ACGA News

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

The meeting began at 5:15 pm

Welcome (Mari)

Mari thanked Vicki Gunter for organizing and facilitating the “Arts of Fire” exhibition at NY2CA Gallery in Benicia. The show runs August 7 – September 21. Mari also noted her own solo exhibition at Blue Line Arts in Roseville, as well as the Contemporary Japanese Ceramics show at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco.

Exhibition Update: “Arts of Fire” Reception (Vicki)

The opening reception for “Arts of Fire” was very successful and attracted a large crowd to see the art, listen to live music, and enjoy refreshments.  Bruce Pizzichillo, Hannah Nicholson and Alana van Altena, Karen Urbanek, and Julie Kumar received awards for their glass creations.  Claudia Tarantino, Clayton Thiel, Vicki Gunter, and Amanda Klimek received awards for ceramic work.  Bruce Pizzichillo and Clayton Thiel also received awards from Pam Dixon in tribute to Robert Arneson and Manuel Neri.

Festival Jury Voting: Unfinished Business (Mari)

1. Jury Reapplication Fee: The Board discussed at length the pros and cons of reducing or waiving the jury fee for artists who reapply after having been rejected for festival eligibility. Ultimately the Board voted to keep the jury fee at full price for reapplication (13 yes, 4 no, 1 absent).
2. Juror Eligibility: The Board discussed what qualifications should be required for jurors selecting artists for festival eligibility. After much discussion, the Board voted that all jurors must be festival-eligible artists (13 yes, 4 no, 1 absent).

The new Jury Coordinator is Scott Jennings.  He will be assisted by Tamara Danoyan, and Chris Johnson will serve as an advisor.

Festival Report (April)

The 2025 Clay & Glass Festival accounting is still in progress, but overall the numbers look great.  Next year’s festival dates are July 11-12, 2026.

Festival Financial Update (Piper)

Piper reported that total sales this year were over $500,000, a first for this event.  ACGA’s net profit will be in the neighborhood of $30,000.  The Board voted to fully refund an artist who had to cancel on short notice for a medical issue (17 yes).

Post-Festival Volunteer Update (Sean)

Sean reported that 20 festival artists did not get volunteer slots at the festival and still need jobs.  Please let Sean know if you have ideas for how these artists might serve in other arenas.

Financial Report (Julie)

As of July 31, ACGA has $173,000 in the bank, and almost all festival expenses are paid.  We are $10,000 ahead of budget for the year.  Membership renewals in December will provide additional income.  Julie added that she and Festival Treasurer Piper Christine are discussing whether to consider changing banks.

Exhibition Updates: Sausalito (Jan & Emil)

Jan reported that ACGA might co-host an exhibition with Fiber Dimensions in Sausalito in February/March 2026. The details are still being worked out.  Emil reported that he’s been in contact with someone who wants to organize a festival like Clay & Glass in Sausalito, possibly as early as September 2026.

The meeting ended at 6:55 pm

Next Meeting: Monday, September 22, at 5:15 pm

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

The meeting began at 5:15 p.m.

Welcome (Mari)

Festival Update (April)

At present we have a full festival with 140 booths. April thanked Piper for all her contributions as our new Festival Treasurer.  Because of sparse voting and sign-ups, we are not offering People’s Choice awards again this year, nor do we think it worthwhile to conduct a gift certificate drawing for people who sign up for our mailing list. April will bring this last decision point to the festival committee. We will however continue collecting emails to add to the mailing list, both with a QR code on signs, and through mailing list sign-ups in artists’ booths. We have 25 new artists this year. They will have bright-colored labels for their booths. We will have a paid CERF+ staff person.  We are still seeking one person to staff Clay for All in the courtyard.  This job will pay minimum wage.

Website Report (April)

We have a new Festival landing page on our website. It was designed by the Mega Jewell Agency and we can refresh it each year. The Board discussed how to best archive Festival landing pages from past years. One suggestion is to keep the most recent ones easily accessible with live links to the artists, and archive older ones as PDFs or screenshots.

Meyer Fund Proposal (Scott)

Scott and Vivien Hart have been exploring ways to use the funds donated to ACGA by James Meyers.  They propose funding a robust selection of needs for ACGA members rather than restricting awards to a narrow category.  Examples might include travel or tuition funds for conferences or workshops, jury and booth fees, organizing a workshop, and so on. Vivien and Scott would review the applications for amounts in the $250/$500 neighborhood, available to all ACGA members in good standing.  The Board discussed when the application period might fall, and whether the awardees would be required to report on how they used the money. Other questions arose as to how to verify need, and whether we can enlarge the fund with contributions from other donors.  The Board will discuss these questions further at a future meeting.

Exhibitions: Arts of Fire (Vicki)

The call for Arts of Fire received entries from 83 clay and glass artists, most submitting multiple pieces for consideration. Jurors Lisa Reinertson and Demetra Theofanus selected about 40 pieces by 34 artists. Income from entry fees and membership sign-ups was robust. Vicki acknowledged valuable help from James Aarons, Ren Lee, and others. The Board discussed how to feature the show on our website. Options include a page of thumbnail images or simply a written list of the artists with a link to the NY2CA Gallery page featuring the artwork. Vicki will look into the costs.  The opening reception for Arts of Fire will be August 17, 6-7 p.m., at NY2CA Gallery in Benicia.

Financial Report (Julie)

We currently have $130,000 in the bank. $32,000 of that is in PayPal at the moment, reflecting payment of booth fees for the Clay & Glass Festival. Julie is moving it gradually into our bank account. Income in May was boosted by the Arts of Fire entry fees. Expenses were high as is usual at this time, when we are paying for many of the festival expenses. Paperwork for Piper to have access to our Bank of America account is finally complete and has been submitted to the bank.

Jury Process: Proposed Changes & Discussion (Mari)

Before the Board met, Mari wrote and shared a document listing proposed changes or refinements to the jurying process. Topics included jury frequency and structure, jury committee and role clarity, scoring and meeting format, and communications with applicants. Discussion of these important and complex subjects will continue in the coming weeks until the Board feels prepared to vote.

Date of Next Meeting: Monday, August 18, 2025, at 5:15 p.m. via Zoom

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

The meeting began at 5:15 p.m.

 Welcome (Mari)

Arts of Fire Exhibition (Vicki)

The deadline to submit entries to Arts of Fire is May 21.  To date there are 36 complete entries and several more pending. Most of the entries are clay rather than glass.  When the jurors have made their selections, Vicki will coordinate carpooling for delivery to the NY2CA Gallery in Benicia. The gallery might need to borrow some of ACGA’s pedestals for the show.  Jan commented on the excellent publicity for this call.

Santa Cruz Exhibition (Iver)

Iver and fellow artist Carlos Dye have written a successful proposal for an exhibition of clay and glass at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History.  Museum curator Marla Novo has blocked September 26, 2026 – February 27, 2027 for this show, which will accommodate around 20 invited artists and 40 juried artists. It will also include a pop-up sale of work by accepted artists in the museum’s gift shop.  It may be necessary to use some of ACGA’s pedestals stored in Santa Clara. ACGA will assist in organizing the exhibition, but all artists in California will be eligible to apply to the Call for Entries.

Financial Report (Julie)

Our total current assets are $163,863, higher than this time last year. Year-to-date income is $20,000 more than we budgeted, and expenses are slightly over.  The large pool of applicants for the last jury and the high number of booth applications for the festival have boosted our bank balances.

Zoom Orientation for Festival-Eligible Artists (Cheryl)

Around 20 artists attended the virtual orientation that Cheryl and Susie presented on Zoom on May 4^th.  The hour-long event went well, with good discussions and sharing of information.  Participants appreciated the document that Cheryl and Susie had put together.  Cheryl thinks that this orientation should be held annually.  ACGA artist Diana Greenleaf, who had originally suggested the gathering, reported that it was very useful.  Suggestions made by artists during the presentation have been passed on to April.

Jury Discussion (Mari)

The next window to apply for festival eligibility will be September 1-30, 2025.  The jurors’ decisions will be announced in October.  The Board discussed pros and cons of having two juries per year (fall and spring) as opposed to only one (fall).  One jurying in the fall is simpler and gives all artists equal chance to sign up for the festival when booth applications open in January.   The Board also discussed whether to limit the number of applicants for juries, since the last cohort was unusually large (44 applicants). Additionally, the protocol for sharing jurors’ comments with applicants needs improvement, especially when the comments are negative.  These topics will be discussed further at our next Board Meeting.

Festival Report (April)

The Clay & Glass Festival is fully booked.  Waitlisted artists have all been admitted. Cancellations are still possible, but even so it will be a robust show.  April is still working on matching artists with volunteer jobs.  Some jobs formerly assigned to volunteers will be done by paid staff.  April is still looking to fill the paid slot for staffing the CERF+ booth.

The meeting adjourned at 6:30 p.m.

Next Meeting: 5:15 p.m., June 16, 2025 via Zoom

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 27^th 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

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

The meeting began at 5:15 pm.

Welcome (Mari)

Lapsed Membership Survey (Emil)

Emil sent surveys to 46 non-renewing members asking why they chose to let their membership lapse. To date five surveys have been returned. Emil will share the results before our next meeting and we’ll discuss them in more detail.

Festival Update & Media Consultant Festival Page Redo (April & Ren)

As of now, 122 artists have registered for the Clay & Glass Festival in July.  Piper reported that the new map offers space for 142 booths. Invitations to newly-juried artists will go out later this week.  Our media consultant has drafted two examples of what a new festival landing page could look like on our website.  Ren and April felt that either one would be suitable.  The main benefit would be a more professional platform with greater connectivity to our larger festival publicity efforts.

Festival Swag (Cheryl)

Cheryl has found an infinite online supply of merchandise that can be printed with ACGA’s logo: thermal water bottles, aprons, shopping bags, etc.  The Board discussed whether selling this kind of merchandise is beneficial, either from a financial standpoint or as a way to spread ACGA’s brand.  We would likely need to pay someone to handle sales at the festival, which would be hard to organize for this year. Ren advocated for a strong marketing plan before jumping in.  This year, branded merchandise might be a source of prizes for throwdown contestants or gifts for new artists.  Cheryl will provide a proposal for our next meeting.

Exhibitions (Jan)

Jan would like to step down as head of the Exhibitions Committee and encouraged the Board to find a successor.  Iver is exploring a couple of exhibition possibilities in the Santa Cruz area.  Many galleries and other venues are still recovering from Covid.  Jan and Sally are also exploring a possible show in Sebastopol for 2026, but details are yet to be determined.

Handwork 2025 Participation (April & Ren)

Craft in America’s project “Handwork: Celebrating America Craft 2026” will showcase the importance of the handmade and highlight stories of craft artists and organizations.  Next year it will involve exhibitions, documentaries, workshops, how-to videos, publications, and more.  Its website will maintain a calendar of events across the country and live links to organizations, studios, etc.  The Board voted unanimously to join this initiative (17 yes).

Financial Report (Julie)

Our current assets are $170,000.

Approval to change month-to-month bookkeeping from accrual to cash basis.

Julie reported that our accountant recommends that we shift our monthly reports from accrual basis accounting to cash basis accounting, since that is how we file our taxes.

Her motion to approve this change passed unanimously (17 yes).

Banking Approval

Piper was voted in as the Festival Treasurer and Julie was reapproved as the Board Treasurer at the January board meeting.  Julie made a motion to remove April Zilber from all banking accounts (including; Bank of America, Checking, Festival Checking, and Savings account – Fidelity account – PayPal – and other banking/money collection accounts belonging to ACGA) and add Christine Piper to all those accounts as an additional signer.  Julie also asked for approval to get a Bank of America credit card, using the same main account, for Christine Piper.  The motion passed unanimously (17 yes).

2024 Taxes

Julie presented the 2024 Taxes prepared by our CPA, Peak Accounting Services.  Our income last year was high enough that we need to pay California taxes this year.  Although ACGA is a non-profit entity at the federal level with the IRS, the entity didn’t apply for non-profit status with California so has been paying CA tax each year.  Usually this is equal to $800, the minimum CA tax due annually.  The calculation is the greater of $800 or 8.84% of net income.  For 2024, that 8.84% calculation resulted in total tax of $1,232 so there is a balance due of $432 for 2024 and the 2025 CA tax estimate (based on prior year income) is $1,200 instead of the normal $800.  If it turns out the entity’s net income for 2025 is less than in 2024 (actually less than about $9,000), then it’ll go back to the normal $800.

Julie made a motion to pay the additional $432 in taxes due for 2024 by April 15th, plus the base amount of $800.  She also asked approval to pay the 2025 CA tax estimate of $500 on 06/15/2025.  In 2025, if we do not owe more than the $800 we usually have to pay, we will recoup the $500 from the IRS next year. The motion passed unanimously (17 yes).

Upcoming Event: Artist Talk at PAAC (Mari)

ACGA will host ceramic artist Adil Writer at the Palo Alto Art Center on April 5, 2025.  He will talk about his journey in ceramics, his work, and his collaborations with other artists in India, where he is a partner at Mandala Pottery.  He will also show two short films.  The event will be free and open to the public.  We’re also planning to livestream the event on Facebook and Instagram.

Member Survey Responses: Open Discussion

Festival Survey (Piper):  Piper summarized a survey of members who participate in the Clay & Glass Festival.  Of the responding artists, 15 said that they dislike leaving their booths to volunteer during the festival.  A smaller number said that they would like an easier way to pay their commissions.  Piper suggested setting up online commission payment using credit cards, with card fees covered by the artists. Some of those responding suggested that ACGA hold sales at other times of year.  This is a difficult proposition given the time and staff needed to organize a sale and the necessity of holding it indoors.  Ren reminded the Board that the survey only represents a small number of our artists.

Exhibitions Survey (Britt): Britt summarized a survey asking members to comment on ACGA’s exhibition opportunities.  There were 25 responses.  85% said that they are interested in participating in exhibitions.  The location of the gallery was the most important factor influencing whether an artist applies for an ACGA show.  Most artists avoid applying to shows that are geographically distant.  Most respondents would like to see more opportunities for shows, and cited positive experiences with shows in the past.  Britt summarized some of the things we should be asking, i.e., how can we get artists outside of the Bay Area involved in organizing shows for their regions, how can we ensure that shows do not lose money, and are there ways to put on exhibitions that are less cost-prohibitive?

Spring Jury Quick Update (Chris)

There are 44 applicants for festival eligibility in the current jury pool.  Jurors will make their final decisions on March 18 and Chris will send out notifications shortly thereafter. April will then invite the accepted artists to register for booths at the festival.

The meeting ended at 7:00 pm

Next Meeting:  Monday, April 21, 2025 at 5:15pm via Zoom

The Pottery, a longtime San Rafael ceramic studio, has a current opening for an independent ceramic artist. This is not a learning studio and no teaching or classes are allowed here. You will have your own individual studio space, and access to shared space, to do your work independently. We all participate in a yearly group studio sale around the christmas holidays. You will have use of a slab roller and an extruder. This is a wonderful space. If you’re interested, please call linda 415-806-9936

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

Absent: Sally Jackson, Scott Jennings

The meeting began at 5:15 p.m.

Welcome (Mari)

Exhibition: Arts of Fire (Vicki)

Applications for “Arts of Fire” in Benicia will open on February 21.  The fee for up to three entries will be $40, and all accepted work will be for sale. ACGA members whose work sells will receive 60% commission; non-members will receive 50%.  Vicki will help artists coordinate carpools for local delivery and pickup.  The Board voted unanimously to approve Vicki’s proposal to waive the exhibition application fee for non-members who join ACGA and pay the membership fee when they apply to Arts of Fire, as a way to encourage membership (16 yes).

Festival Report (April)

To date, 109 artists have reserved 116 booths (7 double booths) at this year’s Clay & Glass Festival.  We have space for 146 booths.  All extra-large and premium booths are spoken for.  April, Ren, and Mari met with our media consultants to discuss this year’s plan, which includes re-doing our festival landing page.  Our contract with the City of Palo Alto is waiting for signatures. Volunteer job assignments continue to be a topic of concern, since artists do not like to leave their booths during the festival.  April can’t change this year’s arrangements but the Board discussed the possibility of having a volunteer coordinator in the future. April will remind Laura at Messenger Events to prioritize artists with booth helpers when assigning volunteer jobs.  April reported that she will look into getting alcohol liability insurance for the festival when she has time.

The Board discussed whether to sell ACGA merchandise like water bottles and T-shirts at the festival. There was concern about the logistics of selling things at the information booths, and questions about whether the public would want the merchandise.  There were also questions about the purpose of these sales and the environmental impact.  Some Board members felt that giving ACGA water bottles away as gifts (to artists selling for the first time) or prizes (to throwdown winners) was more appropriate.  Cheryl will look into the pros and cons of ACGA branding through merchandise, and will report at the next Board meeting.

Software Platforms Report (April)

April presented a comprehensive overview of ACGA’s software platforms and member interactions. She highlighted the complexity of the organization’s digital infrastructure, including multiple platforms for member communication, event applications, and website management. Discussion revolved around the management of platforms and subscriptions, with a focus on reducing costs and streamlining. April expressed concern about the current system, where she is responsible for initiating subscriptions and managing payments, which can be problematic if there are issues with PayPal or credit card expirations. April would like to hand off some of these responsibilities. The Board discussed the possibility of assigning different platforms to different people or having one person, possibly paid, manage all tasks.

Fire Fundraiser Update (April)

Our Southern California Fire Fundraiser has raised over $3,700, which will be given to Julie Taber, who lost her home and studio in the Eaton Fire.  With concerns about the self-dealing clause and the tax implications of the fundraiser, April considered seeking legal advice. However, after discussion the Board decided to promote GoFundMe campaigns of others and encourage donations to organizations like CERF+ instead of setting up our own fundraisers in the future.

Financial Report (Julie)

Total assets as of January 31 are $164,000.  Our largest revenue stream is from festival booth sign-ups. Julie discussed the financial report and highlighted difficult issues with PayPal that she is trying to fix. Piper will replace April on our PayPal account.

Artist Presentation: Discussion on Hosting an Artist Talk/Presentation by

an International Guest Speaker in April and Similar Future Events (Mari)

Adil Writer, a ceramic artist from India who is well known in the international ceramics community, is coming to NCECA in March and will visit the Bay Area afterwards.  ACGA will host a presentation by him at the Palo Alto Art Center on Saturday, April 5, 2-4 p.m.  This free event will be held in the Meeting Room and possibly recorded for future posting.  Cheryl, Ren, and Mari will work on publicizing this event.

The meeting ended at 6:47 p.m.

Next meeting: Monday, March 17, 2025 at 5:15 p.m. via Zoom

ACGA All-Member Meeting Minutes – January 25, 2025, In-Person and via Zoom

Board Members Present in Person: Mari Emori, Chris Johnson, Sally Jackson (recorder), Cheryl Costantini, Jan Schachter, Sean Free Alcala, Iver Hennig, April Zilber, Tamara Danoyan, Lee Middleman

Board Members present on Zoom: Ren Lee, Vicki Gunter, Barbara Prodaniuk, Piper Christine, Emil Yanos, Susie Rubenstein, Scott Jennings

Board Members Absent: Julie Taber

Members Present in Person: Britt Jensen (Timekeeper & IT), Jennifer Hennig, Caroline Masters, Ruth Ehrenkrantz, Barbara Sebastian, Jim Iacoponi, Miki Shim-Rutter

Members Present on Zoom: Randie Silverstein, Rebecca Love, Joe Battiato, Gail Splaver, Sarah Lin, Sylvia Chesson, Karen Winograde, Janet Wolf, Jody Lee, Deb Sullivan, Kathy White, Tom Knight, Harald Nordvald, Ann Wagenhals, Trudy Chiddix, Diana Greenleaf, C. Reese, Peggy

Total Attendees: 42 (17 Board Members, 25 non-Board Members)

The meeting began at 10:00 a.m.

Welcome (Mari Emori)

Mari summarized the agenda and introduced Britt Jensen, who ran the meeting.  Members gathered in person at the Palo Alto Art Center and online via Zoom.  Britt explained the meeting guidelines.

SoCal Fire Fundraiser Update (April Zilber)

Our GoFundMe fundraiser for ACGA members affected by the fires in Los Angeles has raised $3300 so far.  Thank you to all who have contributed. April is exploring the best way to distribute the money.

Newly Elected Board of Directors (April Zilber)

Officers elected for 2025 are Mari Emori (president), Chris Johnson (vice-president), Sally Jackson (secretary), and Julie Taber (treasurer).  Board members elected for another two-year term are Mari Emori, Vicki Gunter, Iver Hennig, Barbara Prodaniuk, and Emil Yanos.  We welcome two new board members, who introduced themselves:  Sean Free Alcala is a kiln glass artist based in Modesto, and Piper Christine is a ceramicist working out of the Berkeley Potter’s Guild.  She will be our new Festival Treasurer.

Membership Report (Emil Yanos)

Emil thanked all who have renewed their memberships. Emil continues to work out problems with the payment process. See the membership page on our website, or email Emil if you need help.  At present we have 313 members, 57 of whom are new this year.  We have 12 collaborative members, 3 student members, 2 gold sponsors, and 1 platinum sponsor.  There are 59 members who have not renewed. The Board discussed contacting them to find out why they’ve chosen not to renew, either via a survey or through personal emails from members who know them.

Financial Report (April Zilber, for Julie Taber)

Our year-end assets for 2024 were $130,069.  Revenue for 2024 was $132,071; the Clay & Glass Festival contributed $106,088.  Our expenses for 2024 were $119,052.  The festival accounted for $83,000 of that.  We ended the year with a net income of $13,000.

Studio Visits with ACGA Artists

Three artists gave virtual tours of their studios and art practice:

1. Scott Jennings, ceramic artist, San Francisco
2. Hannah Nicholson and Alana van Altena of Nicholson van Altena Glass, Auburn
3. Cheryl Costantini (with Mikio Matsumoto) of Nichibei Potters, Sebastopol

Exhibition News (Jan Schachter & Vicki Gunter)

Jan summarized our 2024 exhibition in Fresno, and emphasized the need for more venues to host ACGA-organized exhibitions.  She encouraged all members to look for spaces in their areas and to talk in person to gallery owners, program directors of museums and art centers, and so on about hosting.  We have board members who know how to organize exhibitions and would like to hear from anyone with a lead.

Vicki summarized the upcoming exhibition “Arts of Fire” at NY2CA Gallery in Benicia, August 7 – September 21, 2025.  Submissions will be accepted February 21-May 21 on EntryThingy.  The jurors are Lisa Reinertson (clay) and Demetra Theofanous (glass).  Curators are Suzanne Long and Vicky Marchand. Awards will be given.  Vicki has been working to publicize the call for entries via magazines, websites, and other means.  She welcomes further suggestions.

2024 Festival Highlights (Mari Emori)

There were two new programs of note at the 2024 Clay and Glass Festival.  First, the Pottery Throwdown competitions attracted big crowds and great contestants, many of whom were not ACGA members.  Mari emphasized that this activity was not only entertaining but was also a good way to reach more people in the clay community.  The second new program was to invite the resident artists and director of Cobb Mountain Arts and Ecology Project (Loch Lomond, CA) to have a sales booth at the festival. The booth was well-received and we’d like to include up to three of these types of groups in the future.

Festival Report (April Zilber)

April shared comparisons of 2023 and 2024 festival numbers. In 2023, 109 artists reported $478,000 in total sales. In 2024, 124 artists reported $427,000. April suspects that the high number in 2023 was partly a result of people returning to the festival after the pandemic.

Our proposed budget for 2025 is $101,500 in income and $87,750 in expenses, for a net profit of $13,750.  Messenger Events has made a new booth map with options for smaller and larger booths as well as premium corner booths.  Response to these options from festival registrants has been very good.  Some artists have had trouble paying for their booth online; April recommends that you save your application before you proceed to payment.  She is still exploring the option of having beer and wine sales at the festival. There is some cost involved, but it might be worthwhile to try once.

Festival Volunteer Discussion (Cheryl Costantini)

Participating artists have always been required to volunteer for 2 hours before or during the festival.  Volunteering helps build community and saves money, but many artists don’t like to leave their booths (and likely miss some sales) for two hours while customers are present. Cheryl suggested raising the booth fee and using the additional income to pay more people to do jobs formerly done by volunteers.  She added that anyone who wants to volunteer would pay less (for example, $350 for a booth if you don’t volunteer, and $300 if you do).  We’ll discuss this further and work out the details, but overall response seemed positive.

Jury Report (Chris Johnson)

Applications for festival eligibility are now being accepted for the Spring jurying in March.  The deadline to apply is February 28 and accepted artists will be eligible for booths at the 2025 festival in July.  Guidelines for applicants are on ACGA’s website. Chris is also available to find mentors for applicants who would like guidance.  Let him know if you would like to be a mentor or a juror.  He’s looking for ceramicists for the Spring jury.  The jurying process involves at least two group meetings approximately one week apart in March.

The meeting ended at 11:30 a.m.  Those who gathered in person enjoyed a potluck lunch after the meeting.  The ACGA sincerely appreciates the Palo Alto Art Center staff for generously hosting us and assisting with technology to run a hybrid meeting!