NEWSLETTER December 2020
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
This month kicks off the ACGA Celebrate Clay and Glass Festival, an online shopping extravaganza. Members have
pooled resources, talents and energy to create a website where you can access the work of over 70 ACGA clay and
glass artists all in one place! From distinctive mugs to fantastical sculptural forms, budget conscious to extravagant
price points, there will be something here for everyone on your list.
Check it out at ACGA.net. The event runs December 1~31.
As we move into the last month of 2020, I am feeling grateful for all that technology offers us. It allows us to stay
connected, keep up with the world, share our creativity and even continue to earn a living. Please support small
businesses and independent artists as you consider gift choices this year. Small galleries, Etsy shops, virtual art events
and farmer’s markets all offer so many options. So please, help keep the arts and the artists thriving this holiday
season.
Personally, for the first time in over 35 years, we will not be having our annual holiday sale. I was recalling passing out
hot cider in handmade cups and offering cookies that I baked. The heartfelt conversations, the fun in seeing gifts chosen
and being part of elfish antics as often we’d be willing accomplices in sneaking purchases into bags and cars. I will miss
all this immensely. But I will stay home, use technology, stay safe and look forward to having all that back next year.
Happy holidays to you all.
Cheryl Costantini
WEBSITE LIAISON
Remember that if you would like to have your information to appear in the newsletter, you MUST send
it to Bonita Cohn at news@acga.net, (Please separate image and text.)
MEMBER NEWS
Doris Colbrie-Fischer and Miki Shim Rutter
Exhibiting Members, Doris Colbrie-Fischer and Miki Shim Rutter will be participating in this year’s virtual holiday sale with the Palo Alto Art Center Adult Studio.
Monday, November 30 – Sunday, December 6, 2020
Tiffany Schmierer
Tiffany has work at John Natsouoas Gallery in Davis.
Hand Plate #1. 2020. Porcelain. 7.25″ x 4″
https://www.shop.natsoulas.com/holiday-sale?mc_cid=eededff6d7&mc_eid=26c4afcc89
Lynn Wood
Lynn has more Virtual Classes from the Sonoma Community Center.
December 2 – Porcelain Ornaments
December 3 – Underglaze 6 Ways
CLICK FOR PRICING & MORE INFO: https://sonomacommunitycenter.org/
Kathy Pallie
Out of over 2000 entries from all 50 states, Kathy Pallie’s ceramic candlesticks “Facets of Light” were named one of the 20 Best Handcrafted Gift Picks from artists and artisans across the United States!
This is in conjunction with Artists’ Sunday, the new art focused shopping holiday taking place the Sunday after Thanksgiving, November 29th.
Kathy’s artwork, “The Artist and Her Art” (left) was selected for the Epperson National Clay Competition at the Epperson Gallery of Ceramic Arts in Crockett, CA. The exhibit dates are November 13 – January 17.
Guangzhen Zhou
Moving notice: Chinese Clay Art was established in California’s Silicon Valley in September 1999. Due to the pandemic issues, our retail store/classroom has been closed. We have moved out from the shopping plaza of South De Anza Blvd to a residential area nearby (West San Jose at Miller Ave and Bollinger). Though the physical address has been changed, our online store, contact information, and our working staffs are all being kept the same, we will continue to improve our products and services and to provide the innovative tools to our valued clients. To our local clients, we provide order pick-up services by appointment only.
Your continued support is always deeply appreciated.
Our new mailing address is:
Chinese Clay Art Corp.
PO Box 700031
San Jose. CA 95170, USA
http://www.ChineseClayArt.com
Email: ChineseClayArt@hotmail.com
Tel. 1-408-343-
3919 (no change)
Innovative products:
Wall Side Storage
JC-Trap, See Through Trap
Smart Clay Dryer (r.)
The Potter’s Studio
The Potters’ Studio in Berkeley is excited to announce the opening of our new Holiday Online Store! Our store connects our studio’s member artists with customers like you who appreciate handmade art. Visit our website to discover unique handmade pottery created by local artists that will be sure to make for memorable and unique holiday gifts. Your purchase of handmade pottery helps to support both local artists and our studio during Covid-19. We hope you enjoy shopping on the site!
Happy Holidays from The Potters’ Studio!
Palo Alto Art Center
Light up your winter with works by Palo Alto Art Center local artists. With more than 50 artists participating you are sure to find the perfect holiday gift.
Esther Shimazu and Heidi Bekebrede
Natsoulas Gallery Presents our Holiday Gift Sale!
Support the Arts from Home!
Enjoy art from the comfort of your own home!
To reduce overcrowding and risk of spreading germs, this sale hopes to encourage people to enjoy their
staycation by browsing artwork from home. Perfect for gift-giving or adding to your own collection, these
unique pieces offer something for everyone. Support the arts today by visiting our online store and checking
out our Social Distancing Sale!
Esther Shimazu. Jump This Way. 2020
Stoneware, Porcelain.
8.5″ x 6.5″ x 4.25″
Heidi Bekebrede. Happy Mug. 2020.
Ceramic.
4.5″ x 5.5″ x 4″
Josie Jurczenia
Planning for the Sacramento NCECA Conference (March 16-19,2022) has begun. I am writing to you in my role as a member of the Advance Planning Committee. As one of the representatives from the Oakland/Berkeley/San Francisco Area, I would like to keep you informed about what’s happening and how you might like to participate.
Although our area is on “the fringes” geographically to the main event and we in no way want to take the focus away from the events that will be happening in Sacramento during the NCECA conference, I am hoping our Bay Area ceramic artists, studios and galleries will want to come up with pre and post conference events. There might be as many as 6,000 attendees to the 2022 NCECA conference and many of them will be traveling through the Bay Area on their way to the conference. Our pre and post conference events could provide a great opportunity to get folks to take a detour off the freeway and get to know our diverse and exciting Bay Area ceramics scene.
There is lots of time for you to start thinking up something special for you and/or your studio/gallery to do…an exciting exhibition, open studio event, tour ???…the possibilities are endless. About 12 months prior to March 2022 I would like to start putting together a map listing your pre and post conference events. I hope to post this information on-line as well as in printed form so that it is readily available well before and during the conference. Other areas in our region are also planning pre and post conference events and we are hoping to get together a coordinated calendar. This is going to be an extremely exciting time here for all things ceramic.
Do you have a dynamite idea for a concurrent show for the conference? The proposals are due in April 2021. These shows are supported by NCECA (which generally means they supply the space and the show will be listed in official NCECA literature). If you have an interesting idea for a show please consider submitting a proposal. Go to the NCECA site for more information: https://nceca.net. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me if you have ideas or
suggestions about what you’d like to see happen at the 2022 Sacramento conference. I will be happy to pass along your ideas along. If you would please pass this information along to any ceramic artists,studios or galleries you feel might be interested.
WORKSHOPS AND VIRTUAL CLASSES
Please visit ACGA’s EVENTS/WORKSHOPS page for a complete list of upcoming classes and workshops.
EXHIBITIONS
NOTE: Some of the dates/activities may no longer be correct,; be sure to contact the organizer to confirm.
BERKELEY
TRAX GALLERY
Online “Beauty and Delight” through December 13
Covidly Masked and Distanced; We Welcome You to our Shop 12 – 5:30 Fri., Sat.,Sun. – Featuring new works by Mike Helke, Kari Radasch and Scott Parady.
TRAX open hours: Friday, Saturday, Sunday, 12 – 5:30 walk ins welcome through Dec. 20th
TRAX ArtBnB is again available for bookings.
TRAX Gallery has five unique Peter Voulkos color lithos
32″ x 24″, 1979, $1000 each, signed, unframed, email for more info.
1812 5th Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
510.540.8729 info@traxgallery.com www.traxgallery.com
by appointment – call: 510.540.8729 or text 510.914.1303
SAN FRANCISCO
Asian Art Museum
Temporarily Closed
Since reopening in early October, the museum has enthusiastically — and safely — welcomed back thousands of visitors to connect with the healing and inspirational power of art.
However, due to the increase in COVID-19 cases and in accordance with state and city health and safety directives, the Asian Art Museum will temporarily close to the public until further notice.
All virtual events will continue as planned and you can shop online at the Cha Museum Boutique — which is a great way to support the museum.Continue to check our website for updates and follow us on Facebook or Instagram to learn about upcoming virtual events and programs.
While we are temporarily closed, we encourage you to #MuseumFromHome and engage with art at a distance.
The Website https://asianart.org/ has a list of digital experiences to keep your spirits up and the inspiration
flowing.
CROCKETT
Epperson Gallery of Ceramic Art
The Epperson National Clay Competition is a Juried Show of 45 Ceramic pieces of Art, chosen from a field of over 500 submissions from around the country.
510-787-2925
DAVIS
Davis Arts Center
If you have not linked on it lately – www.ACGA.net – there have been many changes and updates. The most recent: https://acga.net/2020-davis-center/ addition of a virtual showing of the Davis Arts Center ACGA show “Ceramics in Focus :2020”, that for obvious reasons is not live.
OAKLAND
Applied Contemporary Craft Gallery
“Constructed Ceramics”
The opening reception is Saturday, November 7, 3-6 pm.
473 25th Street, Oakland CA 94612
OJAI
We recently created a short video to share the first chapter of the book, Intersection: Art & Life. The book explores the role of the arts historically, and features inspiring works by contemporary artists.
Watch the Video:
Click Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX0ZJU-y8dE&feature=youtu.be
This video shares the first chapter of the book Intersection: Art & Life. The Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts is expanding virtual programming in order to serve the larger community.
Kevin Wallace, Director of the Center, wrote the book to share the Center’s educational philosophy through exploring the role of the arts historically, as well as inspiring works by contemporary artists. The book is dedicated to Beatrice Wood, as it is based upon her unique approach to the arts and cultural studies.
Become a member of the Center at the$30 level and we will mail you a copy of Intersection: Art & Life, or choose from our selection of thank you gifts.
8585 Ojai-Santa Paula Rd. (in Upper Ojai) – Ojai, CA 93023 Tel: (805) 646-3381
Email: BeatriceWoodCenter@gmail.com
POMONA
AMOCA – The American Museum of Ceramic Art
info@amoca.org, or call (909) 865-3146.
We’re Reopening!
After more than three months of closure as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are delighted to announce
that we are reopening!
AMOCA members and residents of the City of Pomona can reserve complimentary tickets online. Tickets are required for admission and must be reserved online at least one day in advance. We will welcome the general public back to the museum the week of August 3. Details on how to reserve advance tickets will be sent via email next month and available at AMOCA.org in a few weeks. Complimentary tickets are required for admission and must be reserved online a day in advance. Complimentary Private Members Tours – In-Person or Virtual! AMOCA members are invited to schedule in-person or virtual private tours of our current exhibitions.
These small-group experiences with a staff member or docent are a remarkable way to experience the exhibits
on view.
As a thank-you for your continued support, you are invited to enjoy these special tours free of charge. On behalf of everyone at AMOCA, we are grateful for your support and we look forward to seeing you soon!
Kim Tucker: Primal Beings, Ghosts, and Human Dummies
Alyson Brandes is a graduate of Chapman University and a 2020 Getty Marrow Undergraduate Intern at AMOCA. During her internship, Brandes writes periodically for AMOCA.org, and posts on Instagram and Facebook on Tuesdays. “As part of my internship, an ongoing project that I’ve been working on involves researching artists for a future exhibition on women working with ceramics in California. ” In her eleventh blog, Kim Tucker: Primal Beings, Ghosts, and Human Dummies, Brandes explores Tucker’s “handmade, organic aesthetic.”
frontdesk@amoca.org
http://www.amoca.org
399 N Garey Ave
Museum: 909.865.3146
Studio: 909.622.0464
ROSEVILLE
Blue Line Arts
Off Center
Since the first ceramics were created, like Venus of Dolní Věstonice, before 25,000 BCE and pottery vessels that were discovered in Jiangxi, China, which date back to 18,000 BCE, people have been fascinated with clay. Today, artists continue to astound us as they push the boundaries of our preconceived ideas of what ceramics represent. From playful pieces disguised as everyday objects, to finely detailed vessels, ceramics delights and surprises us in its evolution.
Whether you work in a more traditional style, or prefer completely outlandish creations, we showcase your vision and techniques from around the world during this annual show.
https://www.bluelinearts.org/shop-coker-family-gallery
info@bluelinearts.org
405 VERNON ST STE 100
ROSEVILLE, CA 95678-2636
(916) 783-4117
SACRAMENTO
The Crocker Art Museum
The Crocker Art Museum is delighted to welcome to its collection “Duck Out,” a gift from Bay Area sculptor Calvin Ma, whose ceramic, toy-like figure is suspended in the moment of fight or flight.
“Duck Out” joins “Around and Around,” another sculpture by Ma, in the Crocker’s renowned collection of international ceramics. Through both
sculptures, Ma gives form to his experience with social anxiety, a disorder that impacts nearly 15 million American adults who experience a persistent, intense fear of being judged by others.
For more information and to view images, click here: https://www.crockerart.org/press/calvinmaduckout
RESIDENCIES
2020-2021 Fall Residency, Sonoma Ceramics
https://sonomacommunitycenter.org/ceramics/ceramics-residency-program/
We offer two, 6-month, all-inclusive residencies per year for potters or ceramic sculptors. Applications are open for this 6-month, all inclusive residency. Open to potters and sculptors on a professional trajectory. The Ceramic Artist in Residence program offers a self- directed emerging or established ceramic artist a supportive work environment to explore ideas and create a cohesive body of work.
https://sonomacc.wpengine.com/category/ceramics/
360xochiquetzal
YOUR PERSONAL RESIDENCY IN MEXICO
Superb live/work studio space for artists & writers. This summer and fall you can prepare for a show, finish a manuscript, collect your thoughts, or plan your next body of work. Located on Lake Chapala, nestled in a ring of mountains with colorful fishing villages strung like pearls along the north shore, a slower pace of life awaits you.
When it gets hot and muggy where you live, you can be here painting or writing to your heart’s content where the weather is fresh and delightful. We still have several private studio apartments available You can focus on your creative work and enjoy our gorgeous scenery and perfect year-round climate.
Rates, descriptions & pictures: https://360xochiquetzal.com/personal-residency-program/
For more info write: 20360xochiquetzal@gmail.com
Join our group Facebook page: %360-Xochi-Quetzal –
Follow us on Twitter: @360XochiQuetzal
and Instagram: @360xochiquetzal
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS
Platinum
The Potters’ Studio
510/528-328
61221 8th St
Berkeley CA 94710
Gold
Clay Hand Studios
Contact: Nanette Mattos
660 Van Ness,
Fresno, CA 93721
Between COVID, the election and the prospect of spending the Holidays away fromloved ones, this is quite a time. Still, let’s dig deep, enjoy the autumn, nurture our creative spirits and be kind. I hope that November offers us reasons to remember to be thankful for all we do have and hope for the future. Take care, stay safe and vote.
Sally has a piece included in the following show, running November 7 – December 19 in Oakland:
Vicki invites you to her group show at 
“I have always been enamored by negoro-nuri. It is a much sought-after antique urushiware that was originally produced by the monks from Negoro-ji temple in Wakayama prefecture beginning in the 12th Century. In negoro-nuri, the monks made their own utensils by applying many layers of black urushi onto the wood base that was followed by a top-coat of red urushi. The vermillion color has a distinctive depth because of the dark layers underneath, and as the surface becomes polished with use, the black is gradually revealed. It is a unique kind of ‘aged-dignification’ that the Japanese have grown to admire in their crafts….
Friends! We are back in Berkeley again! If you’d like to visit the gallery by appointment you can! Text/ call: 510.914.1303 Please email info@traxgallery.com for the artbnb accomodation date availability.
“A spacious jewel of a gallery in the portside city of Crockett, famous for the huge C&H sugar plant – still operational. An enclave of artists and poets, the town is a blast from the past (excuse the expression). It seems to me Epperson is the heart of it.” – Frances Jackson
John Natsoulas Center for the Arts
Participate!
Hello Everyone,
Kathy Pallie: “Visions in Clay 2020” will be virtual viewing only this year, but should be very exciting all the same. I’m delighted that my piece “Ebony Landscape Trio” was selected by juror Nancy Selvin to be included in this show. You can participate in the opening reception on Thursday, September 3 from 5:30 – 6:30. A zoom link will be posted on the 3rd. If you want to participate, let me know, and I will be sure to get you the link. After the 3rd, the entire exhibit can be viewed at
PR about a ‘neighborhood’ project by Sally Jackson:
The 9th China Changchun International Ceramics Symposium has opened (August 12, 2020 to January 7, 2021) . The exhibition is in The Changchun International Ceramic Art Museum in Changchun, the capital of northeast China’s Jilin province. Lee Middleman’s and Julia Feld’s pieces are on display and have been purchased for the museum/gallery collection. Lee’s works selected are a Red Diamond Globe, a Winter Sun Flower, and a Jade Sea Urchin Vase. Some images of the exhibition are shown here.
I was scheduled to teach my workshop Dreams in Clay in San Raphael, France in September but we all know what happened to the world. Being nostalgic, I want to share with you the experience I had during my first artist residency in Vallauris also in the south of France. Imagine you are at the French Riviera in September. You start your day swimming in the waters of the clear Mediterranean sea, hiking in the surrounding hills or taking an excursion to the nearest medieval town. You enjoy french culture and fresh, delicious cuisine. Already seems like paradise, right? And for me it was all of that plus my favorite activity – sculpting with clay.
After 44 years as a glassblower and over 22 years as co-owner of Lindsay Art Glass, David Lindsay is retiring. David and his wife and business partner, Ann Lindsay, opened Lindsay Art Glass in 1998, and will close the business this fall….More than one year ago, Ann and David started marketing the business for sale. Wanting to retire, they worked to keep the 50-year Benicia glassblowing tradition going. With a buyer ready to take over and a second one extremely interested in doing so, COVID-19 hit. The uncertainty of the times caused both buyers to change their minds. While they continue to market the business for sale and hope to find a buyer to continue glassblowing in Benicia, Lindsay Art Glass will be closing no later than October 31, 2020.
Heidi Bekebrede did a Zoom Workshop in August thru Natsoulas Gallery, on how to create fun & engaging curriculum for children (K-6). She showed how to easily incorporate a kiln into your classroom and what kind of projects you can develop with students that are fun for everyone.
Jan Schachter and April Zilber each recently took part in safe, small outdoor art events. They were successful and we thought they might inspire artists to consider hosting or organizing a similar small event and including local ACGA members. April participated in an art walk at Filoli Gardens near the end of July, along with four ACGA artists: Cristy Aloysi & Scott Graham, Barbara Grauke, and Sandy Feder. There were only 19 booths, located in different areas along a unidirectional path through the gardens (link to map). Booth spaces were 10 feet apart, masks & social distancing were required, and hand sanitizer was available in multiple locations. Filoli required advance ticket purchase so they could monitor the number of visitors and keep the attendance at an acceptable level. San Mateo County’s guidelines for outdoor sales were carefully followed. $100 booth fee plus 10% of sales (only if the artist had sold at least $500). April did some social media posting before the event but did not send out a postcard. Perhaps there are other Botanic Gardens that would consider hosting this type of event?
Barbara writes:
If you would please pass this information along to any ceramic artists,studios or galleries you feel might be interested. Also if you do
Trax is in its 25th year!
Due to the Covid 19 Pandemic the Epperson Gallery of Ceramic Art will be Closed until it is Safe to Open.
New Work from Esther Shimazu & Margaret Keelan
Here/Now | A Humble Legacy: Two Exhibitions of Yunomi
Here/Now: Contemporary Narrative and Form in the Yunomi is a ceramic cup invitational, which will consist of a small group of ceramic artists asked to construct a series of yunomi. The cylinder, being the root structure of most ceramic objects, leads to the yunomi, which can be playful and quickly made. The yunomi is a foundational form for most makers-inviting many options, directions, and intent. These are a range of contemporary vessel makers who are dedicated to rethinking traditional ideas. Using the cup as a launching point, this exhibition explores the historical ideal of the humble, anonymous Japanese potter juxtaposed with the American idealism of self-experience.
September 12 – October 24, 2020
Feminizing Brutalism: Ruby Neri and Her Giant Vessels
Get a behind-the-scenes look at how Bake Sum made a beautiful sponge cake inspired by a legendary “hundred flowers” vase from Qing-Dynasty
Pajaro Valley Arts presents Sierra Azul Nursery and Garden
Asian Art Museum – temporarily closed
Our next exhibition will be in November with Mike Helke, Kari Radasch,
Domesticated, through August 15
Making In Between: Contemporary Chinese American Ceramics examines the works of six first- and second-generation Chinese American ceramic artists from the United States and provides a basis for dialog and inter-cultural exchange during an era fraught with international tensions.
Without the shows and deadlines to bracket my daily life, it’s pretty easy to get lost in days of clay and pots, and that is an OK place to be. That they demand so much tending is a good thing. Their needs keep me grounded, and even though it, vertical, seems as though I rarely know what the actual day of the week is, the pots provide a different knowledge and rhythm that soothes. Time passes quite differently listening mostly to them.
The Davis Art Center exhibit: ACGA in Focus
On behalf of 
Hello All TRAX friends and fans! Summer is upon us.
Support the Arts from Home!
Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts
“Pandemic Transformation”
Creative Ceramics and Glass,
That re-classifying what is essential has become a topic of conversation is certainly one of the silver linings that have emerged as a result of this pandemic. It seems to me that is what nourishes us, food, connections with loved ones and access to beauty are main players.
Here at Nichibei, we resurrected our dormant Etsy shop ( 
Jennifer Perlmutter Fine Art
2020 NCECA JURIED STUDENT EXHIBITION ONLINE
Kathy Pallie, together with Julie Clements, Marsha Schindler and Arthur Gonzales, will be showing a body of work in the Epperson Gallery of Ceramic Art exhibition “Into the Woods”.
Linda S Fitz Gibbon currently has work in three exhibitions in the new year. Two pieces were selected for Craft Nouveau, An International Fine Craft Competition at the Blue Line Gallery, Roseville. The show runs thru March 7th. Linda participated in the artist lecture before the opening reception on 1/18. Three pieces, including “Spudzzup,” are exhibited in the Real/Surreal: Sacramento Artists Explore the Realms of Dream and Reality at Sacramento City Hall Robert T. Matsui Art Gallery, through March 16. Located in the H Street lobby of New City Hall, hours are 8 to 5, M – F. Four works from the action figure series were included in Artspace 1616’s 5th Anniversary Exhibition, 1616 Del Paso Blvd., Sacramento through the end of January.
From Susan Felix: ” Dear friends, “Here is an opportunity to watch excerpts of some of my interviews on BCM (Berkeley Public Television). They start a few seconds into the video. I would appreciate you taking the time to watch them. it will take less than five minutes. Please click the following link to watch. 
Jan Schachter will have consecutive displays of her work in San Mateo County, March 2- April 30 in the San Mateo City Hall, 330 W 20th Ave, San Mateo, CA 94403, open 8am-5pm weekdays. May 1 – June 30, in the San Mateo Public Library, 55 W 3rd Ave, San Mateo, CA 94402, open 10-9 M-Th, 10-5 Sat., 1-5 Sun www.janschachter.com
Natasha Dikareva exhibitions:
Thomas Arakawa’s exhibtions and activities: New work preview, American Craft Show, Baltimore 2020, February 21- February 2. Baltimore Convention Center;
Vicki Gunter is showing in WHAT LIES BENEATH, A National Clay Exhibit. thru March 15, 2020 at Epperson Gallery in Crockett Ca. 94525. Trading Places? is a clay recreation of a canary resuscitation cage used by some coal miners until 1987. Humanity is inside represented by a woman, man & child, made of smoldering coal. The canary atop the oxygen tank (r) is warning us we may be the next canaries-in-the-coal-mine if we don’t make revolutionary changes.
Tickets on sale now for the 11th Annual Chili Bowl Express Fundraiser!
ACGA members Kathy White and Mari Emori have both been chosen for the 2020 ICAN (International Ceramic Artists Network) Wall Calendar. Kathy’s Raku pot titled “Sunburst” and Mari Emori’s “Triskelion” have both been chosen for the 2020 ICAN Wall Calendar, Surface Collection. You can purchase the calendar online: 
“The City of Berkeley proclaimed the month of July 2019 to be Susan Felix Month and she was given Berkeley’s Lifetime Achievement award. The Mayor’s Proclamation reads “Susan Duhan Felix is an extraordinary award-winning artist and arts advocate… One of Felix’s proudest accomplishments as ambassador is having brought recognition to artists. In the early days, she selected individuals and appeared at their promotional events to announce that the day had been named after them…Eventually, a day grew to a month. ”
A special holiday thanks from MaryMar Keenan and the