

We don’t necessarily have a set curriculum. Most of the participants come with their own ideas, and mind so they get to kind of have freedom to do any sort of project they would like.

00:02:45:05 – 00:03:04:03

Jay Blumenfeld

Anything I can create in my mind, I can try it. My inner creativity comes out, and it then goes into my pottery. All of it comes out of myself and my ideas. 

My name is Jay Blumenfeld. I worked as a photographer for many years. I am 71 years old. I enjoy taking the class; it’s fun. 

Everyone involved here is so nice. It makes you feel welcomed. I like the equipment they have here. If I’m stuck with an idea the instructors help me. There are just really nice people here. 

00:03:23:07 – 00:03:58:00

Tim Owens

A lot of time, you know, especially somebody that’s visually impaired, they need a lot of, essentially one-on-one assistance in some situation. So we do have the staffing ability to do that where we can actually sit there and help guide them through a project. The setting for ceramics is great because it’s basically like a big round table. Everybody has their pieces in front of them, and they’re all kind of sitting facing each other.

00:03:58:01 – 00:04:22:21

Tim Owens

So there’s that kind of like communication, joking, laughing, telling story, talking about the week or day or whatever. And so there’s a lot of that going on too. It’s just a nice way to catch up with friends and you know work on ceramics.

Copy edited by Brandon Anaya