ACGA All-Member Meeting Minutes: January 2023
ACGA All-Member Meeting Minutes
10 a.m. – 12 noon, January 28, 2023 via Zoom
Present: Cheryl Costantini, Mari Emori, April Zilber, Sally Jackson (recorder), Susie Rubenstein, Ren Lee, Lee Middleman, Trudy Chiddix, Jan Schachter, Joe Battiato, Chris Johnson, Emil Yanos, Sonja Hinrichsen, Vicki Gunther, Iver Hennig, Barbara Prodaniuk
I. Welcome (Cheryl Costantini, Outgoing President)
Cheryl welcomed everyone and said that it has been an honor to serve as ACGA’s president for the past four years. Her goals as president were to make the organization more relevant to a wider array of clay and glass artists, particularly younger artists; to eliminate the hierarchy of exhibiting and associate members in favor of one general membership category; and to improve ACGA’s means of communication through its newsletter, social media, and email. The Board is grateful for all Cheryl’s hard work in realizing these goals. Thank you, Cheryl!
II. Announce election results and elect officers
We received 77 ballots in this year’s election. Three of our incumbent board members were reelected for another two-year term: Mari Emori, Emil Yanos, and Joe Battiato. Four new board members were also elected: Barbara Prodaniuk, Iver Hennig, Vicki Gunther, and Sonja Hinrichsen. Welcome, new board members!
The Board elected the following officers:
President: Mari Emori
Vice-President: (vacant)
Treasurer: April Zilber
Secretary: Sally Jackson
III. New President’s Message (Mari Emori)
Mari has been a member of ACGA since 2018 and has served on the Board since 2021. Her studio is part of the Berkeley Potter’s Guild. She is looking forward to serving as our new president.
IV. Introduction of New Board Members
Barbara, Sonja, Iver, and Vicki gave short introductions of their work and their involvement with ACGA.
V. Communications Committee (Ren Lee)
There are important new ways for members to communicate now:
- ACGA’s GoogleGroup: All ACGA members are encouraged to use our GoogleGroup. The address is <the-acga@googlegroups.com>. Any information sent to this address will immediately be emailed to all members who are enrolled in the group. Emil or April will enroll new members when they pay their dues. This is an excellent way to post last-minute announcements, equipment sales, or anything else of clay and glass interest to our members.
- Instagram & Facebook: When you post on these social media platforms, tag the ACGA (@theacga) and it will be reposted on ACGA’s feed.
- Website: There are now two new menu items under “For Members” on the ACGA website (https://acga.net/):
- Submit an Event to the ACGA Calendar allows you to put events on a master calendar that can be viewed by other members and the public. This is a good way to publicize your sales, workshops, open studios, and so on. Be sure to include your full name in the TITLE, and submit the full address of your event.
- Submit a Post to the ACGA News allows you to enter information that will appear in the monthly newsletter. These posts can be announcements, articles, notices of awards or recognition, etc. Your full name must be in the post title. Please submit well ahead of the 10th of each month in order to be included in that month’s newsletter. The newsletter goes out to our members as well as our mailing list of 6000+ names. It is a great way to get information out.
VI. Membership (Emil Yanos)
Renewals should have ended on December 31, but there were some glitches this year that kept some from renewing. At this time we have 270 members. Quite a few of our older members have opted not to renew. Emil is also working on integrating how new members become part of the GoogleGroup and MailChimp, and how non-renewing members get taken off. Discussion focused on how to attract and keep members. Some attendees feel that glass gets marginalized because clay artists outnumber glass artists.
VII. Treasurer’s Report (April Zilber)
Our total assets at the beginning of the year were $95,000. Our net income for 2022 was $4000. In 2023 we estimate a net income of $2300 unless our administrative expenses increase. April has served as Treasurer for over 20 years and would like to step down. She will offer training to anyone who can replace her. This job pays $300 monthly.
VIII. Festival Update (April Zilber)
Festival applications will go out to festival-eligible artists soon. Artists who become festival-eligible in the next jury in March will not have to pay late fees. April is looking for more non-board members to serve on the Festival Committee. We will not have the Artist’s Showcase this year, but Barbara Prodaniuk proposed some way to recognize outstanding work, such as Best-in-Show ribbons for both clay and glass. We will probably be able to have the Artist Party in the Sculpture Garden. Clay-for-All is under negotiation.
IX. Call for Festival Demo Artists: Joe Battiato
If you would like to present a demo at this year’s festival, please contact Joe (battiatoart@yahoo.com).
X. Jury (Chris Johnson)
The next jurying deadline will be in early March. Chris has worked tirelessly to create an improved protocol for online jurying, which is quite different from live jurying. Please contact Chris if you would like to serve on the upcoming jury (chris@chrisjohnsonglass.com).
XI. Exhibitions
- NCECA 2022
Gallery Expo: In March 2022, Sacramento hosted the NCECA Conference “Fertile Ground”. ACGA was chosen among many applicants to be part of the onsite Gallery Expo. Mari Emori organized our sales booth at the conference featuring 16 ACGA artists. Attendance was excellent and total sales were almost $19,000. Everyone who contributed time and work to this project is much appreciated!
In Hand, By Hand: Jan Schachter and Sally Jackson organized an ACGA sale that took place just before and after NCECA as part of the East Bay Clay Routes Tour. Potter Mary Law juried 13 ACGA clay artists who showed their work in a beautiful space donated to us by Brushstrokes Studio in Berkeley. Attendance was good but sales were slow.
Seismic State: California Ceramics: Jan and Sally also organized a full-scale exhibition at the Sparrow Gallery in Sacramento during NCECA. Juror Beth Ann Gerstein (Executive Director, American Museum of Ceramic Art) invited eight artists and chose work by 34 more from more than 200 applicants. Cynthia Lou, owner of the gallery provided huge support and expertise in mounting the show. Attendance was very good.
2. Exhibitions future: We definitely need to expand our exhibition opportunities now that pandemic restrictions are lifting. Jan is always looking for new suggestions, so please contact her if you know of a space that is available (janschachter@gmail.com).
The meeting adjourned at 12:15 pm.
Next meeting: Monday, February 13, 5:30 pm via Zoom
Grant awarded for Musical Glass Project
April Zilber is excited to have received a Develop Grant from Arts Council Santa Cruz County. The grant will help pay for cold working equipment essential for fine-tuning the glass bell plates I design and fuse.
“The musical pitch or frequency of a bell plate is dependent on the dimensions of the bell plate. While empirical calculations are useful for predicting the size needed to create a particular frequency, I need to grind the edges on a flat lapping wheel with a series of diamond grit disks in order to reach the exact frequency. I’ve learned a lot from making and tuning square and rectangular bell plates and look forward to exploring several types of triangle.” –April Zilber
New ACGA Board Member: 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.”
New ACGA Board Member: Sonja Hinrickson
New ACGA Board Member: Barbara Glynn Prodaniuk
Barbara Glynn Prodaniuk
Barbara Glynn Prodaniuk’s work includes ceramic sculptures, wall pieces, and functional pottery using wheel-thrown and slab construction techniques. She draws inspiration from daily life and the abundance of natural forms around me. Barbara is a full-time potter living and working in Truckee, Ca since 1981.
@bgprodaniuk
Mari Emori – New ACGA President
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE – February 2023
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 our organization has faced. Cheryl navigated ACGA through the pandemic with grace and determination, and her contributions to our community will not be forgotten.
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
