NEWSLETTER March 2020
CALENDAR
March 1: Deadline for Application for ACGA CLAY & GLASS FESTIVAL in PALO ALTO – Exhibiting Members
March 7: Deadline for Application for ACGA CLAY & GLASS FESTIVAL in PALO ALTO – Associates
April 29th – May 2: CERAMICS in FOCUS in DAVIS
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Each year, I look forward new ideas that inevitably spring seems to offer. Bursting as it does, how can we not feel renewed?
This month, I encourage you all to look at your work through this lens. See it anew.
Make something different.
Experiment.
Remember, one of the main reasons ACGA exists is to foster that creativity. What a great thing!
NOTE: Many Exhibits and Events have been closed or canceled due to the COVID-19 Virus Pandemic. Please check with individual venues.
ACGA: CERAMICS IN FOCUS – 2020
Davis Arts Center April 29- May 29.
The participating artists, selected by juror Mary Law, are: Ian Bassett, Naomi Stein Cooper, Mari Emori, Christopher Fortin, Sally Jackson, Sarah Logan and Margaret Norman. The reception will be Friday May 1, from 4-6pm. Regular hours are Monday – Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
During the weekend of the CCACA conference there will be a pop-up show in downtown Davis.
CLAY & GLASS FESTIVAL NEWS
Two Festival applications were emailed in January; if you don’t find yours in your inbox, please check your spam/junk folder. After March 1st, there will be a late fee assessed.
Exhibiting Members received an email from Annie Hermes of Giant Creative with an invitation letter and link to the festival application: Exhibiting Members, please click link to apply. https://form.jotform.com/theACGA/clay- glass-festival-application2020
Your deadline is March 1st, with a $50 late fee after that date.
Associate Members received an email from April Zilber (Festival Committee) with an invitation for Associate Members who joined in 2019 or earlier to jury into the 2020 Festival. This Festival Jury process has no jury fee and is unconnected to the regular Exhibiting Member Jury. Associate Members, please click link to apply for this digital jury. https://form.jotform.com/200151203685141
Your deadline is March 7th. Notifications regarding acceptance will be emailed after March 15th.
All Members:
We want you to be eligible to apply for the 2020 Festival, so please pay your ACGA dues now. If you recently mailed a check to April, great! If not, you can renew online at MemberPlanet.com, see previous emails from ACGA on how to do that, or contact Emil Yanos at acgamembership@gmail.com.
Volunteer – Call for Volunteers with JotForms Experience
ACGA Festival Committee is looking for volunteers who are fluent using JotForms. This job counts towards membership and festival volunteers hours. You do not have to participate in the annual Clay and Glass festival to do this job. Just a willingness to volunteer your time. Please contact Miki Shim, Festival Liaison: miki@2frogsceramics.com
If you are interested in doing a demonstration during the festival weekend, please contact Joe Battiato, battiatoart@yahoo.com.
Thank you,
The Festival Committee:
Jan Schachter, Lee Middleman, April Zilber, Miki Shim-Rutter, Joe Battiato, & Sally Jackson —
Annie Hermes, Deputy Director
408-772-6667
MEMBER NEWS
Kathy Pallie, together with Julie Clements, Marsha Schindler and Arthur Gonzales, will be showing a body of work in the Epperson Gallery of Ceramic Art exhibition “Into the Woods”.
The show dates are March 20 – April 12. Artist reception: March 21 from 4:00 – 6:00 pm – 1400 Pomona St., Crockett, CA. Kathy’s piece “Birch Still Life” is an example of her fascination with trees and bark whether she is creating a realistic trompe l’oeil effect, an abstract idea or viewing tree bark through a macro lens.
Linda S Fitz Gibbon currently has work in three exhibitions in the new year. Two pieces were selected for Craft Nouveau, An International Fine Craft Competition at the Blue Line Gallery, Roseville. The show runs thru March 7th. Linda participated in the artist lecture before the opening reception on 1/18. Three pieces, including “Spudzzup,” are exhibited in the Real/Surreal: Sacramento Artists Explore the Realms of Dream and Reality at Sacramento City Hall Robert T. Matsui Art Gallery, through March 16. Located in the H Street lobby of New City Hall, hours are 8 to 5, M – F. Four works from the action figure series were included in Artspace 1616’s 5th Anniversary Exhibition, 1616 Del Paso Blvd., Sacramento through the end of January.
Vicki Gunter is showing Trading Places? is a clay recreation of a canary resuscitation cage used by some coal miners until 1987. Humanity is inside represented by a woman, man & child, made of smoldering coal.
The canary atop the oxygen tank is warning us we may be the next canaries-in-the-coal-mine if we don’t make revolutionary changes. Surreal? Real? Here’s a list of all the wonderful artists you’ll see! https://www.vickigunter.com/2-trading-places—canaries–elephants.html
From Susan Felix: ” Dear friends, “Here is an opportunity to watch excerpts of some of my interviews on BCM (Berkeley Public Television). They start a few seconds into the video. I would appreciate you taking the time to watch them. it will take less than five minutes. Please click the following link to watch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CO2ncX0TLmo&feature=youtu.be
“If you want to check out the full interviews, the station has created a YouTube Channel with all the back interviews @ Susan Duhan Felix.
“Thank you and…
Stay Amazed, Susan “
Jan Schachter will have consecutive displays of her work in San Mateo County, March 2- April 30 in the San Mateo City Hall, 330 W 20th Ave, San Mateo, CA 94403, open 8am-5pm weekdays. May 1 – June 30, in the San Mateo Public Library, 55 W 3rd Ave, San Mateo, CA 94402, open 10-9 M-Th, 10-5 Sat., 1-5 Sun www.janschachter.com
Natasha Dikareva exhibitions:
UCSF Women’s Health at Mount Zion, 2356 Sutter St, San Francisco, CA 94115,show runs thru May 26, 2020
What Lies Beneath. Show runs thru March 15, 202
Epperson Gallery, 1400 Pomona Street, Crockett, CA 94525; 48 Pillars is an invitational exhibition by 24 local Bay Area artists who create two pieces each on the 48×12 inch panels that will ring the gallery – 48 works total. Show runs thru March 28th; Arc Gallery & Studios, 1246 Folsom Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
Primavera stoneware, stains, glazes, fabric
Thomas Arakawa’s exhibtions and activities: New work preview, American Craft Show, Baltimore 2020, February 21- February 2. Baltimore Convention Center;
Wafu Ikebana 50th Anniversary Flower Show, March 7th & 8, Quinlan Community Center, 10185 N. Stelling Road, Cupertino, CA;
Synergetic Elements By Jordan King, A Wood Fired Ceramic Exhibition, Show Date: Jan 6th to June 30, Hakone Garden, 21000 Big Basin Way, Saratoga, CA 95070.
For inquiries and appointments, please contact Jordan King, jkingceramics@yahoo.com. and Ikebana International LA, Katen (Exhibition), show Date: Mar 21 and 22, Los Angeles County Arboretum, 301 N Baldwin Ave, Arcadia, CA 91007.
also International Cultural Exchange, Ikebana demonstration by Susan Okada of Wafu School of Ikebana and assisted by Thomas and Kathy Arakawa, Date And Time Beginner Workshop: April 9, 7 PM – 9 PM, Demonstration: April 9, 7 PM – 9 PM, Palo Alto Art Center, 1313 Newell Rd, Palo Alto, CA 94303 ikebanavase.com.
Vicki Gunter is showing in WHAT LIES BENEATH, A National Clay Exhibit. thru March 15, 2020 at Epperson Gallery in Crockett Ca. 94525. Trading Places? is a clay recreation of a canary resuscitation cage used by some coal miners until 1987. Humanity is inside represented by a woman, man & child, made of smoldering coal. The canary atop the oxygen tank (r) is warning us we may be the next canaries-in-the-coal-mine if we don’t make revolutionary changes.
Surreal? Real?
https://www.vickigunter.com/2-trading-places—canaries–elephants.html
MEMBERSHIP CHANGES
Please send all address changes to the membership: Emil Yanos, acgamembership@gmail, ACGA Member Liason
WORKSHOPS
Note: Due to the Shelter-in-Place Order in the state of California, workshops may be canceled.
The Potters’ Studio Presents
a One-Day workshop
Taught by Whitney Smith
Etsy for Beginners
150.00
Saturday, March 21, 2020 10am–4pm Lunch Break: 12–1pm
Etsy is one of the Internet’s largest hubs for buying and selling handmade items, with millions of sellers and many more millions of users worldwide. Have you thought about selling your items on Etsy but don’t know where to start? Or have you opened a shop but don’t know what to do next? In Etsy for Beginners, you will learn all the basics of Etsy and get answers to common problems and questions about how to run a shop. In Beginning Etsy, you will learn how to make running your Etsy shop an easy and fun process. Topics will include:
- Creating your shop and learning to navigate the dashboard.
- Putting your Etsy profile together with images and a great shop announcement.
- Creating appropriate shop policies and dealing with customer service.
- Uploading images and creating descriptions and appropriate tags for your items.
- Marketing your shop and getting those first sales.
- Students will walk away with a richer understanding of Etsy and a checklist of action items to get their Etsy shop up and out into the world.
Whitney Smith has been a potter for over two decades, working out of her studio full-time since 2000. Whitney’s work has been shown and collected across the United States as well as internationally. She has been invited to be an artist-in-residence in Japan and France and has lectured and been interviewed extensively in print media and online about her life as a working artist. She resides in Vallejo, California.
PRICE FOR THIS WORKSHOP – $150
For further information, contact: events@berkeleypottersstudio.com
The Potters’ Studio Presents
a One-Day workshop
Taught by Whitney Smith
Advanced Etsy
150.00
Sunday, March 22, 2020 10am–4pm Lunch Break: 12–1pm
Advanced Etsy – Do you already have an Etsy shop? Are you wondering how you can stand out in the sea of other shops? Have you had a few sales on Etsy but wonder how you can get more? This Advanced Etsy class will help you take a close look at your shop and figure out how to sharpen your presence and make basic improvements to your shop, while learning more about how potential customers find their favorite artists on Etsy. Learn how to increase your visibility so that potential customers can find you! In Advanced Etsy, you will learn how to upgrade your existing Etsy shop. Topics will include:
- How to create a great customer experience in your shop.
- The importance of good customer service.
- ·How to present your product in the best light with strong photography and clear descriptions.
- The basics of search engine optimization and search analytics to improve your search engine rankings.
- The ins and outs of buying ads to boost your visibility.
- Marketing your shop with promotions, coupons, and social media.
It can take time to see a change in your Etsy shop revenue, but with dedicated attention and a clear plan, making your Etsy shop a fun and successful venture is possible! Whitney Smith has been a potter for over two decades, working out of her studio full-time since 2000. Whitney’s work has been shown and collected across the United States as well as internationally. She has been invited to be an artist-in-residence in Japan and France and has lectured and been interviewed extensively in print media and online about her life as a working artist. She resides in Vallejo, California.
PRICE FOR THIS WORKSHOP – $150
For further information, contact: events@berkeleypottersstudio.com
The Potters’ Studio
1221 8th Street (near Gilman Street)
Berkeley, CA 94710
(510) 528-3286 events@berkeleypottersstudio.com
www.berkeleypottersstudio.com
EXHIBITIONS
NEWSLETTER February 2020
11th Annual Chili Bowl Express Fundraiser
Tickets on sale now for the 11th Annual Chili Bowl Express Fundraiser!
On Saturday, February 22, at the Sonoma Community Center, there will be 700 handmade ceramic bowls and gourmet chili from 25 local restaurants and chefs all to support Art programming at the Center.
The two lunch seatings are accessible to all at the low price of $30, which includes your choice of a handmade chili bowl filled with your choice of chili, cornbread, and all the toppings. And since it was so popular last year, the event is bringing back a special cocktail hour preceding the $60 dinner seating which includes free cocktails and mocktails in your choice of a handcrafted ceramic cup to keep.
Local beer and wine will be available for purchase throughout the day.
Your ticket is supporting Arts programming at the Center.
Get your tickets now before the event sells out! https://sonomacommunitycenter.org/chilibowl/
NEWSLETTER January 2020
Member News
From Barbara Brown:
New Year Ritual
Every year as the year ends I do a studio cleaning ritual so I can start the new year with purpose and good energy. My ceramic artist friend, Bea Wax introduced me to the American Indian tradition called Smudging bygiving me a sage smudge stick. You clean your studio and then light the smudge stick till it smokes and walkaround the perimeter of your studio, giving special attention to corners and places behind doors. Have ready a fireproof receptacle such as a shell, glass or ceramic dish to put the smudge stick in when you’re finished and make sure your smudge stick is out before leaving the studio.
On New Year’s day I go to the studio and make at least one new piece of work to start the new year with purpose and good energy.
Have a wonderful, happy new year filled with creative energy.
Barbara
ACGA members Kathy White and Mari Emori have both been chosen for the 2020 ICAN (International Ceramic Artists Network) Wall Calendar. Kathy’s Raku pot titled “Sunburst” and Mari Emori’s “Triskelion” have both been chosen for the 2020 ICAN Wall Calendar, Surface Collection. You can purchase the calendar online: https://ceramicartsnetwork.org/shop/calendars-for-2020. Originally established as Potters Council in 2001 as part of a grass-roots movement, ICAN today is a membership organization focused on serving the ceramic arts community.
“The City of Berkeley proclaimed the month of July 2019 to be Susan Felix Month and she was given Berkeley’s Lifetime Achievement award. The Mayor’s Proclamation reads “Susan Duhan Felix is an extraordinary award-winning artist and arts advocate… One of Felix’s proudest accomplishments as ambassador is having brought recognition to artists. In the early days, she selected individuals and appeared at their promotional events to announce that the day had been named after them…Eventually, a day grew to a month. ”
https://www.berkeleyside.com/2018/
A special holiday thanks from MaryMar Keenan and the MMclay Team for your ongoing support. MMclay hosted a Kickstarter from May 1st – 30th, 2019, which reached over 220% over the funding goal in it’s 30- day run.
MMclay will be showing work January 17th-19th, 2020, at Untitled ART. Pier 35, San Francisco
UNTITLED, ART is an international, curated art fair founded in 2012 that focuses on curatorial balance and integrity across all disciplines of contemporary art. UNTITLED, ART innovates the standard fair model by selecting a curatorial team to identify and curate a selection of galleries, artist-run exhibition spaces, and non-profit institutions and organizations, in dialogue with an architecturally designed venue. The next edition of UNTITLED, ART San Francisco will take place January 17 – 19, 2020 at Pier 35, 1454 The Embarcadero.
Take a look at our EVENTS and WORKSHOPS pages to discover more news, including exhibits and workshop opportunities.