Present: Mari Emori, Sally Jackson, Julie Taber, April Zilber, Piper Christine, Jan Schachter, Lee Middleman, Scott Jennings, Barbara Prodaniuk, Susie Rubenstein, Cheryl Costantini, Iver Hennig, Ren Lee, Vicki Gunter, Chris Johnson, Sean Free Alcala, Tamara Danoyan, Emil Yanos

Welcome (Mari)

Mari reported that in March the Board voted via emails to contribute $500 to Stewards of the Coast Redwoods to sponsor their inaugural fundraising event at Pond Farm Pottery in Guerneville. An anonymous donor matched our donation for a total of $1000. The event will take place on April 27th and is part of an ongoing effort to restore and use this historic property.

ACGA Merchandise at the Clay and Glass Festival (Cheryl)

Cheryl has been investigating the cost of ACGA-branded items that could be made available at the festival, either as gifts or for sale.  Aprons and water bottles were two that she presented to the Board.  T-shirts were also proposed. After some discussion, the Board decided that this type of sale is not a priority for ACGA, whereas gifts for, e.g., new artists and throwdown contestants are.  Sean proposed handmade gifts with the ACGA logo. Cheryl will pursue this idea with a subset of Board members who are interested in helping.  The Board approved a $600 budget for this.

Festival Report (April)

There are 144 artists signed up for the 2025 Festival, with a short waitlist.  Twenty-one of those who’ve registered are first-time participants.  Annie at Messenger Events is working to ensure that she has enough staff for this larger festival.  April has spent a great deal of time investigating the regulations and insurance requirements if we want to sell wine and beer at the festival.  The costs will be significant and logistics complex.  After discussion, the Board voted unanimously to forgo alcohol sales at the festival for at least the next two years (18 yes).

Orientation on Zoom for Festival Artists (Cheryl)

Cheryl and Susie are creating a document for festival artists, particularly first-timers, that will help them prepare for the weekend.  They will also conduct an open Orientation on Zoom on Sunday, May 4, at 10 a.m. All artists are invited.

Corporate Sponsorship (Lee)

Lee proposed that ACGA pursue more corporate sponsorship and that we could offer free ad space for sponsors in return.  Ren countered that while she is in favor of ACGA seeking contributions, she does not recommend that we take on any model that requires someone with expertise to solicit funds, design ads, and update them regularly.

“Arts of Fire” in Benicia: Exhibition Update (Vicki)

The “Arts of Fire” call has received several entries and will remain open until May 21.  Vicki has had postcards printed and is distributing them widely in an effort to encourage more entries.  She will also send out an email to our members.  The clay juror is Lisa Reinertson and the glass juror is Demetra Theofanous.

Santa Cruz: Exhibition Update (Iver)

Iver and fellow ceramicist Carlos Dye have been working with the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History to organize a four-month-long exhibition of clay and glass work.  The museum’s deputy director, Marla Novo, is enthusiastic. This show could take place possibly as early as fall of 2026 in the museum’s main gallery.

Jury Report (Chris)

The six jurors for the March jurying met twice and accepted 25 out of 44 applicants for festival eligibility.  Of 33 clay applicants, 18 were accepted.  Of 11 glass applicants, 7 were accepted.  A Jury Committee will convene soon to discuss best practices for future juries.  Jan suggested limiting future juries to a more manageable number of applicants.  Chris feels that the large number was not an issue.

Financial Report (Julie)

Julie reported that we have $171,000 in assets, held in our bank accounts and PayPal.  She is working with the bank to get account access for Piper, our festival treasurer.

Guest Artist Talk/Presentation on April 5th (Mari)

On April 5, ACGA hosted a well-attended event featuring visiting artist Adil Writer from India.  The event was live-streamed on Instagram and Facebook.  Mari expressed her appreciation for all who helped make this possible: Guangzhen “Po” Zhou, Lee Middleman, Iver Hennig, Ren Lee, Sally Jackson, and the Palo Alto Art Center.

The meeting ended at 6:30 p.m.

Next Meeting: Monday, May 19, at 5:15 p.m. via Zoom