Present: Chris Johnson, Julie Taber, April Zilber, Sally Jackson (recorder), Jan Schachter, Ren Lee, Vicki Gunter, Lee Middleman, Babara Prodaniuk, Tamara Danoyan, Iver Hennig, Trudy Chiddix, Emil Yanos, Cheryl Costantini Absent: Mari Emori, Susie Rubenstein, Scott Jennings, Sonja Hinrichsen Guests: Sean Alcala, Piper Christine
The meeting began at 5:15 pm
Welcome (Chris)
Monthly Treasurer’s Report (Julie)
As of the end of September, we have $133,000 in bank accounts and about $3000 in PayPal. Revenue was low last month, as is usual at this time of year. Our next significant income will come in December when we collect membership dues.
Preliminary 2025 Budget (Julie)
Julie presented a preliminary budget for 2025, based closely on a combination of the YTD actuals and budget for 2024. She asks that each committee review their income and expenses and let her know if changes need to be made. She will be presenting a final budget for board approval at the December meeting.
ACGA’s CERF+ Fundraiser Update (Julie)
Our fundraising effort on behalf of Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF+) has gathered $3600 in donations from our members. CERF+ will use the donation to help artists affected by Hurricane Helene and other disasters. Thank you to all who responded. Donations can also be made directly to CERF+.
Regional Exhibition “Above Board” Update (Ren)
“Above Board”, a month-long exhibition in Fresno organized by ACGA, Clay Hand Studio, and the San Joaquin Clay and Glass Association, opened on October 3 with a well-attended reception. Feedback on the show has been excellent. Ren proposed that we donate $100 of our net revenue to the show’s host, Clay Hand Studio, to use as scholarship money. The board approved this unanimously (14 yes, 0 no).
Festival 2024 Report (April)
April presented a sales summary of the 2024 Clay and Glass Festival in Palo Alto. Sales for 124 artists totalled $427,437, with average sales of $3447. The top seller took in $14,990. These numbers, while lower than 2023, are within range of many past years. The board discussed how to gather more detailed data each year on items sold. Ren proposed that if our sellers who use Square or another digital sales tool would upload their sales activity into a Google spreadsheet (with no personal info), we could quantify sales by price points and sales per day of event. Because sales are a major point of the festival, measuring and quantifying key data to help artists make decisions about what to make and bring, and how to price their work, are central to the festival’s success. Ren emphasized that just because we have not tracked it in the past does not obviate the importance of figuring out how to do it going forward.
Fall Jury Update (Chris)
The most recent jury application deadline was October 15. A report of the jurors’ decisions will be made at our November meeting.
Proposal for Use of Contribution Made by James Meyer (Julie)
ACGA member James Meyer has pledged an annual donation of $1000 to be used as the board sees fit. Julie proposed that it be used as scholarships for emerging artists, particularly black/indigenous/people of color (BIPOC) artists under 30, who might not otherwise join ACGA or pay the jurying fee and the festival booth fee. Ren suggested that a committee form to seek ways to identify these artists.
Decision not to Seek Reelection(Trudy)
Trudy Chiddix will step down from the board at the end of this year. She has committed many years of service to ACGA, especially as a board member, and will remain a member. We are grateful to her for her service and for hosting many board meetings with dinner at her home in San Francisco.
Nominations for New Board Members 2025 (Chris)
There will be three open spots on the board at the end of the year. It’s time to recruit nominees for the ballot that will be mailed to our members in December.
All-Member Meeting 2025 (Sally)
Sally has contacted the Palo Alto Art Center to discuss reserving the meeting room for our next All-Member Meeting in January. The board noted that last year’s hybrid meeting was plagued by technical issues when we tried to use an Owl. The current plan is to have an in-person meeting at the Palo Alto Art Center that will include a Zoom connection to bring in those who want to attend virtually. We encourage virtual attendees to gather in their locales to share company, food, and participation in the meeting.
Proposed Code of Conduct (Emil)
Emil presented a Code of Conduct borrowed from a clay studio in San Francisco. Some of its details do not apply to ACGA, but the board agreed that in a shortened form it will be an important addition to our website. We will edit it and then discuss how to make sure that members acknowledge it when they pay their dues.
The meeting ended at 6:50 pm
Next Meeting: 5:15pm, November 18, 2024, via Zoom
