George Rodriguez, a ceramic artist from El Paso, Texas, visited NMU on Oct. 3 and 4, leading various workshops and an artist talk in the Art and Design building.
During the workshops, he taught students about sculpting by creating a sculpture of Wildcat Willy. Each student was able to design a small symbol of their choosing, called a sprig, that Rodriguez then used to make molds for the pieces. These sprigs are what they used to decorate the sculpture. 
In the first and second workshops on Thursday, Rodriguez showed the students his sculpture design and building process.
“During the workshop I started with the construction of a hollow built figure, I showed students basic ceramic hand building techniques,” Rodriguez said. “We worked on making decorative sprig molds and talked about the symbolism and power of ornamentation. We collaboratively created a composition to add to the shirt of the sculpture and we talked about posture, intent and risk.”
According to Rodriguez, there is more to the Wildcat Willy sculpture than just being our school’s mascot.
“Wildcat Willy was an entry point for me to engage the students at Northern Michigan University,” Rodriguez said. “The students have a familiarity with the mascot, and I get to learn about the school and its history. It’s mutually beneficial. I can show my building and decorative methods and students can give input on its appearance.”
That night, Rodriguez gave a presentation about his career as an artist. He shared his background and heritage and how those factors brought him to where he is in his career today.
“During the talk I focused on my journey as an artist starting from undergraduate studies to the present,” Rodriguez said. “I talked about the concepts of a few different series of works and about career paths.”
The next day, Rodriguez led two more workshops which were hands-on experiences for the students. As he was putting the finishing touches on the Wildcat Willy sculpture, students placed the sprigs they had made the day before on the sculpture’s shirt.
In Rodriguez’s art, he takes inspiration from his own Mexican American culture, along with other cultures, which he showed examples of in his presentation, and that concept stuck with the students.
“The most important thing I learned from this workshop was how to respectfully take inspiration from cultures besides my own,” sophomore Kenneth Thoe said.
Rodriguez hoped that the workshop allowed students to not only learn by watching, but by getting hands-on practice too.
“I think it’s beneficial for students to see the application of a technique and then get to try it firsthand with something they made,” Rodriguez said. “This is a direct connection as opposed to a lateral learning experience. By participating in a hands-on workshop, they can decide if they will continue exploring a technique or leave it behind.”
According to Thoe, this practice was not the only reason the event was beneficial.
“This event was helpful as a practicing ceramic artist because we were able to start networking with the community and learn tips and tricks from people in the field,” he said.
Both the students and Rodriguez felt that they had gained something from these two days of working and connecting.
“I felt very welcomed by everyone at the university from admin to faculty to students,” Rodriguez said. “It felt like a school that has a very rich and vibrant history with the arts. Thank you for hosting me!”
