When you step into Augustana’s Center for Visual Arts classroom 191, the first thing you notice, of course, is the artwork. Unlike a drawing or painting classroom, though, the pieces are tightly covered and sealed in plastic so the environment doesn’t seep in. You notice because of how much of it there is — shelves, floor to ceiling and wall to wall, adorned with student projects all dedicated to the art of ceramics … plates, vessels, bowls, mugs, tiles and even sculptures.
The Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree has been gaining interest at Augustana since earning accreditation by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) in 2022 and so has one of its emphases: ceramics.
“I saw that as an opportunity, being newly accredited, to rebuild the (ceramics) program. I was able to design the curriculum of Ceramics I through VI based upon what we needed to be accredited,” said Molly Uravitch, assistant professor of art. “I have three classes each semester, which is a full load at Augustana. I have 47 students right now, and you can see we’re at capacity.”
This is Uravitch’s third year at Augustana — taking over for Professor Emeritus of Art Gerry Punt, a “legend” who taught at the university for nearly 40 years before retiring in 2022.
“When I was interviewing, he (Punt) was here during the demonstrations I was giving and he attended my lecture, so it was nice to know I had his support,” explained Uravitch.
As the first tenure-track position in ceramics at Augustana, Uravitch knew she had a lot of work to do. To go along with the curriculum, she saw a need to organize and create a healthier, safer environment in the studio.
So, Uravitch, along with several others, got to work. With help of custodian Garry Felsheim and some AU wrestlers, she removed several dumpsters full of material from the classroom and kiln yard. In 90-degree weather, Uravitch and John Peters ‘76, instructor of sculpture & 3D design, deconstructed two 15-year-old gas kilns that Punt built when the CVA was first dedicated in 2006. Viking Football Offensive Lineman and BFA major Brock Fox ‘25 also drove back from his family farm in Iowa over the summer to help haul the metal into a scrap bin.
“Where the garage doors are, there used to be steel tracks where the kiln floor would wheel inside, so in South Dakota winters you could load the kiln indoors, but I saw a lot of unused space,” Uravitch explained. “Because there’s a lot of room for growth within the department, there's been a lot of great investment from the university in getting new equipment.”
The university invested approximately $300,000 for improvements, which included a new pugmill, two chemical storage tables with 20 bins to prevent less particulate in the air, nearly a dozen new wheels to replace heavy and out-of-date equipment, as well as a shed — designed by TSP and installed by Fiegen Construction Co. — that houses a new Olympic electric car kiln just outside of the classroom. A second gas kiln is also due to make its way to the university soon.
“We are lucky in Sioux Falls to have a ceramic supply company — Dakota Pottery. They are amazing because anytime there is a problem, they’re over here, able to troubleshoot with me. They work with Olympic kilns. We will also have a second kiln, the ‘Cadillac’ of kilns — a Bailey. That’s a high-end kiln that’s coming, which is an atmospheric soda kiln.
“It’s been really great that there’s been a recognition of a need,” said Uravitch. “What’s been amazing is just the incredible response.”
Molding Future Artists
It was only a matter of time before Uravitch would become a ceramicist and later, have the opportunity to help design and build an accredited BFA program at Augustana. It’s practically a right of passage, a lineage in her family.
“I'm lucky to have been raised by amazingly supportive parents,” said Uravitch, originally from Arlington, Virginia.
Uravitch’s father worked for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and her mother was a teacher, as well as a mixed-media sculptor.
“If we wanted to hang out with mom on weekends, we were at the studio with her. She was always passing me clay. And then, growing up in (Washington) D.C., we were constantly surrounded by museums, having the Smithsonian and my mom being involved in the art world.”
In addition, her mother's parents and three sisters are artists. Uravitch’s sister works at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met) and went to art school as well. Her family even has a basket made by a relative that dates back to the American Revolution.
“I think I was like 7 when my parents asked me what I wanted to do, and I said, ‘I am gonna be the first woman to bring her dog to space or a ceramicist.’ And then, here I am,” joked Uravitch.
After teaching at the University of Wisconsin-Stout while continuing her own ceramics career for more than a decade, here she is … at Augustana University inspiring the next generation of students like herself.
“There’s opportunities here that I didn’t see at a state school,” said Uravitch. “It’s so exciting to come to a place where most students have two majors or a major and a minor — having that much passion and drive, you can really see that coming through in their artwork.”
…passion and drive that she sees in students like Mattie Tschetter ‘25 and Dima Gilmiiarov ‘25.
“Everyone just kind of beat to their own drum (before), and I noticed that Molly brought everyone together as a community, and that was really exciting,” said Tschetter.
Tschetter, of Rapid City, South Dakota, described herself as “artsy” since childhood — sketching everything from a Kleenex box to the tree in her front yard. Her father also influenced her love for drawing and art. Then, in high school, she was introduced to pottery clay, which sparked her passion for ceramics — something she isn’t alone in at Augustana.
“We have a lot of nursing and psych majors that come in and take this class and realize that we actually do need to invest more into the arts, because it is important for us as humans to have that sort of creative outlet,” said Tschetter.
Unlike Uravitch and Tschetter, Gilmiiarov said his interest in art developed due to the lack of it around him growing up in Russia.
“I would build my own toys and stuff like that,” said Gilmiiarov, who was born in Siberia and moved to Moscow as a teenager. “So, I see it as a mission, like I will create something — something beautiful, so we would live in a more beautiful place.”
At Augustana, he said he found a lot of freedom, which was new to him.
“The teachers encourage you and they appreciate your art. They know your style; they know your techniques. They’re also very invested in your work and always help you on a more meaningful level,” said Gilmiiarov, an art and computer information systems (CIS) double major, who wants to make functional things that are also beautiful.
“The variety of classes that Augustana has provided to me is more than I could ever imagine … the fact that I had a chance or opportunity to take these classes sparked a curiosity in me. Now, I want to try very different forms of art and continue exploring. So, working in a design studio would be nice.”
As for Tschetter, the BFA major and business minor not only wants to work in a studio, she wants to own one. And, now more than ever, she feels equipped to do so.
“It feels good to know that I have a high-quality studio to learn out of…” Tschetter said. “...to help us grow into the best artists we can be.”
For more information on the art major or BFA at Augustana, visit augie.edu/art.