Molding Minds

The Stepan Aghajanyan School of Fine Arts is a community-run, non-governmental institution in Vanadzor, Armenia. Today, approximately 160 students study here, receiving artistic education that plays a central role in the creative life of the city — encompassing visual arts, cultural education, and the development of children's imagination and aesthetic sensibility.

Despite this strong foundation, there is currently no place in Vanadzor where children can receive formal instruction in pottery, ceramics, or sculpture. These crafts — rooted in Armenian applied art traditions — are simply unavailable to young people in the community.

The school plans to create a dedicated studio to fill this gap. Students will go through every stage of the creative process — from raw clay preparation to throwing on a potter's wheel to firing finished works in a kiln. The studio will be equipped with professional work tables and chairs, clay processing tools, storage cabinetry, a potter's wheel, and kilns for firing. Appropriate infrastructure, including three-phase electricity and water supply, will also be installed to ensure the classroom operates safely and effectively.