Time and Tide
Underground Gallery
1337 Fourth Street
San Rafael, CA
February 14 to March 28
February 14, 5–8pm: Reception and 2nd Friday Art Walk
March 14, 5–8pm: Reception and 2nd Friday Art Walk
The breakdown of rocks and minerals at or near the Earth’s surface caused by chemical and physical interactions with air, water, and living organisms, including humans. Once broken down, particles are carried away, revealing the physical evidence of both processes. Emil uses the properties of clay to capture expressions of weathering and erosion.
ACGA Board Meeting Minutes – December 16, 2024, via Zoom
Present: Mari Emori, Julie Taber, Cheryl Costantini, Lee Middleman, Susie Rubenstein, April Zilber, Jan Schachter, Vicki Gunter, Barbara Prodaniuk, Ren Lee, Tamara Danoyan, Sonja Hinrichsen, Iver Hennig, Chris Johnson, Emil Yanos, Sally Jackson (recorder), Scott Jennings, Trudy Chiddix Absent: none
Guests: Piper Christine, Sean Alcala, Haley Tessler, Diana Adams
Welcome New Guests and Bid Farewells (Mari)
Mari welcomed members who rejoined our meeting as guests and introduced a new member guest, Haley Tessler. She also offered the Board’s gratitude to Trudy Chiddix and Sonja Hinrichsen, both of whom will step down from the Board at the end of the year. Trudy will move to Santa Barbara and resume her work with clay and glass, while Sonja will return to Europe to look for studio and living space.
Review the Board Timeline 2025 (Mari)
Mari has prepared a draft of the Board Timeline to guide the Board’s activities through the next calendar year. She will work with Ren, Vicki, April, Chris, and Emil to finalize the Timeline in the next weeks.
Festival Planning Updates (April)
April and Piper (who will serve as ACGA’s new Festival Treasurer) met recently with Messenger Events to discuss the 2025 Clay & Glass Festival. April reported that volunteer job descriptions will be reviewed by Susie and Julie. She is open to suggestions for how to assign more volunteer hours before and after the festival, since artists often find it difficult to serve during the festival. The Board concurred with April that volunteering is a good way to build and strengthen the ACGA community. Nevertheless, some artists ask to pay not to volunteer, which could provide hourly pay for hired help at the CERF+ table, for example. April will consider how these options might appear on the festival application. Ren suggested that ACGA find other ways to build community, especially online. Mari proposed ordering more water bottles and Cheryl offered to explore options.
Financial Report (Julie)
As of the end of November, our assets totalled $125,000. Income for the month was $1500 and expenses were $1200. Our net profit for the year thus far is $8500. We expect much of our membership income to come in during the month of December. Emil and Julie are working on issues with renewal on our website.
2025 Budget (Julie)
Julie presented a budget for 2025. She used information from last year’s finances as well as input from various committees. April is still working out festival plans and finances but recommended raising the ad design expense from $600 to $1000. The Board voted unanimously to accept the current 2025 Budget with that change, and with the understanding that other adjustments will be made as needed (18 yes, 0 no).
ACGA/NY2CA Gallery Show: Arts of Fire (Vicki)
Vicki Gunter is organizing the exhibition “Arts of Fire” with Vickie Marchand at NY2CA Gallery in Benicia. A call for entries will go out on February 21, 2025. She proposed opening the call to non-members for a slightly higher fee that could include a discount on first-time ACGA membership dues. This would boost income from the call, and more importantly it would bring in some new members. The Board agreed with Vicki that ACGA should have more exhibitions in addition to planning the festival each year. Vicki proposed paying those who organize exhibitions because of the amount of work. The Board discussed the role of exhibitions for our diverse mix of members.
All-Member Meeting Jan. 25, 2025 (Mari)
The All-Member Meeting will take place in two ways: in-person at the Palo Alto Art Center, and online via Zoom on January 25, 2025, 10 –11:30 a.m. Those meeting at the Art Center will then have a potluck lunch. The agenda will include introducing the new Board members, gathering feedback from members as to what they would like from ACGA, watching some virtual studio tours, and summarizing our accomplishments in 2024. Mari suggested conducting a member survey prior to the All-Member Meeting, and using the collected data as a foundation for discussion. The officers will work on developing the meeting agenda and will seek input from the Board in the coming weeks. Jan proposed making multiple announcements to members leading up to the meeting to increase awareness and attendance.
Festival Jury Summary (Chris)
The recent festival jury had 16 applicants, 5 of whom were accepted. Some of those who were rejected requested and received notes explaining the jurors’ decisions. Chris would like to set up a pool of mentors for those who apply in the future. He would also like to improve our description of what jurors need to see in the images submitted, and he would like more applications from glass artists. He will be organizing his list of potential jurors in order to smooth recruitment for the next round. Mari suggested having two spring and fall jury coordinators, forming a team, or doing one jury per year, but most seemed to agree that two juries, in March and October, served our purposes better. Tamara expressed interest in assisting Chris with the jury process.
The meeting adjourned at 7:00pm.
Next Meeting: January 20, 2025, 5:15pm via Zoom
ACGA Board Meeting Minutes – November 18, 2024
Present: Mari Emori, April Zilber, Sally Jackson (recorder), Jan Schachter, Lee Middleman, Scott Jennings, Vicki Gunter, Ren Lee, Barbara Prodaniuk, Sonja Hinrichsen, Tamara Danoyan, Emil Yanos, Julie Taber, Iver Hennig, Trudy Chiddix, Susie Rubenstein, Chris Johnson Absent: Cheryl Costantini
Guests: Sean Alcala, Deb Sullivan, Diana Adams, Britt Jensen, Piper Christine
The meeting began at 5:15pm.
Welcome (Mari)
Mari introduced our guests, who spoke briefly about their work: Piper Christine (clay, Berkeley), Sean Alcala (glass, Salida), Deb Sullivan (clay, Alameda), Diana Adams (clay, Long Beach), and Britt Jensen (clay, San Jose).
Treasurer’s Report (Julie)
Total assets in our accounts were $125,200 as of October 31. Total October expenses were $10,656.10 and total income was $2,376.18. Our gross profits to date ($122,000) are slightly above budget, and our expenses to date ($114,309.84) are almost exactly on budget. Membership income will bump up in December when many members renew.
Exhibitions: “Above Board” Final Report (Ren)
Ren reported that “Above Board”, the exhibition that ACGA organized with Clay Hand Studio in Fresno, received 44 entries. Revenue received from entries totalled $1540. ACGA broke even after paying expenses. Clay Hand Studio netted $79 after paying artist commissions for work that sold.
Festival Report (April)
April reported that the last checks due from festival artists have been received. The Board discussed how to share final sale numbers with our membership, since this would not interest everyone. April will send out an announcement with a link to the artists’ sales summary report. She is still working on a budget for the 2025 festival. The Festival Committee will meet on November 24. April will be working closely with Messenger Events to remap the festival grounds.
Membership Proposal (Mari)
The Membership Committee presented a proposal to eliminate Collaborative Membership, effective February 1, 2025. Since this will involve a change in our bylaws, it needs to be voted on by our members. This proposed change will be announced in early December and will be included on the January ballot along with our board member election. A “Frequently Asked Questions” section will be added to our website, and updated as needed. The Board voted unanimously (17 yes, 0 no) to approve the proposal (with slight edits requested) so that it can be submitted for consideration by our membership.
Handwork 2026
Craft in America has announced Handwork: Celebrating American Craft 2026, “a national semiquincentennial collaboration showcasing the importance of the handmade and celebrating the diversity of craft that defines America”. This initiative will generate craft-focused exhibitions, documentaries, digital resources, education programs, and more. Its organizers are seeking partnerships and participants for a wide-ranging, nationally advertised series of events in 2026. The Board agreed to explore ACGA’s best options for joining this initiative.
Code of Conduct (Emil)
Emil presented a concise Code of Conduct for ACGA members. It will be sent out through our GoogleGroup and will also be added to our website. When members join or renew, they will be asked to acknowledge that they have read and understood the Code. After discussion and slight edits, the Board voted unanimously (18 yes, 0 no) to accept the Code of Conduct.
Jury Report (Chris)
Our recent jury call received 15 applications. The jury will meet later this week, and again the following week before announcing the results. The next application deadline will be March 15, 2025.
All-Member Meeting (Sally)
ACGA has reserved the Meeting Room at the Palo Alto Art Center for its All-Member Meeting on January 25, 2025. In-person attendees will gather there. The Board discussed how to make the meeting run smoothly if many are attending virtually. We will work out the details in the coming weeks.
The meeting adjourned at 6:55pm
Next Meeting: December 16, 2024, via Zoom
New Studio Inauguration Party
Calling all ceramicists and art lovers!
Join us for a celebration of creativity and community in Marin’s new hub for ceramics. Enjoy live music, explore our space, and discover what the excitement is all about – we can’t wait to see you there!
https://www.cacm.studio/program-events
ACGA Board Meeting Minutes – October 21, 2024
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
HABITATS
Abrams Claghorn Gallery
1251 Solano Ave, Albany CA 94706
“…every living thing calls the earth home. According to the dictionary, a habitat is “the natural home or environment of a plant, animal, or other organism….Biotic (living) and abiotic (nonliving) things exist together to form a habitat, where flora and fauna live side by side in a symbiotic effort to survive.
Each of the five invited artists included in this exhibition address the theme of habitats with a unique lens. The core is a shared and passionate interest in nature. The artworks express wonder and awe at the earth’s beauty, its precious inhabitants, and the palpable environmental threats faced by us all.
As a whole, Habitats is a show that points to our home planet earth in all its complexity, featuring diverse visions of its astonishing, turbulent and resilient beauty. ” ~Curator/Juror Laura Abrams
