AMERICAN POTTERY FESTIVAL

WHAT IS AMERICAN POTTERY FESTIVAL?

It’s the great NCC get-together!

Fundraiser: APF is Northern Clay Center’s annual fundraiser. All contributions, and NCC’s portion of the purchased work created by ribbon-worthy 2023 APF artists, support NCC’s mission of advancing the ceramic arts for artists, learners, and the community, through education, exhibitions, and grant programs. NCC is a non-profit ceramic art center with a regional, national, and international presence. Whether you are a beginning student in our education studios or a maker with years of experience, a new visitor and shopper in our galleries or a seasoned collector, we hope you join us for APF 2023. Come to learn, explore, splurge, and connect with the playful side of clay.

Exhibition and Sale: This year’s APF offers the work of 25 invited guest artists and opened the gates with the APF Preview Show in May. Annually, NCC extends invitations to artists representing rich, lived experiences and varying artistic perspectives whose pots display a vast array of techniques, aesthetics, and materials. They range from familiar forms intended for everyday utility, to boundary-challenging technical mastery and storytelling, to works centered in the communication of identity. The sale is a three-day event offering over 1400 ceramic works to support NCC and our parade of APF guest artists with every purchase made online or in the galleries in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The sale will commence with our Opening Night “Party of the Year” on Friday, September 8, from 6 – 9 pm CT (5 pm for members), in the galleries. We offer our free Personal Shopping Service for those not able to attend in person for any reason. We also offer VIP Weekend Packages that include entrance to all of the weekend’s festival celebrations and workshops and provide us with additional support.

Education Conference: 2023 APF workshops and artist demonstrations are offered in person in our NCC studios. In addition, there will be virtual options available for each workshop. Daily artist lectures will be available at no cost both in person and virtually, and everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend.

APF artists will offer Thursday and Friday hands-on workshops and a weekend filled with demonstrations, lectures, and conversation in the teaching studios with the invitation to pose questions, learn from a shared or new perspective, and enjoy being in the funhouse of palpable creativity. Select APF artists will also visit several local schools for demonstrations and educational enrichment.

In-person workshops and demonstrations will have limited spots available, so early registration is highly encouraged. There is special pricing for NCC members, as well as students and educators. In addition, we offer scholarships for BIPOC individuals and those in financial-need for the weekend’s workshops and demonstrations.

For conference details and pricing, please refer to pages 6 – 9.