ACGA Newsletter February 2023
NEW BOARD PRESIDENT & BOARD MEMBERS
President’s Message from Mari Emori
I am thrilled to introduce myself as your newly elected president. I joined ACGA in 2018 and have been serving as a board member since 2021, including the past year as Vice President.
First and foremost, I would like to express my gratitude to our past president, Cheryl Costantini, for her outstanding leadership during some of the most challenging years
Despite the difficulties of the past few years, I am proud of the accomplishments we have achieved together. Our participation in NCECA 2022 for the first time was successful and rewarding and provided our members with valuable exposure and connections in the ceramic world. The Clay & Glass Festival in Palo Alto was another highlight and marked the return of attendance to near pre-pandemic levels. I would also like to give a shout-out to our communications team, who recently introduced the new newsletter platform that allows us to better connect with both our member artists and customers.
As we move forward, I am committed to continuing Cheryl’s work of making ACGA a more inclusive and welcoming community. This year, a new group of individuals brings their enthusiasm and ideas to ACGA leadership. My goals are to reach out to younger artists and expand ACGA outside the San Francisco Bay Area to ensure the growth and success of our community. I am eager to work with all of you in the coming year to build on the achievements of the past and to continue our mission of promoting and supporting the work of clay and glass artists of California.
For those of you who don’t know me, I am Mari Emori. My journey as an artist began in Kyoto, Japan, where I made kimonos. After moving to the US, I explored various creative paths, including floral design, interior design, and graphic design, before finally discovering my true passion in clay.
My most recent “Drop Series” is deeply inspired by nature, both its beauty and the power of its forces. From my studio in the Berkeley Potters Guild in Berkeley, I create pieces that reflect my connection to the natural world. When I’m not in the studio, I love to spend time in nature, hiking and wandering, always taking in new impressions that find their way into my work. I believe that art should not only be beautiful, but it should also convey a deeper message and evoke emotion in the viewer. I’m always striving to push the boundaries of my art and create pieces that truly captivate and inspire.
-–Mari Emori, ACGA President
www.berkeleypotters.com/artist/mari-emori, @emoriceramics
Posted by Mari Emori, ACGA President
Vicki Gunter
Vicki Gunter is a Bay Area native whose home and ceramic studio are located in East Oakland.
“My first teacher in ceramics was Clayton Bailey in 1968 at DVC, but most of my adult life was as a professional dancer/teacher/motion therapist. In those years I attended ACGA shows and dreamed of being in one someday. My first official submission as a ceramic artist was as a new ACGA member to Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History MAH in 2010. I was 60 years old. I won the People’s Choice Award. My dreams came true! I feel I owe a lot to ACGA and would be proud to be a board member.”
Iver Hennig
Iver Hennig is a ceramic artist and educator residing in the Santa Cruz mountains. His ceramic work consists of thrown and sculpted pieces using themes of animals and nature mixed with mechanical strangeness. “I have been working professionally in ceramics since 1992 selling ceramic art. I graduated from Humboldt State University and started Live Clay Pottery with my wife Jennifer. Our work is a combination of thrown and sculpted pieces with an emphasis on animal themes. I am currently teaching ceramics at Santa Cruz High and have been there for 20 years.” — Iver Hennig
www.iverhennig.com
@iver_hennig
Sonja Hinrichson
Sonja Hinrichson is a Bay Area artist and immigrant, and landed here 23 years ago for graduate school. Her art background is in video, installation, and photo-based art forms, and she organizes community arts projects that intertwine nature experience and art-making.
“I came to ceramics 9 years ago – out of necessity for a conceptual arts project. And I got stuck in the sticky clay and have since never been able to let go. I throw and hand- build and have been exploring atmospheric high-firing techniques. I teach ceramics for kids and adults at City-run art studios in San Francisco and Oakland. I joined the ACGA about 1.5 years ago, and would like to contribute to the thriving of the larger California Ceramics community through service on the Board.” – Sonja Hinrichson
Barbara Prodaniuk
Barbara Prodaniuk is a potter working in my home-based studio in Truckee for the past 40+ years.
“I make both sculptural and functional pieces in white stoneware and porcelain and fire to cone 10 in a gas kiln. I do both wheel- thrown and hand-built work. I have been a member of ACGA since 2004 and would like to make a greater contribution to the group by serving on the board”
MEMBER NEWS
SAVE THE DATE!
Clay and Glass Festival at the Palo Alto Art Center
July 15th and 16th 2023
We’re looking forward to our summertime Festival – held on the grounds of the Palo Alto Art Center on July 15-16, 2023. The Festival application is due to be emailed to eligible members Monday, February 13. Artists who haven’t yet juried for Festival eligibility can visit our jury webpage – the next jury will be held in Spring 2023. Read More: https://acga.net/clay-and-glass-festival/
Read More:
https://acga.net/clay-and-glass-festival/
Posted by April Zilber, Festival Chair
How to Post to ACGA News and Calendar
Members who want to share upcoming news, events, milestones, studio equipment for sale, shows, awards, and other craft-related items with our audience of fellow artists and collectors can now fill out a few lines on our website and get posted to our online calendar of events or our news page. Submission Process, Learn More: https://acga.net/acga-news/new-year-new-communications-model/
Posted by Ren Lee
MEMBER EXHIBITIONS
Vicki Gunter
Family Gathering — Little Pete Meadow
Pint Size Show, Transmission Gallery, San Francisco
clay, glaze, stains, wire, antique spoon – 2 x 6.5 x 4.5 inches
This cup is made entirely of clay into faux granite. The blueberry stems and handle are hand-worked wire. The plinth is an actual granite stone.
Inspired by its no-waste complexity, nature is my source and my anchor, in wild places and at home in East Oakland. My work draws from the knowledge that everything comes from the earth and the hope that we will seek solutions to gather, love and consume leaving the smallest fingerprint.
For me, Sierra cups symbolize Family Gatherings. At the magical age of nine, 1959, my parents put an old wooden pack frame on my back, hung a metal Sierra cup on my rope belt and we “hit the trail”. I discovered the earth could sustain me and I could survive in it with little more than a spoon, a cup, dried apples, jerky and a family’s warmth. It was hard work, but so worth it, not only because of the extraordinary beauty — we were experiencing our life source.
At Little Pete Meadow we discovered we were gifted with Huckleberries. We filled our cups! We mixed them with Bisquick, making 1 giant Huckleberry biscuit over our campfire. My father carried a small cast-iron skillet for this purpose. Yes, crazy. But oh, Huckleberries, one of our simple native delights that stirs us to defend what we stand on! I feel an urgency to create art in this revolutionary time. I value clay’s infinite potential− mirroring our own.
As a native of California, the clay state, I love turning clay to stone. This little cup is made of reclaimed clay into faux granite with found: hand-worked wire stems and handle, vintage spoon, Granite stone plinth found in the Sierras.
Instagram: @transmissiongallery.sf
Instagram: @vickigunter
Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts
2868 Mission Street, San Francisco
Feb. 4- March 4
Kathy Pallie
Kathy Pallie’s ‘White Caps’ was selected for the “The Color of Water” exhibition at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts. The ceramic vessel which is 17″H is not only the color of water, but it can also hold water.
Exhibition dates February 11 – March 26 with an opening reception Saturday, February 11 from 2 – 4 pm.
Sebastopol Center for the Arts, 282 S. High Street, Sebastopol, CA
ACGA BOARD MEETING MINUTES – JANUARY 2023
ACGA Board Meeting Minutes
5:30 p.m., January 3, 2023 via Zoom
READ THE JANUARY MINUTES:
https://acga.net/acga-news/acga-board-meeting-january-2023/
Next Meeting: All-Member Meeting (via Zoom)
10:00 a.m. – 12 noon, Saturday, January 28, 2023
Hosted by Zoom All Members Welcome
LISTINGS
SEE EVENTS CALENDAR:
https://acga.net/events-calendar/
This space is envisioned for future listings of upcoming calendar events. Since we have only just launched the submission process in this mailing, we do not have any current events at this time. Please follow the submission process outlined herein.
Professional Kiln Repair Service
NorCal Kiln Repair- “Professional Bay Area repair service since 2006”
· evaluation & repair: ceramic & glass kilns (gas & electric)
· tutorials: operation, safety, maintenance, custom programming
· evaluation & repair: pottery wheels, pug mills, slab rollers
· ventilation repair & installation / studio safety & setup consultations
· new & used kiln recommendations / appraisals: buying & selling
· ceramics troubleshooting: clays, glaze, construction, firing, etc.
Joseph Kowalczyk (Ko-väl-chick)
kiln & ceramics specialist
510 601-5053 · NorCalKilnRepair@gmail.com
www.norcalkilnrepair.com
ACGA NETWORKING EXPLAINED
Address changes and Membership Changes – Please send all address changes to the membership chair EmilYanos,
acgamembership@gmail.com
.
ACGA’s Website – Check out our website
The home page now features an ‘artist of the month.’ Populate your own page, and update often. To create and edit your profi le page, go to the For Members menu, choose Member login, and follow the instructions to find and edit your profile.Need a website password?
Email Emil Yanos at acgamembership@gmail.com
We look forward to hearing from you!
Follow and Like us on FaceBook (@ClayandGlass) and Instagram (@theACGA)
The ACGA News is sent through MailChimp. If your email bounces you or you have been unsubscribed, you can sign up again – contact Communications Lead Ren Lee at: news@acga.net.
Join the ACGA social media group www.facebook.com/groups/ACGASocialMedia
GOOGLE GROUP
Link to the Google group: the-acga@googlegroups.com
To email all members via the ACGA Google group you must be a member. Address your clay/glass-related message to: the-acga@googlegroups.com
There are two ways that you can engage in google groups without a gmail account:
1. Via email only
With a non-gmail email address you can still participate in all of the google group activities by replying to emailsand/or sending an email to the-acga@googlegroups.com to start a new thread. You do not have to create any google accounts to do this. If you’re seeing this email, then you’re in the group and can respond to emails like this one that will be sent to the entire group.
More details on how to create and respond to google group messages in the FAQ!
2. Make a google account
While it’s not necessary to have a google account to participate in the google group, you can create one with your non-gmail email address to get access to the google group site, which just aggregates the ACGA google group conversations in one place that’s easy to review and search.
Board of Directors – 2023
2022 Officers
President: Mari Emori
Vice President: TBD
Secretary: Sally Jackson
Treasurer: April Zilber
Lee Middleman, Jan Schachter, Joe Battiato, Emil Yanos, Trudy Chiddix, Cheryl Costantini,
Chris Johnson, Ren Lee, Susie Rubenstein, Iver Hennig, Sonja Hinrichson, Vicki Gunter, Barbara Prodaniuk
Committee Chairs
Communication – Ren Lee
Exhibitions – Jan Schachter
Festival – April Zilber
Historian – Cuong Ta
Int’l Ambassador – Barbara Brown
Membership – Emil Yanos
