For the past six years, the visual arts department’s open studio program has allowed any student to stay in the ceramics studio until 6:30 p.m. to work on pieces, experiment with clay and socialize with friends.
Under the new policy, only students enrolled in ceramics classes are allowed to access the open studio time, which has been limited from 7:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m, according to Visual Arts coordinator Mitchell.
In September, the administration implemented new limitations on open studio across the visual arts department, shortening open studio hours from 6:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
According to Headmaster Deborah Holman, the examination of the open studio program began last spring. Mitchell and Holman decided to change the allotted open studio times across the visual arts department.
Their concern is that the open studio is not supervised by a Brookline High School staff member, according to Holman.
Prior to these changes, students both enrolled and not enrolled in ceramics courses were permitted to use the studio outside of class hours. According to ceramics teacher Greg Steinsieck, open studio hours for ceramics were supervised by Jodi Handler, a Brookline Adult Education employee.
The after-school open studio time will be especially missed by those who enjoyed working in the ceramics studio, one of the most widely used outside of school hours.
“We used to be able to come in the afternoons and work. It was a great artistic experience for a lot of people,” junior Simon Mairson said. “We also used to be allowed to come in during the day if we have a free block, but it’s more strict now. We have to actually be in the class.”
The open studio was an opportunity to further students’ exploratory and experimental work outside of class, according to Steinsieck.
“Some of them are superb craftsmen that come in the afternoon. They look to this kind of work to balance out their life, similar to the way many athletes find that they can study better because of athletics. This is a beautiful complement to that intellectual work,” Steinsieck said.
For some students, the long after-school hours were the only times they were able to work on their pieces.
Senior Luke Mathison, for example, could not fit ceramics into his schedule, so he went every day when open studio lasted until 6:30 p.m.
According to Mathison, a group of approximately 15 students, led by himself, seniors Ian Chin and Eliana von Krusenstiern and junior Josh Bilchik, has been working with the administration to reverse the new policy.
Stiensieck says he believes that the students and administration will eventually arrive at a consensus.
“What I’ve seen is that this new administration is detail oriented, and they’re patient about going through this change,” Steinsieck said.
Mitchell says that she does not see the changes to the open studio program as final, and she also hopes to arrive at a solution that works for all.
“We’re in flux in terms of what amount of time the studio will be open; 3:30 p.m. gives you 45 minutes every single day, which is more than a ceramics class during the week. Some kids feel that this is too much start and stop, which has me thinking that might be true, and maybe I need to open the studio for longer hours on one day,” Mitchell said.
Students, according to Mathison, hope that the policy will be reversed through a cooperative effort with the administration.
“I’d like to stress that the spirit of the whole endeavor is not to pit the students against the administration,” Mathison said. “The spirit is to cooperate with the administration, to bring back an opportunity that students both found enjoyable and benefited from.”
Holman, like others involved, says she feels that there is room for change.
“There are lots of bright people here, bright minds and incredible faculty members who look outside the box in terms of how to support students,” Holman said. “As we go along, as we evaluate it, if we have another idea of how to expand the support for students, then we can do that.”
