After obtaining her degree from Cal State San Diego in 1974, Wosika taught part-time primarily at community colleges until she came into a new position, specifically to teach craft media, at Fresno City College in 1975. This June, after 37 years instructing students in craft media and 3D design, Wosika is set to retire.
Craft media, Wosika explains is a unique area in the art department that combines creating objects that have aesthetic communication and also are steeped in a tradition of function. There are five areas of craft media which include ceramics, such as pots and vessel making, fibers such as paper-making, weaving of basketry and non-loom techniques like crocheting and knitting. There is also jewelry making, metal smithing, glass-blowing and wood working and furniture making.
There was nothing in Wosika’s background that would have made her think to go into the craft arts. Neither of her parents was artistic so becoming an instructor of craft media was something she just fell into. While studying to be a professional violinist she developed a “debilitating fear of performing,” and it was while seeking out another career that she fell in love with art.
Wosika says most artists today have veered away from the functionality of crafting because we have become such an industrialized society.
“[Becoming industrialized] has kicked out the necessity to have to go to a potter to get your plates,” says Wosika, “or to a weaver to get the fabric to make your dress out of like it was pre-industrialized times.”
Coincidentally, over the years Wosika has seen deterioration in student’s abilities. “I took a seven year break from teaching my crafts classes and just taught 3D design and art appreciation and then I went back to it,” says Wosika. “The looms we used to build in three days now took two and a half weeks.”
Wosika says this deterioration could be blamed on the television culture or playing video games rather than going outside and playing, making things and using their imaginations.
“I’ve seen a real situation where it seems like students have a much, much harder time getting on top of physical, hands-on skills,” says Wosika.
Seeing her students surprise themselves with what they create has been the best part of her career.
“I think it’s been the most fun to see students get to the end of a project and surprise themselves and look at it and go ‘wow, I did that, I would have never guessed!’” says Wosika. “I love to see someone surprise themselves.”
Wosika is looking forward to spending her retirement helping her husband with their garden, traveling and pursuing her art.
“I plan to bring all the things that have been simmering on the back burners of my creative stove up to the front,” says Wosika, “so really I want to work as a full time artist. I’d like to go in my studio and spend a dedicated amount of time every day.”
Apparently, Wosika has overcome her fear of performing, for she also plans to spend more time practicing with Blind Dog, the old-time fiddle band she has been performing with for many years now. She has also rejoined Fig Tree Gallery as a member and she will be exhibiting her work there.
