American Pottery Festival 2017

Northern Clay Center

American Pottery Festival 2017 : September 8 – 10

19th Annual

American Pottery Festival cover: Sam Chung Tempe, AZ Teapot 17SC006 $650

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Mary Briggs Eugene, OR Bowl 17MB028 $55

Matthew Cawley MN NICE Alumni

Welcome to Northern Clay Center’s 19th annual fundraising benefit and celebration of notable clay makers in this country. The American Pottery Festival is a three-day event highlighting the immeasurable talent, the commitment, and the relentless stamina of your favorite ceramic artists and some legends in the making.

What is the American Pottery Festival (APF)?

Fundraiser: First and foremost, APF is Northern Clay Center’s annual fundraiser. All contributions and NCC’s portion of the purchase of work, created by this year’s roster of APF artists, supports NCC’s programs that advance the ceramic arts.

Exhibition and Sale: APF launches each year with a Preview Show in the spring in the sales gallery and online over the summer season. Annually, NCC invites a group of artists whose wares represent an array of aesthetics and materials – from intricately hand-painted landscapes and hand-carved geometrics, to cobalt- and underglaze-told stories, to the alchemy of wood-fired surfaces and forms. The APF culminates each year in September with a three-day weekend sale of over 1500 of the country’s best pots created by hall-of-famers as well as emerging rookies in the field.

Conference: 20 of this year’s invited artists will travel to NCC to participate in artist talks, workshops, demonstrations, and rousing gallery talks during, and in the days surrounding, this pottery blitz. One and two-day pre-festival workshops are available to those wanting a more concentrated overlap with specific artists; they wrap up in time for the opening night party. Saturday and Sunday brings a full schedule of panel discussions and slam-dunk demonstrations as part of a special

Workshop Pass, available for purchase both online and at the door. Artist lectures take place all weekend and are always included with your $5 admission at the door. 2017 promises to be a weekend filled with rewarding interactions between artists, students, collectors, and superfans of clay from across America. For conference details, please see page 14.

Collector Adventure: Each APF weekend offers a VIP private tour of the ceramic arts in the Twin Cities and the surrounding areas. Whether you are an experienced and storied collector, a student of the medium, or simply want a peek into some of the most enticing and noteworthy collections in our area, the Collector Adventure is an unequaled opportunity. You’ll enjoy special access to private and corporate collections, artist studios, and museums, as well as attend a private cocktail party with this year’s APF artists. For additional information, please see page 16.

Community: Above all else, APF is a moment to come together to build up and celebrate the studio pottery tradition in the United States. Over the last 19 years, it’s evolved into a revered tradition steeped in depth of talent, breadth of knowledge, and the generosity of artists, buyers, fans, hosts, educators, volunteers, sponsors, staff, neighbors, and our board of directors.

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Ernest Gentry Salt Lake City, UT Jar 17EG045 $96

Pattie Chalmers Carbondale, IL Vase 17PC013 $175

Matthew Jorgensen Denver, CO Bowl 17MJ001 $80

Matthew Jorgensen Denver, CO Teabowl 17MJ005 $70

Ramon Serrano Student

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Northern Clay Center

Kate Johnston Seagrove, NC Mug 17KJ025 $60

Suze Lindsay Bakersville, NC Bowl 17SL025 $35

Birdie Boone Meadowview, VA Mini Berry Bowl 17BB005 $80

Audra Smith Studio Manager

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Kate Johnston Seagrove, NC Jar 17KJ021 $150

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Jeffrey Oestreich Shafer, MN Creamer 17JO064 $90

Samantha Henneke of Bulldog Pottery Seagrove, NC Cup 17BP047 $62

Jeffrey Oestreich Shafer, MN Plate 17JO068 $65

Kent McLaughlin Bakersville, NC Boat 17KM021 $20 Casey Beck Volunteer

16APFEG22 $64

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Sam Chung Tempe, AZ Vase 17SC002 $800

Lydia Johnson Smithville, TN Mug 17LJ006 $85

Jason Bige Burnett Louisville, KY Cup 17JB002 $42

Amy Halko Cleveland Heights, OH Jar 17AH004 $90

Bianka Groves Minneapolis, MN Jar 17BG016 $85

Sarah Chenoweth-Davis Portland, OR Pitcher 17SD022 $115

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Sue Tirrell Livingston, MT Pitcher 17ST004 $200

Marty Fielding Gainsville, FL Decanter 17MF004 $120

Sue Tirrell Livingston, MT Plate 17ST005 $110

Cathy Bishop Collector

Richard Gruchalla & Carrin Rosetti Duluth, MN Vase 17GR062 $135 NORTHERNCLAYCENTER.ORG

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Matt Repsher Santa Fe, NM Mug 17MR039 $82

Joe Kraft Chicago, IL Mug 17JK001 $78

Bruce Gholson of Bulldog Pottery Seagrove, NC Cup 17BP001 $42

Risa Nishiguchi Studio & Teaching Artist

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Matt Repsher Santa Fe, NM Weedpot 17MR002 $650

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Northern Clay Center

American Pottery Festival

APF: Exhibition and Sale

APF: Conference

NCC highlights the work of 25 artists from around the country.

Between Friday night and Sunday afternoon, you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy over 1500 pots and purchase your favorites for your growing collection.

Pre-Festival Workshops The tradition of offering dynamic, pre-festival educational opportunities with select artists continues in 2017!

Friday, September 8 Get the ball rolling at the American Pottery Festival Opening Night ($25 tickets available at the door or online) 5 – 6 pm Members Only Pregame

Meet & Greet with the Artists 6 – 9 pm General Admission Saturday, September 9 ($5 tickets available at the door or online) 9:30 am – 5 pm Sunday, September 10 ($5 tickets available at the door or online) 9:30 am – 2:30 pm

Thank you to our generous sponsors at U.S. Bank FlexPerks Rewards for supporting our opening night and weekend festivities.

Candy and Nuts Jason Bige Burnett & Lydia Johnson Thursday, September 7, 2017, 9 am – 5 pm Friday, September 8, 9 am – 4 pm Students, Educators, and NCC Members: $200 (non-members $225) Get your sweet and salty treatments here! Get your surfaces wet or dry! No matter the form, let’s defy volume and surface with a concession stand full of stripes and dots and leaves and stars. Get your patterns! Get your prints right here! Two days of major league training from two artists who consistently deliver dynamic imagery in the field. Develop a curve ball of contrasts and a keen eye for color systems. Appliqué, inlay, stencils, silk screening, mishima, and transfers are all techniques you will have in your arsenal at the conclusion of this warm-up session for the 2017 APF grand slam event.

Lunch is included both dates.

Fabled Formations Sue Tirrell Friday, September 8, 2017, 9 am – 5 pm Students, Educators, and NCC & MNWCA Members: $115 (non-members $130) Sue Tirrell’s iconography is a lineup of domesticated and wild players from the field and farm. The figures assume strategic, play formations that successfully carry our eye around every form. Learn to develop your own formation variations, exploiting the surface of basic forms with dynamic, reductive drawing techniques. The vast field of whiteness that a platter lays before us is always an opportunity on which to draw another play. Wheel and handbuilding students are welcome in this workshop. The techniques translate to any temperature range, but we will be working with mid-range clays and slips.

Lunch is included. Co-Sponsored by the Minnesota Women Ceramic Artists organization.

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Saturday Workshops Saturday, September 9, 2017 All-Day Saturday Workshop Pass Students, Educators, and NCC Members: $55 (non-members $65)

Good Passing Game: Richard Gruchalla & Carrin Rosetti 3 – 4 pm A good passing game advances the pot by utilizing the lateral pass. Gruchalla Rosetti Pottery is a husband-wife collaborative team. Watch and learn from the result of 20 years of teamwork.

MNWCA All-Stars: Mary Briggs, Bianka Groves, Lydia Johnson, & Kate Johnston 9 – 10 am A partnership that is becoming an APF staple: an opportunity to hear about the evolution of individual creative and professional paths of women in the field of ceramics. This Saturday session is open to all APF visitors with their $5 entrance, and is also included in the all-day workshop pass.

We thank MNWCA for their continued sponsorship.

7th Inning Stretch 4 – 5 pm Join our visiting APF artists for a casual, behind-the-scenes meet-and-greet in the galleries; learn more about their making and firing processes.

Locker Room Talk with the Director: Marty Fielding, Amy Halko, Joe Kraft, & Kurt Webb 10:15 – 11:15 am Yep, we’re reclaiming the phrase “locker room talk”, too!

Director Sarah Millfelt will sit down with these APF artists and ask hard-hitting questions to get the answers we all want to know: What is your go-to mug each morning? How do you feel about sharing tools and trade secrets with aspiring makers? Will you divulge your best recipe for hotdish? Bring your cup o’ joe, your sense of humor, and your inquiring mind to this revelatory chat.

Color Commentary: Pattie Chalmers & Kurt Webb 11:30 am – 12:30 pm Harry Caray kept us engrossed when plays were not in progress at Wrigley Field. These two keep us actively engaged with narrative surfaces when functional wares are not in service.

Hear some stories about how they develop their stories.

Pot Holding Penalty: Sam Chung & Jeffrey Oestreich 1 – 3 pm There may be actual potholders thrown instead of penalty flags in this workshop. Come enjoy the dynamic banter and inside jokes between two titans of clay. Watch them break out of round and out of bounds as they vigorously alter form.

Sunday Workshops Sunday, September 10, 2017 All-Day Sunday Workshop Pass Students, Educators, and NCC Members: $30 (non-members $40) Raku Tailgate Party: Richard Gruchalla & Carrin Rosetti 9:30 – 11:15 am Saturday afternoon we heard their stories from the gridiron, now see their ‘American Raku’ in action! Rumor has it there may be a few ringers in the kiln ready for collecting while they’re still warm!

The Sweet Rewards of Repetitive Strain: Ernest Gentry & Matt Repsher 10 – 11 am No one will be forced to run wind sprints or do burpees!

What you will see are the rewards of applied rhythm and repetition to the surface of intimate forms. It all about a good foundation…in the arts!

The Closers: Suze Lindsay & Kent McLaughlin 11:45 am – 1:45 pm Closer (noun) 1. the last part of a performance, collection, or series.

2. a reliable relief pitcher who enters a game in the final innings, typically to preserver a slim lead.

Delivering home runs since 1996, Suze Lindsay and Kent McLaughlin are our 2017 APF closers! Coming in from the bullpen of North Carolina, they will wrap up our weekend of clay celebration by sharing their passion for working with their hands and making pots for everyday use that are well-crafted and a pleasure to use. Expect to see a face-off between dueling pitchers and a large home plate steal by Kent!

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APF: Collector Adventure Thursday evening, September 7 – Sunday, September 10 The 2017 Collector Adventure features a roster of heavy-hitters in the ceramic community and the plays are designed to elevate and educate collectors of every level of interest and dedication. Participation in the Collector Adventure grants you access to a special line up of private collections, exclusive tours of corporate collections, artist studios, and social events.

The Collector Adventure Includes: Social Gatherings • Kickoff Cocktail Party and Artist Reception • Opening Night Benefit Sale, Members Only Preview Hour, and NCC Celly of the Year • Saturday Overtime Happy Hour with artists and the NCC team of volunteers and staff Sunday Artist Demonstrations and Lectures • Raku Tailgate Party with Richard Gruchalla & Carrin Rosetti • The Sweet Rewards of Repetitive Strain with Ernest Gentry & Matt Repsher • The Closers with Suze Lindsay & Kent McLaughlin Private Collections and Exhibitions in the Twin Cities and Surrounding Area Each and every collection was recruited because it includes ceramic art, but clay may or may not be the playmaker or focus of the collection. Generations of makers from across the country help us celebrate the lineage of talent that springs from and leads to the Midwest. In addition to a few other slam-dunks, collectors will view: • A private collection focused on first-string studio potters largely from, but not limited to, the Midwest. Meticulously recorded as well as utilized everyday.

• Tour of St. Olaf’s esteemed Ron Gallas Cup Library • Studio visit and demonstration with the legendary and local Kip O’Krongly Pricing: $300 includes all APF ticket fees, museum fees, transportation to and from your hotel and NCC during the weekend. Lunches are provided while touring offsite, and NCC graciously caters all other meals during the festival. Our Collector Adventure guests will travel together by tour van, and be accompanied by a tour leader. Airport transportation and lodging are not included. However, you may direct any inquiries regarding travel and accommodations to tippymaurant@northernclaycenter.org or 612.339.8007 x301.

American Pottery Festival

Northern Clay Center Community and the American Pottery Festival How to be a part of the team: Fundraiser The American Pottery Festival is NCC’s most impactful annual fundraiser. Money raised during these few superstar days goes to support the advancement of the ceramic arts through our education, exhibitions, outreach, and artist services programming. There are many ways you can engage in our fundraising efforts throughout our APF weekend: • Purchase a piece of donated work. Every year, each of our generous APF artists donates one hand-selected piece to our fundraiser, so 100% of the selling price funds programming. (Thank you, kind artists!)

• Attend our Opening Night Party ($25) with a few of your fellow clay fans.

• Become an NCC member and enjoy the benefits that come with supporting your favorite local ceramic team.

• Round up your $5 ticket price on Saturday and Sunday for an added contribution.

• Be inspired by the Exhibition and Artist Talks and then buy your new favorite pot (or several).

• Support NCC’s fundraising efforts with a larger gift and bring it home with your company’s matching contributions. $2000 can accomplish the following: support a studio fellowship for one emerging artist for an entire year; fund a ClayToGo residency for 150 school children; or create up to 10 lecture or workshop opportunities for artists visiting from around the world.

NCC Membership Purchase or renew your NCC membership before APF to take advantage of special workshop pricing and access to the Members Only Pregame Hour during Opening Night. On September 8. from 5 – 6 pm, members are invited to be the first to see the American Pottery Festival exhibition, purchase pots, converse with artists, and enjoy complimentary passed appetizers and bubbly. NCC members are included in a rare community of artists and supporters working to advance the ceramic arts. In addition to supporting a unique, mediumspecific organization and its programming, your membership will provide you with discounts to classes, workshops, and pottery by sales gallery artists year round. You may purchase your membership online, in the gallery, or by telephone.

Volunteers Each year, scores of individuals come together to help create APF through donations of time and talent. Looking for a way to lend your skillset to our team in a new way? We need what you have! Gallery help, painting, hosting or chauffeuring visiting artists, wrapping pots, stoking the pizza oven, you name it – we have a place for you and greatly appreciate your time before and during the weekend! Please send an email to alexamcadams@northernclaycenter.org with any questions, or register online.

Community NCC is a not-for-profit, community-based organization with a national and international presence. Thousands of people connect with NCC annually through outreach, education, studio programs, and through the sales and exhibition galleries. Whether you are a rookie or long-time student, an emerging studio artist or a maker on the road to mastery, a new shopper in the gallery or an experienced collector, we invite and encourage you to attend this year’s American Pottery Festival. We have a place at the table for you. Come to learn, explore, splurge, and connect with the legendary clay community.

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Shopping Playbook Here are a few tips to help with purchase choices for the festival weekend, and if you aren’t able to attend APF in person, never fear! There are still opportunities to purchase pots in the exhibition!

• Shop online at www.northernclaycenter.org/store for hundreds of pieces by this year’s APF artists as well as the artists represented full-time in the sales gallery.

• Shipping to the US and Canada is available for all purchases online and in the gallery. Arrange for shipping online during checkout, or simply let us know when you purchase your pots in person. No more worrying about whether all of those pots are going to fit into your carry on!

• We offer a personal shopping service for those of you who are unable to attend the festival in person. Please register as soon as possible so we are able to send images, and then work with you to choose your favorite pieces. Sales of APF work open on Friday, September 8, at 6 pm (5 pm for members), but it’s advisable to partner with our staff in the days leading up to the event. We are also happy to assist you in the purchase of work by our year-round gallery artists that may not be available online. Please send a request for a personal shopper to salesgallery@northernclaycenter.org, and we’ll get the ball rolling!

• Stash your pots! Don’t strain those valuable arms. We will have roving volunteers and staff members ready to set your pots aside so you can move freely throughout the exhibition. We don’t adhere to the, “Don’t buy what you can’t carry” approach to collecting.

Beth Lo Missoula, MT Tray 17BL022 $135

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Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Twin Cities, MN Permit No. 28375

2424 Franklin Avenue East Minneapolis, Minnesota 55406 612.339.8007 www.northernclaycenter.org

Kurt Brian Webb Glenview, IL Tea Set 17KW001 $400

The portraits in this catalog feature NCC students, studio artists, teaching artists, staff, and friends with APF pots they love and admire.

Thank you to the individuals who worked with NCC to create and produce these images.

Design: Veto Design (vetodesign.com) • Portrait Photography: Joseph D.R. OLeary • Product Photography: Peter Lee