About the Applied Design Program

Program Overview

The goals of the Applied Design area are to encourage the undergraduate student to explore the media offered within the area as a means of making an expressive personal statement, and to develop a mature statement that requires both handcraft and intellectual capabilities.

The following areas listed below are the four primary programs within the Applied Design emphasis. Please select one of these programs for more in-depth information.

Ceramics
Fiber (Courses aren’t currently being offered)
Furniture and Woodworking
Jewelry and Metalsmithing

Program Faculty

No records were found for this area of study.

Program Facilities

Applied Design Facilities

Ceramics Studios

SDSU Ceramics has spacious, well-equipped facilities for hand building, slip casting, and wheel throwing. We have a recently modernized kiln room with twelve computer-controlled Skutt electric kilns of various sizes, and two Geil computer-controlled gas kilns, along with a 90 cu. ft. sculpture kiln. We have just added a delta clay printer to our array of digital technology. Ceramics also has traditional facilities as well: a raku kiln, saggar kiln, two soda kilns, and a wood-fired kiln in our outdoor kiln yard. Other equipment includes a Soldner clay mixer, large de-airing pug mill, ball mills, slab rollers, extruders, slip mixers, and HyperGlaze glaze software.

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Woodshop Machine Room (2nd floor)

This studio is open to students enrolled in Furniture courses. The fully equipped machine room consists of the following:

2 Saw Stop table saws
2 thickness planers
18″ jointer
horizontal slot mortiser
3 bandsaws (36” Northfield, 24” Oliver, 18” MiniMax)
drill presses
radial arm saw
4×8 cnc router (Techno)
2×2 icnc router (Techno)
4 Form labs 3d printers
Large 3d printer (Stratasys Dimension 1200)
36” thickness sander
steam box and high output steamer
One Way lathe
large disk sander
spindle sander
oscillating edge sander

2 vacuum presses
free standing ventilated spray booth for finishing of all types
large clean multi-purpose classroom for critique, seminars, and clean work space
grinding and sharpening machines
hand and portable power tools that are shared by all students
access to a range of metal fabrication and casting facilities and equipment
2 undergraduate bench rooms with high quality benches for each student
separate, secure, shared graduate studio space with high quality work benches and individual work spaces
(Coming soon) Waterjet Cutter

Non-ferrous Jewelry and Metalsmithing Workshop

The Jewelry and Metalsmithing studios are on the 4th level of the art building. The main non-ferrous metals facility consists of the following:

three large interconnected workshops providing jewelry bench space with torches for 24
a well-equipped metalsmithing studio with pewter-working area
adjacent ventilated annealing/patina area
sheet and wire rolling mill

metal band saw
small and large drill presses
3 belt sanders
titanium rectifiers
oxygen/acetylene torches
micro torch
watch lathe
grinder and buffing machines

disc cutters
50 ton hydraulic press
copper electroforming
spray etching
aluminum anodizing baths
large enameling kilns
36″ sandblaster
laser cutter

The studio also has centrifugal and vacuum casting equipment including a wax injector, vulcanizer, electromelt, and large burnout kiln. A photography set-up and camera for small-scale work is available in the metals studio for student use.

The Fiber studios at SDSU consist of a spacious, well organized multi-purpose workroom and an adjacent dye room. The facilities includes:

sewing machines
a serger
knitting machines
tapestry looms
light table for design work
sinks, washer, and dryer
spacious work tables

Full Interdisciplinary Facilities

To see all facilities that the School of Art + Design has to offer, please view our “Tour the Facilities” page.

Visiting Artists

Applied Design Visiting Artists

Jessica Andersen

Jewelry and Metalsmithing, Applied Design

Dark polished wood oval with smaller light wood ovals decorating it

Jennifer Anderson

Furniture and Woodworking, Applied Design

Leaves with Fruit painted on a ceramic teapot

Linda Arbukle

Ceramics, Applied Design

Sofia Bjorkman

Jewelry and Metalsmithing, Applied Design

Richard Burkett

Ceramics

Metal flower with intricate floral designs embossed

Jeff Clancy

Jewelry and Metalsmithing, Applied Design

Sculpture reminiscent of an android torso with screws attaching various pieces

Bryan Czibesz

Sculpture, Ceramics, Applied Design

Outdoor fire pit on a lake with two semi-circular benches

Gail Fredell

Sculpture, Furniture and Woodworking, Applied Design

Sculpture of two split open red cylinders on a black tray

Bill Griffith

Sculpture, Ceramics

life-sized cradle next to identitcal half-sized cradle

B.A. Harrington

Furniture and Woodworking, Applied Design

Matt Hebert

Furniture and Woodworking, Applied Design

Katie Hudnall

Sculpture, Furniture and Woodworking, Applied Design

Ashley Kim

Ceramics, Applied Design

Adam John Manley

Furniture and Woodworking

Wendy Maruyama

Furniture and Woodworking, Applied Design

Ceramic bust of man with a head on each shoulder

Beverly Mayeri

Sculpture, Ceramics, Applied Design

Outdoor wood table with wheels on one side

Yvonne Mouser

Furniture and Woodworking, Applied Design

Decorative wooden cabinet with woven wood texture

Brian Newell

Furniture and Woodworking, Applied Design

Margaret Noble

Applied Design

Ceramic vase with the appearance of sagging drapery

John Oles

Ceramics, Applied Design

Ruudt Peters

Jewelry and Metalsmithing, Applied Design

Lee Puffer

Ceramics

Kerianne Quick

Jewelry and Metalsmithing

Rusty wall and fence with a hand holding onto the fence

Marcos Ramirez

Furniture and Woodworking, Ceramics, Applied Design

Abstract red and orange striped ceramic form with protruding mechanical elements

Sasha Reibstein

Ceramics, Applied Design

Sondra Sherman

Jewelry and Metalsmithing

Leslie Shershow

Jewelry and Metalsmithing

sculpture of multiple interlocking chairs

Tom Shields

Sculpture, Furniture and Woodworking, Applied Design

Helen Shirk

Jewelry and Metalsmithing

Michelle Natividad Stein

Furniture and Woodworking

James Tisdale

Sculpture, Ceramics, Applied Design

Mary Cale Wilson

Ceramics

For a list of visiting artists and artist in residencies related to all disciplines, visit the Visiting Artist Programs page.

Related Student Organizations

SDSU Ceramic Arts Organization

The SDSU Ceramic Arts Association, a student-run organization, helps to fund and make decisions about extracurricular activities. The student organization supports a visiting artist program or lectures and critiques and workshops by artists who are nationally and internationally known. The organization also provides a well-stocked library of current periodicals and purchases books on technical, aesthetic and safety information.

NCECA (for Ceramics students)

Student Membership

NCECA (National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts) is arguably the most recognized professional organization in the field of ceramic arts. Students are encouraged to join at a discounted rate to gain access to a professional network of ceramic artists, exhibitions, competitions, conferences, and other resources.

About NCECA

“The purpose of NCECA is to promote and improve the ceramic arts through education, research, and creative practice. NCECA offers programs, exhibitions and publications that are uniquely beneficial and rewarding to its membership of artists, educators, students, patrons, retailers and manufacturers. As a dynamic, member-driven organization, NCECA strives to be flexible in its programming and responsive to the changing needs of its constituency….

The National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts is a not-for-profit educational organization that provides valuable resources and support for individuals, schools and organizations with an abiding interest in the ceramic arts.

NCECA was founded and developed by forward-thinking ceramic artists who saw the benefits of a professional organization in its ability to create identity, definition and support for the ceramics teacher and artist, and to promote advancement of the ceramic arts….” (read more from NCECA’s website.

Becoming a Member

Students can register online to become a member through NCECA’s online registration form. To learn more about student membership prior to registering, you can contact Professor Richard Burkett.

The Furniture Society

Student Membership

The Furniture Society is arguably the most recognized professional organization in the field of furniture-making. Students are encouraged to join at a discounted rate to gain access to a professional network of ceramic artists, exhibitions, competitions, conferences, publications, and other resources.

About the Furniture Society

“The Furniture Society is a tax-exempt, nonprofit organization founded in 1996, whose mission is: To advance the art of furniture making, by inspiring creativity, promoting excellence, and fostering an understanding of this art and its place in society.

Built on a tradition of volunteerism, The Furniture Society works to realize its mission through educational programs, publications, exhibitions, recognition of excellence in the field, and annual conferences. With members from across the United States and Canada, as well as numerous other countries around the world, The Furniture Society represents a broad cross-section of furniture makers, museum and gallery professionals, scholars, journalists, and others involved with the field of studio furniture in many different ways.” –from the official Furniture Society website.

Becoming a Member

Students find fee and registration information on the Furniture Society’s online membership page, where you can also read what the benefits of membership are.

SNAG (for Jewelry and Metalsmithing students)

Student Membership

SNAG is arguably the most recognized professional organization in the field of jewelry and nonferrous metalsmithing. Students are encouraged to join at a discounted rate to gain access to a professional network of ceramic artists, exhibitions, competitions, conferences, publications, and other resources.

About SNAG

“The Society of North American Goldsmiths stands for passion, innovation and excellence in jewelry, design and metalsmithing. SNAG creates community, professional connections, and the unfettered exchange of information.

Through SNAG, you will be a part of the unique jewelry and metals field at its source.