For September, 2023, I organized a 3-week woodfiring workshop in Aomori, Japan at the Tsugaru Kanayama studios of my friend Ryoji Matsumiya. I have known Ryoji for over 20 years and have worked at Kanayama more than 15 times. Here is brief journal of our experiences.

Day 1: Kanayama Pottery was having a ceramics festival starting today for 9 days. Miki Shim-Rutter and Chelsea Fried both members of ACGA, Alan Lacovetsky from Manitoba and I demonstrated as our part of the festival activities. We had great fun interacting with visitors/customers.

Days 2 thru 7:  Making work and enjoying the pottery and town of Goshogawara.

We made many pieces: teapots, cups, bowls, vases, and tea bowls. We needed to stop making and allow these to dry enough to fire. We “once fire”, no bisque firing, so pieces needed to be bone dry when loaded. Since we “candle” overnight (low heat) we can put some smaller thinner pieces in that are not quite dry.

Days 8 thru 10:  Throwing, trimming and assembling continues, but we manage some sightseeing.

Visited the Jomon period archeological site, Sannai-Maruyama Museum. It contains the ruins of a very large Jōmon period settlement and thousands of pieces of pottery. 3900 BCE to 2000 BCE. Amazing.

The Goshogawara Nebuta Museum is a must visit. Every summer, the world’s tallest paper sculptures, known as Tachineputa, parade through Goshogawara City. The 23-meter-high illuminated creations, weighing 19 tons in total, feature legendary samurai warriors and folk heroes. They are pulled and pushed by up to 50 volunteers. Each sculpture takes an entire year to create.

Days 11 & 12:  Preparing and loading the kiln is a two-day effort. We were responsible for the first chamber, while the pottery staff loaded and fired the remaining three chambers. Loading in a tight space with fragile greenware (the pieces are only fired once) and heavy shelves is a strenuous job.  Miki and Alan loaded most of the ware with Chelsea and me selecting and passing work and shelves to them.  Thanks Miki and Alan.

Days 13 thru 15: Using pine wood, we maintained a rise of 30C per hour. Since the work is not glazed, this local clay must be fired to a high temperature (cone 13 flat) to be tableware. Working in two-person 4-hour shifts, we got to temperature in 24 hours. We then soaked the kiln at cone 13 and then added charcoal for color.

Day 16: While we waited for the kiln to cool for 3 to 5 days, we  now explored more of Aomori prefecture. Off to a hot springs onsen to relax and enjoy the country side. This onsen is a great experience in the winter with 6 feet of snow and only oil lamps for light at night.  This time I settled for a day visit.  Great local food.

A visit to the Hirosaki Castle gives you a feel of the samurai days. It is a hirayama-style Japanese castle constructed in 1611. Built on the top of a hill, it is easier to defend.

Days 16 thru 18: With time on our hands, we decided to go to Hakodate City on Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island. It is an easy fast shinkansen train ride from Aomori City. Hokkaido is famous for its seafood. Looming over the town is 334m-high Mount Hakodate. The mountain’s summit, reachable by aerial ropeway gondola, offers dramatic nighttime views. Alan and I stayed in a hotel in a washitsu, a Japanese-style room.  Very pleasant and relaxing.

Days 19 to 21: Returning to Kanayama, we cleaned our studio and residence. We made a quick stormy trip to the sea to savor fresh, grilled squid and an onsen by the sea. The day before we left, it was exciting to open kiln. The firing was a success, meaning we were happy with many pieces and learned from our mistakes and experiments.

We were blessed with good friends, good weather, good clay and a good firing.

The amphora is an ancient clay vessel with a pointed base used to transport wine, honey, pickles, olive oil, and more, on ships. As a potter and archeology buff, I wanted to know why it was the shape it is and how it was constructed.

Why is it pointed? Let’s get this question out of the way— it’s not to stick it in the sand, which is the biggest misconception. After all, clay vessels are not known to run away from their owners, nor needing to be balanced if they had a flat foot.

This question vexed me ever since my childhood in Lebanon. The country’s seaside is dotted with ancient trading ports and whenever there was a construction dig, these amphoras, or amphorae, other clay vessels and ancient artifacts would undoubtedly be found.

Fast forward thirty some years, I was done with my Master’s degree in engineering and contemplating whether to go for my PhD.

But I realized those learning ceramics in the university I was going were having way so much more fun than they would be in the engineering department. I was jealous… and the decision was made, no PhD and ceramic courses at the local junior college, it is.

So why are amphoras pointy? The answer is purely functional and for a very smart reason: maritime transport. They were stacked in layers in the hull of a ship and one piece would stack in the space between four amphoras at the layer beneath. See image left: it’s key to note that the floor of the ship was not flat, and having a small, pointed base allowed the vessels to adjust to the topography of the floor and optimize stacking!

This formation provided a secure structure in the hull of a boat which would undoubtedly be unstable during navigation especially in severe weather conditions.
So that’s it? Is that all there is to an amphora? Of course not, these unique vessels hold a trove of knowledge about ancient trade routes, economies, and standardization.

Thanks to modern archeology, a pottery shard can hold a wealth of knowledge about trade routes and sometimes content of the vessel.

How about for storage? This seems to be an efficient way to store liquids. That, however, seem to be less likely, as they were very porous. They were used at maximum twice for transport, then broken into a big mountain size pile, aka amphora graveyard!

Note: Tree resin residue was found in some amphoras seemed to have been an attempt to seal the surface and negate the porosity. The resin, however, changed the taste of the wine and made it less savory.

So that’s it? Is that all there is to an amphora? Of course not, these unique vessels hold a trove of knowledge about ancient trade routes, economies, and standardization.

Thanks to modern archeology, a pottery shard can hold a wealth of knowledge about trade routes and sometimes content of the vessel.

But how on earth can a mere shard have any telltale clues about where it came from? It’s the fascinating process of ceramics petrography where engineering meets archeology. An arche-ologist finds a shard on the shores of Crimea, gets excited beyond belief and takes it to the lab. After careful cleaning, a sample is then extracted from the shard and ground to less than 100 microns fine grain (A micron is 1/1000 of a millimeter). The mineral and metallic contents ratios are then examined under a real fancy microscope and recorded.

These ratios are well documented to specific regions and specific kiln sites throughout the Mediterranean and Black Sea. The archeologist is now ecstatic to know that the shard is from a Sinopean Carrot (because it looks like a carrot) amphora from a city called Sinop in modern day Turkiye.

Modern science is now also allowing us to extract samples of the content that came in contact with the shard: olive oil, honey, wine, pickles, etc.

Now that we know that these vessels played a crucial role in ancient trade, we can use that knowledge to infer the significance and size of economies.

Much to the chagrin of their sailors and to the joy of modern day archeologists, complete shipwrecks are often found in the bottom of these trade routes. Considering the size of the cargo, possible content, origin and destination, how many trips can the weather allow per year and other factors, archeologists can estimate the size of the trade and the wealth of a region as sometimes corroborated with historical accounts and clay tablets.

A shipwreck might have held 200 amphorae but how was the value determined? When a merchant buys 200 Byzantine amphorae, they need to know the exact amount of wine they are getting.

When the Byzantine Church chipped in 2 large cargos of wine from their vineyards to finance Heraclius’ war against the Persian empire in the 7th century, they needed to keep track of that wine quantity so that Heraclius will never hear the end of it. https://medlab.stanford.edu/projects/yassiada

A method of standardization must then be in place. In other words, a gallon of milk is the same quantity of milk wherever the one gallon unit is used. This means that the volume has to be the same, and so is the case for these amphoras. This prompts another conversation about forming methods with which a potter can produce same size/volume amphora and within what accuracy, why a certain shape was used vs. another, how fast can they be produced, etc.

Clay vessels are now at the heart of the topic of standardization in antiquity. Archeologists employ cutting edge modern technologies to conduct fascinating studies on this topic.

The Yassiada shipwreck is one of the two cargos from the Byzantine church that did not survive the trip and its content is researched extensively by the MedLab at Stanford University Department of Classics.

THROWING AN AMPHORA

You can’t possibly throw a pointy bottom form like that, on a wheel, and I couldn’t get straightforward answers on the web. The best I could do was to speculate, test on the wheel and access academic papers. A small to mid size wheel thrown amphora is likely thrown in 3 steps:

https://medlab.stanford.edu/projects/amphora-standardization

Step 1: Form the top 80-90% of the body as usual.

Step 2: Flip it upside down on a chuck after the top dries and then use the (still wet) bottom portion to form the pointy bottom.

Step 3: Attach handles.

But this was not always the case for different shapes and sizes. Some amphorae held 50 litres and they would be impossible to throw on the wheel. Remember, no electric wheels back then and it becomes a tour de force to center 25 lbs on a kick wheel. Potters then need to resort to coil/throw, coil/paddle,  throw/paddle, multiple sections techniques to achieve bigger volumes and certain shapes.

Archeologists today have cutting edge technologies that allow them to perform detailed 3D scans of the inside and outside of the amphorae. Advanced geometry healing algorithms are then used to smooth out nicks and materials build up on the surface of the vessel to get an accurate representation of size, volume, thickness, forming methods.

About the author: Khaled Nikro is a daytime engineer and nighttime potter. He teaches and fires at Higher Fire in San Jose.

In San Geronimo, two monumental vertebrate obelisks stand sentinel in front of the home of sculptor, performance artist and professor Nathan Lynch.  Scattered in their glossy presence are dozens more. Puffed-up podiums and deflated, cratered soap boxes, a five-foot-tall drooping trophy, bathtubs with ceramic bubbles at their feet and an army of amorphous blobs that look equal parts Dr. Seuss and David Cronenberg, depending on where you stand.

Lynch, whose work is currently on view in a three-person exhibition organized by the design firm Studio Ahead  for the SF-based Jones Institute, has been the chair of the ceramics program at California College of the Arts since 2006. Wry and nonchalant, the 49-year-old has a professorial demeanor and abundant energy, evidenced by the work strewn across his property. He approaches art with humor and invites interaction. His sculptures often comment on politics and environmentalism—or the folly that can come with both.

“I think a lot of my work has to do with Americans and their well-intentioned efforts going awry.  A lot of these sculptures look like they were inflated and then collapsed. Whether it’s fitness, economics, politics or that salmon ladder on the golf course, it comes up all the time—the folly of improvement. And I’m not being critical, but it’s good to laugh at it. Something about the unlimited aspiration of humans to make things better is endlessly amusing to me.”

Lynch’s work is informed by his upbringing in a conservative pocket of Washington State, where the duck-hunting, football-playing, nuclear-bomb-building ethos has provided plenty of creative fodder in the years since he left. His hometown, Pasco, just minutes away from Hanford, is where three other iconic Bay Area artists (William T. Wiley, Robert Hudson, and William Allan) grew up and where the plutonium for the “Fat Man” bomb dropped on Nagasaki was manufactured.

In school, Lynch was precocious and engaged in various DIY art projects. His first was a waist-high papier-mâché Noid—the alien-like Domino’s Pizza mascot that bounced across television screens during commercial breaks, but was discontinued after it sparked a hostage crisis in the 1980s. Years later, on a family trip, he found a how-to book at an ice cream shop for different papier-mâché monsters and mythical creatures. It taught various techniques for sculpting and a diverse selection of creatures of which Lynch made dozens—scaly green lizards, some as tall as himself, with big, goofy grins. After a high school summer program at Carnegie Mellon University, he decided sculpting was his path. “Being up late in the studio by myself was kind of like a high I hadn’t experienced before,” he said.

After he graduated high school, Pasco’s local paper, The Tri-City Herald, published a full-page feature headlined “Monster talent: Pasco sculptor molds promising future in arts with crazy creatures.” He told the Herald about his inspirations—humor, absurdity and conversation starters.

Lynch had his choice of schools but eventually decided on the University of Southern California for its forward-thinking approach and proximity to Hollywood. (He initially intended to study special effects.) In his first semester, he signed up for an introductory ceramics class with Ken Price, the legendary abstract ceramicist best known for applying multiple layers of paint (rather than traditional glazing) to his sculptures.

At the time, the divide between pottery and ceramic sculpture was deep.  Lynch recalled visiting SF State, where one professor told him ceramicists don’t “paint” their work, period.  Price, however, was operating differently,  applying auto-body lacquer to his work in the late 1950s in L.A.  “Pottery people thought that was really sacrilegious,” Lynch said. “I wasn’t raised like that, though.  As I see it, you could use bubblegum or piss or wax to make the work you want.”

Price recognized Lynch’s potential.  However, he wouldn’t find another teacher who made as much of an impression until he attended Mills College for graduate school. There, he met Price’s friend and contemporary, Ron Nagle, a sculptor of equal stature. “At the time,” Nagle recalled, “ceramics was pretty narrow in terms of what was expected, but Nathan broke out doing all kinds of neat stuff.  He became extremely prolific, started to develop his own style based on stuff he had been exposed to.”

At Mills, Lynch collaborated with dancers, musicians and other artists, inspiring a foray into performance art.  On stage, Lynch felt uneasy and vulnerable. To counteract those feelings, he began wearing an orange moped helmet. “If you already look dorky or stupid, it gives you permission to make a fool of yourself,” he said. “ By making himself vulnerable, he became “more open.”

Lynch moved to the East Coast in 1999 after grad school. There, between 2001 and 2004, he embarked on his first lengthy performance project, Where is your Wheel, in which he wore his orange helmet and walked through cities (New York, Boston, Washington, D.C.,  Las Vegas, Aspen, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Berkeley, Edinburgh) and small towns tugging a long thick rope attached to a two-foot-diameter pine wheel.  On his website, he describes the performance as “a hybrid of Neanderthal activity, dog walking, and drag racing…intended to question the habits and patterns of American culture. It was an idiosyncratic act focused on interaction with the public and aimed to challenge their perception of rationality. What began as a simple Fluxus gesture evolved into an examination of American culture, with increasing references to the environment, energy costs, and transportation.”

“People would be like, ‘What are you doing?’ and I’d be like, ‘I’m going to the post office, what are you doing?’ If you tell someone it’s art, they don’t try to solve the puzzle; they just put it in this category of things they don’t understand,” Lynch said. “Think of this guy in his big American muscle car showing it off.  In a sense, it was kind of like the inverse of that.”

In 2002, when Lynch was at a residency in Snowmass, Colo., he applied for a teaching position at CCA. After working part-time for four years, he became chair of the ceramics program. The promotion changed his life, allowing him freedom to model his classes on anything ceramics-related. Examples include classes he’s taught about San Francisco Bay mud and the ceramic shorebird nests he made for the Farallones, Año Nuevo Island and Oahu. “I really enjoy thinking
about what the stranger corners could be, would be, should be or might be,” he said. “Open doors, open hearts, say yes to everybody.”

The expansive environments of USC and Mills inspired him to hire teachers who would do the same at CCA. Over his two decades of teaching, he has fostered a new generation of cutting-edge ceramic sculptors. Woody De Othello, for example, was featured in the Whitney Biennial last year and has been lauded in this publication and others (Artforum and the New York Times) for his experimentation with materials and processes. It all began, says the Oakland sculptor and painter, under Lynch’s tutelage.
“Nathan is bulletproof,” said De Othello, who graduated from CCA in 2017. “He’d let you know that you don’t necessarily need to have all of the language as you process things, but you can trust the impetus with making rather than having the reason or logic to make something. He’s a force out here in the clay community and clay culture. To this day, I’ll still ask him about stuff.”
Inverness resident Mariah Nielson started studying architecture at CCA the same year Lynch was hired. She became familiar with his work when she asked if he would fabricate a line of ceramic cups modeled after hand-crafted sets created by her father, JB Blunk. He declined the job but referred her to another studio. Last year, Nielson curated Same Blue as the Sky, Studio Ahead’s first exhibit that featured the work of Lynch and other Marin County artists.

“There’s real humor there,” Nielson said of his work. “The shapes and the propositions and the suggestions. “His work really slips between the functional and the decorative, and I think he enjoys that slippage.” Lynch said prioritizing experience over functionality drives his creativity. “When I was a student, if I made something remotely functional, somebody’s always going to put a fucking flower in it: ‘Oh, it’s a vase!’ If there’s an openness or invitation, that opens up a new thing for me. For me, [a piece is] not finished until a person is interacting with it.”

Doubledrink, a three-foot-tall drinking fountain he made for the Headlands Center for the Arts, features a large basin with two spigots. The piece, commissioned in 2017, requires users to face each other as they awkwardly slurp water. In 2014, Lynch was asked to contribute to Yerba Buena Center for the Arts’ seventh Bay Area Now triennial. The tall, shimmering sculptures that now sit on either side of his driveway were part of Dead Reckoning, an interactive exhibition that addressed the precarity of human existence amid environmental and economic fragility. The forms, Lynch said, reference buoys. “San Francisco was really lost coming out of the housing crisis, and I was making these markers for finding our way,” he said. “There are a number of different buoy meanings. The best one is the unknown hazard—the one that says, ‘There’s something below here and we don’t know what it is.’”

“The Lily Too Shall Function” features work by Nathan Lynch, John Gnorski and Jessica Switzer Green @ the Jones Institute through December 10, 2023. A film by Pavló Fedorov documenting their work screens @ Minnesota Street Project, also to December 10. Artists’ talk: November 16 at 6 pm @ MSP. A version of this article appeared in the November 2, 2023 edition of the Point Reyes Light. Reprinted with permission from David Briggs, Editor.

About the Author: Sam Mondros is an Inverness-based writer and staff reporter for the Point Reyes Light. When he’s not covering western Marin County’s breaking news, he’s exploring its arts and cultural movements, highlighting the importance of legacy and place.

I have been working with clay since I was 4 years old in the basement of a ceramicist in Queens, N.Y.  Here is a piece my mother saved for me!!

I did a little clay as I grew & up a bit in High School, but I guess it never let go of me.

I graduated from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst with a B.S. in Microbiology in 1963.

I think my education in the sciences enhanced my abilities as a potter to deal with the glaze components and weigh and mix my own glazes. I returned to clay part time shortly after college and attended numerous classes at Greenwich House Pottery, New York City, Old Church Cultural Center, Demerest, New Jersey and Clay Art Center, Port Chester, New York. In 1977, I was the founding director of The Gallery at Hastings on Hudson, a non-profit municipal gallery. I was also a founding member of the Hudson River Potters, a potters mutual support group. My family and I moved to California in 1978, and I have been a full time potter ever since. I have had pots in numerous national & international exhibitions.

When we moved to Palo Alto in 1978, I immediately found the Palo Alto Cultural Center, now Art Center, ceramic studio, and that got me going full time. I met a more experienced potter there from Ohio, Kathy Veverka, and together we rented an old garage in Mountain View on Old Middlefield Way. We bought an Olsen 24 kiln kit, put in the gas line and set to work.  Kathy was only there a few years, and she moved back east, but I sustained the studio myself.  Of course, the property got developed, so my next studio was in the office of a vacant lumber yard in Palo Alto on Homer Street – right off of El Camino. I moved the Olsen 24 and got it going.   This is where the Palo Alto Medical Foundation is now located. A move was a must. In 1993  my husband & I bought a wonderful house in Portola Valley.  It did not have a space adaptable to a studio, but we built one behind the garage.  Having rented a couple of spaces, I knew exactly what I wanted, and we built it from scratch – and of course, I moved my Olsen 24 again.  That makes it over 40 years old – and with some gentle repairs – it still fires great.  I used to bisque in my Olsen, but got an electric kiln for bisque when I started my PV studio.

Through the years I have done extensive travel over much of the world and always focused on the local crafts – and of course especially ceramics. My other crafts passion has been textiles. I learned to sew, knit, embroider, crochet and weave.  I still do some mending.  My handles & lids have a bit of a textile base.  But the big move was when I started ‘weaving’ extruded coils of clay into ‘plates’ or wall hangings.  Here is a closeup of one from 2006 and a picture of one of my newest ones.

I primarily make pots for everyday use; each is a subtle variation of a form – usually created in a series. I am a perfectionist (as much as the process allows) and am constantly in search of the perfect surface and ideal form while striving to create pots that have life and vitality. I love having the opportunity to fire in a wood kiln and make special work for that to take advantage of the ash and heat.

I joined ACGA in 1982 or so, after seeing an exhibition of ACGA artists at the Palo Alto Cultural Center. The jurying was of course ‘live’ and it was done in the Le Beau Gallery (not sure I have that name spelled right) in downtown San Francisco.  I have vague memories of setting up my work on the landing of the stairway within the gallery.  I was asked to join the board fairly early on, and became the recording secretary briefly a treasurer, a Vice President, and then President from 1991 – 1993.

In addition to being a potter, I am an advocate for crafts and the life of a crafts person. I was on the Board of Directors of the Craft Emergency Relief Fund (now CERF+) from 1992-1997 and on the Advisory Board of Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts in Maine for 2 years. I was on the board of the Palo Alto Art Center Foundation for 10 years and was co-president in 2009-10.  In addition, I am on the Editorial Advisory Board of ‘Ceramics Monthly’.

Submitted by Jan Schachter

In 2018, International Cultural Exchange Week was created by Miki Shim with support from Palo Alto Art Center with the invitation of two Korean Ceramic artists and Adam Field presenting workshops, demos and exhibitions at Palo Alto Art Center, Higher Fire in San Jose and Sonoma Community Center. The concept was to invite international ceramic artists and pair with other renown US artists practicing similar artforms. The following year, 2019, four renown Chinese ceramic artists and Hsin Chuen-Lin presented workshops and demos in Palo Alto and Sonoma, plus 10 visiting Chinese artists were invited to exhibit at the Art Center. A third event was scheduled for 2020, highlighting Japanese artist, ceramics, Ikebana and tea culture. But COVID shut us down.

The re-imagined International Ceramics Exchange (ICEX) returns to the vibrant city of San Francisco. Hosted at the SOMArts Cultural Center, this three-day event promises a unique cultural journey into the heart of Korean ceramic artistry that transcends time and tradition.

ICEX: International Ceramics Exchange

Come join us at SOMArts in San Francisco, CA, USA

for an unforgettable cultural experience!

Immerse yourself in the captivating world of Korean ceramics as the International Ceramics Exchange (ICEX) 2024 returns to the vibrant city of San Francisco. Hosted at the SOMArts Cultural Center, this three-day event promises a unique cultural journey into the heart of Korean ceramic artistry that transcends time and tradition.

ICEX 2024 proudly presents six distinguished Korean ceramic artists, each a master of their craft, converging in San Francisco to share their expertise, innovative techniques, and rich cultural influences. Join us for an exploration of the ancient and contemporary as these artists— Kim YoungSoo, Kim InTae, Kim JaeBeom, Shin YoungTaek, Lee SangHun, and Lee JinWook, unveil some of the secrets behind their renowned creations.

Discover the diversity of Korean ceramics as these artists showcase specialties such as Naked Raku, Buncheong, Traditional Coil & Throw, Porcelainware, Cobalt Painting, Sanggam, and Korean Traditional woodfire techniques. Through engaging demonstrations and insightful presentations, guests will gain an intimate understanding of the artists’ processes, bringing to life the intricacies of this ancient art form.

This exchange transcends borders, offering a rare opportunity to witness the fusion of tradition and innovation in Korean ceramics. Whether you are a seasoned ceramic enthusiast, a collector, or a business looking to align with the arts, ICEX 2024 invites you to be part of this important cultural event.

For more information and to secure your participation, click the link below to purchase general admission tickets. There are additional options to become a VIP attendee or Sponsor, as well.

Your journey into the enchanting world of Korean ceramics awaits!

Friday Night Artist Reception and Exhibition
March 29th, 6-8pm, SOMArts Main Gallery, SF
Free and open to the public
Meet the artists and see their works on exhibition in the main gallery. RSVP requested by registering for the event.

https://bit.ly/icex2024

Saturday and Sunday Open Demo and Exhibition
March 30-31, 11am – 4pm, SOMArts Main Gallery, SF
Ticket holders will have the rare opportunity to watch the artists work in an open demonstration setting. A “spotlight” schedule will allow each of the artists to offer short demos or presentations throughout the weekend.

Artists’ work will also be displayed and offered for sale with 100% of the sales proceeds going to the artists.

https://bit.ly/icex2024

All events will be held at SOMArts, Main Gallery.
934 Brannan St, San Francisco.

Miki Shim is a small batch ceramic artist working in her home studio in San Carlos, California. Since relocating to the Bay Area from Chicago, Illinois, she spent 7 years at the Palo Alto Art Center as Associate Programming Coordinator, served as a board member of Association of Clay and Glass Artists of California (ACGA) and also on the board of Orchard Valley Ceramic Artists Guild (OVCAG), she has lead many programs to bring the ceramics community together through education and inspired engagements. Currently, she is a committed instructor at local ceramics studios, travels to teach workshops, and produces ceramics focused tours in the US and South Korea.

Submitted by Miki Shim : www.mikisr.com

Beth Gabow

I am a ceramic artist who works out of an amazing studio full of creative ceramicists in the heart of San Francisco. My focus is on functional pottery. All of my pottery is wheel thrown using stoneware or porcelain clay bodies and fired to a high temperature.

My functional pottery is as much about how it feels as it is about how it looks. I am especially interested in and fascinated with surface treatments, particularly carving. Sometimes I plan out a carving but most often I have no idea where it will end up, and it is this process of discovery that is so exciting to me. Each piece is carved without rulers or measurements resulting in unique designs with imperfections and differences.

Global travels inspire much of my work. I am drawn to the aesthetics of indigenous design and vibrant colors.

My work has been featured in various art shows and fairs (see below for a list).  Sign the email list to stay in contact and be notified of upcoming shows and new pieces ready for sale.

Eri Sugimoto

Form, pattern, and texture—these are the significant elements of my work. Through the paper resist technique, I am always exploring an infinite variety of combinations of clay and slip that maximize the appeal of these elements.

I design and hand-cut distinct paper patterns for each artwork. Then, using the ceramic body of the piece as a canvas, I lay out these paper patterns on it. After applying the original slip or glaze slip (which I make) over it, I peel off the patterns. Before the bisque and the final firing, I add the finishing touches carefully and repeatedly by hand.

In my work, I make two-dimensional patterns look three-dimensional through the placement of the design on the organic curve. The asymmetry and dynamic composition in my work was influenced by my experience of studying Japanese Middle Age art on folding screens, ink paintings, sliding screen paintings, and illustrated scrolls in my early days as an art history student.

I was born in Tokyo and raised in Yokohama, Japan. In my final year as an art history student at university, I decided to enroll in a design school, which opened the way to my creativity. Following design school, I began my career as an industrial designer. Then, I completed a master’s degree in industrial design. While working as an industrial designer again in Tokyo, I encountered the world of clay and started learning hand-building at a ceramic studio. After moving to the United States in 2005, I began learning wheel throwing. Since then, I have been enjoying and challenging my creativity in my studio in Orange County, CA.

The de Young Open 2023 runs through January 7, 2024, at the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park, which stands as the pinnacle of exhibitions hosted by the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco. This grand display showcases 883 carefully selected artworks out of 7,766 submissions. The presentation adopts a “salon-style” layout, arranging pieces nearly edge to edge in multiple rows to offer the broadest representation possible.

Focused exclusively on art crafted within the past three years by Bay Area artists, the exhibition’s thematic groupings highlight the diverse artistic expressions found in the region. Spanning various mediums and styles, it serves as a testament to the rich and varied talent thriving within the Bay Area. Artists exhibiting their work in one of the nation’s premier museums not only gain prestige but also have the opportunity to sell their pieces, keeping 100% of the proceeds. View Web Gallery

Among the featured artists, the exhibition showcases sculptures by ACGA members Scott Jennings (#585) and Mari Emori (#559).

Since its unveiling in late September, the exhibition has garnered rave reviews by local and international media.

“It’s a dizzying, bursting-at-the-seams extravaganza of an exhibition, designed through an open call process to take the pulse of what local artists are thinking and making.” — The New York Times

“Instead of gatekeeping, the de Young has thrown its doors open. Instead of featuring two or three major name national or international artists for ‘blockbuster’ fall exhibitions, the de Young placed its emphasis on local artists–and did they ever respond!” — Forbes

“It’s a dazzling tsunami of painting, drawing, printmaking, fiber, photography, sculpture, video, and digital art.” — Hyperallergic

The de Young Open 2023 remains a must-see, concluding on January 7, 2024. Admission is free to all on Saturdays, although entry to the exhibition on Saturdays requires a timed ticket. Don’t miss the opportunity to experience this extraordinary showcase of Bay Area creativity.

Submitted by Mari Emori

Now is the time to nominate yourself or another ACGA member for a seat on the Board of Directors. The ballot will go out in early January, and votes will be tallied by January 20. Results will be announced via email and at the All-Member Meeting on Saturday, January 27. The election is for a two-year term.

Our Board is a vibrant, creative group of ACGA members who enjoy working together to run the organization. We oversee exhibitions, social media and newsletter content, membership, the annual Clay and Glass Festival, finances and budgeting, twice-a-year festival juries, website content, and anything else that strengthens the ACGA community.

Joining the Board is an excellent way to add your voice and opinions as we navigate toward our goals. Monthly meetings are held via Zoom, and because we now meet online instead of in person, we’re looking for nominations from anywhere in the state.

Consider putting your name or the name of another member on the ballot this year.

Submitted by Sally Jackson, ACGA Secretary

Dive into her beautiful world with us as she shares with you her techniques for creating stencils made from your own designs. She will cover what materials to use, how to transfer your artwork to the stencil material, how to cut out stencils, including what details to emphasize when creating stencils. From simple to complex, these stencils can be re-used over and over so you can swiftly and easily create colorful artwork on your ceramic surfaces.

Witness the magic as Diana showcases the application of these stencils using colorful underglazes on both flat and curved, leather-hard clay surfaces. Delve deeper by exploring the layering technique with multiple colors and discover how to create mesmerizing relief images that breathe life into your pottery.

On the second day Diana will guide you through more advanced ways to use stencils to create even more depth and richness to your clay surfaces. She will show you how to incorporate stencils with her lo-tech newsprint transfer method, how to use carving to enhance your stencil images and how to incorporate overall color onto your clay surfaces. To round out the workshop, Diana will also share how she uses glaze to create yet another layer of interest.

Join us for this special and  immersive experience with a master visiting artist, and take home not just pottery but a newfound skill set to elevate your artistic expression!

This is a 2 part workshop that can be taken as a 1 or 2 day workshop.

Visit the Nichibei Potters showroom in Sebastopol Ca to see our latest offerings. Mugs, bowls, carved work and more!

1991 Burnside Rd., Sebastopol, CA hours hours December 16 & 17, Saturday & Sunday, 10 to 4

FRIDAY, SATURDAY & SUNDAY, JAN 26–28, 2024, 10AM–5PM

In this three-day, hands-on workshop, Berkeley-based master potters Sandy Simon and Bob Brady will demonstrate and work with participants to teach their techniques for throwing, creating new forms, trimming methods and surface decoration and resolution.  Bob will demonstrate dry-throwing for bowls of all sizes, drawing through slip, paper stenciling with slips, foot-trimming techniques, various forms of thrown and altered vases, large thrown jar forms and cups. Sandy will demonstrate how she works with porcelain, focusing on lids of all kinds and how to make inside and outside flanges. We’ll be working with Cone 9/10 stoneware and porcelain. Expect lively conversation and discussion about life as full-time potters, running a gallery and the different ways they approach working in clay.

Bob Brady is a San Francisco Bay Area sculptor who works in ceramics and wood. Brady came out of the California Clay movement and the Bay Area Arts scene of the 1950’s and 60’s, which includes artists such as Peter Voulkos, Viola Frey, Stephen de Staebler, and Robert Arneson, who was his mentor and teacher in college. Brady attended the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland before entering the University of California, Davis, where he received his MFA in 1975. Brady has lectured and taught workshops nationally and internationally and was a Professor of Art at California State University, Sacramento for 33 years. His work is in numerous private and public collections.

Sandy Simon was a student at the University of Minnesota in the late 60′s studying under Warren MacKenzie and Curt Hoard, having contemporaries such as Mark Pharis, Wayne Branum, Michael Simon,and Randy Johnston as her classmates. Sandy is a studio potter and in 1994 opened TRAX Gallery in Berkeley, CA to provide greater representation for ceramicists dedicated to utility.

Advanced-Beginner to Intermediate Wheel-Throwing Skills are required.

Cost: $500  (PS members & PS students $425)

Enrollment is limited.

To Register for this workshop:

email events@berkeleypottersstudio.org.

Submitted by Sandy Simon

TRAX is having a big back yard sale on Sat., Dec. 23rd.

Great deals on pots by many different potters, some seconds, clearance of many wonderful thigns, greatly reduced pricing on all pieces.  Cash and Carry

Submitted by Sandy Simon

www.traxgallery.com, info@traxgallery.com

KATHY PALLIE is pleased to announce that three of her “Facets of Light” ceramic artworks will be in The Small Works Exhibit at Art Works Downtown Gallery at 1337 Fourth St., San Rafael.

The exhibition can be viewed Nov. 18 -Jan. 20, 2024.  Thursday – Sunday 1 – 8pm.

There will be an artist reception linked with art walk Jan. 12 from 5:00. -8:00.

Carolyn Means passed away peacefully September 10, 2023 in her home in San Anselmo.

Carolyn grew up in Connecticut and went to Wellesley College in Massachusetts majoring in English literature. After colleges she moved to California and taught 3rd grade in the East Bay. Carolyn took a pottery class at Richmond Art Center, and she enjoyed it so much that she continued, finally becoming a potter herself, Moving to San Francisco, buying her own house in Noe Valley, she built a high fire gas kiln in her backyard. She participated in the San Francisco art and craft shows at the SF civic center plaza, and also in the SF Potters Association sales during the 70’s and 80”s in the hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park, continuing in those sales at the Palo Alto Cultural Center. Carolyn traveled to Italy in the early 80”s and helped set up a ceramics course in an old flower pot factory which was part of the Scuola di Visione in Tuscania led by the painter, Rudolf Kortokraks. He had been first assistant to Oskar Kokoschka at the Summer Academy for Art in Salzburg and continued the school in Tuscania Italy.

Carolyn finally moved to San Anselmo and moved her Pier 9 pottery to Point Reyes Station. Carolyn loved to work hard,   to experiment with her ash glazes, getting the results she wanted. In Point Reyes she fired with a large Quile gas kiln. She had transitioned from her copper red glazes to both Shino and ash glazes. She had a devoted following that came to her sales in SF, Palo Alto also and at her studio in Point Reyes. Carolyn had a major exhibition at the Bolinas Museum a few years ago. It was very successful and nearly all the pieces were sold.

Carolyn had a great love of the Italian language and loved reading books by contemporary Italian authors in their own language. She also found inspiration in the colors of the local Italian landscape, sketching and drawing with carefully chosen colored oil pastels from the high end art shops in Florence or Rome. Working with Kortokraks, she discovered about making pictures on paper at which she worked hard. I think all this influenced her pottery.

Carolyn leaves behind many beautiful pots and many devoted friends.

Submitted by Mardi Wood

Our communications tools now allow members to post their news items directly to the ACGA News Blog, for daily publication. Posts must be admin-approved and may take up to 48 hours to appear in the blog. Incomplete submissions may take longer. The web-based news blog is a living document and posts items in the order they are published. You can scroll through the entire history of the ACGA News here: https://acga.net/acga-news/.

In addition, our monthly ACGA newsletter is emailed to approximately 5500 subscribers. This news is less time-sensitive than more immediate forms of communication such as the news blog and our social media accounts on Instagram and Facebook.

Social media is the most effective and most instantaneous way to reach your audience, provide a platform that can be posted to repeatedly and often. We encourage members to cultivate their own social media accounts on facebook and instagram, to build your own audience and market your wares. We are happy to amplify your message to our followers from time to time when the following conditions are met:

• Captions must include who, what, where, when details.
• Posts must relate to something a collector or student can engage with such as a gallery event, an open studio, or an upcoming sale. Posts that lack context will not be reposted.
• We will not repost items projecting more than 2 weeks in the future.
• Posts should be tagged @theacga to ensure we can find them

ACGA social media accounts have more than 17,000 followers, so following these guidelines could be valuable to you. News items must be written in grammatically correct form, include all details including names (first and last) of members involved, links to artist websites or social media, studio or gallery locations and hours of operation.

Be aware that we have over 350 members and will strive to be fair and equitable, and to showcase the wide variety of accomplished artists who comprise our group. Publication is not guaranteed, and is not a perquisite of membership. If you have an event with frequent updates or an extended window of time, we expect you to manage your news on your end and we may or may not repost at our discretion.

CLICK HERE FOR SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

California has been in the midst of a climate crisis for years. Wildfires are a part of the state’s ecology, and have been documented in newspaper reports since the late 19th century. According to the state agency CAL FIRE, which began tracking fires in earnest in 1932, eight of the state’s 10 largest wildfires have occurred in the last five years. Moreover, two of the state’s worst wildfires on record were in Northern California. The August Complex Fire in 2020 and the Dixie Fire in 2021burned a combined total of 2 million acres, leaving ecological and economic devastation. Wildfires destroy everything in their path, denuding vegetation, killing wildlife, and wiping out homes and businesses. Charred soil and burnt timbers remain only to wash away during the annual spring rains, furthering erosion and the scope of the environmental tragedy. California has been at the forefront of climate change, experiencing its impact and forging solutions.
In 2000, sculptor and potter Scott Parady purchased 80 formerly-logged acres 100 miles north of San Francisco with a plan to develop a wood-firing program while applying sustainable land practices. Over the years, he established an ecologically sensitive settlement with active kilns, residents’ housing, and a homestead. His resourceful environmental approach purposefully addressed the severe dryness in Northern California, which leads to more extensive burning as fires quickly consume tinder-dry vegetation. In the tradition of other Northern Californian artists like J.B. Blunk (1926-2002) in nearby Inverness and Marguerite Wildenhain (1896-1985) near Guerneville, whose historic potteries and studios were sites of cultural influence, Parady constructed and renovated buildings while attending to the land acre by acre. Cobb Mountain Art & EcologyProject emerged, supporting ceramic artists while reinvigorating the climate-challenged region.

Scott Parady, “Tree Tumblers,” 2015. Stoneware, 6 ½ x 3 inchesdiameter (each). Photo courtesy of Scott Parady.

Parady has experienced firsthand the devastation wildfires cause. In 2015 the Valley Fire rapidly swept through a corner of his property, threatening his homestead and all he had built. Cobb Mountain Art & Ecology Project survived in part due to Parady’s proactive measures, like establishing firebreaks and, as he describes, “burning ahead of the big burn” as a part of adapting to new climate realities. Whereas Blunk and Wildenhain could reliably develop their remote art practices in the1940s –1980s without wildfire threats, similar art ventures today face an uncertain ecological future.

Parady collaborates with many organizations including the Forest Stewardship Committee, Lake County Prescribed Burn Association, and the Clearlake Environmental Research Center, which uses his property as an example of good resource stewardship.

All of these organizations are important in developing informed responses to climate-induced fires and floods. He also consults with registered foresters, biologists, and Native Pomo leaders regarding their successful fire resiliency practices. He strives to nurture a place, “where the ideas of the ancient past meet the intentions for the distant future,” an idea borrowed from Robert Smithson, sculptor of “Spiral Jetty,” 1970. Parady prepares the land by burning miles of firebreaks and extensively thinning trees. Reforestation of endangered native flora like the Indigenous Cobb Mountain Lupine also contribute to land regeneration and natural biodiversity.

This ecologically-centered mindset influences his work as a ceramic artist. Six kilns operate on the property, the largest being his well-protected anagama which he built with artists in residence. Drought-stressed trees killed by beetle infestation provide much of the wood fuel needed to stoke an eight-day firing. This stewardship of materials and land also reflects Parady’s respect for traditional Japanese ceramics and wood kiln practices. In discussing his art practice, he has noted, “For me, [the work] has to reflect the experiences of the maker and the place that inspired it.” Renderings of specific trees from Parady’s property appear on his tumblers, illustrating this idea. Imperfect, leaning conifers and their weathered lifecycles are visually commemorated on clay. The wall sculpture, “GravityFeed,” 2021, conveys a resilient ecology through the wood-firing process and the deliberately charred and unexpected imperfections in the sculptural form. Both his wood-fired vessels and sculptures embody Parady’s symbiotic process. The volatile tool of fire, for both forestry care and ceramic practice, has aligned his pursuit of creativity with sustainability.

As an insightful steward, thoughtful leader, and prolific artist, Parady engages with Northern California’s changing climate and addresses environmental truths in his ceramic practice.He is an accomplished artist and steadfast environmentalist who also heads the ceramic department at California State University, Sacramento, where he shares his methodology with future generations of artists. His blended approach to art and ecology fosters biodiversity while sustaining artistic practice.

This article first appeared in Craft Quarterly, James Renwick Alliance for Craft Summer 2023, Reprinted with permission of the author, Nancy Servis.

Vivien Hart is a glass artist working in Lafayette, California. She uses a collage of labor-intensive and time consuming techniques incorporating sifted powders, sheet glass, kiln carving and glass etching to fuse or cast pieces into a unified whole. She has been a member of ACGA since 2013.

ACGA Where were you born and raised? Thinking back, would you say that art was part of your upbringing?

VH I was a bit of a nomad. I was born in Concord, MA on the 4th of July on a day we were moving. My father was a Norwegian radio astronomer. My mother is British. We lived in Peru, Puerto Rico, Norway and one year in Germany close to good radio antennae. Yes my parents liked the arts-theatre, museums, Peruvian artifacts etc. My grandfather was a woodworker. My mother wove, sewed and knit.

ACGA When did you start working with glass? Tell us a bit about your journey with your craft.

VH When I was little I loved the outdoors. I used to make acorn people. My favorite pastime though was sitting on a boulder at the edge of the woods and picking out pieces of mica.The mineral mica bears a strong resemblance to glass and has great transparency. That’s where my love of glass first started. Later I had a one week work experience in middle school in Norway and worked at a glass laboratory. They made glass laboratory equipment on a flame.

I attended college and got a degree in social work. I worked with abused and neglected children. After my husband and I married and had children I rekindled my love of glass by taking a class at Studio I in Oakland. I was hooked! I have been a glass maker for 20 years now.

I have been fortunate enough to take workshops at Bullseye glass’s flagship factory in Portland, the Corning Museum of Glass and workshops with many talented glass artists across the country. A few years ago we moved to Lafayette, CA and I was able to build my first dedicated studio space.

ACGA Are there things about your techniques that are unique to your process?

VH I love to combine techniques in glass. In past years I was dedicated to small functional works such as knobs, pulls and glass tile as well as functional bowls and platters.

Since I moved into my new studio space I have been focusing more on abstract fine art glass work. I create sculptural glass bowls I like to call “Every Drop Counts” and more recently I have been making wall art and glass castings. My wall art and castings involve sifting and layering glass powders and encasing them in sheet glass. These processes entail firing pieces many times to get to the final piece.

My most recent work is conceptual. I feel our planet is at a turning point. If we are able to create connections and care for soil micro organisms such as mycelium and other networks, perhaps they can help heal our world starting from the ground up.

ACGA Is there one person or event that significantly inspired you?

VH I am inspired by many artists and people. I love Alexander Calder’s work. I love the delicacy and aesthetic of Japanese art. I often perceive my work as having perhaps a Norwegian minimalism while aspiring towards the more delicate beauty of Japanese art.

My love of glass spans many years. In glass form I celebrate the slow processes of nature, freezing in time glimpses of earth and its rhythms through the elements of air, fire and water. This may happen through the play of light and shadow, time’s passage, or perhaps the moment after a stone strikes still water. Collectively these moments express earth’s rhythms and inspire my work every day.

ACGA What is one thing that would surprise us to know about you?

VH My favorite pets are rabbits—so much so that when we lived in Puerto Rico and my parents said I could get a chick instead of a rabbit I got a little yellow one and named it “Bunny”. Poor little chick!

I live with my husband, a dog, two cats and our house rabbit “Kenzo” from Savabunny Rabbit Rescue.

REVEAL: Recent Acquisitions 2020-2023, showcases a remarkable variety of ceramics that AMOCA has recently acquired for its permanent collection. AMOCA’s permanent collection encompasses almost 13,000 ceramic objects that date from Pre-Columbian to contemporary times. The collection has been acquired through the generosity of many individuals who wish to share their gifts with the public.

Within the scope of this exhibition, AMOCA will display a range of previously unseen works from artists including Beatrice Wood, Clayton Bailey, Natalia Arbelaez, Beth Lo, Ron Nagle, Jun Kaneko, Tony Marsh and many more. This diverse grouping of forms, styles, and techniques highlights a range of art movements in the ceramic community.

ACGA members represented in the collection include James Aarons, Nancy Adams, Trudy Chiddix, and Ruenell Foy Temps.

Executive Director Beth Ann Gerstein commented, “We’re grateful for this opportunity to share selections from AMOCA’s collection with the public. REVEAL focuses on recent acquisitions, making work from both well-known and under-recognized artists available for visitors. Through REVEAL, viewers will be able to experience traditional and innovative practices in ceramics as rendered in vessel, sculptural, and figurative forms.”

Exhibition Overview

REVEAL presents a selection of approximately 150 acquisitions, featuring ceramic objects acquired within the last three years. The museum’s permanent collection houses almost 13,000 objects, dating from pre-Columbian to contemporary times and includes one-of-a-kind functional and sculptural pieces as well as popular, mass-produced “production ware.”

Works included in REVEAL range from Vernon Kiln souvenir plates, to a large-scale figurative sculpture by Wanxin Zhang, to a Pillow Pitcher by Betty Woodman. In addition to presenting a variety of vibrant, serious, tactile, diverse, iconic, and/or playful objects for visitors to explore, this exhibition also tells the story of how museums safeguard cultural heritage through their work of acquiring, preserving, exhibiting, and interpreting objects.

AMOCA is grateful for the generosity of many individuals who have made it possible for the museum to acquire these important ceramic pieces and to share these gifts with the public.

Complementing the in-person exhibition experience, numerous public and educational programs will be mounted, including lectures, artist conversations, college-level tours, and tours for Title 1 schools serving grades K-12.This exhibition is funded, in part, by a grant from the Dew Foundation and by support from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Department of Arts and Culture.

CALENDAR LISTING

REVEAL: Recent Acquisitions opened at the American Museum of Ceramic Art, 399 N Garey Ave,Pomona, CA 91767 on October 28, 2023. The exhibition runs through July 21, 2024. The museum is open Friday-Sunday,11am to 4pm. For more information: https://www.amoca.org/future-exhibitions/revealrecentacquisitions/ or (909) 865-3146 or communications@amoca.org.

Credit

This exhibition is organized by the American Museum of Ceramic Art.

About AMOCA
The American Museum of Ceramic Art was founded in 2003, in Pomona, California. The mission of the museum is to champion the art, history, creation, and technology of ceramics through exhibitions, collections, outreach, and studio programming

Museum Hours
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, 11am – 4pm

Admission
General $14, Senior $9, Student/Pomona Resident $7, Members & under 12 Free

Location
American Museum of Ceramic Art
399 North Garey Avenue, Pomona, CA 91767
(909) 865-3146 • www.amoca.org

Contact
Press: Genevieve Kaplan • communications@amoca.org • (909) 865-3146 x6
Education and Coordinated Programming: Chinelo Ufondu • education@amoca.org • (909)865-3146 x4

It’s hard to say which came first for me, art or science. I doodled a lot and embroidered as a kid, and studied classical guitar, but my first experience with glass art was a high school stained glass class taught by Mary Quagliata. Around the same time, I got very interested in biology and biochemistry. I liked biochemistry because it explains how things work inside living creatures. I liked glass because of the way colored glass interacts with light. In college I didn’t have any glass experiences, but I did start to study plant biology and biochemistry. In graduate school where I did research in photosynthesis, I continued to think about glass and decided to take a year off for glass art after I completed my studies at UC Berkeley.

Luckily, I was able to apprentice for a year with stained glass artist Dan Fenton in Oakland. He had started to explore glass fusing, and that’s what he taught me. Thanks to this training, I had the opportunity to work for Narcissus Quagliata as his fused glass production technician. I learned a lot while working on his projects for 2.5 years. Alongside my training, I started equipping a studio space that my landlords (later dear friends) made available where I was living. As my art practice grew, I was able to rent a little more space, then a little more, until I had all the equipment I needed and plenty of space to store and work with large sheets of glass.

While the work I made for Narcissus was very linear and geometrical, in my own work I started experimenting with organic forms in fused glass. Eventually I got hooked on making tree portraits and flower mandalas. I was also making a lot of flame-worked beads, but repetitive strain injury led me to focus more on fusing and less on beadmaking. My newest line of inquiry is musical glass, which for me means creating various shapes of fused glass panels that are tuned to musical pitches. This endeavor engages my glass expertise, my science training and my musical background. The work requires intense focus, but seeing people’s faces light up when they play the Bell Plates and talk about acoustics with me makes it well worth the effort.

I joined ACGA about 6 years after I made the leap into glass. New ACGA members were required to attend two board meetings, and I enjoyed the intelligence in the room so I decided to become a candidate for the Board. I’ve learned so much while wearing various hats for ACGA. Kimi trained me to succeed her as ACGA’s Treasurer, and 23 years later I’m now training my successor, Julie Taber. It’s more of an equal exchange, because she is actually a professional bookkeeper! I just get along with math and spreadsheets. I’ve assisted with Exhibitions, the annual Palo Alto Festival and the short-lived San Francisco Festival. I’ll be looking for someone to replace me as Festival liaison, so if you’re interested in shadowing me for the 2024 Festival, please get in touch soon.

Everything we do in life influences everything else we do; I enjoy the synergy that emerges along the way.

Submitted by April Zilber

The de Young Open 2023 is now on view! Explore a captivating collection featuring 883 pieces from artists selected from a pool of more than 7,700 submissions. These artworks span various mediums and styles, showcasing the rich diversity of the Bay Area’s artistic talent. We’re thrilled to announce that ACGA members Scott Jennings and Mari Emori‘s works are included in this prestigious exhibition.

Following the resounding success of the inaugural presentation of The de Young Open in 2020, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco present this triennial juried community art exhibition. The exhibition draws submissions from artists residing in the nine counties surrounding the bay— Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma. The displayed artworks are arranged in a “salon style,” filling the space from edge to edge and floor to ceiling, showcasing a maximum number of works.

This exhibition celebrates and supports local arts communities in the Bay Area. Artists have the opportunity to sell their works and keep the proceeds. To purchase any artwork, you can directly contact the artists. In the Web Gallery, click “Detail View” beneath an artwork image to access pricing and the artist’s contact details.

The de Young Open 2023 at the de Young Museum is free every Saturday and requires a timed ticket to enter the exhibition.

Submitted by Mari Emori

The count down is on! In less than a month, we’ll be taking over the @cranewaypavilion with 200+ artists & craftspeople to bring you the handmade shopping event of the season!

Coming out to show your support for KPFA radio? In lieu of an entry fee, you can make a donation directly to @kpfaradio by stopping by the broadcast booth at the front of the fair!The CCF features over 200 diverse exhibitors, including both master artisans and emerging newcomers. Artists and craftspeople are a vital part of our local, small business community, and craft fairs like ours provide an opportunity for them to showcase their work to the public.

ACGA Members participating in this event include

Marienne Chapman Curvy Clayworks

Tina Fossella Pottery

Sue Barry Tiles

Susie Rubenstein Ceramics

Lissa Herschleb

Itsuko Zenitani Ceramics

Alex Beck Ceramics

Ross Spangler

Katie Morris Ceramics

Forrest Middleton FLM Ceramics

Suellen Fowler Flamework Glass

Sean Alcala Alcala Designs

Lee has recently returned from a three-week woodfiring workshop that he organized in Aomori, Japan. He invited three other artists to participate – Alan Lacovetsky, a woodfire master from Winnepeg and ACGA members Miki Shin-Rutter and Chelsea Fried from northern California.

Visitors to Lee’s Winter Open Studio will see some firewood pieces that Lee brought back from Japan. These are for sale. He will also be displaying and offering new textures –Scallop and Gingko shown in the image here.

The open studio takes place on Saturday and Sunday, December 2 & 3 at Lee’s studio and gallery at 16 Coal Mine View, Portola Valley, CA. He can be reached at Lee@LeeMiddleman.com

Submitted by Lee Middleman

Nov 10 – 12 & 17 – 19

The Placer Artists Tour celebrates 30 years this year. It is the largest studio tour in the Sierra foothills region, featuring a diversity of art, artist demos and special events. The Tour  happens every November in artist studios, galleries and art schools throughout Placer County. This year’s Tour includes 136 artists, galleries and schools at 82 unique locations.

Glass and clay artists will be represented including ACGA members Emilie Righetti, and Nicholson van Altena Glass.

We hope you will join us for this free tour, which takes place on Veterans Day weekend, Friday, Nov. 10, through Sunday, Nov. 12, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Many artists will also offer an “Encore” weekend Friday, Nov. 17, through Sunday, Nov. 19, to give patrons more time to visit artists. You can pick up a Guide at Blue Line Arts in Roseville and preview one artwork from each participating artist during the Taste of the Tour exhibit October 21 through November 19. The reception is November 4 from 5 to 8pm.

Visit PlacerArtistsTour.org, for profiles of all the participants, an interactive Tour map and a robust events calendar of all Tour events. It is a year-round resource for the arts in Placer County.

Thursday–Saturday, 1–8pm: public hours
Dec 8, 5–8pm: reception and artists talk 2nd Friday Art Walk
Jan 12, 5–8pm: reception and 2nd Friday Art Walk

Art Works Downtown announces The Small Works Exhibit, an annual offering of quality fine-art to holiday shoppers and the art-loving public. This dynamic showcase will feature over 80 unique artworks in the award winning Gallery 1337. ACGA member Emil Yanos wall piece “Retro Activity”was juried into this show.

Juror: Eleanor Harwood

Owner and Director; Eleanor Harwood Gallery, www.eleanorharwood.com

Submitted by Emil Yanos

This exhibition showcases a diverse collection of art that harnesses the raw beauty and profound influence of nature.
Show Dates: Dec 2, 2023 to Jan 13, 2024
Opening Reception: Dec 16, 2023, 4- 8pm

Blueline Arts
405 Vernon Street #100,
Roseville CA 95678

ACGA members included in the exhibition:
Emil Yanos, Rumble and Tempest 1
Vicki Gunter, Our Poppy and Clay Mariposa Lilly in her …In Everything Series.

Glenn Evans will be showing his fused glass art at Bargetto Winery’s Art in the Cellars event on Sat/Sun, Dec 2- 3. Enjoy a weekend filled with Art and Wine with over 30 local artists and food vendors.

The show will be at Bargetto’s Tasting Room at 3535 North Main St, Soquel, CA and will be open from 11am to 5pm both days. Admission is free. Food and wine tasting are available for purchase. Find more information on the Events page at bargetto.com.

Glenn Evans will be showing his fused glass at ART on the Square’s Holiday Show in Redwood City on Nov 18 from 10 – 4. Whether you’re looking for stocking stuffers or splurges, you’ll find perfect gifts for everyone on your list at this not to be missed, one day event.

More than 25 artists in a variety of media will be offering their personal creations under the spectacular stained glass dome of the San Mateo County History Museum, 2200 Broadway on Courthouse Square in Downtown Redwood City. Admission is free. More information on the show at artonthesquarerwc.com.

See more of Glenn’s work at GlennEvansGlass.com. Follow him on facebook.com/glennevansglass

Submitted by Glenn Evans

Holiday Gifts ~ Hostess Gifts ~ Unique Gifts!

Ring in the Season at Gamble Garden’s Winter Festival!  Enjoy one-stop shopping for holiday gifts, Gamble greenery, and home holiday décor in the festive Gamble Garden atmosphere.

Activities include:

• A Festive Marketplace with vendors in the Gamble house and outdoors.
• Over The Garden Fence ~ Winter Edition. Gamble’s signature sale always draws crowds! Purchase previously loved and vintage treasures at remarkable prices.
• Entry includes one Raffle Ticket. Purchase additional tickets to win a beautifully decorated tree! 1 ticket for $5 or 5  for $20
• Bid for holiday gift baskets, exclusive experiences at more at our Silent Auction. Can’t wait? Skip the bidding and select Buy It Now!

Tickets: $5

All ages welcome. Children age 2 and under FREE (no ticket necessary).

Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden

1431 Waverley St

Palo Alto, CA 94301

Submitted by Thomas Arakawa

ArtSpan’s annual SF Open Studios offers people the opportunity to engage directly with local artists by visiting their studio spaces. Although my creative space is at Ruby’s Clay Studio & Gallery, this year I’m participating in SF Open Studios with a group of 75 diverse artists at Fort Mason, Pier 2. Visit us to learn more about our work and process, purchase work, and enjoy a lovely setting by the San Francisco Bay on Saturday and Sunday, Nov 11-12, 11 – 5. SF Open Studios is free to attend.

Submitted by Rachel Cox

New Work by Ren Lee

Ren Lee works with the notion that clay has consciousness, like an owl or a lizard, and that when you observe a work of handmade ceramic art, it observes you back, possibly changing its behavior and  adjusting its attitude.

Two years in development, this show is about exploring that concept. Pieces range from observant pots to scrutinizing humanoids to disembodied eyeballs. It will be fun. Opening November 2 which happens to be the second Day of the Dead, at Clay Hand Studios Gallery, 660 Van Ness, Fresno.

The Small Works Exhibit, an annual offering of quality fine-art to holiday shoppers and the art-loving public. This dynamic showcase will feature over 80 unique artworks in the award winning Gallery 1337. ACGA Members, Geraldine GaNun and Melissa Woodburn are included in this dynamic juried showcase featuring 80 unique pieces of quality fine art for sale to holiday shoppers. The exhibit can be viewed from November 18, 2023 to January 20, 2024 and will be included in two Art Walks; December 8th and January 12th 5-8pm in downtown San Rafael.This exhibit is at Art Works Downtown located at 1337 Fourth Street, San Rafael 94901.

Submitted by Geraldine GaNun and Melissa Woodburn

The Terra Linda Ceramic Artists, including ACGA members Jo Clarke, Geraldine GaNun, Nadia Tarzi Saccardi and Melissa Woodburn, presents ACTIVATION, a unique and imaginative interactive exhibit.  This exhibit is hosted by Falkirk Cultural Center, 1408 Mission Ave., San Rafael 94901 and is open to the public Tues-Fri 1-4 and Sat 10-2. Additional information at https://www.terralindaceramicartists.com/news-events.

*This venue is closed for private events so please check ahead of time

West Coast Craft features 275+ of the best artist and designer craftspeople working now in the Festival Pavilion at Fort Mason Center  in San Francisco.

ACGA members participating in this show include Alex Beck, Holly Coley, MMClay, Tina Fossella

The American Craft Council presents an online artists directory Pop-Up Marketplace.

Shop online: Nov 6-19, 2023
features a wide range of juried artists including ACGA member Barbara Glynn Prodaniuk at shop.craftcouncil.org

GLENSHIRE HOLIDAY OPEN STUDIOS
Dec 1 – 3, 2023
Doors open at 10 am.

Come out to Glenshire to shop some of your favorite local Truckee artists! Pottery, jewelry, home goods, and more are all made by our local artists. This is a self-organized event and there will likely be more artists opening their studios this weekend. Look on artist websites for more details and yard signs during the Open Studio weekend.

#Glenshire OpenStudios2023 on Instagram

Submitted by Barbara Glynn Prodaniuk

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Nov 3 – Dec 23, 2023
Opening Reception – Nov. 5, 12 – 6pm
20th Anniversary party – Dec. 3, 12 – 6pm
1641 Pacific Ave., San Francisco, CA 94109

Join ACGA member Melissa Woodburn and over 220 other local artists for this celebration of small works.

Submitted by Melissa Woodburn

A Woodfire Workshop with Miki Shim

An introduction to wood firing with Miki Shim will cover the basics of creating work, firing a wood burning kiln and learning the etiquette of being part of a wood fire community.  This workshop is recommended for those with intermediate level experience, wheel work and hand-building.

Fee: $1100

Includes one 25# bag of clay and 2 cu.ft. of kiln space.

Only workshop clay will be accepted for firing.

Additional clay available for purchase.

Dates: 

Make work: December 1, 2, 3  at Southbay Ceramics, Mountain View, CA

FIre work: December 8, 9, 10  at Springvalley Anagama, San Jose, CA

Unload: December 16  at Springvalley Anagama, San Jose, CA

Location: 

South Bay Ceramics, Mountainview, CA

www.southbayceramics

Contact: carla@southbayceramics.com

Our communications tools now allow members to post their news items directly to the ACGA News Blog, for daily publication. Posts must be admin-approved and may take up to 48 hours to appear in the blog. Incomplete submissions may take longer. The web-based news blog is a living document and posts items in the order they are published. You can scroll through the entire history of the ACGA News here: https://acga.net/acga-news/.

In addition, our monthly ACGA newsletter is emailed to approximately 5500 subscribers. This news is less time-sensitive than more immediate forms of communication such as the news blog and our social media accounts on Instagram and Facebook.

Social media is the most effective and most instantaneous way to reach your audience, provide a platform that can be posted to repeatedly and often. We encourage members to cultivate their own social media accounts on facebook and instagram, to build your own audience and market your wares. We are happy to amplify your message to our followers from time to time when the following conditions are met:

• Captions must include who, what, where, when details.
• Posts must relate to something a collector or student can engage with such as a gallery event, an open studio, or an upcoming sale. Posts that lack context will not be reposted.
• We will not repost items projecting more than 2 weeks in the future.
• Posts should be tagged @theacga to ensure we can find them

ACGA social media accounts have more than 17,000 followers, so following these guidelines could be valuable to you. News items must be written in grammatically correct form, include all details including names (first and last) of members involved, links to artist websites or social media, studio or gallery locations and hours of operation.

Be aware that we have over 350 members and will strive to be fair and equitable, and to showcase the wide variety of accomplished artists who comprise our group. Publication is not guaranteed, and is not a perquisite of membership. If you have an event with frequent updates or an extended window of time, we expect you to manage your news on your end and we may or may not repost at our discretion.

CLICK HERE FOR SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

A book launch reception was held at Chinese Clay Art in San Jose, California the afternoon of September 23rd to celebrate the launch of this exciting reference volume by Zhou Guangzhen. It started with a lecture by the author and was attended by a number of Silicon Valley ceramic artists . The event was hosted by TV anchor Ms. Diana Ding. Starting with Stan Welsh, Professor Emeritus at San Jose State University, the seven artists in attendance spoke. During the presentation, Jan Schachter gave a short history of ACGA. The volunteer-based ACGA is one of the most successful organizations in the U.S. and attracts thousands of visitors to the Palo Alto Clay and Glass Festival each July.

The wall of the exhibit hall, “World Ceramic Cultures in Pictures” features 104 images selected from photographs taken by Zhou Guangzhen during his travels around the world and from his collection of black-and-white postcards from the early 20th century. The images show the changes in ceramic culture around the world over the past hundred years in the form of contrasts between the old and the new. The images include a variety of drawing and molding processes, ceramic firing, kilns, village fairs, potters and vendors in various costumes, and more.

On the purple round table is the “Forest of World Ceramic Art,” a landscape of dozens of pots, vases, and plates representing cultures from around the world. Regardless of the ceramic materials, molding techniques, decorative patterns, and firing temperatures used, each ethnic culture is a member of the forest of ceramic art. The curators believe that every visitor will be able to feel their own familiar cultural atmosphere in this exhibition.

Joe Battiato

Barbara Brown

Monica Van den Dool

Tom Decker

Bill Geisinger

Hsin-Chuen Lin

Lee Middleman

Jan Schachter

Guangzhen Zhou

This book looks at the world’s ceramic cultural heritage as a whole, exploring the interrelationship between ceramic technology and the development of human history, as well as the inheritance and influence of various regions and groups. Over the past decade, the author, Guangzhen Zhou, has visited hundreds of ceramic towns, villages, historical sites, and related museums around the world, combining recent archaeological discoveries with information from across different languages.

From the 1950s to the 1980s, many Californian ceramic artists one after another laid a foundation for the development of modern and contemporary ceramics in the US with their unwavering pioneering spirit. California’s ceramic art community and tradition hold an important historical position in the United States, and we proudly carry on the torch.

The artists participating in this exhibition are mainly members of the Association of Clay and Glass Artists of California (ACGA), and professors and alumni of San Jose State University. The artworks in the exhibition include both ceramic sculptures and vessel forms; showcasing the spirit and drive of the innovative Silicon Valley and the rich diversity of California.

The artists participating in the exhibition are: Joseph Battiato, Barbara Brown, Tom Decker, Bill Geisinger, Matt Hoogland, Hsin-Chuen Lin, Lee Middleman, Jan Schachter, Stan Welsh, Fred Yokel, Monica Van den Dool, and Guangzhen Zhou.

Over 100 images in this show depict various types of ceramic shaping techniques, kiln firing methods, pottery vendors and markets, and so on. These photographs showcase the richness of world ceramic culture and historical heritage across a hundred years. Images were selected from photos taken by the author on his global travels, as well as black and white early 20th century postcards from his collection, illuminating the changes in world ceramic culture over the past century by juxtaposing old and new. The pictures include various types of pottery wheels, building techniques, fuel materials, kiln firing methods, rural markets, potters and vendors of many kinds and styles, and more.

Whenever I arrived in a new area, I would contact relevant peers, experts, friends, or friends of friends. I would like to express my sincere gratitude for the support and assistance of countless people from the ceramic culture and art industry around the world during my journey! Thank you to many colleagues and friends for arranging the reception, giving recommendations and introductions, translating and explaining, driving together, and warmly welcoming me and seeing me off. This book could not have been published without the support and assistance of countless colleagues, scholars, and friends in the ceramic art field everywhere.

Participating artists

Clay Planet

Thanks to the teams of Art Center

My co-workers at Clay Ground – Chinese Clay Art US

Submitted by Guangzhen Zhou

Miki Shim, October 2023

When I look at the photo above, I cannot help but to be little emotional looking back at the time spent with this group of people who put their trust in me to guide them on a 12 day tour of Korean ceramics in South Korea. I have never produced one of these before. And for some reason, they met me in Seoul for this clay journey.

My husband, Lance, named this tour “Miki’s Spectacular Korean Ceramics Tour!” A build-up to which I didn’t know I could deliver when I launched the registration in May. Looking back, we had many hurdles and detours, negotiating the twists and turns of coordinating many moving parts, some expected and some completely blind-sided. But, through it all, it was spectacular!

Back Story:

At the end of summer 2022, Lance and I traveled to Korea to visit family and friends. Lance’s first trip and, while this is a return trip for me, first time with a ceramics focus. With a little help from friends, I was able to see, visit and experience the heart and soul of Korean Ceramics firsthand, see their work, processes, the life and the business of pottery. When I returned home, I wanted to find a way to share this with others. Instagram photos and posts only skim the surface of the real experience. Setting up a tour was not the first thing that came to mind. The logistics of moving with a group more than 4 seemed a bit crazy! After brewing the thought for a few months, I decided to gamble with crazy and started the planning process by floating the idea with Lance, recruited an assistant and lined up a few artists in Korea. First registration arrived within day of launching the announcement on Instagram in April, and sold out 15 seats by May. By June, 16 people plus me and my irreplaceable assistant and friend, Kyungle Han, were confirmed to hang with me in Korea for 12 days, starting on the last day of August.

The numbers:

3 hotels for 12 nights in 6 cities on 6 tour buses for 18 people eating 36 meals taking 12 local city bus and transit rides to see 2 demos and 3 workshops by 8 local artists and topped it off with a 10 artist group exhibition in Yeoju. Not counting the taxi rides, there were thousands of steps logged and cups of coffee at Cafe Galapium in Ulsan.

The people:

Some were 20 year veterans of ceramics, some just had 6 months of experience. A Raku artist,3 woodfire artists, a writer, a sculptor, a ceramics tool manufacturer, architect, software engineer, moms, in-the-middle-of-a-career-change professional, a mechanical engineer, studio owner, doctor, tea master, a National Intangible Cultural Asset or 3, product engineer, x-ray technician, ER nurse, a business coach and a few ceramics instructors. All now connected by clay.

Behind the scenes:

Negotiating the ever changing landscape of last minute location changes, transportation logistics and meal planning were the hardest to navigate. Luckily, I had a fluent speaker to help me make the phone calls for reservations, argue the charges and figure out how to pay the large sums of money the bus company wanted…in cash. But I had the good fortune of an amazing group of people who were ready to move with the changing current of waters that, to me, seemed like the rapids. The full itinerary has been posted on my website: mikisr.com, so I will not go into the details of our tour, except to mention that we changed the venue of the woodfire workshop at the last minute due to a family  emergency.

Cultural exchange:

Since moving to the SF Bay Area in 2012, I have broadened my network of ceramic artists around the world though personal experiences. This has allowed me the opportunity to create a cultural exchange program connecting the local ceramics community to the ceramics around the world to inspire, provoke thought and to make friendships. I have found that clay language is universal. Our tour group met for time in Seoul, at the hotel’s lounge for a breakfast buffet of Korean and western style foods. It’s always interesting what ends up on the plates and how the flavors get mixed intentionally, or not. We sat 4 to a table, getting to know each other a little, trying to memorize the names and faces with whom we will be spending the next 12 days.

Fast forward the end of the trip, to 18 Californians and one Michiganian standing on the steps at Seoul Station, trying to hold back tears, arms flying to make sure everyone gets a hug, and promise of a reunion event of Miki’s Spectacular Korean Ceramics Tour 2023 very soon. This is a rerun activity of when we parted from MoonDoBang, DoBan artists of the Yeoju exhibition, and woodfire team of artistis: Kim JaeBum, Kim InTae, Kim YoungSoo and Shin YoungTaek.

In a brief amount of time, we have made life long friendships.

I’m looking forward to the next one… June 2024

Korean Artist Studio Visit, Demo and Workshop

Kim Yikyoung Ceramics, Porcelain, Seoul
MoonDoBang, Porcelain, Bundang @moondobang
Ohbuja Pottery, Onggi, Yeoju @heejunonggi
Kwak Kyungtae, Onggi, Icheon @kwakkyungtae
Shin YoungTaek, Buncheong, GeoChang @youngtaek_shinKim
YoungSoo, Naked Raku, Yeoju @young.soo.kim
Kim InTae, Educator, Woodfired Stoneware, Ulsan
Kim JaeBeom, Woodfired Stoneware, Ulsan @firewood_gama.jaun

Cities Visited

Seoul, Icheon, Yeoju, Bundang, Ulsan, Busanki

Internationally known ceramic artist, Miki Shim-Rutter, works from her home studio in San Carlos, CA. She also works from the Palo Alto Arts Center adult studios where she teaches ceramics, coordinates Private Events and Workshops—and conceived and coordinates the Art Center’s annual International Ceramics Exchange. Shim-Rutter is an active member and past Board Member of the Association of Clay and Glass Artists of California (ACGA).

The ACGA welcomes your application to sell your work at the Association of Clay & Glass Artists of California’s annual Palo Alto Clay and Glass Festival on the beautiful grounds of the Palo Alto Art Center. Festival Eligibility is a lifetime status as long as your membership is current and you participate regularly in our event.

The ACGA Clay & Glass Festival is a great opportunity to develop relationships with customers, send your work to new homes, and strengthen your network of fellow clay and glass artists. Joining ACGA brings you into a strong community of clay and glass artists.

I have been an ACGA member since 2006 and have been on the Board for most of those years.  I joined ACGA when my husband and I moved to San Francisco after 16 years of living on the East Coast.  This was a “return home” for me since I had grown up in the Bay Area.  Shortly after arriving in SF, I reached out to ACGA and was pleased to find a group of kindred spirits.

I was raised in Los Altos, CA, and discovered ceramics when I was an undergraduate art major at the University of California Santa Barbara. Clay has been my passion and pursuit ever since. After graduating from UCSB I stayed in Santa Barbara for a number of years working as a functional potter and part-time ceramics teacher.  I also organized workshops for the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, directed the Santa Barbara County Arts Festival, and founded and ran the Palm Park Craft Center.

Eight years after receiving my BFA, I returned to school and earned a Masters Degree in Art Education from San Francisco State University. While in graduate school I met my husband, Jim Chiddix, an East Coast transplant living in Hawaii.  After my graduation I joined him there to begin our life together.

Over the years we have lived in several interesting locations due to Jim’s career in the telecommunications industry.  I treasure the friendships and experiences gained while living in Hawaii, Connecticut, New York, Colorado and San Francisco, as well as traveling the world, including places with deep ceramics traditions such as Japan.  In each place we have lived, I established an art studio and exhibited and sold my work.  Since 2005 we have split our time between San Francisco and Evergreen, Colorado. In San Francisco I work in a converted warehouse that has studio space for 100 artists, while my Evergreen studio is located on our property surrounded by pine trees.

I have continued to develop my artistic skills by attending workshops at institutions including Watershed, Haystack, Penland, Anderson Ranch, Honolulu Academy of Art, Pilchuck, Urban Glass, and the Art Students League of New York.  While living in Manhattan I spent endless hours in museums and galleries, and studied glass as an artistic medium. For the last 20 years much of my work has combined glass with clay.

My art is often inspired by traditional crafts and folk art found while traveling in foreign lands or wandering through museums.  These discoveries inform my vessels, wall pieces and abstract figures. My ceramics practice has evolved over the decades and has included exploration of a wide range of fabrication and firing techniques. For many years I have favored hand-building with slabs and coils which enable me to create expressive surfaces and distinctive forms.

My arts community participation currently includes serving on the board at AMOCA, the American Museum of Ceramic Art, in Pomona, CA.  I’m pleased to have a piece in their permanent collection.  I have attended more than 30 annual conferences of NCECA, the National Council for Education in the Ceramic Arts.  In 2022 I was selected to co-lead a residency at Watershed Ceramics Center in Maine.   Also in 2022, at a meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, I was inducted into the International Academy of Ceramics, a branch of UNESCO.  I was not only honored by this recognition but was also thrilled to meet fascinating ceramic artists from around the world.

Sept 30, 2023 – Jan 7, 2024

The de Young Open 2023 is now on view! Explore a captivating collection featuring 883 pieces from artists selected from a pool of more than 7,700 submissions. These artworks span various mediums and styles, showcasing the rich diversity of the Bay Area’s artistic talent. We’re thrilled to announce that ACGA members Scott Jennings and Mari Emori‘s works are included in this prestigious exhibition.

Following the resounding success of the inaugural presentation of The de Young Open in 2020, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco present this triennial juried community art exhibition. The exhibition draws submissions from artists residing in the nine counties surrounding the bay— Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma. The displayed artworks are arranged in a “salon style,” filling the space from edge to edge and floor to ceiling, showcasing a maximum number of works.

This exhibition celebrates and supports local arts communities in the Bay Area. Artists have the opportunity to sell their works and keep the proceeds. To purchase any artwork, you can directly contact the artists. In the Web Gallery, click “Detail View” beneath an artwork image to access pricing and the artist’s contact details.

The de Young Open 2023 at the de Young Museum is free every Saturday and requires a timed ticket to enter the exhibition.

Oct 14 – 15,  11am – 5pm

ALTADENA, CA – ALTA Arts Collective is thrilled to announce the ALTA Art Tour 2023.  A captivating two-day event showcasing the vibrant and diverse artistic talents of Altadena and neighboring communities. This unique art tour will take place on October 14th and 15th, offering art enthusiasts and the local community a chance to visit the creative spaces of local artists, witnessing their artistic processes and gain insight into their inspirations.

An array of talented artists will open their studios to the public, most studios will host 1 or more artists, however, there will also be solo artist studios participating in the tour.

Visitors will have the opportunity to view and purchase original artwork in various mediums including painting, sculpture, ceramics, photography and more. The art tour is free, making it accessible to all. Visitors are encouraged to click below for a complete list of participating artists and studio locations; interactive maps with turn-by-turn directions available each day of the tour.

Oct 7 – 8, 14 -15, 21 – 22

South County studios kick off the tour on October 7-8. Get the free online artist directory at the link below – and look for the guide out wherever you find @goodtimessc on Sept 11.

This annual three weekend event is presented by Arts Council Santa Cruz County and features over 300 local artists! This is a great opportunity to purchase original work direct from the artist and experience their creative process first-hand.

➡️ Oct 7 – 8 – South County
➡️ Oct 14 – 15 – North County
➡️ Oct 21 – 22 – All County

ACGA members participating include Cristy Aloysi & Scott Graham, Yumiko Aso, Drake Bialecki, Jeannine Calcagno, Christine Charter Moorhead, Chris Johnson, Elaine Pinkernell, Randie Silverstien, and Peter Vizzusi

Nov 10 – 12 & 17 – 19

The Placer Artists Tour celebrates 30 years this year. It is the largest studio tour in the Sierra foothills region, featuring a diversity of art, artist demos and special events. The Tour  happens every November in artist studios, galleries and art schools throughout Placer County. This year’s Tour includes 136 artists, galleries and schools at 82 unique locations.

Glass and clay artists will be represented including ACGA members Emilie Righetti, and Nicholson van Altena Glass.

We hope you will join us for this free tour, which takes place on Veterans Day weekend, Friday, Nov. 10, through Sunday, Nov. 12, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Many artists will also offer an “Encore” weekend Friday, Nov. 17, through Sunday, Nov. 19, to give patrons more time to visit artists. You can pick up a Guide at Blue Line Arts in Roseville and preview one artwork from each participating artist during the Taste of the Tour exhibit October 21 through November 19. The reception is November 4 from 5 to 8pm.

Visit PlacerArtistsTour.org, for profiles of all the participants, an interactive Tour map and a robust events calendar of all Tour events. It is a year-round resource for the arts in Placer County.

RUBY’S CLAY STUDIO – CERAMIC EXPRESSIONS

Jane Grimm has a one person show at Ruby’s Clay Studio Gallery of her recent ceramic sculptures.

552A Noe Street, San Francisco

Oct 27 – Nov 22

Monday, Wednesday – Friday 9am – 1pm
Tuesday, Saturday – Sunday 1 – 4pm
and by appointment

SFWA ANNUAL BAY AREA ARTISTS’ CHOICE 2023

One of Jane Grimm’s sculptures is included in the SFWA Annual Bay Area Artists’ Choice 2023 show at the San Francisco Women Artist Gallery in San Francisco.

647 Irving Street, San Francisco

Oct 3 – Nov 10
Tuesday – Saturday 10:30am – 5:30pm

THE AVENUES

One of Jane Grimm’s sculptures has been included in the group show “The Avenues” at The Drawing Room Gallery in San Francisco.

The Drawing Room

210 Clement Street

Wednesday – Sunday, 11am – 7pm

Sept 16 – Oct 21

ARTSPAN SF OPEN STUDIOS

Jane Grimm will be having a Artspan SF Open Studio at Ruby’s Clay Studio and Gallery.

552A Noe in the Castro

San Francisco

Oct 28 – 29, 11am – 6pm

Glenn Evans will have two pieces of his fused glass on display at the 57th National Mother Lode Art Exhibition. Sponsored by the Placerville Arts Association, the Exhibition is a national, juried, open show held at the Mills Station Arts and Culture Center (MACC) in Rancho Cordova. The show will open November 3 and run through November 18. The Artists’ Reception and presentation of awards will be held on November 3, 5pm – 7pm. For gallery information and hours, see the MACC website.

ARE YOU BUMMED YOU DON’T LIVE NEAR OR CAN’T JOIN US ON THE MOUNTAIN?

You can still shop great pots AND give to our growth from the comfort of your own couch!

THE RECIPROCITY PROJECT

An online fundraising exhibition for the Resident Artist Program.

Online Gallery

Oct 30 – Nov 3

Our current artists will donate 5 cups for this online feature exhibition and all proceeds go to the continued growth of the Resident Artist Program.

Open Studios
Oct 27 – 29

Please join Trudy Chiddix for her Open Studio the last weekend in October.  100 artists will also be exhibiting in the same building at 1890 Bryant Street in San Francisco.

Preview Party:

Fri. Oct 27, 6 – 9pm

Oct 28 – 29, 11am – 5pm

Trudy’s work combines clay with fused glass.  She shares kilns and workspace with 8 clay artists, while art of various mediums is created by other artists in the building. Lots to see on 3 floors of studios! Look for Trudy in Studios 201 and 210.

New Work by Ren Lee

Ren Lee works with the notion that clay has consciousness, like an owl or a lizard, and that when you observe a work of handmade ceramic art, it observes you back, possibly changing its behavior and  adjusting its attitude.

Two years in development, this show is about exploring that concept. Pieces range from observant pots to scrutinizing humanoids to disembodied eyeballs. It will be fun. Opening November 2 which happens to be the second Day of the Dead, at Clay Hand Studios Gallery, 660 Van Ness, Fresno.

Glass Artist Randie Silverstein

Please mark your calendars for this two month show at Santa Cruz’s Oswald Restaurant at 121 Soquel Ave in Santa Cruz, opening November 4 until the end of the year. I will be showing my kiln fused glass art, both on the wall and in the air! This is a colorful body of work, with some very new pieces, you won’t see elsewhere! My work has been hanging there for the last few years and now it’s time to refresh. Plus a dozen or so other pieces. Plus the food is terrific. Reservations advised. Open Wed-Saturday for lunch and dinner. If you’d like a preview of My new glasswork, please come to Open Studios in Santa Cruz, October 14 and 15 and again October 21 and 22.

Marinwood Community Center

Please join Melissa Woodburn for this one-day event.
Oct 21, 3 – 7pm
Marinwood Community Center

775 Miller Creek Road

San Rafael, 94903

Submitted by Melissa Woodburn

Terra Linda Ceramic Artists

Oct 13 – Nov 17,

Opening Reception Oct 12, 5 – 8pm

Falkirk Cultural Center,

San Rafael, CA 949901

This unique and imaginative member show includes an interactive component to the exhibit.  Over 30 TLCA Members will be showing at least one ceramic piece of art that you will be able to interact with!  Follow the little green hand stickers throughout the exhibit, gently activate the piece and see what happens!

Marin Society of Artists

Oct 6 – 28, 2023

Please join ACGA Member, Geraldine GaNun, at DREAMS AND NIGHTMARES, where two of her mixed media ceramic pieces were juried into the show.

Hosted by Marin Society of Artists

1515 Third Street, San Rafael, 94901 October 6-October 28, 2023.

Opening reception Oct 13, 5 – 8pm

Linda S. Fitz Gibbon’s ceramic sculpture will be featured alongside work by Katie Applebaum and Brian McNamara in an exhibition at Butte College, October 2 through November 2.

Closing reception with Linda S. Fitz Gibbon is Thursday, Nov. 2, 2 – 4 pm.

Gallery hours are M–Th, 9 am – 3 pm.

Submitted by Linda Fitz Gibbon

Portola Valley

Open studio with Jan Schachter, Sally Jackson, Lindsay Marx, Jane Peterman, Nina Else, and Peggy Forman in Jan Schachter’s courtyard.

Nov 4 – 5, 10am – 4pm

190 Golden Hills Drive Portola Valley

Come visit!!!!

Nov 26, 11am – 4pm

Don’t miss my one day big sale where everything will be 15% off.

Hand made and intricately hand painted menorahs, platters, candelabras, trees of life, candle sticks, pedestal cake plates, wine bottle stoppers, goblets, seder plates, and much more.

180 Montezuma Ave. Forest Knolls, Ca. 94933

A Woodfire Workshop with Miki Shim

An introduction to wood firing with Miki Shim will cover the basics of creating work, firing a wood burning kiln and learning the etiquette of being part of a wood fire community.  This workshop is recommended for those with intermediate level experience, wheel work and hand-building.

Fee: $1100

Includes one 25# bag of clay and 2 cu.ft. of kiln space.

Only workshop clay will be accepted for firing.

Additional clay available for purchase.

Dates: 

Make work: December 1, 2, 3  at Southbay Ceramics, Mountain View, CA

FIre work: December 8, 9, 10  at Springvalley Anagama, San Jose, CA

Unload: December 16  at Springvalley Anagama, San Jose, CA

Location: 

South Bay Ceramics, Mountainview, CA

www.southbayceramics

Contact: carla@southbayceramics.com

Our communications tools now allow members to post their news items directly to the ACGA News Blog, for daily publication. Posts must be admin-approved and may take up to 48 hours to appear in the blog. Incomplete submissions may take longer. The web-based news blog is a living document and posts items in the order they are published. You can scroll through the entire history of the ACGA News here: https://acga.net/acga-news/.

In addition, our monthly ACGA newsletter is emailed to approximately 5500 subscribers. This news is less time-sensitive than more immediate forms of communication such as the news blog and our social media accounts on Instagram and Facebook.

Social media is the most effective and most instantaneous way to reach your audience, provide a platform that can be posted to repeatedly and often. We encourage members to cultivate their own social media accounts on facebook and instagram, to build your own audience and market your wares. We are happy to amplify your message to our followers from time to time when the following conditions are met:

• Captions must include who, what, where, when details.
• Posts must relate to something a collector or student can engage with such as a gallery event, an open studio, or an upcoming sale. Posts that lack context will not be reposted.
• We will not repost items projecting more than 2 weeks in the future.
• Posts should be tagged @theacga to ensure we can find them

ACGA social media accounts have more than 17,000 followers, so following these guidelines could be valuable to you. News items must be written in grammatically correct form, include all details including names (first and last) of members involved, links to artist websites or social media, studio or gallery locations and hours of operation.

Be aware that we have over 350 members and will strive to be fair and equitable, and to showcase the wide variety of accomplished artists who comprise our group. Publication is not guaranteed, and is not a perquisite of membership. If you have an event with frequent updates or an extended window of time, we expect you to manage your news on your end and we may or may not repost at our discretion.

CLICK HERE FOR SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS