Maxine Meltzer

Student

“What this program has done for me is this: When someone asks me what I do, I can say, ‘I’m an artist.’ And I can say it with confidence.”

The dragon was red-hot and smokin’! “My mentor and I just loaded a 40-inch-tall dragon into the glaze kiln,” explained Maxine Meltzer. “It’s by far the biggest sculpture I’ve ever done, and I’m very excited about it. I made it using the ‘coil’ method, which is so ancient and so pervasive,” says the woman who’s been studying the Arts at SMC for nearly five years. “I originally started out here in glassblowing, but was having trouble making anything other than a vague bubble shape,” she says, laughing. “So I’m very pleased that I found my way into the study of ceramics.”

Maxine says that the intense, one-on-one relationship that students have with their SMC teachers has been ideal for her. “Working with Richard McColl has been such a gift for me, because he really knows his stuff,” she reports. “Big and little projects; low-fire and hot-fire applications. And he’s very open-minded, so that when you come to him with a problem, he’s always ready with some creative suggestions. And when I think about where I was a year ago…” she says darkly. “A stupid part-time job, and just wondering what to do. Well, the Mentor Program in the Arts changed all that, because it gave me real focus and direction.”

Maxine states that “the Arts are alive and well at SMC,” and adds that they’re also reaching out into the community. “One of my classes is a ‘Living Art History’ class, where we visit local artists in their studios. And this is important, because we get to learn from people who have found success in their own art fields,” she says. “I’m very grateful that SMC is so amazingly supportive of this program. And in 10 years, I hope to be teaching what I’ve learned.”

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