Frog Notes Winter 2014

Frog Notes Winter 2014

Issue No. 3

Sponsor ADD

Cover Photo The image appearing on the cover of this issue is Crescent Teapot, 2002, cone 10 stoneware, 9 ½” x 16” x 9,” by Joshua Primmer. To learn more about the artist please see pp. 6-7 of this issue.

Sunkist Fish from 2012's CSWD Creative ReUse Showcase

CONTENTS 2 3 4

Winter 2014

From the President

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Artist Profile

Gallery

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Jury

Our Web Sales Increase in 2013

Gallery Inventory

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A look at Joshua Primmer.

A look at who is jurying in the coming months.

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Step-by-Step

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Opportunities

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Our Staff

Partner Spotlight Working with CSWD for over a decade.

Making a pit-fired sculpture With Susan Raber Bray

Upcoming events, artist opportunities, call to artists and more...

From The President How many times can we say “we are changing”? Well, the answer seems to be quite a few times. Over the past 40+ years, as a non-profit arts organization Frog Hollow has worked to balance our efforts in promoting and educating the public with the direct sales in the gallery. There are guidelines related to our 501C-3 status that we have been following in these areas.

As our current educational efforts have been more focused on special exhibits and educational tools, such as The Artist of Frog Hollow videos, rather than on-going classes; the balance between the for-profit and non-profit is changing. In response we are following a course that has been suggested several times over the past 20 years: we are creating a formal separation between the non-profit and for-profit work.

As we have worked on this over the past 6 months, it has become clear that this will allow us to better focus our efforts in each area. The Frog Hollow Gallery is now clearly a for-profit entity wholly owned by the Frog Hollow Craft Association – a non-profit organization.

A new board has been created to oversee the work of the Gallery. This board is answerable to the non-profit board and our members.

(Memberships are with the non-profit Craft Association.) Liz Lawrence is the acting President of this new for-profit board and they have already started working with Rob Hunter on ideas to improve gallery sales and functions. Rob will continue as Executive Director of the Frog Hollow Craft Association as well as Gallery Director.

The non-profit board is continuing to work on fund-raising efforts and projects related to future exhibits.

If this all sound confusing, it has been! It has taken quite a bit of time for us on the board, working with Rob as well as outside advice, to work our way through the issues. We invite you to come to the annual meeting (April 6th-more info to come) to meet both boards and to ask questions and provide feedback. We are also looking for new members for both boards – your participation is valuable and sought.

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Our commitment remains to find the best ways to promote the sales of Vermont crafts and to expand the understanding and appreciation of these arts.

-Brad Rabinowitz Frog Hollow Craft Association Inc., Board President

Publisher Frog Hollow Craft Association Inc Contact Us 85 Church St. Burlington Vermont 05401 802.863.6458 info@froghollow.org Frog Notes is published quarterly and distributed digitally to Frog Hollow artists, artisans and members. No part of this publication may be used without written permission from the publisher and/or the contributing artists. ©2014. All rights reserved.

Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings and oversights. If you notice an error, please accept our apologies and notify us of your finding.

Thank you.

Gallery

A Bright Spot in A Troubled Economy

By Rob Hunter

2013 saw a good share of ups and downs. One giant success was the renovation of the gallery.

It has been mentioned before in these pages, but the improved new look to the gallery continues to garner positive comments from the public at large. This coupled with the artisan support and help in the accomplishment of this long overdue task lends itself to being one of the brightest points for the gallery in 2013.

Continued partnerships throughout the year with a variety of organizations statewide also lent itself to another big positive for Frog Hollow. 2013 saw Frog Hollow working in the gallery with such businesses and organizations as The Burlington Free Press, CSWD, SunCommon, The Vermont Woodworking School, RETN, and the Vermont Department of Libraries. This continued expansion on statewide organizational partnerships is another great way to bring our mission and the work of our artisan population in front of communities and individuals who may not otherwise be exposed to the work we do.

Despite this great work, 2013 was the first in four years to see a downward sales trend in the

gallery, with close to a 10% fall in sales. Why did this occur? A number of reasons, with challenging weather conditions topping the list and shaky consumer confidence a close second. What is interesting about this sales decline is the signaling to us of new consumer habits which it provides. It is no secret to the craft community that craft shows, festivals and markets are seeing a sharp decline in attendance and revenue for participating crafts people. One theory which may be gaining ground as to what is going on points to an up and coming generation that is more tech oriented, saddled with unprecedented educational debt, experiencing a lack of employment opportunities and as a result are a

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Each item on the website features a slide show of the item showing specific details and perspectives of the work.

A sample Frog Hollow artisan product web page provides artist quote about the work, detailed description of the piece, multiple links to similar items in our store and purchasing options.

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The above map shows where web sales in the North East were made over the past three years.

Green points represent 2013 sales.

Inventory - 2014

By Katie Combs

Each year, post holidays and pre-spring, Frog Hollow undergoes a physical inventory count.

This process, though daunting, is crucial to maintaining accurate records. During the process every item for sale is accounted for.

Truly, inventory begins with good record keeping, which is why we have all artists fill out inventory receipts and invoices. Every time an item is delivered to, bought from, or picked up from Frog Hollow, it must be tracked.

currently available to customers. Even better, it gives us piece of mind knowing exactly what is and isn't here.

This year's inventory went smoothly, thanks to the entire staff at Frog Hollow. Counting took a total of three days, with the gallery closed to the public one day. A huge thanks to both artists and gallery staff for keeping such accurate track of items throughout the year and a great start to 2014!

Each January this record keeping is put to the test through the inventory count. For a day the gallery is shut down and staff comes to count each item. Any discrepancies with expected totals are then researched. Lastly, artists are notified of their total inventory at Frog Hollow mid-February.

Why is this process so important to operations?

For artists, physical inventory counting at Frog Hollow can be used as a tax write-off, adding to their inventory totals. For Frog Hollow, the same is true of items we own, but it also makes sure 4 the staff know for sure what is and is not

Every item in the gallery has a tag which is dotted during inventory. Multiple dots/marks mean the item was present at the last inventory and should be traded out by the gallery to insure a fresh look to our inventory and displays.

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very credit wary and guarded group about the purchases they make. These folks coupled with the ease of online shopping speaks to a population whose goal in going out is to socialize, lending itself to more food oriented practices.

Regardless of the reasons why, Frog Hollow saw our online sales increase 300% in 2013 over 2012. This above all things made us sit up and pay attention to what we perceive as a fixed change in the landscape of craft sales.

Some of this can be attributed to our recent strong efforts in SEO and internet PR and Marketing (our 2013 digital holiday catalog seemed to generate great interest in a number of new items added to our web store), but the reality of the situation is that this is how we as a society are moving in regards to how we make our purchases. An easy example of this trend is to examine how your own spending habits have changed in the last three years, chances are that you have begun to increase your online purchases. As a result we have made several efforts to improve our online presence. A push is on to dramatically increase our web store content as we explore ways to put its offerings in front of more people.

2014 Gallery Exhibit Schedule January/February: Craftucation – In celebration of our newly formed partnership, Frog Hollow welcomes Shelburne Craft School educators into the gallery for a show focused on the range of classes taught in this historic Vermont craft school.

March: CSWD Creative Reuse Showcase – Annual group exhibit of Chittenden County High School students' creations using reclaimed materials.

Sponsored by CSWD April: Work in Progress – Experimental student work from the incubator space at the Vermont Woodworking School.

May: Deborah Holmes – An exhibit of original watercolors exploring the Burlington landscape.

June: David and Joshua – An exhibit of functional sculpture featuring works of wood by David Hurwitz and ceramics by Joshua Primmer.

July: Shadow Light – Longtime artists Elise and Payne Junker push each others creativity and design, working with plasma and acetylene torches to produce iridescent waves of subtle color across the surfaces of steel in this exhibit of new work.

August: Words and Sound – An exploration of the impact of language on music as interpreted by Vermont artists. A collaboration with the Lake Champlain Music Festival.

September: Vermont Color – An exhibit of Woody Jackson’s work.

October: Form and Figure – Ranging from very organic and figurative saggar fired vessel forms to abstract and figurative sculpture by Irene Leader LaCroix November/December: Holiday Show – Group Show – An exhibit by Frog Hollow artisans in celebration of the holiday season.

The SHOP section of our website offers the visitor to shop by browsing, specific artist (left blue type column) or by medium (top of left column). www.froghollow.org

All listed exhibits take place in the gallery at 85 Church Street with openings scheduled from 5-8PM on the first Thursday of each month.

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Artist Profile

June Featured Artist Joshua Primmer

By Kim Datchuk

Above: Crescent Teapot II, 2009, cone 10 stoneware, 7½” x 14″ x 13″ Below: Joshua Primmer at work in his Studio

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Organic, fantastical, and guarded, Joshua Primmer's ceramics incite the viewer's curiosity.

Both his functional and sculptural pieces draw from the natural world and man's relationship to it. For example, Crescent Teapot II's aesthetic comes straight out the combination of animal and machine bodies in cyborg science fiction.

Its form has its roots in zoomorphism, but its construction and geometric shape suggest a more technological influence.

Primmer recognizes this connection. He has said, “My work depicts the few real world examples of harmonious relationships between mankind and nature that I have witnessed and the many imagined in science fiction and fantasy: beautiful and ideal.”

Yet Primmer's pieces are more than beautiful objects. They also consider the fraught nature of national and international current events.

Some of his sculptural work confronts the militaristic tone of American foreign policy and its now infamous surveillance of its citizens and the world. His Foreign Policy, Big Brother, and All Seeing Eye series suggest that the horrors described by George Orwell in 1984 are closer than we might realize.

Primmer begins all of his designs with sketches before turning to the wheel to create his forms.

He often allows his pieces to dry to a leatherhard state before cutting, pasting, and assembling his constructions. He also works with slabs to produce spouts and handles.

Primmer studied at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and earned his BFA from the Maine College of Art. In 2009, he received an Honorable Mention at the Memphis/Germantown Art League National Exhibition. Currently, this Vermont-native lives and works in Bennington, VT. He will be one of two featured artists at Frog Hollow in June 2014.

Satellite II, 2010, cone 10 stoneware 14½” x 11½” x 6½”

Foreign Policy, 2007, cone 10 stoneware, 11½” x 10″ x 7

Top Center: Pool III, 2013, Beacon, 2012, cone 10 stoneware, cone 10 stoneware, 6" x 10 1/2" 14″ x 6″ Bottom Center:White Plateau Jar, 2013,cone 10 stoneware, 6 1/2" x 9 1/2"

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Jury

Frog Hollow Looks Forward to 2014's Jurying Artisans

By Kristin Ballif Frog Hollow is fortunate as an organization to attract wonderful talent from the area. In the next few months, several talented individuals will be sharing their art with the public as part of the Frog Hollow jury process.

For the month of February, Robert Burch will be showcasing his pieces in glass. Robert is selftaught and has been blowing glass for over forty years. He uses soda lime glass, “Spectrum Supreme”, and Olympic Color for his work. His technique is off-hand blown glass and other techniques he has developed over the years. His glass pieces are beautiful and unique.

In April, Frog Hollow will showcase two different artists. Patty Sgrecci will share some of her kinetic sculpture and mobile pieces. Patty’s works are created from hand painted papers, carved wood, wire, reed and other mixed media. She has been making kinetic sculptures out of mixed media for over 15 years. The mobiles and sculptures are fun and full of visual energy.

Also showing in April will be woodworker Kit Clark.

Kit is self-taught and works primarily in sculptural and traditional furniture. He works with various woods, including Maple, Walnut and Cherry. His pieces are not only functional, but provide a beautiful aesthetic combination of the wood, shape and line.

We encourage everyone to stop in to Frog Hollow February through April to view the works of these talented artisans.

Autumn Shower

by Patty Sgrecci

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Tiger Maple Table

by Kit Clark

Autumn Flight

by Pattie Sgrecci

Standing Sculpture

by Robert Burch

Tiger Maple Rocker

by Kit Clark

Desertscape Vase

by Robert Burch

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Partner Spotlight

High School Students, CSWD, Frog Hollow

By Michele Morris CSWD Business Outreach Coordinator

2012 Creative ReUse Showcase entry “On the Eve of Atom” by Carly Kemp

“In 1996,” says Wendy McArdle, “I knew that high school teachers would have little room in their curriculum for someone to come and talk trash.” This realization motivated McArdle, who at the time was School Outreach Coordinator at the Chittenden Solid Waste District (CSWD), to start an art competition for Chittenden County high school students. Dubbed the CSWD Creative ReUse Showcase, the goal of the competition was to encourage the students as well as the viewing public to think about the impact as well as the lost potential of all the

Gallery Premiere of “The Artists of Frog Hollow” videos

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items and materials we send to the landfill as “trash.”

The first Showcase was on display for a single day “in the bowels of the Burlington Square Mall, right before Christmas,” recalls McArdle, now Program Director at Energy Action Network in Montpelier. Needless to say, not many people saw the art, but Frog Hollow staffers Annie Sullivan and Karen Wark did, and they would be key to ensuring the competition’s future success.

2013 entry “The Flight of the Recycled Printer Paper” by Rose Watts

A peek at the Plastic Bag Jellyfish Mobile coming in 2014.

2012 entry “The Creature “

by Andrew Lange and Rudy Bentlage

The following year, the Showcase enjoyed a month-long display at Frog Hollow Gallery on Church Street, and has been a highly anticipated late winter/early spring draw ever since. “People come into the gallery specifically to see this show,” says Executive Director Rob Hunter. “It connects us with some really creative individuals who are a great fit for our organization,” notes Hunter, citing just one example of that synergy: A bird cage crafted for one Creative ReUse Showcase was purchased by and is now on display in the home of a past Frog Hollow Executive Director. The bird cage artist later became a Frog Hollow Gallery employee.

“Showcase art brings that personal connection,” says McArdle. “I think that’s what’s lost in people’s lives.”

The CSWD Creative ReUse Showcase puts a global issue in the hands of Vermont high schools.

The 2014 CSWD Creative ReUse Showcase exhibit will highlight the winning art in eight categories, with local businesses sponsoring cash awards and prizes valued at $100 or more for each winner. Categories range from “Fabulous Fashion” to “Techno Totems,” plus an overall Best In Show as well as a People’s Choice Award winner. People’s Choice is determined by votes from Frog Hollow Gallery visitors over the duration of the exhibit.

The Showcase opens at Frog Hollow on March 7 and closes March 27, with an awards ceremony from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. that evening.

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Photo

Creating a Pit-Fired Text and Photos

1: Susan begins by wedging the clay to remove all air bubbles.

7: Details are added such as the beak and tail feathers.

2: A series of basic pinch bowls are created

3: The bowls edges are scored and moistened‌

9: Once slightly dried Susan carves patterns and textures into 8: The Bird is secured to its perch the sculpture. The piece is then and allowed to dry. completely dried and burnished with Terra Sigelatta (a finishing technique which results in a high sheen to the finished piece)

Essay

Clay Sculpture

by Rob Hunter

4: and fitted together.

10: The piece is then fired in an electric kiln, kiln cooled, and refired with a colored slip that has been painted on.

5: Holes are made to allow air to escape during the firing processes.

11: The twice fired piece is then layered into an outdoor primitive kiln using combustible materials such as sawdust and newspaper to fill in between and around the pieces.

6: Additional sections are added to form,the body and head of the bird.

12: The materials lit ablaze and covered to smolder for several hours.

Opportunities and Events

A Listing of Upcoming Events Open to our Artisans and Members Marketing Strategies For Growing Your Art Business with Alyson B. Stanfield of Art Biz Coach: Our friends at SEABA on Pine St. in Burlington have organized an Artists Marketing Workshop for February 15+16. ● ●

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Are you seeking a bigger audience?

Would you like to develop a successful marketing plan tailored to your art business?

Would you like to make more sales without having to become a salesperson?

If you said Yes to the above, we want you to come to this workshop!

Space is Limited! $190 to participate.

For more information please contact SEABA at 802.859.9222 or info@seaba.com Call To Frog Hollow Artisans: August is closer than it looks and we need work for our great collaborative exhibit with the Lake Champlain Music Festival. Our August exhibit is a group show titled “Words and Sound” and will be comprised of Vermont artisans exploration of the impact of language on music. If interested in submitting please contact Rob. Call To Frog Hollow Artisans: With the success of our 2013 Digital Holiday Catalog we are looking for Frog Hollow Artisan contributions for our next digital catalog featuring one-of-akind works. If you are interested in contributing or would like more information please contact Rob. Frog Hollow Needs You!: After last years restructuring of our organization Frog Hollow now has two boards with vacancies. Both our Non-Profit and Gallery components are governed by their own separate board of directors. Are you happy with the way things are at Frog Hollow?..frustrated? Become an active voice in setting policy and over-site while helping establish the long term vision of the organization! If interested please contact Rob. 14

Credit: Photo by Rafael Aguilera

What I love most about Frog Hollow is that it provides a common place for artisans all over Vermont to share their talents with the community and visitors. – Kristen Frog Hollow Gallery Assistant

Help Us Grow!

Frog Hollow | 85 Church Street | Burlington, VT | 802.863.6458

www.froghollow.org