American Pottery Festival 2019

Northern Clay Center

American Pottery Festival 2019 : September 6 –8

21st Annual

cover: Brad Schwieger Athens, OH Vase 19BS003 $230

Welcome to Northern Clay Center’s 21st 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 epic chops of your favorite ceramic artists and some icons in the making.

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Kurt Brian Webb Palatine, IL Bats and People Pollinating Endangered Saguaro Cacti 19KW001 $400

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 purchased work, created by these 2019 APF artists, support 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 humble wares rooted in historic processes, to audacious explorations of form and surface, to technical mastery of new technologies — all rooted in balanced composition and service to utility. Every September, APF presents over 1500 wares from the hands of the most accomplished ceramic artists in the country alongside makers who carry the promise of tomorrow. All are remarkable. The festival is a three-day opportunity to choose from an array of finely crafted objects from engaging artists in support of NCC programming. Your APF purchases underscore the impact makers have on our world.

Conference: All 25 of this year’s invited artists will travel to NCC to participate in artist-led conversations, workshops, demonstrations, and gallery talks during, and in the days leading up to APF. One- and two-day pre-festival workshops are available to those wanting a more concentrated overlap with specific artists; these wrap up in time for the Friday

Opening Night party. Saturday and Sunday bring a full schedule of panel discussions and masterful 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.

APF promises to be a weekend filled with spirited interactions between artists, students, collectors, and admirers of clay from across America. For conference details, please see page 14.

Collector Adventure: The APF weekend offers a VIP private tour of the ceramic arts in the Twin Cities and special access to all APF events. Whether you are an experienced and storied collector, a student of the medium, or simply want a peek into some of the most noteworthy collections and private ceramic studios in our area, the Collector Adventure is for you. You’ll venture through private collections and studios, and attend demonstrations. You will also be our guests at 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 to celebrate the studio pottery tradition in the United States. Over the last 20 years, it’s evolved into a revered tradition, one that is 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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Andy Bissonnette St. Louis Park, MN Jar 19AB001 $280

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Nathan Bray Iron, MN Mug 19NB008 $85

Andy Bissonnette St. Louis Park, MN Vase 19AB003 $320

Brett Freund Minneapolis, MN Proto Edge 19BF006 $60

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Northern Clay Center

Pattie Chalmers Carbondale, IL Cup 19PC020 $60

Ted Saupe Athens, GA Teapot 19TS049 $250

Joanna Powell Helena, MT Fruit Cup 19JP002 $100

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Ted Saupe Athens, GA Platter 19TS043 $400

Linda Christianson Lindstrom, MN Basket 19LC001 $225

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Guillermo Guardia St. Paul, MN Dragon Mug 19GG001 $50

Linda Christianson Lindstrom, MN Ewer 19LC063 $100

Jan McKeachie Johnston River Falls, WI Pussy Vase 19JMJ043 $90

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Brad Schwieger Athens, OH Basket 19BS002 $300

Bryan Hopkins Buffalo, NY Vase 19BH002 $175

Alisa Holen Evansville, IN Sake Set 19AH036 $550

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Mike Cinelli Taylor, MS Ewer 19MC001 $176

Betsy Williams Dixon, NM Vase 19BW013 $445

Dan Anderson Edwardsville, IL Lucky Strike Water Tank 19DA001 $300

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Silvie Granatelli Meadows of Dan, VA Two Cranes Bowl 19SG002 $250

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Liz Pechacek Minneapolis, MN Abstract Shape Tumbler 19PEC055 & 19PEC054 $55 each

Silvie Granatelli Meadows of Dan, VA Bottle with Stopper 19SG001 $300

Austin Riddle Roswell, GA Pitcher 19AR020 $220

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Albion Stafford Normal, IL Mini Wastebasket 19AS001 $220

Bianka Groves Santa Fe, NM Cups 19BG007 & 19BG008 $50 each

HP Bloomer Middletown, CA Tray 19HP001 $65

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Bianka Groves Santa Fe, NM Bowl 19BG013 $200

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Northern Clay Center

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 2019!

American Pottery Festival Opening Night Friday, September 6 $25 tickets available at the door or online 5 – 6 pm Members Preview and Confab with the Artists 6 – 9 pm General Public Admission Saturday Session September 7 $5 tickets available at the door or online All-day Workshop Pass: $65* 9:30 am – 5 pm Sunday Study September 8 $5 tickets available at the door or online All-day Workshop Pass: $40* 9:30 am – 2:30 pm *Special discount pricing for Students, Educators, and NCC Members

Jan McKeachie Johnston & Linda Christianson Hygge in Clay Thursday, September 5, 2019, 9 am – 5 pm Friday, September 6, 2019, 9 am – 4 pm Students, Educators, NCC Members: $200 (non-members $225) Join these powerhouse potters for a two-day, hands-on workshop filled with astute tips, lots of individual instructor attention, and laughter born of Midwestern wit and pragmatism. Hygge (Hoo-gah) is a quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality. The concept aligns with how Jan and Linda and their pots make us feel. Whether we are gazing upon one of McKeachie Johnston’s generous baskets, or warming ourselves drinking from Christianson’s mugs, we experience an overwhelming confluence of intention and execution. Primarily a handbuilder, McKeachie Johnston will demonstrate her slab work and carving from a solid.

Christianson will work on a treadle wheel, creating various parts to alter and assemble. Throughout the workshop they will discuss proportion, form, intention, gesture, the benefits of cross-country skiing, and maybe a joke or two. One can expect to leave with a deeper knowledge of how to create energetic connections between parts of a form while capturing the intentional gesture of your hand in clay. Lunch included.

Sunshine Cobb Square Things & Round Things Friday, September 6, 2019, 9 am – 5 pm Students, Educators, NCC Members: $115 (non-members $130) Sunshine Cobb will share her approach to square things, like garlic boxes, and round things, like pitchers and vases. She will talk about how abstract concepts make their way into her work, and how to foster similar insertion into your own creative practice. Her demonstration will motivate you to experiment with new and old forms and methods of construction. Basic handbuilding methods will be applied to hard and soft slab construction as a way to generate various components for constructing pots. In this one-day workshop, participants can expect to complete one form. Lunch included.

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Saturday Session Saturday, September 7, 2019 All-Day Saturday Workshop Pass Students, Educators, NCC Members: $55 (non-members $65)

Meet and Greet 4 – 5 pm Join our visiting APF artists for harmonious conversations in the galleries; learn more about their making and firing processes; enjoy behind-the-scenes chatter.

NCC Director Sarah Millfelt chats with 10 – 11 am Jan McKeachie Johnston, Alisa (Al) Holen, Ted Saupe, and Dan Anderson Inside the Potter’s Studio Millfelt will tease out candid behind-the-scenes conversations about the joys and realities of being a studio potter. Sometimes there might be straight-up teasing too, but between the laughs and sips of coffee we will hear about everything from failed kilns and challenges with the science of the material, to studio realities and personal collections, to new bodies of work and the freedom that comes with being your own boss.

Sunday Study Sunday, September 8, 2019 All-Day Saturday Workshop Pass Students, Educators, NCC Members: $30 (non-members $40)

Dan Anderson & Pattie Chalmers 11:15 am – 12:30 pm Focal Point As we observe Dan Anderson’s facile technique on the wheel alongside Pattie Chalmers’ dexterous handbuilding, we will also be privy to a conversation about how a utilitarian vessel can frame function and nostalgia simultaneously. Chalmers flattens volumes, collapsing space literally through form and visually dense pattern. Anderson uses thrown and altered elements in combination with surfaces born of a love affair with industrial landscape and the breath of his anagama kiln.

Sandra Torres & Bryan Hopkins 1 – 2:45 pm Same, Same, but Different Bryan Hopkins and Sandra Torres both employ molds to exploit the many potentials of porcelain. Their material choice may lend their wares an air of restraint, but their mastery of texture, pattern, and repetition causes a raucous response in the user. Learn how to activate tactile and visual responses simultaneously with astutely applied texture and pattern. A fine white porcelain ground unifies the variety in their wares.

Austin Riddle & Liz Pechacek 3 – 4 pm Defining Proportions We’ll wrap the day’s demonstrations with Liz Pechacek and Austin Riddle. Both employ directional line to guide the viewer’s eye. Their decorative techniques defer to well-defined proportions. Riddle employs the wheel, with atmospheric finishes. Pechacek, equally methodical, is a handbuilder. Together they will secure your faith in the future of the mindful, handmade object.

Joanna Powell & Mike Cinelli 10 – 11 am More is More When colors are juxtaposed, our eyes perceive a visual mix.

Joanna Powell and Mike Cinelli may seem to throw most principles and elements of design out the window. Actually, both create wares that are charismatic displays of leaning hard into saturated color, aggressive pattern, and bold form. They run up to the edge of chaos and throw a lasso around it. This is color theory and utility on a whole new level. We can’t think of a better duo to wake up with on Sunday morning at APF! Linda Christianson & Brad Schwieger 11:45 am – 12:45 pm An Unexpected Pairing A reunion of old friends: Linda Christianson and Brad Schwieger have a combined 80+ years of experience in clay, each with a very distinctive aesthetic, each with much respect for the other, and plenty of stories to share while they work. Opposites help us develop more concrete understandings of concepts and objects.

In this case, we will have the opportunity to witness how the principles and elements of design become constant in a maker’s process. Schwieger tends toward hard lines and faceted planes, while Christianson leans toward softer curves and generous volumes. Now is your chance to ask them how they do it!

Albion Stafford 1 – 2 pm An Engagement Albion Stafford often references the concept of a landscape and how one thing in relation to another thing impacts how we interact with and perceive the thing. Let’s end APF weekend by putting Stafford’s theories into practice.

“The table exists as a recipient terrain, accepting a range of occurrence and exploits, particularly those of action and interaction. Within this space are the possibilities for composing both a collective image, as well as an instigation of activity.” You’ll have to show up to sate your curiosity and be part of a unique experience with this maker.

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APF: Collector Adventure Thursday evening, September 5 – Sunday, September 8 The 2019 Collector Adventure features exceptional opportunities in the ceramic community designed to elevate and educate collectors of every level of interest and dedication.

Participation in the Collector Adventure grants you access to an enchanting schedule of events: private collections, exclusive tours, artist studios, demonstrations, and social engagements.

The Collector Adventure Includes: Social Engagements • Collector’s Cocktail Party and Artist Reception • Opening Night Benefit Sale, Members Only Preview Hour, and NCC Party of the Year • Saturday Happy Hour with artists and the NCC crew of volunteers and staff Weekend Artist Demonstrations and Lectures, including: • Focal Point with Pattie Chalmers and Dan Anderson • More is More with Joanna Powell and Mike Cinelli • An Unexpected Pairing with Linda Christianson and Brad Schwieger Friday Tour of Private Collections, Studios, and Exhibitions in the Twin Cities NCC will deliver an engaging and informative tour for collectors in 2019. Our region is rich in handmade objects with an abundance of eclectic individuals willing to share their well-versed stories. As always, every collection is recruited because it includes ceramic art, but clay may or may not be the focal point of any given collection. Whether you are interested in collecting for yourself or desire an exclusive look at private home collections, the APF: Collector Adventure will surpass your expectations!

Pricing: $250 includes all APF ticket fees, transportation to and from your hotel and NCC during the weekend, as well as a driver and guide to each tour venue. 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, driven by an NCC representative, and attentively 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 x304.

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 important 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 organization.

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

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

• Support NCC’s fundraising efforts with a larger gift and double it 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; 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 Preview Hour during Opening Night. On September 6, 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.

American Pottery Festival

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 stephlenertz@northernclaycenter.org with any questions, or register online.

Community NCC is a non-profit ceramic arts center with a regional, 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 an up-and-coming 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.

Sunshine Cobb Helena, MT Oil Bottle Vase 19SC002 $200

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Shopping Guidelines 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, and we’ll handle it from there. 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 work with you to choose your favorite pieces. Sales of APF work open on Friday, September 6, at 6 pm (5 pm for members), but it’s advisable to partner with our staff in the days leading up to the event so we can set aside exactly what you’d like as soon as the exhibition opens.

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 merch all set!

• 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.

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

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

Sandra Torres Ojai, CA Sake Set 19TOR001 $145

Sam Chung Tempe, AZ Ewer 19CH001 $450

Special Thanks

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund, and a grant from Wells Fargo.

Design: Veto Design (vetodesign.com) Portrait Photography: Joseph D.R. OLeary Art Direction: Tippy Maurant Hand Models: Kyle Rudy-Kohlhepp, NCC Staff and Olivia Tani, NCC Studio & Teaching Artist Ceramic Photography: Peter Lee