As far as art goes, ceramics are exceptionally bulky. Ceramics classes need space for clay, drying shelves, kilns and a variety of glazes. For university art programs, the equipment-heavy ceramics can often fall by the wayside, even if interest is high. 

Thanks to a generous donation from Sam and Sarah Goos, whose daughter Ariel studied studio art at UMaine and graduated in 2019, UMaine was able to open the Goos Family Studio. The new studio is allowing the ceramics program at UMaine to grow and giving plenty of space for students to be creative. Now that the program’s new class, Ceramics II, is wrapping up its first semester in the studio, students in the Department of Art and beyond are already seeing the impact of the gift and what it was able to achieve. The gift was facilitated through the University of Maine Foundation, with the aid of Philanthropy Officer Matt Mullen, who emphasized what an exceptional gift it was. To read more about the Goos donation, click here for the UMaine News article.