ADRIAN — Ten new potter’s wheels are in the hands of Adrian College students after the Maurice and Dorothy Stubnitz Foundation recently donated $15,000 to the college’s studio art program.

Travis Erxleben, Adrian College assistant professor of ceramics and 3D design, said the new potter’s wheels will immediately improve the quality of the students’ classroom experience in the Foundations of Ceramics course.

“Our pottery wheels were over 35 years old and in desperate need of replacement,” Erxleben said in a news release. “This grant allowed us to provide a much better learning environment with less disruption.”

Adrian College junior Mariah Costelli, a studio art major, said she is glad to have the new potter’s wheels in her classroom. 

“They’re very easy to use, high-quality and easy to clean,” Costelli said. “They just make class go a lot smoother.”

“They are a lot less wobbly than the old ones,” said senior Seth Losie. “I don’t have to compensate for the wobble and can just rely on my own technique to make my pieces more even all around.”

Erxleben said the ceramics program will be hosting workshops in the near future that will be available to the public.

“We are setting up a winter ceramics workshop in December for youth called ‘Pottery Palooza,’ ” Erxleben said. “We’re thrilled to now be able to offer unique, hands-on experiences to young artists in Lenawee County.”

For more information about the ceramics program, contact Erxleben at [email protected].