Ceramic artist Giselle Hicks spoke about her career and passion for art Friday at Kent State’s Center for the Visual Arts.

“When you encounter true beauty, it insights the desire to replicate it,” Hicks said to the crowd of more than 50 people. “Beauty is inherently creative. I want to hold onto something and give it form so it can’t go away.”

Hosted by the School of Art, Hicks’ visit was part of the Artist Talk series. On the first Friday of every month, the school brings an artist on campus for students to interact with and learn about the industry.

“You’re just there to learn about what people do and how they perceive the world,” said Roza Maille, the marketing assistant for Arts Program Support at the Center for the Visual Arts.”It is not just for artists; it is for everybody because the topics that they (discuss) can be universal and beneficial to all majors.”

Hicks is an artist who participated in several artist-in-residence programs across the country, ranging from the Kohler Company to the Greenwich House Pottery. She currently works as a studio coordinator of ceramics at the Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Colorado.

Hicks spoke about her humble beginnings and the inspiration behind many of her pieces.

“I was thinking about how the patterns in our life become our identity,” Hicks said, describing many of the quilt pieces she made during her Kohler Company residency.

In addition to her talk, Hicks also gave two ceramic demonstrations on Thursday.

“I enjoyed seeing more of her work and hearing about her past work and how it’s transformed,” said Jessica Oros, a junior studio arts major.

Kassandra Kaczmarek is an arts and entertainment reporter. Contact her at [email protected].