The artist's body
Students need an introduction to the idea that their body is an active player in their perceptions and in the creation of their work. Working with a model is an excellent way to introduce ideas about perspective, relative positions of subject and work, movement around a 3-dimensional subject, all designed to lead to an active approach to researching a subject, and to bring some depth to ideas of perception.
Craftsmanship and awareness of the viewer's vision
Within the field of art craftsmanship becomes a negotiable quality. Students need to be introduced to the impact their choices regarding craft have on the viewer's experience of their work, and begin to tune their craft to produce the desired effect on their audience. Students need to develop a basic level of comfort with tools and materials, as well as the best ways to use these tools safely and efficiently.
Persistence, experimentation, risk and the possibility of failure
In an ideal world, students would be rewarded not only for the visible products of their labor, but the depth of immersion in their own process, and their willingness to follow that process even into risk and failure. An artist has to sustain each project to completion or abandonment, but also needs to feed his or her engagement with the subjects and approaches that will, in the end, supply the material for the next project and fuel the desire to continue having projects, in the face of the multiple pressures of living.
Use of the class to approach personal interests
It is a valuable skill in an academic setting to be able to fit personal pursuits into the terms of a class assignment.
Specialized skill sets
- Moldmaking
- Casting
- Woodworking
- Metalworking
Willingness to approach skill acquisition
Sculpture is a field that expands as fast as new materials and approaches are developed. In the end to teach sculpture is to teach a willingness to experiment and acquire new skill sets independently of the instructor's abilities and knowledge.