Kiln

It's cool they've continued his pic on the bottom bar too...

Is the white dripping from the eye part of the original drawing or has it been added by someone else?

He'd almost be a cool tat.

Those odd eyeball people looks like some of the weird cartoons from "Pink Floyd: The Wall"!

You're right, Cyber! They did lots of screaming, too.....Kind of fitting, if you think about it.....

Many of the places I have worked at or have visited have had pottery available as a recreational therapy option. There was a vase on eBay last week for sale that had been made in a program they had at Worcester Hospital back in the 30s or 40s, I think it was. Went for a nice price, too.

Ah, he doesn't have that alien look in this one like he had in the other photo. Still dripping goop from his eye though

Art classes are a nice idea. Creating stuff is relaxing. What did the vase look like Lynne?Was it painted?

That little guy is on the move, isn't he? ;)
Yes, I would think art as therapy would be excellent in places like this. I assume that they made their pots/sculptures and gave them to a supervisor to fire for them....I couldn't imagine patients having access to these types of things(kilns).
Some of the art I have seen photos of in these galleries(mostly murals on walls) is astounding. The art is so good...I often wonder if the patients painted them or if an outside artist was hired to paint them? I mean the perspective and colors and everything are great in them, you know? :)

my hospital has pottery classes. The instructor takes the finished product to the kiln overnight. A lot of our clients make some surprisingly good work.
The kiln is good for cooking hot dogs quick.

I can't find the eBay ad for that pottery piece or I'd give you more info.

A number of mental health programs include ceramics in their recreational rehab artillery, and there are many people who can be trusted with the firing - always depends on the reason they are staying there at the time. There is always supposed to be a team evaluation of whether the person is safe in each environment they go to - is their coordination temporarily out of whack because of their medication, are they suicidal, are they aggressive, how are their thought processes that day, etc. I would have to say that in my 35+ years in the field there are few people that at some point I wouldn't have trusted doing this if they were physically capable. 95% of therapy is building trust on both sides, and I need to be able to believe that the person I am working with is someone who can handle him or herself. Ironically, if I treat them that way they generally react that way (unless their medications are not currently effective or if there has been some brain damage, which makes impulse control very difficult). The very great majority of people who are hospitalized do not look or act that different than you or me most of the time, especially if their medication is working well for them. Hospitalization, especially the past 20 years or so, is a place where they are supposed to help get you stabilized so you can get back into the community ASAP. Whether that is always a brilliant idea depends on the situation, but that has been the emphasis from the people who fund us and who write our rules.

Ding, popcorns done

that really does remind me of "the wall"

Lynne, How long have you worked in a psych hospital? I'd love to learn more about what you do

All that old microwave needs is a dial on the front. I think the green guy agrees.

we love cherry knowles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's rather haunting... as if the man is inside of the oven...

is this a kiln or one of those things used to sterilise things at extremley high temperatures?

just cause it looks like it has space for three of those instrument trays cause the spaces look to be about the right size for that

I'm sure when they left here they weren't worried about this but, seeing as i have a young child can't help but think..."Please remove the doors from things like this".

oh men, i love the texture in the walls, gotta beautiful atmosphere , great

Scream.........!!!!!

The psychiatric hospital that I worked in-complete with tunnels that have been closed down and several buildings over a hundred years old-also had a kiln. I used to pour and clean ceramics for the patients to paint during recreational therapy groups. Great picture!

There was a full time diversional therapy worker in the pottery and patients would make a variety of items often using slip clay and moulds. I used to be placed here when the main worker was absent and loved being there. You're right that the patients didn't use the kin themselves but to be fair many of them were more than capable of doing so, particularly the day patients that came here. The lad that worked here did the mural work on the pottery wall and probably a lot more after I left. I also did some mural work here and in the pool area in the early 1980's but that will be long gone!