“Art is ongoing, transforming, and ever changing, and is a reflection of the world in which we live. I try to demonstrate for students, the importance of time, which in the world of ceramics, involves patience and tying together processes involving technology, firing, clay body formation, and the artist’s form exploration and individuality. Clay is the best material for mark making, recording various textures and even fingerprints. My aesthetic needs require something I can feel with my hands, and ceramics is it for me.

“I advise students to go forward and do the best they can, always raising the bar a little higher. Once they adopt that system, they can meet all challenges in their lives. I also believe it is important for me to both teach and be active in showing my work. Students need to get a clear idea of what an artist is, as I work one-on-one with them. To be an artist is to be curious, tenacious, and questioning. I encourage students to find the answers that are meaningful to themselves. Ohio Wesleyan’s liberal arts environment ‘wowed’ me from the start because art really can be a reflection of the world here, but also because of the University’s investment in resources and facilities. It is worth my students’ time and investment to be here.”

Kristina Bogdanov (B.F.A., Academia of Applied Arts, Belgrade University; M.F.A., University of Kentucky), Assistant Professor of Fine Arts, is an award-winning artist who realized her interest at age four. But it wasn’t until many years later, when a trusted mentor who believed in her told her she had the makings of a great teacher/artist, that Ms. Bogdanov started believing she could do it. And ever since, she’s been teaching what she practices: to succeed as an artist, you must believe that you will succeed.