Stephen F. Austin State University

When Piero Fenci initiated a ceramic art program at the University in Chihuahua City in Mexico two years ago, he discovered hidden talent just waiting to be developed.

Two of Fenci's prized pupils in Chihuahua followed the SFA School of Art professor back to Nacogdoches, to continue studying with him.

Their work has been exhibited in shows including the Texas National and the Waco National, and one of the students' pieces was selected for the University of Dallas Regional Juried Ceramics Competition.

With a population of nearly 1 million, Chihuahua is one of Mexico's largest cities. The history of ceramic art dates back centuries.

Surprisingly, no university in the state had expressed an interest in teaching ceramics as a component of art curriculum until Fenci was asked to serve as a visiting professor.

During his short tenure in Mexico, Fenci taught two sections of intense immersion in working with clay as an art medium. This included finding sources for clay and glazes, redesigning the studio space, scavenging materials to build kilns and burner systems so that the work could be fired, technical lectures and daily demonstrations for the students.

"The university had virtually nothing with which to work," Fenci said.

"Instruction in the area of sculpture was minimal."

But what the university lacked in equipment and materials, students made up for in talent and ambition. Adan Saenz and Kira Enriquez established themselves as gifted, driven students, Fenci said.

"They were the cream of the crop," Fenci said. "They were indispensable as assistants and guided me through the labyrinth of technical and bureaucratic barriers presented by the Mexican system."

Much to Fenci's delight, Saenz and Enriquez decided to join him at SFA. The students said they are grateful to Fenci and to art department chairman David A. Lewis, for helping them through the process.

"Adan (Saenz), after studying with me for one month (never having worked with clay in his life), began his distinguished graduate career at SFA as my assistant," Fenci said. "Kira (Enriquez) transferred here as an undergraduate exchange student to study for two semesters."

Enriquez returned to Chihuahua to finish her bachelor of fine arts degree then re-enrolled at SFA as a graduate student in fall 2006.

During her last year at the university in Chihuahau, Enriquez supervised the ceramics program as an undergraduate, Fenci said.

"She did such a good job, the program attracted more students and the administration purchased 16 electric potter's wheels to beef up the area," he said. "She also continued the kiln construction we began when I was there."

Enriquez said she strongly believed Fenci's work in establishing a ceramics program in Chihuahua should not be in vain.

"It wouldn't be fair for students not to take advantage of what he started," she said. "I felt I had enough knowledge to keep it moving forward, and that's why I continued with it."

Fenci said Saenz has been offered a full-time position running the ceramic program at the University of Chihuahua upon completion of his Master of Fine Arts degree this semester.

And Enriquez is distinguishing herself as one of the most promising first-year graduate students in the program, according to Fenci.

"These students are an inspiration," he said. "We are lucky to have them here."

Fenci described Saenz' work as "monumental and aggressive," and Enriquez' as "intimate in scale and delicate."

"They offer different ways of approaching clay as an art medium," he said.

Saenz said he had never worked with clay as a medium before he met Fenci, but he immediately loved it.

Enriquez said she realized, after attending Fenci's class, that she loved ceramics, as well.

"I became intent on learning different techniques," she said. "Piero is always encouraging us. He has helped us so much."

Saenz agreed that Fenci is "remarkable as a teacher."

"He wants to share as much as he can with his students," he said.

Enriquez said students in Chihuahua loved Fenci and they all wanted him to come back.

"He shares his knowledge and encourages students to develop their ideas," she said. "He teaches you to use clay to express your ideas."

Both Enriquez and Saenz described a sense of magic in the process of making and firing ceramics, and Enriquez said she became enraptured with the Japanese process, "Raku," when she first saw Fenci's demonstration in Chihuahua. The Raku process was one of the reasons she became interested in ceramics.

"(With Raku) we have absolutely no idea what our piece is going to look like after it is fired," she said. "It is like magic."

Enriquez said she loves that the media of clay is so free.

"It has changed and developed the way I see art," she said.

Enriquez will have one of her ceramic pieces displayed at the Texas National, the prestigious competitive art exhibition SFA hosts yearly, after having exhibited a piece of jewelry in an earlier Texas National as an undergraduate.

Enriquez said she believes her work stands out because she combines functionality with beauty.

"Someone would look at one of my bowls and wonder if it was for use or decoration," she said. "I really like to play with that."

Saenz has a piece that was selected for the Waco National Sculpture Exhibition, in addition to having work included in the University of Dallas Regional Juried Ceramics Exhibition this year.