Remembering TB-9

Remembering TB-9 lecture at Sacramento Sate

TB-9 is of national and international significance. It's heyday was in the 1960's where it become an important part of regional art history. The three guest speakers at Sacramento states lecture "Remembering TB-9" were graduate students who studied at TB-9 in Davis. Steve Kaltenbach, Peter VandenBerge, and Jerry Walberg established artists themselves, studied ceramics and sculpture at TB-9 during the revolution in clay. TB-9 was cutting edge in its time because sculpture and ceramics were being taught in a different way. It was the first historically significant art studio that was funded by a public university. Through the lead of Robert Arneson, who was influential in the revolution of clay and ceramics, the three students were able to be apart of a significant art historical project. . Robert Arneson did traditional ceramics as earthenware but abandoned it for more innovative ceramics. Arneson is also called the father of ceramic Avant garde because he was innovative with ceramics. Arneson was also very influential as a teacher to them. The three speakers said that he was master of his own work so he didn't teach in the conventional sense.

 Through a series of questions, the lecture was done as a conversation where the three speakers talked about their days studying at TB-9. When asked the question, "How did you come to study at TB-9? Peter VandenBerge was the first to speak. He explained that in the summer of 1962, he went to a fair where he saw Robert Arneson throwing pots. Ceramics at the time was equated with pottery and was decorative. He had never seen anyone do what Arneson was doing. When he talked to him, Arneson immediately suggested that he go to Davis for school and study at TB-9. VandenBerge agreed and became Arneson's first student. A point in which all three of the speakers agreed on was that it wasn't your average art program. Non of the rules that applied at other schools applied at TB-9. They said it was the attitude of TB-9 that made it diffferent. The studio was always open because Arneson worked a lot on his art. The studio was an open place where students could work at any hour of the day. It was not like a conventional classroom. The students at TB-9 inspired each other, and sometimes even copied each others ideas. There was good interaction between the students.    

The three speakers were asked "what else about TB-9 made it a good learning environment, and what was challenging"? Jerry Walberg answered that it was the graduate students that really made TB-9. That and the freedom to do what you wanted in the studio. They all agreed that Arneson was very open with students. When answering what about TB-9 was challenging, VandenBerge said that sometimes teachers would have them break their projects so that they don't grow to attached their work. They were supposed to work for the sake of learning. Sometimes they were forced to defend their work. TB-9 emphasized the work that went into ceramics and sculpture. they were asked what was the philosophy at TB-9. Steve Kaltenbach answered this point directly when he said "what's the philosphy of the department? no philosophy. Just work."despite the challenges that the three undertook while studying at TB-9, it was a valuable experience where they learned to be self disciplined in their work, and learned to be innovative and learn from there peers.