STAY TUNED...

...for an important message from the gal who brings you musing about mud each and everyday (that would be me!) to hit the airwaves (or interwaves?) thursday morning.

That's all I'm saying. You can't drag it out of me. Nope I won't tell....

what's in the studio these days...

It's been a while since the wonders of Medalta. And I guess it's been a while since I posted about what has been going on in the studio. It's been an adjustment to get back into the pace of daily home life rather than all day/all night studio life, but work has been progressing none the less. I'm trying to finish up the rest of the china painting this week for the show in early October. There's still so much to do in terms of finishing the pieces so to have the china painting done would be pretty sweet. More on the show later...

Monday Morning eye candy - Ruth Ann Reese

I'm in love with this work. If you find you are too check out more here.

Call for Entries - Crsytalline Ceramics

Call for Entry to Crystalline Glaze Artists


A Crystalline Glaze Exhibition
In conjunction with NCECA 2011

Deadline for Entries: December 15, 2010
Exhibition Dates: March 25/May 1, 2011

Submit Digital Images via Email to: crystallineglaze@gmail.com
Submit PayPal payments to: crystallineglaze@paypal.com

You may also submit a check payable to FIFCW and send it with your application to the address below:

or send CD with images to:
Frozen in Fire Exhibition
c/o Avi Harriman
1012 W. 8th Ave
Eugene, OR 97402

Number of submissions:
You may submit up to 3 entries at $15 per entry

Digital Image Format Requirements:
• Resolution - 300 DPI
• File Format – JPEG or TIFF
• 1 or 2 views per submission

Dates:
• December 15, 2010 -- Deadline to submit entries.
• January 15, 2011 -- Jury process complete.
• January 31, 2011 -- Notification process sent out by email.
• February 28, 2011 -- Pieces accepted must be received by the Dunedin Fine Art Center.
• March 25 through May 1, 2011 -- Exhibition dates.
• March 24, 2011 from 6:00pm to 9pm -- Exhibition Opening/Reception
at the Dunedin Fine Art Center, Dunedin, Florida.

Any questions contact:

potteryboys@earthlink.net

via Clay Club

BAM Biennial 2010: Clay Throwdown!

August 28th 2010 to January 16th 2011

BAM Biennial 2010: Clay Throwdown! is the inaugural edition of BAM's new, juried exhibition competition. With over 30 participating artists, it provides a panoramic survey of ceramic art created in the Pacific Northwest and a glimpse into the many directions in which this dynamic medium is moving.

Clay Throwdown! features a select blend of both emerging and established artists with an emphasis on new and site-specific works. It reflects the diverse responses of contemporary artists to one of the oldest media known to man: clay. From personal gestures to commentary on today’s social issues, Clay Throwdown! assembles a wide range of voices unique to the Pacific Northwest and our time.

The competition is accompanied by two distinct awards. The John & Joyce Price Award of Excellence, a $5,000 cash prize plus the opportunity of a future solo exhibition at BAM. The Samuel & Patricia Smith People's Choice Award comes with a $5,000 cash prize and will be selected by Museum visitors. Be sure to cast your vote when visiting BAM! The winner will be announced at the October 28th Members' Reception.

PARTICIPATING ARTISTS
Chris Antemann (OR) Brian Benfer (WA) Nicholas Bivins (MT) Frank Boyden (OR) Nathan Craven (MT) Daniel Duford (OR) Sean Erwin (MT) Robert Fornell (WA) Carol Gouthro (WA) Damian Grava (WA) Heidi Preuss Grew (OR) Charles Krafft (WA) Cynthia Lahti (OR) Kate MacDowell (OR) Paul Mathieu (BC) Sequoia Miller (WA) Saya Moriyasu (WA) Yuki Nakamura (WA) Richard Notkin (MT) Nicholas Nyland (WA) Arun Sharma (WA) Ken Shores (OR) Mike Simi (WA) Kevin Snipes (MT) Dirk Staschke (BC) Brendan Tang (BC) Timea Tihanyi (WA) Tip Toland (WA) Kathy Venter (BC) Jamie Walker (WA) Jason Walker (WA) Patti Warashina (WA) Gwendolyn Yoppolo (MT)

ABOUT BAM BIENNIAL
BAM Biennial is a juried exhibition that occurs every two years starting in 2010. It brings attention and exposure to the work of contemporary artists and craftsmen in the Pacific Northwest. For each edition, the Museum designates a new focus, exploring a specific medium, technique, process or theme in art, craft and design, the Museum's artistic focal point.

More than 170 proposals were submitted to the 2010 edition which is focused on the theme of clay. 34 artists have been selected to participate in the competition. Submissions were reviewed by a select panel of four jurors comprised of: Bif Brigman, collector (Seattle, WA); Stefano Catalani, Director of Curatorial Affairs/Artistic Director, Bellevue Arts Museum (Bellevue, WA); Akio Takamori, artist (Seattle, WA) and Namita Wiggers, Curator, Museum of Contemporary Craft (Portland, OR).

For more info please visit their website.

Guest Artist Ellen Statz @ The Pottery Store

Secretary A Company of West Coast Potters Inc.
9745 Willow Street, P.O. Box 406 Chemainus, BC, Canada V0R 1K0

E:peggy@thepotterystore.ca

W:www.thepotterystore.ca

T: +1 250 416 1411 (mobile)

F: +1 888 755 9338 (toll-free)

Relational Craft and Design - Issue #4 Call for papers

craft +design enquiry is currently calling for papers that relate to the theme of 'relational craft and design'.

Despite the vigorous debate surrounding the disciplinary parameters and practice roles for craft and design in recent years, their relationship is characterised by wildly divergent interpretations. 'Craft' has become a significant and weighty word again at a time when the meaning of 'design' is shifting both within and outside the visual arts. Today we note everything from drug design to policy design, where 'design' indicates a higher level of consideration, conceptual and strategic thinking. Within this context, contemporary craft might appear as specific and cultural, while design's seeming ubiquity carries certain risks.

Curiously, the rise of design and its claims to a social role as a change-agent links contemporary design to earlier and well-understood craft polemics. For example, has design taken over the making of the object from craft? Does this help explain the neglect of craft as practice and description in studio-based art education and the concomitant rise of design within university settings in the past ten years? Art cannot be excluded when addressing these interdisciplinary questions. Might Nicolas Bourriaud's concepts of 'relational art and aesthetics' be used to re-conceptualize these fields, despite, or perhaps in light of, his view that too great an emphasis on craft acts to exclude audiences? Is the legitimacy of craft shifting from the production of objects to the creation of links between people?

This issue (craft + design enquiry #4) calls for papers that consider wide-ranging topics: How is 'craft' articulated (or elided) in contemporary architecture, fashion, and design generally; as well as film, if one considers the rise of model-making and other visual effects in contemporary culture? What does it mean that certain overlooked aspects of craft have been at work in all of these practices, but were often referred to with different language, through terms such as 'technique' and 'process' during the years that craft was 'unfashionable'? Within this trajectory, what is the current understanding of the relationship (and lack thereof) between craft and design in itself? We welcome contributions that access or re-interpret craftsperson's work as 'design' or reconsider the 'ground' on which such disciplinary claims have been made in the first place.

The guest editors for this issue ofcraft + design enquiry on relational craft and design, and the convenors of this session at the AAANZ 2010 conference, are Professor Peter McNeil and Dr Rosemary Hawker.

This issue of craft + design enquiry will be published in mid-2012. The call for papers closes on 30 June 2011. In addition, a special paper session of the Art Association of Australia and New Zealand (AAANZ) Annual Conference in Adelaide 1-3 December 2010 will be devoted to this topic and papers may be considered from that occasion.

Call for Papers closing date 30 June 2011

To submit a paper please register online by the closing date of 30 June 2011. Refer to author guidelines for further information.

For inquiries relating to this issue or submission of papers, please contact one of the Co-Guest Editors, Peter McNeil or Rosemary Hawker

For administrative enquiries, please contact Jenny Deves

Website

A site 2 see friday - Tree Pottery

Today's site to see is a shout out to my local pottery supply store here in Saskatoon.



Tree opened back in 1974 and has been supplying the local community of ceramic artists ever since. Louise Roy, the shops' owner is one of the most fantastically lovely people to do business with. My little guy and always enjoy our visit.


Check out the website here.

Got a suggestion for a site to see fridays or monday morning eye candy? Drop me a line at carole_epp@yahoo.ca

Publication call for help...plus a prize!

So i'm working away on the computer as usual. Why am I never in the studio? Why? Sigh. Anyway...there's good news. I'm working on a small self-published publication (read iphoto book) that I'm going to be launching at my next gallery exhibition (october) and selling online (asap).

Here's the problem, I've been making figurines since 2005 and there are too many to chose from. So I'm calling on all of you for help! I've got my favorites narrowed down, but my favorites and everyone else's favorites sometimes differ. So you now have the opportunity to have your say.

Vote for your favorite (or favorites) figurine by checking out www.caroleepp.com and browsing through the many years of figurines and then simply drop me a line at carole_epp@yahoo.ca or in the comments of this post telling me your favorite piece and you could be well on your way to winning a copy of the publication once it is released.

Sound good? 2 readers will be randomly selected and contacted for contact details (or feel free to include those in your email). Post this far and wide, I need some help! Too many to chose from!

DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES is September 5th 2010

Seriously, who doesn't love free stuff?

Jakob Munk ceramics

via Designspotter

Beautiful ceramic display

I couldn't resist posting this image, it's just such a beautiful and simple, yet engaging display. So
well designed to showcase the work.

via Apartment Therapy

reiko kaneko: arctic ceramics

via Designboom

Callout To: Jewellers, Ceramists, Glass Artists and Object makers

Since its inception in 2006, Gaffa Gallery has provided a creative space for emerging and established artists and designers. As an integral part of its move to Sydney’s CBD, Gaffa will open the doors to a dedicated Jewellery and Object retail store. At present we are looking for Jewellers, Ceramists, Glass Artists and Object makers to be represented in the retail store. We aim to showcase remarkable and exciting work, with a strong emphasis placed on quality craftsmanship, innovation and interesting design. If you are interested in having your wares showcased in our retail outlet, feel free to tell us a little more about yourself and your practice.

Please provide the following:
A brief bio (200 words)
A ONE page CVImages of your work (max 5 images)
Along with a word document of captions details (title, materials and retail prices).NB.
Please make sure the size of your attachments does not exceed a total of 1MB.

Contact: Zoe Brand at zoe@gaffa.com.au - 02 9283 4273
For more information about gaffa or the retail store please feel free to contact either Kelly Robson (Initiative Director) at kelly@gaffa.com.au or Zoe Brand (Retail Manager) at zoe@gaffa.com.au.

Gaffa

www.gaffa.com.au
PH: (+61) 02 9283 4273
281 Clarence Street, Sydney CBD, NSW 2000
Gallery hours Mon-Fri 11-6 Sat 11-5 Sun and Public Holidays closed

Residency Opportunity - Sturt Craft Centre

Sturt Craft Centre invites applications from experienced craft practitioners to the Sturt Artist-in-Residence program. Residencies occur in the disciplines of ceramics, jewellery, textiles, wood, photography and writing. Four to six residencies occur at Sturt each year.

From late 2009, Sturt widened the focus of its residency program to encourage small scale production and individually designed work which will be promoted through Sturt Gallery.

Each year, four professional residencies will be awarded to applicants specifically to develop a body of work which can be produced and made at Sturt, during the Residency time.

Sturt sees the residency program as an important adjunct to its overall aim of support for Australian contemporary craft and design through a program of teaching, retail, exhibition and residencies. The emphasis of the residency program will be to support craftspeople and designer-makers who are sympathetic to this philosophy.

All Residency Programs are assisted financially from Friends of Sturt, a volunteer support group which meets regularly to help with events at Sturt, produces a newsletter and raises money through its membership fees.

Three categories of residency are available:

• Professional Residency

• Self Directed Residency

• Graduate Residency

Deadline Oct 31st

For all the details please visit their site here.

Contact details:
Mark Viner Head of Sturt
PO Box 34 Mittagong 2575 NSW Australia
mviner@sturt.nsw.edu.au
Ph +61 2 4860 2080 Fax +61 2 4860 2081 www.sturt.nsw.edu.au

A cool table, not ceramic, but ceramic related.

"according to the designers, easterners commonly believe that small changes
of an individual person or object can make big impact on the larger society, thus,
leading to a modest and totalitarian culture. this social tendency described as a
'ripple effect' was translated here into tea ceremony table."

via Designboom

Vicki Hardin - Making & Using Custom Handmade Brushes

Learn to make gorgeous handmade brushes that are works of art and functional tools. Each day, several types of brushes will be introduced using different hair and construction methods. Demonstrations will include knot-tying, epoxy mixing, cutting and wrapping hairs, and making brush handles. Students will work with buck tail hair, moose hair, horse hair, rooster hackle, broom corn straw, and other fibers. The brushes we make may be used to decorate ceramics or for sumi ink, calligraphy, and watercolor, acrylic, or oil painting. The class will also include demonstrations on how handmade brushes can be used to make dynamic marks on a variety of surfaces.

Want more info? Check out the website here.

Studio potter since 1984, producing utilitarian stoneware, handmade brushes and decorative pit fired and rakued vessels; publisher of on-line ClayArtWeb Guide.com and ArtistsinTexas.com.

Monday Morning eye candy - Eduardo Andaluz

Find out more about this work here or here.

Prairie Excellence: Artists named

Work by 12 Saskatchewan Fine Craft artists was selected for the prestigious exhibition Prairie Excellence: The Today and Tomorrow of Prairie Craft.

The 35 piece exhibition features the work of craft artists from Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Alberta. It will be touring nationally and internationally for 3 years as a showcase for craft from the Canadian prairies.

267 entries were received by the selection committee, which consisted of Helen Delacretaz, Chief Curator and Curator of Decorative Arts at The Winnipeg Art Gallery; Karen Schoonover, Director/curator of the Art Gallery of Regina; and Mary-Beth Laviolette, independent curator, critic and author from Canmore, Alberta.

Prairie Excellence will open at the Alberta Craft Council Gallery in Edmonton on October 2, 2010. The Saskatchewan unveiling will be at the Affinity Gallery (813 Broadway Avenue, Saskatoon) on January 14. Negotiations for future showings are underway with galleries in Canada and the United States.

The exhibition is a joint project organized by the Saskatchewan Craft Council, the Alberta Craft Council, and the Manitoba Craft Council.

For more info and images of Artists work please visit the Saskatchewan Craft Council Website.

The Northerners exhibition @ AKAR

The Northerners:
Does Canadian ceramics have a unified identity, or does the immense physical and cultural geographies make the question of identity much more intricate and diverse? This current show is an endeavor to find common threads if any by exploring works of six Canadian artists, unified by their excellence in craft and individuality in art. There are nuances of calmness and serenity; simplicity and under-stated references to nature in the collected works. Is that the collective Canadian approach? This show is designed, not to offer conclusive answers but to stir up the original question.

Robert Archambeau, Manitoba

Sheila Clennell, Ontario

Tony Clennell, Ontario

Bruce Cochrane, Ontario

Harlan House, Ontario

Cathi Jefferson, British Columbia

Show runs August 20th to September 10th

Via AKAR DESIGN

So it would be much easier for me to simply post this exhibition information and remain quiet...maybe I should. I have an enormous respect for the work of AKAR and it's staff. I truly believe that they show amazing ceramic art and are a force within the art community and the maker community which is creating value and presence for handmade craft in contemporary culture and marketplace. I also have a large amount of respect for the artists represented in this Northerners exhibition. That being said, I feel that there is a conversation presented by AKAR within this exhibition that should be addressed and discussed by Canadian ceramic artists and international artists as well. What is our identity? Do we have one? Do we need one? Do other countries have one? Did we not get the memo that we needed one?

Personally I feel that this is a question/comment that has been put forth in the past regarding the Canadian scene as a manner in which to attempt at understanding Canadian ceramics, which have potentially been neglected a bit due to their proximity to America. Even a shallow look at the contemporary Canadian ceramic scene shows a wealth of skill, approach and perspectives towards craft. So much so that could never be summed up simply. Could any other country's ceramic craft production be summed up similarly?

I do not even begin to suggest that AKAR is attempting to find a conclusion to this question, nor do I believe that they should. Great in fact that they asked the question, i guess. But I do have to wonder about an exhibition which posses the question while exhibiting solely functional based works by a limited geographical region, (4 out of 6 from Ontario? We do have 10 provinces and 3 territories), and without much variety in generational perspectives. While there are many Canadian ceramic artists engaging with what makes Canada, well Canada, gorgeous nature, diversity, tradition, etc. There are also many who engage critically and conceptually with other diverse and more universal subject matter. I'm not trying to upset with these comments, and admittedly i'm likely coming across defensively. I guess I just wanted to put my 2 cents out there, even if they are late at night 2 cents, and therefore maybe only worth a penny (a canadian penny no less) in an attempt to get some discussion happening, here on the blog or elsewhere about exactly what AKAR is questioning with this exhibition - What is Canadian Ceramics? Thoughts?

Job Vacancy: Oral History Interviewer, Crafts Lives

Since 1999 the Crafts Lives oral history project has been recording in-depth life stories with Britain's craftspeople, exploring both their personal and their working lives. The project has encompassed British studio crafts such as pottery, glass, metalwork, jewellery, furniture, textiles and book arts (excluding rural crafts), which have traditionally suffered from a paucity of documentation and research.

National Life Stories (NLS) is now seeking to recruit a full-time oral history interviewer to add more recordings to this important collection. The oral history interviewer will co-ordinate, initiate, research and carry out a series of digital oral history interviews averaging 8-10 hours each, for deposit with the British Library. The postholder will be expected to carry out between 12 and 18 complete interviewers in a 12 month period.

This is a freelance fee-paid consultancy involving a package of 250 days’ work at a daily rate of £98, working on a flexible basis for a period up to 18 months. All travel and other out-of-pocket expenses will be met by NLS. Hot desk office space is available at NLS’s offices at the BL’s St Pancras building but home-based access to a PC with internet access is required. The post will be an integral part of the BL’s oral history team.

For more information about this position and job specification, please view the full advert at http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/ABO252/oral-history-interviewer and click on the link to ‘Further Particulars’.

Applications

To apply you should send a CV and a covering statement explaining how your experience and skills meet the requirements specified in the job profile to:

Crafts Lives, National Life Stories, British Library, 96 Euston Road, London NW1 2DB or email this information to nls@bl.uk

Please indicate where you found this position advertised.

All applications must be received by 5.00pm on Monday 27 September 2010.

Interviews will take place at the British Library on Thursday 21st and Friday 22nd October 2010.

If possible, we would like the successful candidate to start work in November 2010.

Via Craft Research

A site 2 see friday - Canadian Arts Coalition

From their website:
"About Us
Our Mission

The short-term goals of the coalition includes two specific asks to all parties:

1. increase the annual budget of the Canada Council for the Arts to $300 million; and
2. invest in a new market access and development fund – an investment measure aimed, in part, at replacing cut programs that supported international touring and dissemination.
   

The Canadian Arts Coalition is the largest consortium of arts, culture, and heritage supporters — business leaders and arts philanthropists, sponsors and volunteers, artists and cultural workers, and arts, culture and heritage organizations, — ever assembled in Canada.

We all believe that the future of our citizens, their towns and cities, and indeed, the nation itself depends on a rich, vibrant and diverse arts and heritage community. The viability of cities greatly depends on their cultural opportunities. Our artists are inventive and generous. But the arts can flourish only when they have adequate, stable, sustained investment.

History

The CAC was originally assembled to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Canada Council for the Arts and to advocate for the Government of Canada to further invest in stable, long term support that increases the Canada Council’s budget by an additional $100 million per annum. We believe the Canada Council is fundamental to the cultural infrastructure of Canada as the key public vehicle for supporting the promotion and development of the arts in Canada. In 2007, we applauded the federal government for a $30 million permanent increase to the Canada Council for the Arts."

Find out more and about ways to get involved here.

Bowie Croisant - Geometric Teapot Forms

Saturday, August 21, 2010 10am to 4pm

Where - Kruger Pottery Supply

FREE!

Bowie currently lives in Kansas City, MO. He received his BFA from
Kansas State University and recently finished a Special Student
Status program at the Kansas City Art Institute. He is currently an
artist in residence at Red Star Studios. His current body of work
incorporates functional concepts as subject matter in sculptural
explorations of geometric teapot forms. Inspirations for his designs
come from a love of geometry, modern architecture and farm
machinery. He constructs his sculptures intuitively while adopting
meditative problem solving approach to the contemporary
reinvention a historical form.

http://bowiecroisant.wordpress.com/

Call for entry - Beyond the Brickyard

The selected works will be exhibited at the Archie Bray Foundation in Helena. MT, January 2011. This year’s exhibition will be juried by 2010 Voulkos Fellow Paul Mathieu.

Specifications

1. The competition is open internationally to ceramic artists 18 years of age or older.
2. Artists may submit up to 3 works for consideration, and up to 2 images of each piece (one complete photo plus one detail or alternate angle).
3. All artwork must be available for sale and available during the time of exhibition.
4. The artwork exhibited must be the same piece(s) submitted for consideration.
5. Submitted artwork must not exceed 36” in any direction.
6. The artwork entered should be prepared for professional display and not so fragile as to be potentially dangerous to the work or others when shipped/displayed/handled with reasonable care.
7. Artists are responsible for cost of shipping selected work(s) to the Archie Bray Foundation (ABF). Artists are responsible for their own insurance for shipping to ABF and during the time that artwork resides there. ABF will assume cost and shipping insurance for the return of any unsold work.
8. For good image quality and a fast upload, your image files should be sized no larger than 1800 x 1800 pixels at 72 dpi (approximately 6" x 6" at 300 dpi)

Applying
Submissions to Beyond the Brickyard will only be accepted online. By clicking on the link at the bottom of the page you will be taken to Slideroom.com which will allow you to register and upload your images.

Submissions can be edited and are not officially submitted until you choose the "Complete Submission" tab and enter your payment method.
Submissions must be received online by midnight MST, September 15, 2010.

Entry Fee
The cost of entering Beyond the Brickyard is $35 USD for up to 3 works.
All major credit cards are accepted.

Awards
From the successful entrants, two awards will be selected:
Juror’s Choice Award: $400
Director’s Choice Award: $400

Sales Commission
Artists will receive 55% commission of their work sold during exhibition, while ABF will retain 45%.

Exhibition Schedule
By applying all applicants agree to the following schedule if selected to exhibit:

Applications due September 15, 2010
Entrants notified of jury results by email no later than October 31, 2010
Work to be received by Archie Bray Foundation by December 11, 2010
Work exhibited in Beyond the Brickyard, January 2011

Questions about your application?
For technical support please contact support@slideroom.com
For questions about submission information please contact gallery@archiebray.org

Your completed application must be received on or before September 15, 2010.

Matt and Dave's Clays, LLC are having a back to school sale!

Here's the details straight from their blog Slipcast:

For a limited time, Matt and Dave's Clays is having a back to school sale!


"No way" you say?
Way, we say!


Right now, you can stock up on both our high temperature Porcelain for the People and our mid-temperature body, The Coup!
Even better, our Cast Away, casting slip and Stuck Up, building and attaching slip are also on sale.
Get all your clay supplies for the new school year or just to stock up your studio.
Our amazing clays are only $24 for 30 pounds, shipped.
Cast Away can be sent to you for only $35
You too will be Stuck Up for just $9
Head over to our website now.
www.mattanddavesclays.com

NCECA upcoming deadline reminder

2011 BIENNIAL Exhibition -
Call for Entry

Deadline AUGUST 30, 2010

The NCECA 2011 Biennial is the premier juried exhibition open to all current members of NCECA (both national and international) and to all ceramic artists, 18 years and older, residing in the U.S. Please note: artists from outside the U.S. (including Canada) must be NCECA members to enter. Entered works must have been completed within the last 2 years. Jurors are Glen R. Brown, Julia Galloway, and Arthur Gonzalez. The Tampa Museum of Art will host the 2011 NCECA Biennial from January 29, 2011 to April 24, 2011.
Deadline August 30, 2010.

Member and Non-Member pricing offered...if you do not know your current NCECA Membership status, please contact kate@nceca.net

2011 Biennial Entry Details

Call for Entry for the 2010 Ceramics Biennial Show at NH Institute of Art.

September 1 .............Entry postmark deadline

October 1 ..................Notification sent

October 28 ................Delivery of artwork by 6pm

Nov. 8 – Dec. 5..........Show runs

November 17............Opening reception and Awards ceremony 5-7 pm

December 5 ..............Close of exhibition

December 13 ............Return of artwork

Download details here. (pdf)
via ARTGENDA

Monday Morning eye candy - Deborah Freeman

See more beautiful work here.

American Craft Essay Contest

Just Tell Us
WHY AMERICAN CRAFT IS IMPORTANT

Contest Rules

• Tell us Why American Craft is Important in 500 words of less
• Deadline is October 30, 2010
• You must include the following:
  • Your name
  • Mailing address
  • Phone Number
  • Email Address
  • Your favorite craft retailer or artist's studio (include city and state)
• Prize is $500 gift certificate to your favorite Craft Retailer.
  
• Either mail your entry to:
  • American Craft Week
  • 1530 East Boulevard
  • Charlotte, NC 28203
• Or email it to submissions@AmericanCraftWeek.com
• Look for the winning entry at AmericanCraftWeek.com in December
• Members of the CRAFT Board and their immediate families are not eligible

Website

Exhibition - Julie Guyot

Where the Kudzu Meets the Corn

August 13 – September 30
Crimson Laurel Gallery
Julie Guyot's blog

Ceramic Patchwork Installation

16th August, 2010

Part of august craft month

Relating craft to the ethos of the Slow Movement - a reconnection to self, materials and its positive impact for our quality of life - ceramicist Gail Mahon invites members of the public to contribute and engage with the sculptural works that will be developed during a week installation at the Tower Museum.

By bringing together old and new elements in a ceramic ‘patchwork’, the installation work examines the future of craft and explores the relationship people have with craft objects and their perceptions of value.

Collaboration
Gail will work alongside the Mission Hall Quilters’ Group to add to their installation work. Within a sewing circle, the group will use traditional patchwork techniques to create long lengths of fabric to thread
the ceramic beads and components. Join Gail to share in the experience and explore craft skills and creativity as the installation evolves throughout the week.

The outcomes will be displayed as part of Mahon’s solo exhibition in 2011.

Where: The Tower Museum, Union Hall Place, BT48 6LU

Find on Google Maps »

This event starts: 16th August, 2010

This event ends: 21st August, 2010

How To Take Part:

To get involved and to find out more please contact +44 (0)28 7137 2411 / museums@derrycity.gov.uk

Costs: Free Admission

PERSONIFIED: Deborah Potter and Anita Rocamora

Until August 22, 2010 at the Art Gallery of Regina

From the website:
"This show reflects the wisdom, humor and experience of two remarkable artists who have pursued their own directions within the field of sculpture for more than three decades. Deborah Potter and Anita Rocamora both use the figure as a vehicle for exploring human character and emotion and issues related to identity, self image, and contemporary culture. Both have also had years of experience working with clay and have begun introducing other materials (like metal, fabric and found objects) to animate their work and push the boundaries of traditional ceramic sculpture."

A site 2 see friday - Jill Bell Ceramics

As i'm slowing trying to better structure and add to the blog and its content, i thought i'd add to Eye Candy Monday by ending the week with A Site 2 See Fridays. Love it? Hate it? Other suggestions? As always I'm very open to advice and suggestions on how to make the blog better for you guys, the readers. I'm hoping to expand on Mondays gorgeous images and context with posts on fridays leading you to interesting blogs, galleries, podcasts, videos, craft writing, etc.

If you have ideas or would like to promote your own work, website, event, organization please feel free to drop me a line at carole_epp@yahoo.ca. I always try my hardest to get back to everyone. If you don't see your content live on the blog in a reasonable amount of time, feel free to write again and bug me, sometimes things get lost in the spam folder or in my messy life : )

So for today's A Site 2 See please check out the figurative work of Jill Marleah Bell on her blog Jill Bell Ceramics: Ceramics, drawings and all round nice girl.

Call for Artists: Cooperation Tableware (all media), Seattle

Deadline for entry (both electronic or by mail - no postmark): November 5

An exhibition featuring work by pairs of artists who cooperatively create a set of tableware (functional or nonfunctional.) To be exhibited at Fancy Gallery, Seattle during the Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG) conference 2011, and online at http://crafthaus.ning.com

This exhibition would like to show how two individual makers develop a tableware set together. These objects can work together, respond to one another, converse between each other, or work dependently with one another. Work should show where the influence of each individual artist ends, and FLOWS into the creative sphere of the team, thus picking up on the SNAG conference theme FLUX (Flux as a Process.)

This juried exhibition is an open call to all craft artists regardless of medium. Artists are asked to form partnerships based on interest in each other's work, and diversity in craft technique/materials displayed. Cross-media and international relationships are strongly encouraged. Only one member of each pairing is required to be a current member of SNAG.

A website has been created to facilitate potential collaborations. If you are an artist (in any medium) who would like to connect with a SNAG member (and vice versa) can do so through this online connection service.

For more information visit: http://crafthaus.ning.com/group/cooperationtableware

Open Studio at Robin Dupont's

A must see indeed if you're anywhere near by! I just spent the month of July at a residency with Robin so can easily attest to the refined skill and mastery of the soda technique that Robin has been researching for years. It's gorgeous work to own and more importantly to use.

LOCATION:

4562 Hwy 6,
Winlaw, BC VOG 2JO

Map Code: 13A

Directions: 20km North of the junction on hwy 6-7 km south of Winlaw.

Find out more about Robin and his work on his incredible wife's blog here.

NEW Exhibition Catalogues for Sale at the ACC

CLAY 2010: $15 + gst (and shipping)

Clay 2010 is the most recent and extensive venture intended to add fine craft to the AFA collection. The AFA has contracted the Craft Council to manage an acquisition process and touring exhibition that represents a 2010 cross-section of ceramic arts activity in Alberta.

Unity & Diversity: $40 +gst (and shipping)
Intentionally broad in scope, the exhibition theme “Unity and Diversity” seeks responses from craftspeople on how they see their work in the context of the Canadian craft scene. Does Canadian craft have a unified identity, or do our vast physical and cultural geographies make the question of identity much more complicated and diverse?

To order catalogues call the ACC Shop at 780-488-5900 or visit the Alberta Craft Council.

Introducing "Ladies and Gentlemen"

These ceramic/chalk piggy banks by Ladies and Gentlemen are pretty sweet in and of themselves, but i'm more interesting in daydreaming about the possibilities of the fact that it's "Constructed from silky-smooth pigmented ceramic that allows it's body to be drawn on time and again." Yummy possibilities...

Simply elegant - pottery by rmoralespottery

like it? find it here.