Internship
Internship Overview
DISPEL Institute, in Cleveland, OH, offers a limited number of internship positions for individuals eager to learn the workings of a contemporary ceramic studio dedicated to large-scale sculpture and wood-fired process. We’re looking for people who are serious about craft, comfortable with physical work, and drawn to the rhythm of building, firing, and discovery.
Applicants should either have or be pursuing a degree in Fine Arts with a concentration in Ceramics, or have at least three years of experience working with clay. Internships are customized around two primary areas of focus: building/firing work and marketing/social media.
Details
DISPEL Institute, started by Alexander Demetriou, operates out of a 6,000-square-foot industrial studio equipped for monumental ceramic work. The facility includes cranes, a forklift, other machinery for material handling, and some of the largest privately owned kilns in the country, including a hybrid gas/wood-fired kiln, a large gas kiln, and multiple electric kilns for smaller works and bisque firing.
As an intern at DISPEL Institute, you will receive hands-on learning in sculpting and hand building, glaze chemistry, kiln maintenance, and atmospheric firing in a hybrid gas/wood kiln, as well as firing our other electric and gas kilns.
Other activities you may be exposed to include basic woodworking, heavy equipment operation, installation of finished works, and general marketing for social media and website applications. This internship program provides an opportunity to learn skills that will support your pursuit of ceramic arts.
This role is part-time, and it is intended to be an unpaid learning internship. Interns will walk away with practical skills in studio operations for large-scale, wood-fired ceramic sculpture. The knowledge and experience gained during this internship can shift how interns approach clay as a medium and will help them understand what it takes to build and fire work at scale.
Qualifications
Currently pursuing a degree in Fine Arts with a concentration in Ceramics or have 3+ years of experience working with clay
Reliable transportation
Tenacity for learning
Hard worker with a willingness to get dirty
Common sense—for both practical and safety reasons
Sense of humor
Must be able to lift 50 lbs
Enthusiasm for ceramics and a willingness to learn
Strong attention to detail and organizational skills
Ability to work well in a team environment and follow instructions
Excellent communication skills and a positive attitude
Responsibilities and Expectations
4–10 hours a week, within 10am–4pm time slots
Take shifts for atmospheric firings (outside normal work hours)
Assist in building large-scale sculptures
Help maintain a safe and clean studio environment
Assist in the preparation, loading, firing, and unloading of kilns
Glaze and clay mixing
Kiln maintenance
Application Requirements
After reviewing the above information, please send us the following to apply.
Resume
Portfolio of 5–10 images of work made in the last two years, submitted by email as JPEGs with title, date, medium, scale, and firing temperature
Brief bio or artist statement
Two professional references
General availability with possible start date and hours willing to commit per week