Vol. 46 No. 1 - Regional Perspectives and Pottery Tours by Studio Potter

Winter/Spring 2018

Vol 46 No 1

REGIONAL PERSPECTIVES & POTTERY TOURS

This is a sample of Studio Potter Volume 46, Number 1, Winter/Spring 2018 for issuu.com. Please visit studiopotter.org to become a member and gain access to the full issue, exclusive articles, all 90+ back issues and more. Thank you for your readership.

Serving plate with charcoal glaze by Australian potter Ben Richardson for Garagistes restaurant, Hobart, Tasmania. Culinary arts by Chef Luke Burgess. Photographs by Chris Crerar.

Mission Centered in studio practice, Studio Potter promotes discussion of technology, criticism, aesthetics, and history within the ceramics community. We are a non-profit organization celebrating over forty years of commitment to publishing the Studio Potter journal. We welcome hearing from potters, artists, scholars, educators, and others with special interests in writing and reporting on topics and events that matter in their personal and professional lives.

VOL 46 NO 1

REGIONAL PERSPECTIVES & POTTERY TOURS

In This Issue

POTTERY TOURS

CONFERENCES

08 | St. Croix Tour

Place: Four Essays 30 | On from Woodfire NC, 2017

BY LILY FEIN

WRITTEN BY:

57 | Have Pots, Will Travel BY ERIC BOTBYL

WILLI SINGLETON LOUISE ALLISON CORT MARK HEWITT NAOMI DALGLISH

64 |

Omaha North Hills Pottery Tour

68 |

An Education in the Handcrafted

BEN RICHARDSON

BY BONITA ZIMMERMAN

BY EDEN DUPONT

Maker as Superhero: 72 | The Social Change through Making BY NATANIA HUME

TOUR LISTING! Find out what to see and where to go on page 62. Illustration by Zoe Pappenheimer

Q&A

“The Brooklyn Clay Tour welcomed participation by all who have a connection to the medium; the traditional potter and the multimedia artist, teachers, students, patrons.”

Ehren Tool. 416 of Thousands, 2016. Stoneware and underglaze. Shown in the 73rd Scripps College Ceramic Annual, curated by Joan Takama-Ogawa.

BKLYN CLAY Boerum Hill, Brooklyn. Photograph by Eric Petschek.

PERSONAL NARRATIVES

BITS & PIECES

22 | Dirty Canteen

from 05 | Word the Editor

ESSAYS BY:

JESSE ALBRECHT DANIEL DONOVAN ASH KYRIE EHREN TOOL

BY ELENOR WILSON

07 | SP Update

50 | The Pots, The Place, The People

62 | Pottery Tour Listing

54 | Clay! What the …?

75 | Underwriters

BY MARIAN BAKER

BY BOB MCWILLIAMS

Simone Bodmer-Turner. Lichen Chawan, 2017. See p. 19.

Intro Essay & Interviews BY SOPHIE CORNISH-KEEFE

studiopotter.org

EDITOR Elenor Wilson editor@studiopotter.org ART DIRECTOR Zoe Pappenheimer zoe@zoedesignworks.com CIRCULATION Jessica Detweiler membership@studiopotter.org COPYEDITOR Faye Wolfe PROOFREADERS Hayne Bayless Mary Barringer Molly Fleiner-Etheridge Jessica Detweiler INTERN Molly Fleiner-Etheridge FOUNDING EDITOR Gerry Williams EDITOR EMERITA Mary Barringer PUBLISHING PO Box 1365 Northampton, MA 01061 413.585.5998

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DESIGN Zoe Design Works www.zoedesignworks.com

PRINTING Penmor Lithographers PO Box 2003 Lewiston, ME 04241-2003 INDEXING Studio Potter is indexed by Ebsco Art and Architecture Index (ebscohost.com), and distributed to Libraries digitally through Flipster (flipster.ebsco.com). BOARD OF DIRECTORS Destiny Barletta Hayne Bayless Ben Eberle Hollis Engley Bonnie D. Hellman, CPA Fred Herbst Jonathan Kaplan Robbie Lobell David McBeth Jonathon McMillan Nancy Magnusson Josh Teplitzky CONTRIBUTING ADVISORS Michael Boylen Doug Casebeer Neil Castaldo Louise Allison Cort Steve Driver Leslie Ferrin Lynn Gervens Gary Hatcher Tiffany Hilton Doug Jeppesen Brian R. Jones Chris Lyons Mark Shapiro Julia Walther

Volume 46, Number 1, ISSN 0091-6641. Copyright 2018 by Studio Potter. Contents may not be reproduced without permission from Studio Potter. Studio Potter is published in February as the Winter/ Spring issue and in August as the Summer/Fall issue. For permissions, corrections, or information about digital versions of back issues and articles, please contact the editor. Visit studiopotter.org for subscription and membership rates. The views and opinions expressed in the articles of Studio Potter journal are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the editor, the board of directors, or the Studio Potter organization.

WORD FROM THE EDITOR

he task of prefacing or introducing each issue of Studio Potter is like buying the perfect birthday gift for a close relative or long-time friend. It should be meaningful, humorous, and celebratory; it must show the right amount of “I know you well” and have a lasting effect, whether or not the actual thing becomes an heirloom or finds another life somewhere else; it should somehow represent what has been and hold potential for what is to be; it should be both familiar and new. In other

words, the task seems impossible. Late in the production of each issue there comes a point at which I can no longer procrastinate writing my editorial. It happens to be the time that I’m giddy with anticipation for printing and mailing out this journal, on which our team at SP and our contributors have worked so hard. It’s as if the birthday party is at seven this evening, I’m running into the corner mart to buy wrapping paper, tape, and an adequate Hallmark card at six-thirty,

BITS & PIECES

North America. The pottery-tour phenomenon and the fact that geographic location is integral to the identities of both pots and potters are the impetuses for the issue you now hold in your hands (or view on your screen).

Elenor Wilson Editor

Studio Potter

RSVP anytime at studiopotter.org.

all while full of optimism about the gift-opening. Together, the articles in this issue celebrate its theme, “Regional Perspectives and Pottery Tours,” better than any five-hundred-word editorial could. Articulating the importance of the voices in this issue within the space this page allows would be like trying to explain to the other party-goers the gravity of a deep, lasting friendship with the guest of honor. Everyone would be politely listening, but wishing the dancing and cake-eating would begin already. In place of my regular treatise, let this be your invitation to the party that is Volume 46, Number 1. My hope is that you’ll arrive with bells on, greeting each author’s place and perspective as you would each potter on your local pottery tour or annual pottery tour pilgrimage. And so that you arrive appropriately dressed, I’ll just give you a brief peek into my motivation for this issue. There’s a potter a stone’s throw away from just about any place in Western Massachusetts, the region in which Studio Potter is headquartered. The area has two successful pottery tours, both over ten years running, and both of which I’ve participated in as a guest potter. I’m willing to bet that being a reader of this journal, you’ve been a part of, or at the very least aware of, any one of the similar self-guided pottery and clay tours that take place all over

Studio Potter

BITS & PIECES

Jenny Mendes. Salt and Pepper, 2015. Hand-formed, with terra sigillata, under glaze, and commercial glazes. 4 x 2.5 x 2.5 in. Photograph by Mark Roegner.

The SP Update

EMPLOYMENT: Studio

Potter is accepting applications for the position of Executive Director. Full description, including responsibilities and qualifications at studiopotter.org/about/opportunities.

REMEMBERING

Betty Woodman

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: Studio

Potter hosts interns on a rolling basis. Interested parties, please contact editor@studiopotter.org.

1930-2018

BOARD SERVICE: Studio

Potter welcomes supporters of the ceramic arts who can offer expertise and leadership to join our board of directors. Contact board@studiopotter.org.

STUDIO POTTER ARTICLES BY AND ABOUT WOODMAN

14-17

NCECA PITTSBURG

Studio Potter will once again give awards for the National K-12 show, and the National Juried Student Exhibition. Visit Studio Potter at Table 39 in the resource and commercial hall for special giveaways and discounts on membership.

are available on our website. Visit Woodman's author page, studiopotter.org/betty-woodman.



UPCOMING ISSUES

Betty Woodman in Italy, Studio Potter, Vol. 11, No. 2, 1983.

Betty Woodman died on January 2, 2018. She was not only one of the great ceramicists of our times, but also a pioneer in myriad ways—not least as one of the most recognized female artists to date. Woodman graduated from the School for American Craftsmen at Alfred University in 1950. In her six-decade career, she taught twenty years at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and worked in her studios in Florence, Italy, and New York. She has had over one hundred solo exhibitions worldwide, including a 2006 retrospective at the Metropolitan Museum of Art as the first living female artist to do so. Woodman’s presence is woven into the life Studio Potter journal, as a member, contributor, and supporter from its inception until her death. Twenty years ago, founding editor, Gerry Williams, extensively interviewed Woodman and published the dialog in Volume 27, Number 1. Our sincerest condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew her. She will continue to be a powerful force in the ceramics community.

MARCH

JOIN THE TEAM

VOL. 46, NO. 2 SUMMER/FALL 2018: EDUCATION

Deadline: Apr. 1, 2018. SP is particularly interested in contributions on alternative education such as apprenticeships and internships; K-12 level; higher ed. art/craft/ design curriculum reform; doctoral study; or other concerns such as economics and technology. VOL. 47, NO. 1 WINTER/SPRING 2019: PRINTING AND PAPERCLAY

Deadline: Oct. 1, 2018 Contact editor@studiopotter.org for more information and to request guidelines.

Reliquary for Boredom, by Mike Cinelli, 2016 NJSE award winner.

Lesson in Mud

My clay, it’s mud to me, needs training. It’ll split if not scored, pounded, made to bind by tool, touch and tongue. Potter shows how, makes mine hers, she coos to the clay, urging by word the lump to take shape. It forgets to resist—is moved. Seeing opportunity I do as the mud does.

WATERSHED

Kelly Donahue

Christy Knox, who inspired Kerstetter's poem, in her studio, Cummington, Massachusetts.

A POEM BY GREG KERSTETTER

CENTER FOR THE CERAMIC ARTS

WATERSHED CENTER FOR THE CERAMIC ARTS

Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts | 19 Brick Hill Road Newcastle, ME 04553 | (207) 882-6075 | info@watershedceramics.org | watershedceramics.org

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learn more & register at watershedceramics.org

2018 RESIDENCIES & WORKSHOPS

Watershed offers artist residencies and workshops for clay artists from May through October. Join us in coastal Maine for a session and stretch your explorations in clay. Financial assistance is available.

Clayspace 1205

ARTIST NARRATIVE

Calico

The Williamsburg Charter School

Old American Can Factory

BKLYN Clay

SOPHIE CORNISH-KEEFE

rooklyn has long held allure for young, somewhat transient creatives. Whether it is because of the palpable legacy of artists who hatched in its neighborhoods or the certainty of rubbing elbows with countless outside-the-box types in everyday interactions, Brooklyn is a place where people come to be inspired, where it seems impossible not to be inspired. When I chose to relocate to Brooklyn after a short stint in rural New England, I knew the practical sacrifices I would be making in terms of space and money (there would be less of both). I had other misgivings, less quantifiable and therefore harder to reconcile, about the move.

Studio Potter

Rene Murray Studio

Introduced by, and interviews conducted and organized by:

The Primary Essentials

Brooklyn

Q&A

Dustin Yager. Hey Homo, 2017. Porcelain. 2.5 x 2.5 x 3.75 in. Photograph by artist.

Studio Potter

Steph Becker. Plate. From the exhibition, “Plate Party,” organized by FPOAFM Nomadic Art/Craft Collective, Greenpoint, Brooklyn, 2017.

Rene Murray. Roman Opera House, 2007. Stoneware, slab-built with barium glaze and engobes. 19 x 23 x 11 in. Photograph by Kevin Noble.

I had often observed the raised-eyebrow reaction to Brooklyn-bred artworks by the greater (and, in my opinion, “old-school”) ceramics community. Well-meaning friends and family shared countless articles on social media that declared Brooklyn and other sites of urban claymaking as “having a moment.” Like many others, I reacted to these articles with an eye-roll. The authors’ voguish fascination with the medium both repelled and intrigued me. Free from the vernacular of what I might call “academic ceramics,” Brooklyn ceramicists were making work untethered from tradition and receiving hugely positive support from their communities. Notwithstanding its obvious Instagrammability, the work was being declared an “antidote to all the electronics.”1 Despite often breaking all the rules of a formal education in the medium, the artists and their work were creating a broad interest in ceramics, which by extension, could surely benefit anyone working in clay. And so what did these authors, and presumably their readers, see that we formally trained potters with our nose-upturned dismissal did not? Was I blind to the merit of this work because of my own material literacy?

In moving to Brooklyn, I wondered if I might find answers to these questions, and more. What I sacrificed in square footage, I posited, I would make up for in being a part of a dialogue that demands a certain daring. For, living in the penumbra of New York, it would be impossible to exist in isolation. I’d share my space, intimately, with eight and a half million others, who would breathe their energy into mine. As I prepared to move, I faced with trepidation a much trickier dilemma for the artist-newcomer: the trope of the Brooklyn interloper. As a New York State native, I was not a total outlier, I told myself. But it would be culturally negligent not to consider my role as a clay artist more broadly in terms of its effect on the local culture that preceded me. Clay is a universal material, with an ancient history and on the one hand a capacity to encourage inclusivity. At the same time, all too often it becomes a symbol of elitism. To what extent, I wondered, was there mobilization to be found in the Brooklyn clay community? In other words, how were residing artists using the power of the medium to increase meaningful civic engagement in their neighborhoods? In my first week in the borough, before I had found work or a permanent place to live, I learned about the Brooklyn Clay Tour from one of its founding members, Nicholas Newcomb. Having visited several established New England clay tours, which inspire a fairly conventional following, I was curious how this Brooklyn-based event in its inaugural year, set in a

BIO Sophie Cornish-Keefe is an independent artist at Permanent Maintenance, a newly opened ceramics studio in Ridgewood, Queens. She studied ceramics at the State University of New York at New Paltz, where she received her degree, a contract major in fine art, English literature, and sociology in 2016. Her work is sculptural with an unexpected utilitarian twist. @newbabyartist sophiemay@mac.com

Note: 1. www.nytimes.com/2015/12/17/

fashion/why-handmade-ceramics-are-white-hot.html

Studio Potter

Amazing Garden; participants were able to learn mosaic-making techniques at this community garden, while recycling their own broken ceramics. These events and many others were designed not only to generate interest in urban ceramicists but also to encourage appreciation of the work artists do and of the communities that back them. The tour’s success came out of how it elevated the artists as community members rather than as individuals—a testament to their conscious efforts to build unanimity among artists, local businesses and industries, and long-time residents. I invited several people who participated in the first Brooklyn Clay Tour— artists, gallery owners, and community organizers—to speak to their experiences as members of the Brooklyn clay scene and the growing voice of the community in the wake of the tour.

arts scene in their neighborhoods. The tour itself took place September 8 to 10, 2017 and included more than 250 artists who organized more than thirty events, exhibits, demonstrations, artist talks, workshops, and art sales. As its name broadly suggests, the Brooklyn Clay Tour welcomed participation by all who have a connection to the medium; the traditional potter and the multimedia artist, teachers, students, patrons. Modeled on other regional clay tours, such as the Hilltown6 tour in Western Massachusetts and the St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour in Minnesota, the founders of the Brooklyn Clay Tour, Nicholas Newcomb, Demetria Chappo, and Jessica Perelman, sought to showcase the work of local artists and craftspeople, inviting the public into the working spaces of their neighborhoods. Beyond this, however, they also sought to create a platform to engage the manifold complements to the clay community in Brooklyn: shops, galleries, restaurants, educational and community spaces, gardens, and countless individuals who work in tandem with ceramicists. The tour kicked off with a borough-wide “Finders Keepers” treasure hunt of 100 ceramic objects, hidden across Brooklyn for the finder to keep. Ceramic artist Helen Levi organized an ice cream social, which raised awareness about social and political issues by offering artists, residents, and visitors the opportunity to purchase a handmade bowl and donate the proceeds to the Center for Constitutional Rights. The community studio Clayworks on Columbia invited the public to join with artists to create a mosaic mural at the

Clayworks on Columbia and The Amazing Garden, Community Garden Mosaic Project, detail, 2017. Photograph by Demetria Chappo.

place that I thought to be so loosely tied to ancestral American pottery, would fit into the tradition of the pottery tour. As I followed the progress of the upcoming Clay Tour, I discovered that there is much more to the Brooklyn clay community than the fawning, fad-profiles lead one to believe. Brooklyn is no stranger to clay, I learned. In the early nineteenth century, an influx of ambitious potters and craftspeople from the Staffordshire Pottery, among others, chose Brooklyn as a home for their endeavors, after making the transatlantic leap in search of greater opportunity. Brooklyn, particularly Greenpoint, attracted claymakers for a variety of reasons, including its docks, the relatively low cost of space, the abundance of superfine white sand on the eastern riverbed, and its proximity to Manhattan, which was quickly becoming a focal point of international commerce. By the end of that century, Brooklyn had become the cornerstone of porcelain production and pottery manufacturers in the Northeast. Today it is not so different. The preponderance of handmade ceramics is visible at coffee shops and storefronts throughout the borough. Community studios, like the newly opened BKLYN CLAY, boast an impressively long waiting list for new members. This tangible interest in ceramics, as well as its often-overlooked regional importance, is what led founding members of the Brooklyn Clay Tour to recognize a climate ripe for this sort of event. Brooklyn artists could come together to organize and participate in a series of community-focused events, centered around the diverse and growing ceramic

Janine Sopp. Time + Space Table Top, 2017. Earthenware, under glaze, stain, satin and gloss glaze. Photograph by artist, styled by Andrea Miranda Salas.

Janine Sopp Sopp is the founder of Clay Space 1205, and hosted the Clay Space 1205 Open Studios, Greenpoint, September 9-10.

Studio Potter

fter leaving my career in menswear design in Manhattan, I started a career in clay in my hometown of Syracuse, New York. The cost of living was cheaper, and I was amazed that such a small city could foster so many ceramic makers, but in some ways, I was a big fish in a small pond. I missed the grit of the city and wanted a warmer climate. Brooklyn, I decided, is where I would start my new life with clay; it was where I belonged personally and professionally. I found a space in the Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center at the very beginning of its establishment. Serendipitously, the space was furnished with a full studio’s worth of equipment through a member of the Syracuse Ceramic Guild. I ran my production business from this space, but eventually, my vision to create a community unfolded. The disadvantages were purely economic, because renting space in the city, particularly in Brooklyn, is probably more expensive than in any other place in the country. The advantages, however, cannot be created elsewhere; the charge of the city and its residents, and what folks do here is unique to this place. That’s what keeps so many of us here, in spite of what we could afford to do and have outside the city. When Clay Space 1205 was created, I was not fully aware of how many studios were already in existence, and I moved mostly by

Murray is an independent studio potter, and hosted “Sculpting a Life in Clay: Demonstrations and Discussions with Rene Murray,” artist’s studio, Gowanus, September 8-10.

y first love is clay. We are suited to each other. With clay, I can work fast, without preliminary drawings, and use each piece as a model for the next piece. Several pieces form a series, and a broader vision for a body of work starts to take place. I have been working in ceramics for more than fifty years, most of that time spent drawing on my second love: architecture. In 1999 I took an inspirational trip to Tuscany. The architectural elements everywhere— endless staircases, multiple archways, soaring towers—moved me to translate all that I saw there into clay sculptures. But my love of architecture was nurtured well before that vacation. As early as 1971, I admired the industrial buildings while walking the streets of my native Brooklyn neighborhood; a water tower atop a housing project became a model for a series of longlegged covered jars. Brooklyn has always been my home, with the exception of the six years that I spent at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. After graduating in 1965, I spent eight years working at the Clay Art Center

in Port Chester, New York, commuting back and forth from Brooklyn by train. In 1971, I purchased a small building in an industrial neighborhood of Brooklyn and have used this same building as my studio ever since. Because my roots are here in Brooklyn, this was a natural choice for a working space. In the early Seventies, Brooklyn was considered the “outback” of Manhattan, and most people were loath to cross the Brooklyn Bridge. It was a very gritty place to live and work; my studio building block was home to drug addicts, prostitutes, and the homeless. But once I was behind my studio door, I built a world where I worked in almost complete isolation. It was a joyful time, and soon I sought out other potters, and became part of a welcoming community of clay artists. We were a feisty bunch. We worked hard, created beautiful work, and showed it in the neighboring stores and galleries. We even started our own wonderful support group known as The Brooklyn Potters, which lasted for more than thirty years. These days, things are very different in Brooklyn. My studio block is still very industrial, but mixed in with the car repair shops are an upscale hotel and an archery establishment. And of course, now everyone is racing over that Brooklyn Bridge to claim a piece of real estate here. Pottery still remains a vital part of the borough; some of us pioneers are still around, working and creating in clay, but there is a whole new force of clay makers, too. They are young, energetic, creative, and eager to continue forging bonds between local clay artists. Two of them initiated the first Brooklyn Clay Tour—perhaps they will restart the Brooklyn Potters Group.

Q&A

Studio Potter

Rene Murray

intuition. I knew of studios that had a strong teaching component, like Greenwich House Pottery, and others that were functioning more like a communal studio, such as Tribeca Potters. Clay Space 1205 grew organically into what was needed to support emerging artists—a studio that offered membership at various levels. Clay Space 1205 is a ceramic collaborative whose mission is to foster creative ceramic production in a group environment where artists share materials, tools, and education that promote their craft. Members have twenty-four-hour access to the space, allowing freedom to create in ways that cater to each member’s needs. We offer work exchanges in the areas of studio assistants, studio techs, and web and social media positions. This allows members a deeper sense of commitment and opportunities to learn valuable skills that further their growth in and understanding of the medium, while providing Clay Space professional talents that help further its mission.

Rene Murray throwing on treadle wheel in studio, 1982.

Q&A

Seth Failla Failla is an artist and educator at Williamsburg Charter High School, where he organized “Top Shelf Ceramics,” an exhibition of residentartist and student work, and workshops focused on curriculum design, classroom management, and resources in a high-needs environment, Bushwick/ East Williamsburg, September 9.

Studio Potter

Seth Failla. Flask, 2017. Wood-fired stoneware. 8 x 6 x 2 in. Photograph by artist.

welve years ago, I was given the opportunity to create a collegiate-level ceramic studio at Williamsburg Charter High School. I can honestly say it has been a unique experience. I have seen and done so much. It took twelve years, and I am truly grateful every minute. The high school (grades nine through twelve) runs on a rotating block schedule of eight periods a day. We offer six different classes of ceramics, one open studio period, and a Ceramics Club that meets after school three days a week. The classes we offer are Ceramics 1, 2, 3, and AP Ceramics, which includes portfolio prep and submission to the College Board. All members of the WCHS school community, past and present, are welcome in the studio. The school also allows me to open my studio for community ceramics events. Working with the space you have as an art teacher is a necessity. When we first moved into the new facility, our studio

was empty. The administration and I worked together to serve the needs of students and embarked on furnishing the space with my former studios at Nassau Community College and Adelphi University in mind. I started out small, rationing funds and acquiring piece by piece each year over the past five years. I prioritized acquiring big-ticket items to get us up and running as quickly as possible. To keep the space fresh and inviting, we set up a dynamic configuration of work spaces, tables and displays. I have always lived and worked in New York. Today, Brooklyn has become a destination for all, but especially for artists and craftspeople. Ceramics have infiltrated the mainstream arts scene within the past few years—the synergy is at an apex. As clay artists, we need to unite and serve our communities, our neighborhoods of Brooklyn. The ceramic studio experience can be transformative for the student and for the teacher. Within ceramic arts, you can experience all the elements of nature, senses of the body, and forms of art. The foundational skills in pottery and sculpture are extremely important for every young artist, as is the history that is told through ceramic antiquity and our long-term connections to clay. I want all my students to focus on the process, not the product, of creating with clay: There is beauty in a delayed gratification of creative work.

Jennifer Waverek Waverek is the founder of BKLYN CLAY, which hosted “Potheads,” a BKLYN CLAY member exhibition, Park Slope, September 7-9.

KLYN CLAY is a community studio located in Brooklyn. It offers memberships with 24/7/365 access, classes with open studio hours, and one-time classes, parties, and private lessons. It is important to me that members can work whenever they are able to come in so that the medium and their processes define their work, rather than the variable of time. When setting up the space, I designed it with modern, refined aesthetics. While many community studios feel like your grandmother’s basement, BKLYN CLAY feels like a modern gallery space. It offers state-of-theart facilities in a clean, organized, attractive workspace. This brings in artists who are established in their own fields but are new to clay, as well as existing clay-workers. Many ceramics novices join as members to experiment in clay, too. BKLYN CLAY’s mission is to offer a space where members and students feel empowered to create and to lose themselves in the medium; a space where they can feel free to express themselves and explore their creative impulses. It is a community of ceramicists who share knowledge, working both independently and collaboratively. My hope is that BKLYN CLAY will continue to contribute to the clay community in the area by hosting events that welcome everyone and feature work from a diverse group of artists.

ARTIST NARRATIVE

Studio Potter

Interior of BKLYN CLAY studio, designed by Hanlin Design, Park Slope, Brooklyn.

Q&A

Studio Potter

Dustin Yager. Untitled (hello, it’s me), 2016. Porcelain, decals, gold luster. 12 x 6 x 22.5 in. Photograph by Peter Lee.

Dustin Yager Yager is an independent artist and educator. His work was featured in “Brooklyn Pottery Invitational,” Gowanus, September 8-10, and in “Potheads,” a BKLYN CLAY member exhibition, Park Slope, September 7-9.

efore relocating to Brooklyn in 2016, I worked in arts administration and as a studio artist in the Midwest for almost fifteen years. Some of my Midwestern colleagues and fellow artists had mixed feelings about the national press received by clay artists based in New York and L.A. Their complaint went: “What about the lifelong studio potters making historically rooted, technically masterful pots throughout the country?” In some ways I shared their perspective; there was a list of artists of all ages I might highlight, given the chance. I chose to see this phenomenon instead as an indication that artists want different eyeballs on their work. Makers, as well as the journalists who have highlighted these trends, have agency to define and pursue their audience. I make both sculptural ceramic artwork and a line of pottery that addresses contemporary social issues such as queer theory and popular culture. My education in the medium, however, was rooted in more traditional “potter’s

pots” of a national, craft-oriented scene. The types of work I associate with “Brooklyn pottery” range from compelling to safely commercial, and technically outstanding to poorly conceived and/or executed. I was and am drawn to the daring range of conversations and experiments that are amplified by the sheer size of the city: the number of artists working here, access to large potential markets with diverse income levels and ages, and the influence and energy of frequent and high-quality exhibitions. I was also inspired by the fluidity among communities of designers, potters, entrepreneurs, artists, and others. It is not unusual to find a potter who has their strongest relationships in interior design, or whose website is built around a photography practice, with clay a side project. Artists who license designs, collaborate with brands (not just individuals), and make decisions based on finances and scale have crossed my path more frequently, although perhaps not in greater proportion than I have previously experienced. What I’m more undecided about is the results of ceramics production, which often seems unaware or unconcerned with the traditional conversations of the field of ceramics. For better or for worse, these results reflect a limited interest in the foundational, shared language that is learned through tradition, academia, mentorships, workshops, community groups, and publications. In many cases, comparing the kind of dialogue I am familiar with from other pottery-centric events to the visual and verbal discussions in New York is like comparing apples

Simone Bodmer-Turner. Lichen Chawan, 2017. Sculpture body, white slip, crater and lava glazes. 6 x 6 x 5 in. Photograph by Nic Newcomb. Florals by Elevine Berge for Saipua.

Lauren L Snyder

Q&A

Snyder is the owner of The Primary Essentials, where she curated the group show “Grown This Way,” Boerum Hill, September 7-10.

grew up in Pittsburgh but moved to Brooklyn fifteen years ago to attend Pratt and never left. In 2013, I opened The Primary Essentials, a home and gift store with an emphasis on how people live their daily lives. When I opened the store, I never expected that ceramics would be such a big part of it, but it really checks all the boxes for what we try to achieve with our products; they all are unique, functional, and they have a story behind them about their maker. I always try to source items that are functional and unique at the same time; including ceramics has always been very important to me. Being in Brooklyn, I am really lucky to have customers who love the nature of handmade objects and want to buy them. Their attitude isn’t unique to Brooklyn, but we feel fortunate to have a community that supports artists and the kind of shop that sells their work. I think that there is just such a huge amount of talent coming out of Brooklyn right now and that gets a lot of attention, but I think that there are people all over the place who love ceramics and have for a very long time.

Studio Potter

ceramic process a challenge, whether it is getting supplies, making shipments, building studio equipment, or finding appropriate spaces to make work. Developing networks in a new city is not an unusual challenge either, but the amplification of opportunities here creates intense competition, particularly in defining oneself and finding a niche in an increasingly crowded market. Perhaps as a newcomer I am not privy to the winks and nods that indicate hierarchy; it is hard to tell who is doing well, who is gritting their teeth and trying to pay rent, and who doesn’t need to profit from their clay work. What has come to the forefront most rapidly for me—due as much to New York as to this transitional stage of my career—is thinking of my practice as a business and investing in learning new skills and finding the right resources that can patch me and my practice into the limitless potential ascribed to Brooklyn pottery.

and oranges—the material and form of each might be similar but the intent and meaning talk past one another. Casual discussions of construction details, visual conversations across space and time, and articulation of the subtleties of glazing and firing are much less prevalent than talk of commercial clays and glazes or social and commercial opportunities. Shifting my mindset to participate in this new dialogue has been difficult. As in any city, the logistical difficulties of working in this dense, urban environment make almost every part of the

ARTIST NARRATIVE

Brooklyn Pottery Invitational, Old American Can Factory, Brooklyn, September 2, 2017. Photograph by Lois Aronow.

Lois Aronow Aronow organized the first annual “Brooklyn Pottery Invitational,” a pottery sale featuring demonstrations, lectures, panels, and studio tours, Old American Can Factory, Gowanus, September 8-10.

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coproduced the Brooklyn Pottery Invitational with my longtime friend Ryan Greenheck. Ryan has made it his mission to help others build clay communities in their areas. We often talked about doing a show in Brooklyn, where there are plenty of potters, collectors, and art lovers, but few major clay events. In fact, Brooklyn potters have become

a bit of a stereotype. What we don’t have, though, is an anchoring institution or event. We were hoping to create an event that would be attractive, insightful, and draw the community together. We produced a high-end showcase and sale, featuring potters whose work and work ethics we respect. We chose to invite some East Coast friends who are highly regarded in the clay world and who we enjoy spending time with. Our split was five Brooklyn artists and five East Coast artists, all functional potters who make very different work. Education was a component of the event. We held a series of workshops and panels on two days, free of charge and open to the public. On opening night, Roberto Lugo gave a demonstration, and local ceramicist Beth

Katleman showed her installation-based artwork and opened her studio to visitors. The lack of affordable work spaces is one of the realities all Brooklyn potters face. Space is expensive, so it’s common for potters to rent space in a cooperative studio. There is a gorgeous event space in the building where I rent my studio, which we were able to rent at a fairly reasonable price, along with an adjacent empty studio. It was a happy coincidence that our event took place on the same weekend as the Brooklyn Clay Tour. Ryan and I are excited to make the Invitational an annual event and find new local talent every subsequent year. We feel we’re really on our way to building something great in Brooklyn.

POAFM (pronounced “Poem”—the F’s are silent) was started several years ago by a group of artists as a way to focus on experimental methods of making functional pottery. It was and is a fun and intriguing way to think through the kinds of work that don’t necessarily fall within each of our individual art practices. Early on, we collaborated on exercises focused on absurdist utility, producing ceramic stools, camping wares, and power objects and exhibiting them. But since then, FPOAFM’s orientation has shifted toward social engagement artworks incorporating functional ceramics in a way that maintains our original intent to balance craft seriousness with reckless humor. For example, we have done teahouse pop-up exchanges, setting up a structure in which unique handmade cups are filled with green tea and then exchanged with visitors. In return these visitors leave various things for display— thoughtful responses, objects, or anything else—except money. The exchanged items become the archive of this event and are documented and displayed on our website. FPOAFM’s projects aim to use a traditional form or methodology, such as a ceramic cup, teahouse, vending machine, or commemorative plate, and add a performative layer, usually interactive or collaborative.

produces a scrappy, resourceful Brooklyn artist (or collective) who, through personal competition and city-fed drive, can create really moving artworks. And, engaging with all of these people is really fun. I think the growing interest in ceramics is not unique to Brooklyn; it’s everywhere. The fact that clay is fun and cool and satisfying to work with is a secret that many of us have known for a long time. What’s changing now is that more people know it.

Teapot from FPOAFM’s Tea House, 2016.

Q&A

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Puryear represents FPOAFM Nomadic Art/Craft Collective, and was a participating artist in “Plate Party,” Greenpoint, September 8-9.

The result is a greater degree of visitor engagement and interest. Our various clay heroes include the Memphis designers (think Eighties-style bright solid colors, geometric elements, and squiggles), Ken Price (we’re inspired by his early terrible mugs), Fat Lava Pottery designers (whose postwar West German art pottery, particularly from the Sixties and Seventies is especially influential) and Ron Nagle, creator of the 1970 Bad Rice LP. We love it all. Lately we have been looking at the Austrian collective Gelitin, a group of artists known for their sensational art events, who became well-known in the art world in the early to mid-2000s. Distinguished by an admirable sense of humor and worldview, the collective has incorporated clay only recently into their practice. Our non-clay heroes are outsider artists, such as Mary Nohl, Harry Smith, and Fletcher Hanks, who make better art than we ever will. Developing a single project with equal input from everyone who wants to be involved is a delicate and difficult undertaking when working as a group. It can easily happen that one person becomes a manager and relegates others to the roles of low-level employees or actors. But projects work best when everyone contributes and comes together on the same plane to form a unique strategy or idea that no one person could have developed individually. Brooklyn has a culture that we identify with. The galleries that commodify art largely still don’t come here, which is fine. That lack of interest (even with all the gentrification, housing shortage, crazy rising rents, other usual NYC urban things)

Adams Puryear

THE

Dirty

Canteen

E S SAYS W R I T T E N BY FOUR MEMBERS OF A COLLECTIVE OF ARTISTS

WHO HAVE SERVED IN THE U.S. ARMED FORCES:

JESSE ALBRECHT, DANIEL DONOVAN, ASH KYRIE, EHREN TOOL.

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LEARN MORE: THEDIRTYCANTEEN.WORDPRESS.COM

PERSONAL NARRATIVE

FUNCTIONAL CLAY Y By Jesse Albrecht

jesse.albrecht@gmail.com | jessealbrecht.com | @albrechtartco

Top: Nineveh Ruins, Mosul, Iraq. Photo by author, 2003. Bottom, L to R: Ehren Tool, Jesse Albrecht, Thomas Orr, Daniel Donovan. LH Project residency, Oregon, 2013.

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was on my way to a graduate school life-drawing class when, on a giant TV in the student union, I saw a plane fly into the World Trade Center. Three semesters later I was in Iraq, deployed as a medic with the Iowa National Guard. They didn’t issue me my aid bag. They also forgot to give me the ceramic plates (SAPI, or Small Arms Protective Insert) for body armor that would stop bullets, until just before I came home. My squad ran daily security missions outside the wire in and around Mosul, Iraq, in addition to taking care of our medic duties. We supported a children’s hospital in western Mosul. On one mission, as I sat holding a light machine gun in the back of our Mad Max gun truck, I had the craziest realization: I was seeing the ruins of Nineveh, the crowning jewel of the Assyrian Empire. (Don’t sleep through Art History.) I make my work like the Iraq war—poorly crafted and executed. Through my work in ceramics, I hope to show people the emotional aesthetic of war imprinted on me. Maybe it will provide a tiny glimpse behind the curtain, myth, and rhetoric that are sold and packaged as war. I make artwork about war not because I enjoy it or want to, but because I have to. It is important to me that people feel what war does to those who serve. It’s something that isn’t really talked about, because it is ugly and disturbing, and a conversation about it leaves everyone feeling worse

PERSONAL NARRATIVE

about themselves, usually destroying the evening. Really talking about war challenges our national narrative and all it veils. The physicality of clay, both of the material itself and of the community required for working with it, helped me transition back to ceramics post-Iraq. Wood-firers Mike Weber, Don Bendel, Al Tennant, and Don Reitz—all veterans and ceramic artists—have been integral to my re-entry to clay post-combat. The LH Project, in northeast Oregon, and its Veteran Residency Session provided me the time and space to launch a new body of work (War Crocks) and forge bonds with veteran ceramic artists Ehren Tool, Daniel Donovan, Ash Kyrie, and Thomas Orr. Ceramics hadn’t changed, even though I had, it and its people welcomed me home in a deep and profound way— magical and mystical, like the earth and fire we are all entranced by. I didn’t have the ceramics that would stop bullets when I was in Iraq, but I have been saved by clay. Not in a warm and fuzzy feeling way, but more of a choking sob-, suicide-, night terror-, overdose-, prison-kind of way. Don’t kid yourself thinking art has healed me. I made it for you.

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 Jesse Albrecht. Suicide Hotline (I've Called), 2017. Lowfire ceramic, 15.5 x 10.5 x 10.5 in.

Albrecht started this piece at the LH Project Veteran Residency, 2015. It is inspired by his Department of Veterans Affairs suicide hotline card and his experience calling the hotline (summer, 2010) that prompted an armored police escort to the hospital.

paramour of mine once called me a secret badass. At the time I was at Central Washington University. She, like so many others, was surprised to learn that I was a combat veteran spending his post-army life studying philosophy and fine art. As one of my professors at CWU, Stephen Robison, pointed out to me, I have always been a jack of all trades, driven to the ends of the earth by curiosity and a foolish sort of longing for my own versions of the adventures of Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer. I have lived in Washington, Montana, Louisiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Kuwait, Iraq,

the beauty intrinsic to our caring and violent natures. So much of who we are is a paradox; I have to laugh at the absurdity of our lives. War let me participate in very real elements of what it means to be human. We are curious, inquisitive, aggressive, violent, and beautiful creatures, and to deny any element of our humanity means a part of ourselves goes unwatched. Jung wrote about the shadow he saw in everyone, our darker nature, and the need to be aware of this shadow. As well, Nietzsche’s concept of the will to power defines the danger of suppressing or ignoring anything that is a natural part of who we are. We are all participating in a great drama. The violence, pain, and pleasure of it are inseparable from who we are. What Giuseppe Pelicano wrote in our group charter for the Dirty Canteen says it best: “We were soldiers and humanitarians, and though we can no longer do so in uniform, we continue this service through the arts.” I do not regret my participation in war; we are a warlike species. I do not regret my participation in love; we are also a loving species. In my art practice and in my life, I try to remember to seek neither pleasure nor joy but let them come as they will—and to not give a shit about offending others. The desire not to offend, or be offended, cripples the psyche.

ddonovan@idyllwildarts.org | thedirtycanteen.wordpress.com

 Daniel Donovan. A Family Tradition, 2016. Sewn Fabric, found and earned objects. 32 x 24 in.

 Daniel Donovan. Adventure Series (2 of 3), 2016. Slip-cast ceramic, leaded glaze, underglaze. 18 x 12 x 6 in. All photographs by artist.

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Y BY Daniel Donovan

Spain, Germany, France. My art education took me from Seattle east to Ellensburg, Washington, where I completed fine arts and philosophy degrees at Central Washington University, and then to Montana State for my MFA. As I pursued my art career, Joseph, Oregon, became home. There I spent three summers at the LH Project residency and met members of the Dirty Canteen, a collective of artists who served in the United States armed forces, as well as artists Alessandro Gallo and Beth Cavener. I spent a year working with Alessandro and Beth at their Studio 740 in Helena, Montana, a creative space I miss dearly. Currently, home is the small mountain town of Idyllwild, California (it seems I’ve never been able to stay put). I head the sculpture and creative technology departments at Idyllwild Arts Academy, a residential arts high school. I spend my days teaching young students how to work with their hands as well as to think divergently about their art and problem solving. I find some difficulty in teaching sculpture to a generation saturated in technology from such a young age—many lack fundamental problem-solving skills and any ability to work with their hands. I was raised building tree forts, taking apart tools, and romping through forests with wooden swords. I find now that my own childhood was one that lent itself to being an artist. I love the challenge of bridging the gap between technology and craftsmanship in helping students learn to engage their artistic voice, while struggling to find time to employ my own. I draw my inspiration for making art from

SECRET BADASS

“T

PERSONAL NARRATIVE

HOLLER FULL OF ARTS, DRIFTLESS WISCONSIN Y By Ash Kyrie

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ashkyrie@gmail.com | ashkyrie.com

 2017 LDFA artist and the chihuahua named Mia Cilantro. Photographs by Star, 2017.

 Ash Kyrie. Ceramic tile, image transfers and screenprint with underglaze. 9 x 9 in.

here are many ways to die here in Kyrie Holler,” a good friend Mike, an ex-intelligence analyst from the army, often says with a smirk when visiting. Mike would know too. He once fell into the icy river in January, and another time, he accidentally set fire to my property, and he has broken handtools—an axe, a shovel. In his defense, not everyone has experience operating hand tools. Even the simplest handtool like a sledgehammer or post hole digger, can befuddle the novice user. No one has died yet, and maybe coincidentally (fortuitously) my family has become friends with the local EMT. My partner, Sarah, and I own a cabin and ten acres along the Pecatonica river in southwestern Wisconsin, an area known as “Driftless.” Since we moved here, the property has become a sanctuary for veterans, mostly family friends like Mike, who come as a reprieve from their daily lives. For the last two years, my family hosted an artist workshop titled Labor Day Free Arts (LDFA). LDFA is an artist workshop and retreat for veterans and their families to create art while discussing service, art, and post-military family thoughts. The three-day retreat focuses on ceramics and printmaking. Organized by Madison veteran-artist, Yvette Pino and myself, this workshop is open to all ability levels. We chose mediums like paper clay and activities like printmaking on clay to make the workshop accessible to not only the novice artist but also to more experienced artists. The artwork created at this year’s and next year’s workshops will be exhibited

in Madison, Wisconsin, in November 2018. Clay is simple and beautiful. After returning home from serving in Iraq in 2004 as a combat engineer in Operation Iraqi Freedom-1, I wanted the honesty that ceramics offered. I felt that greed was inexplicably tied to the War on Terror mess on which the United States was wasting trillions of dollars. I wanted no part of that. Art seemed ultimately more important than a lifetime venture of accruing bags of money. Little did I know that when I returned from service and began making art, I was following a rich heritage of artist-veterans. I used the GI bill and received a BFA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and later a MFA from The Ohio State University. Leaving Ohio, I got a job at UW-Madison as an adjunct. College towns have notoriously high rent prices, and I knew from experience that Madison was expensive. I convinced Sarah and our two kids to live in our brown 1982 VW Vanagon to save money for a house while I worked. My family didn’t abandon me, and five months later we put a down payment on our house, which my mother described as a “three-season cabin.” This region of Wisconsin is named “Driftless,” mainly because during the last three Ice Ages the glaciers that flattened out Wisconsin, Minnesota, and most of Illinois, somehow missed this corner of the state. I find it convenient and attractive that all of our interstate systems also have missed this corner of hilly farmland. Many city people have unkind words about the country people out here, and to be honest, many of these people have similar misconceptions of what it's like to be in the city. The disconnect is

most important conversations of my life. Art is happening because we are humans, and wherever we are, so is art.

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At first, moving with my family to this rural land along the Pecatonica River was intimidating. The questions about fitting in and making friends, along with the realization that we now lived hours from any urban center clung to my heart and soul. Would our long-time friends even venture out this far? After seven years, those nagging thoughts have been eliminated. We often have a troop of friends visiting throughout the summer and into the fall. Mike, who is finishing his theological studies at a seminary out East, has been back every year since we moved here, except this past one. Next year, we will invite veterans and their families out to our little art retreat again, asking them to give up a few days of their daily lives to reflect upon their experiences in the military and their post-military life.

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Our river name, Pecatonica, means “crooked or winding river.” The water flows slowly but steadily, about thirty feet across and ten feet deep. Even though it appears to be creeping along, the river’s flow can create enough amperage to power a portion of our town. After living on the river we have grown accustomed to its regular users. One local man regularly on the river in his pontoon boat wears a big cowboy hat, tight Levis, and serious Jacob brand boots. The river narrows near our home as it stretches north, and his large pontoon barely squeezes by. He and his fellow travelers are heading to a bar about a quarter-mile up the river. We see him again on the return trip. He often has a Bud Light in hand as he steers the barely-fitting pontoon boat down our winding river; he always smiles and waves. When he passes our house in his pontoon boat, my kids run to the porch and ring a bell, waving as Bill motors on. Four years ago, Riverboat Bill stopped by because he knew that I made art and he had something that he needed to talk to me about, something that an artist might know about. We were standing on the edge of the river, the tall river grass around us about hip-high on this sticky summer evening. During the long sunset, Bill began telling me about his childhood on the farm that his father had purchased in 1947 that is now his farm (a close twelve miles south-southeast

of my place). While cleaning some boxes out of an old barn loft, Bill found a box that contained some old New York Times papers that he stopped and read out of nostalgia. With excitement in his eyes, Bill described some articles about Christo and Jean Claude’s Running Fence; and Robert Smithson’s Spiral Jetty. Because of what he read about those established and praised pieces of artwork, he immediately began altering the landscape of the two-hundred-acre grass-fed beef ranch through manipulating the way the cattle grazed. He’s continued this art project ever since then. I was so moved by listening to Bill describe his cattle-made landscape brushstrokes, I had chills on my arms. His views shattered my personal, preconceived notions of art in the same way that Duchamp, Beuys, Voulkos, and other art-makers had. After Bill stepped back on his pontoon boat and drifted down the river towards town, I returned to my garage studio and reflected on the fact that I unexpectedly had one of the

so big. It would be easy to drive around here and think everyone is a corn farmer or works along those lines in agriculture or industries that support it. But, as my mother would say to her three boys as we were growing up, “find the radical in everyone.” Radical was synonymous with “interesting” and “good” in my household.

PERSONAL NARRATIVE

I JUST MAKE CUPS Y By Ehren Tool

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hey may be more than cups. Judging the value and meaning, in an art historical context, is part of someone else’s job description. An art hero of mine said we need division of labor in the arts. All of this writing, after the first sentence, makes me somewhat uncomfortable. I was asked for 500 words. I started making cups after serving for five-plus years in the Marine Corps. I took advantage of the GI Bill and found Art at a community college. I did not make cups when I joined the Marines. With the 1st Marine Division I traveled to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia (to take part in the ’91 Gulf War), and as an Embassy Guard I spent fifteen months in Rome and fifteen months in Paris. In the time since I was discharged from the Marines, my cups have taken me across the United States and to China, Vietnam (near where my father fought), France (Vent des Forêts), and Germany. I work on the UC Berkeley campus, where I am exposed to people, art, music, and ideas from around the world. As I and the cups travel, the world seems smaller, and no place is unaffected by war. The times I have witnessed the cups

being something more than just a cup are the times when someone shared a story about the images on the cup. Someone who had firsthand experience with that insignia or image and shared a story with someone they love. The power of the cups comes from the people they resonate with. Someone once said something like, “Art is the possibility of love between strangers.” I like the idea of being able to share a beverage and a story. Working in ceramics, I have the possibility of sharing a beverage and a story with someone 500,000 to 1,000,000 years from now. From my hand to your hand to some point thousands of years in the future. In Art, there seems to be an obsession with making something new and original. Issues of war and violence aren’t new. Peace is the only adequate war memorial. I cannot express how sad it is for me to watch people suffering in war, people suffering after they come home, so many years after I came home. To be judged, especially by someone you love, is difficult. To be demonized or idolized, for something you did or didn’t do, in a context you can never explain, is difficult. It often feels easier just to keep things

 1-4 Ehren Tool. One of Thousands, 2017. Stoneware and underglaze. 5 Ehren Tool. 416 of Thousands, 2016. Stoneware and underglaze. Shown in the 73rd Scripps College Ceramic Annual, curated by Joan Takama-Ogawa.

to yourself. I hope some of the cups can be places for people to have conversations about unspeakable things. I don’t believe anything I do will change the world, but nothing in the world releases me from my obligation to try. Making cups is a pretty small, impotent, and insignificant gesture in the face of all that is going on. Cups are what I have. I hope the cups can be of some service.

 Tool “blind throwing,” in the footprints of Peter Voulkos and Richard Shaw at UC Berkeley, circa 2014.

ehrentool@gmail.com craftinamerica.org/artists/ehren-tool

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anagama-firing at Justin Rothshankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the year before. The invitation was also extended to Troy Bungart and Steve Hansen, both potters I admired from southern Michigan. By 2015 the MPT had an excellent reputation, and it seemed that the Goshen area was quickly becoming a hotbed for ceramics. Toddâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s invitation was twofold: to bring my booth

the spring of 2015, Todd Pletcher invited me to be a guest at his stop on the Michiana Pottery Tour (MPT) the last weekend of September. The MPT route meanders south through the bottom of Michigan and crosses into Goshen, Indiana. I had met Todd during a week-long

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ic BY Er yl Botb

POTTERY TOURS

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 Eric Botbyl throwing pots for the Michiana Pottery Tour, 2015. Photograph by Andrew Clark.

display and pots for the tour and to send bisque-fired pots ahead of time, which Todd would wood-fire the week before the tour. I had been following the construction of Todd’s new train kiln (designed by Ted Neal) and the prospect of firing it had me feeling like a kid waiting for Christmas morning. My wife, Jill, and I talked over the pros and cons of doing a weekend show, ten hours from our Tennessee home. It was to be an outdoor show, so I would be at the mercy of the weather. I’d be traveling during valuable making time for upcoming holiday shows and online sales, and leaving behind the gallery Jill and I had just opened, halfway through an important solo exhibition. Ultimately, the idea of spending a long weekend with Todd and his partner, Anna, meeting new collectors, and being part of the MPT family won out over my doubts. I decided to be bold and gladly accepted. After the bisque pots had been shipped, I began making pots and compiling a list of every conceivable thing I’d need for an endeavor this far from home: phone charger, credit card reader, bags of various sizes, promotional postcards, Sharpies, pens, receipt book, spare credit card reader, shims to level the booth, change… During each stage of the process, I photographed what was happening in the studio and posted images to Instagram with the hashtag #michianapotterytour. One day, it might be a shot of a group of freshly handled, leather-hard pots, the next day, a glaze unloaded. Steve, Troy, and Todd, along with everyone else involved with the tour, were posting under the same tag and it was exciting to see what everyone was working

questioned the wisdom of staging a pottery sale in the midst of a thousand corn fields. The tour was scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., and in perfect, punctual Midwestern fashion, the first car pulled up the drive at 10 a.m. on the dot. Todd’s dad directed the steady stream of patrons to the large clearing behind the kiln; Pletcher’s was their first stop. We greeted customers and talked about our work. By noon my sales had exceeded my expectations. I have a clear memory of green grass, blue skies, tent tops, booths full of smiling faces, and food: crostini with pear, blue cheese, and honey; pumpkin cheesecake; salted caramel apples; and barbecued chicken sliders, all served on handmade plates. Fresh coffee, lemon ice-water, sangria, and local beer on tap flowed all day. I greeted people, made introductions, and answered questions as I steadily wound and unwound bubble wrap. Van Morrison wafted over the whole scene. We had made pots and come together, and folks came to buy our pots. This scenario never fails to amaze me, even after twenty-one years of my doing shows. In an age of Styrofoam, paper plates, and red Solo cups, people still see the value of buying handmade pots. Throughout the afternoon, I was also amazed by how many college students showed up, explaining that they followed my work on Instagram and had come to buy a cup or coffee mug. As I spoke with people and wrapped pots, I was surprised to hear how far people had driven to take the tour. Many attendees were locals, but many had driven from Detroit, Chicago,

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planted alongside the stone path leading up to the back porch. After receiving a warm welcome, I unloaded my booth and began to set up. As I put my ladders up, I quickly realized that the lawn was not even and the tiny shims I had brought along would not even be close to sufficient. Having anticipating this, Todd handed me a stack of four-inch-square risers cut from three-quarter-inch plywood. I had the booth plumb and level within an hour. As I unpacked the pots, I tucked the foam neatly inside the totes and under my wrapping table, for quick and easy packing of purchases later on. One tote was full of four-foot strips for wrapping cups and mugs, another tote was filled with eight-foot rolls for large bowls and pitchers. Anna graciously kept me supplied with water, coffee, and samples from the kitchen. Steve and Troy arrived with their families by early afternoon, and we were all set up by 5 p.m. After that the potters from every stop gathered at Moey and Kim Hart’s property in Goshen. Moey is the owner of Northern Indiana Pottery Supply and a barbecue master. Collectors who want to visit all the stops on the tour can manage it comfortably over the course of the two days, but the stops are spread out enough that it’s difficult for the participating potters to sneak away and visit each other during the actual tour. The Friday night barbecue was born out of a desire to meet and socialize with everyone involved. On Saturday morning I drove to Todd’s, passing several orange-and-black MPT signs and hundreds of acres of corn. I’ll admit, as I sipped coffee in my booth that morning, I

on. As the tour date drew nearer, lots of questions and comments came in. “How far are you from Dick Lehman’s stop?” “I’ll be there first thing Saturday morning!” “Save me a mug!” In addition to the exponential effect of our social media marketing, the MPT committee ran ads on local public radio and in newspapers leading up to the event. As I packed and loaded the pickup truck, I tried to prepare for every pothole I’d bounce over on the 560-mile trek. I used twenty-four-gallon Rubbermaid totes with self-latching lids. Pots were wrapped in foam and packed tightly into the totes, which were lined with three-inch layers of foam to cushion the pots from every jolt and bump while traveling. As they say, there are two seasons in Michiana… winter and construction. Todd and Anna’s home is nestled on two-and-a-half acres in north Goshen, directly off County Road 29. A concrete driveway leads directly to the studio, a 1200-square-foot building with a metal roof, high ceilings, and lots of natural light. Behind the studio is a 500-squarefoot kiln shed with neatly stacked cords of seasoned oak, large tables for staging pots, and ample room for the firing crew to work. Beyond that, the property opens up into a large space for parking and a beautiful garden. There was a flurry of activity in and around the house. Both Todd's and Anna’s parents had come to help, and everyone was busy. Hors d’oeuvres were being prepared, windows cleaned, and walkways swept. The lawn had been mowed, and pansies, pumpkins, and mums were freshly

POTTERY TOURS BIO Eric Botbylis a studio potter living and working in Humboldt, Tennessee. In 2016 he received the Best Thrown and Altered award at the Strictly Functional Pottery National in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He teaches community classes in his home studio, and workshops throughout the United States and Canada. Eric and his wife, Jill, own Companion Gallery, a retail business featuring over thirty ceramists.

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botbylpottery@gmail.com companiongallery.com @companiongallery @ericbotbyl

bowl by Stephanie Craig and a double-faceted vase and a wood-fired cup by Todd Leech. They both wanted to trade these pots rather than sell them to me, so I headed back to Pletcher’s feeling like I’d won the lottery. Sunday traffic was lighter, which we all welcomed after the Saturday rush. Customers trickled through steadily, and sales were still respectable. In between visitors I rearranged my display, organized the checkout station, and spent as much time as I could talking with Troy and Steve. There are not many potters in the town where I live, so I welcome the opportunity to talk shop with other makers whenever possible. When the tour ended at four o’clock, we had a celebratory beer, toasted an unforgettable weekend, and began the arduous task of packing up. On Monday morning I drove out of Goshen, grateful for the experience and grateful for ten hours of solitude, introspection, and reflection on the highway. I had previously participated in many outdoor arts festivals and craft shows, but none this far from home, and none organized completely by artists. It had been a successful trip by financial standards and, more importantly, a meaningful one because of the friendships started and strengthened. The following month Jill and I hosted Todd Pletcher in Humboldt; he taught a workshop at our studio and had a solo show at Companion Gallery. In December we welcomed Dick Lehman to the gallery. In March 2016, Matt Schiemann, Todd Pletcher, and I roomed together at the NCECA conference in Kansas City. Troy Bungart invited us to participate in a pop-up show in his hotel room. My sales at that show paid for the trip to Kansas City and led to many more friendships and opportu-

nities. For example, Jillian Cooper bought a cup—and invited me to teach a workshop at Collin College, in McKinney, Texas, that fall. Matt, Todd, and I were surprised by how many potters told us we should teach a workshop on making handles. We thought that sounded fun, so in June 2016 we fired Todd’s train kiln and taught the first Handle with Care workshop at his studio in Goshen. To our absolute shock and delight, twenty-four participants from thirteen states joined us for a weekend of demonstrations. Todd and Anna relocated to Sydney, Australia, soon after, so we fondly remember that workshop as the last waltz with the train kiln. I was invited back to the MPT in 2016 as a guest at Moey Hart’s stop. After the 2016 tour, I drove north to teach a workshop at the Buchanan Arts Center in southern Michigan, at the invitation of a wonderful group I had met at Todd’s the year before. We have since hosted shows and workshops at Companion Gallery for Justin Rothshank, Steve Hansen, and Todd Leech. The first Handle with Care workshop led to more invitations, most recently, a wood firing and week-long-hands on workshop at STARworks in North Carolina. The circle continues to widen. An introvert at heart, I spent years in solitude, head down, steadily working at the wheel. When I reflect on the course my life has taken over the past few years and the opportunities I’ve been given, so much has stemmed from simply packing up and going somewhere. Potters, on the whole, are open, generous, hospitable, and eager to reciprocate. Casual introductions around the firebox of one kiln or another have grown into deep friendships, and the ripple effect from traveling to the MPT seems unending.

POTTERY TOURS

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and Indianapolis. Wherever they had come from, I made it a point to look them in the eye, shake their hands, and convey my gratitude. At 1 p.m. on Saturday we unloaded the train kiln. Everyone gathered around as Todd told the story of the kiln’s design and the fundraiser he’d done to build it. Pulling pots from the kiln, he described what was happening on the surface of the pot and how it had fared in the firing. Deeper into the kiln, I picked up where he left off. I expressed my thoughts about each pot and handed it to a guest at the far side of the kiln shed. The pots passed from person to person until each pot had been laid in the grass. To our delight, people began to pile up “keepers” in front of them, and questions came flooding in. “Does this shell stay like this?” “Where does this green come from?” “What makes this crackle effect?” It had been an excellent firing, and our excitement about it was contagious. The people there had become part of the history of those pots—they were invested. We sanded feet, polished rough bits, and washed each piece before wrapping up their purchases. On Sunday morning I took an excursion to Dick Lehman’s place before heading to my post. Dick had just finished building his new studio at a new location. Stephanie Craig, Todd Leech, and Mark Nafzinger were Lehman’s guest potters from Ohio. Dick greeted me with a hug, made me an espresso, and gave me a tour of the new property. Because the MPT is an important part of Dick’s schedule each year, he designed his front yard to accommodate traffic flow and customer parking. After poring over all the pots, I selected a beautiful oval

 Eric Botbyl. Crackled Scraggler Cup, 2015. Thrown and altered stoneware with multiple slips and natural ash glaze, wood-fired to Cone 13. 4.25 x 3 x 3 in. Photograph by Brandon Schwartz.

BITS & PIECES

MASSACHUSETTS

201 8

Asparagus Valley Pottery Trail Western Massachusetts

Pottery Tours

APRIL 28-29 asparagusvalleypotterytrail.com Steve Earp: 413-625-2870 steve@stephenearp.com

National Clay Week Open Studio Tour Concurrent locations around the United States

Hilltown 6 Pottery Tour Western Massachusetts

OCTOBER 12-14

JULY 28-29

nationalclayweek.org/openstudio

hilltown6.com Christy Knox: 413-404-6695 knoxpottery@aol.com

@nationalclayweek Ben Carter: 831-334-5431 nationalclayweek@gmail.com

ALASKA

Berkshire Pottery Tour Berkshire County

Homer Pottery Studio Tour

ILLINOIS

Homer Pottery Studio Tour Homer, AK

Shawnee Hills Pottery Trail Southern Illinois

MAY 19 - 20

MAY 5-6

Cynthia Morelli: 907-235-2846 cmorelliclay@gmail.com

potterstrail.wixsite.com pottery-trail Steve Grimmer: 618-697-4258 potterstrail@gmail.com

KENTUCKY Southern Crossings Pottery Festival / SXPF Louisville, KY

Twenty Dirty Hands Galena + Elizabeth, IL

OCTOBER 6, 7, 8

OCTOBER 12-14

Alison Palmer: 860-927-4680 spoonrest@icloud.com

twentydirtyhands.com Paul Eshelman: 815-858-2327 eshelman@eshelmanpottery.com

FLORIDA

Studio Potter

Tampa Tour de Clay Tampa Bay, FL

INDIANA

DECEMBER 8-9

Michiana Pottery Tour Goshen, IN

tampatourdeclay.com

SEPTEMBER 29-30

Michele Ginouves: 352-346-1855 michelegin@bellsouth.net

michianapotterytour.com michianapottery@gmail.com

berkshirepotterytour.com Ellen Grenadier: 413-528-9973 grenadierpottery@hotmail.com

MARCH 2-3 SXPF.org Jason Bige Burnett: 865-278-8938 sxpottery@gmail.com

CONNECTICUT ClayWay Studio Tour Litchfield County, CT

SEPTEMBER 29-30

MICHIGAN The Cracked Pot Studio Tour Mid-Michigan SEPTEMBER 22-23

MAINE Maine Pottery Tour Statewide

Mary Fritz: marycurtisfritz@gmail.com www.maryfritz.com

MAY 5-6 mainepotterytour.org

MINNESOTA

Lori Watts: info@finemesspottery.com

The 26th annual Saint Croix Valley Pottery Tour Chisago County, MN

Twelve Hands Midcoast Potters Tour Midcoast, ME

MAY 11, 12, 13

AUGUST 25-26 Simon van der Ven: 207-975-3456 siem@vandervenstudios.com

minnesotapotters.com

NEW YORK

VIRGINIA

Canada

JUNE 16-17

Finger Lakes Pottery Tour Ithaca, NY

16 Hands Studio Tour Floyd, VA

cannonriverclaytour.com

MAY 12-13

MAY 5-6 & NOVEMBER 23-25

1001 POTS Québec

Juliane Shibata: 507-720-9339 cannonriverclay@gmail.com js@julianeshibata.com

fingerlakespotterytour.com

16hands.com

JULY 6 - AUGUST 12

Julie Crosby: 607-280-1606 juliecrosbypottery@gmail.com

Ellen Shankin: 540-745-3595 warshank@swva.net

1001pots.com

Hudson Valley Pottery Tour Mid-Hudson Valley

Annual RVA Clay Studio Tour Richmond, VA

OCTOBER 20-21

JUNE 2-3

APRIL 7-8

hudsonvalleypotterytour.com

rvaclay.com

kcurbanpotters.com

Doug Peltzman: 845-750-7577 hudsonvalleypotterytour@gmail.com

Scott Campbell: 804-918-7722 richmond@clayworkssupplies.com

Midwest Pottery Fest Kansas City, MO

Erica Iman: 541-513-0753 kcurbanpotters@gmail.com

MONTANA Montana Clay Tour Helena, MT JULY 28-29 montanaclaytour.com Mel Griffin: montanaclaytour@gmail.com

Brooklyn Clay Tour Brooklyn, NY SEPTEMBER 7-9 brooklynclaytour.com

PENNSYLVANIA Fall into Winter Boyertown, PA NOVEMBER 17-18 studiobbb/fall-into-winter

NEBRASKA Lincoln Clay Tour Lincoln, NE APRIL 27-28 facebook.com/LincolnClayTour Amy Smith: 402-488-0283 amysmithporcelain@gmail.com Omaha North Hills Pottery Tour Omaha, NE OCTOBER 6-7 onhpt.com Big Table Studios:: 402-456-7669 lizvercruysse@hotmail.com

Linda Rohrbach-Austerberry: lausterberry@gmail.com

WISCONSIN

Jonathan Ishikawa 819-322-6868 expo21001pots.com Columbia Basin Culture Tour Columbia Basin AUGUST 11-12 cbculturetour.com CKCA: 250-505-5505 wkracassistant@telus.ne

The Clay Collective Pottery Tour South Central Wisconsin MAY 6-7 theclaycollective.org Rick Hintze: 920-699-2529 rickhintze@gmail.com River Valley Potter’s Fall Studio Tour St. Croix River Valley, MN / WI SEPTEMBER 21-23

VERMONT Vermont Open Studio Tours Statewide MAY 26-27, OCTOBER 13-14. vermontcrafts.com Martha Fitch: 802-223-3380 vermontcraftscouncil.com

rivervalleypotters.com Nick Earl: 952-270-6893 nicholas.earl@outlook.com Western Wisconsin Pottery Tour St. Croix River Valley, WI SEPTEMBER 21-23 westernwisconsinpotterytour.com Steven Rolf: 715-426-7367 scrolf.potter1@sbcglobal.net

Columbia Basin Culture Tour

Studio Potter

MISSOURI

BITS & PIECES

Cannon River Clay Tour Northfield, MN

Woodfired jars by Robin DuPont at his home and studio. Photograph by Emma Love.

POTTERY TOURS

Education

in the

Handcrafted education for more than sixty years, offering a curriculum with an intensive studio focus and an emphasis on preparing students to make a living through their art and craft. KSA is one of the few programs in western Canada that offers this focus on developing strong studio skills; other arts programs include more academic course offerings in their foundation curriculum. Robin DuPont is a beneficiary of KSA’s studio focused programming. Having attended KSA in the early years of his training, Robin went on to study at four different institutions in three different countries, but he was eventually drawn back to the Kootenays to set up his full-time studio practice. The former student is now an adjunct faculty member at the school in the ceramics department. KSA’s tradition of offering a program that celebrates functional pottery has resulted in a steady stream of makers emerging from the school, but the realities of making a living wage

he West Kootenays in the interior of British Columbia, Canada, thrives on its reputation as a most appealing place to live and marketable destination to visit. At the centre of this region, the town of Nelson maintains its reputation as the “number-one small-town arts community in Canada,” according to the book The 100 Best Small Art Towns in America.1 This comes as no surprise to the large and diverse artisan community that lives here. Nestled in mountainous terrain and bordering the pristine waters of a tributary of the mighty Columbia River, this heritage town is home to an established community of artists, makers, and people who appreciate handcrafted objects. Perhaps Nelson’s artistic sensibility has something to do with the long history of arts education in this relatively isolated mountain town. Kootenay School of the Arts (KSA) at Selkirk College has maintained its reputation as a leader in arts

Studio Potter

BY EDEN DUPONT

POTTERY TOURS BIO Eden DuPont is a writer, mother, and ardent clay enthusiast. Embracing a ‘pottery entangled’ lifestyle for the last twenty years, she is fueled by her love of craft, her family, and homestead in the mountains of beautiful British Columbia, Canada. Whether she is stoking the wood kiln, baking a pie, or wordsmithing a blog post, DuPont is an advocate for sustainable living, family commerce, and embodying a life of clay. dupont.eden@gmail.com thepotterswife.blogspot.ca robindupont.com @robindupontceramics

 Robin DuPont teaching at Kootenay School of the Arts. Photograph courtesy of Selkirk College.

Studio Potter

 A winter firing of the anagama kiln at Robin DuPont’s studio, Winlaw, British Columbia, Canada. Photograph by Adrian Wagner, 2016.

from selling fine craft inhibits the majority of graduates from going on to become full-time practicing artisans. Fortunately, the students who choose other means of making a living still retain their appreciation for fine craft, which is evident in the purchasing habits of the community. In 2008, an extensive culture-tour initiative was created by the Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance. Funded by the Columbia Basin Trust, which supports social, economic and environmental initiatives, the Columbia Basin Culture Tour began as a means of raising public awareness of the quality and diversity of arts and heritage in the region. This annual self-directed tour has become an excellent way for artists to open their studios to the public and for the Trust to promote the rich artisan culture in the valley.

Economically, the Tour contributes significantly to the annual income of many artisans, who otherwise incur costs selling their work outside the region. The West Kootenay region is home to only ten thousand people, which can be restrictive in terms of an arts market. Local sales opportunities, such as the culture tour, then, are always welcome, ensuring more money remains in the artists’ pockets. The two-day tour, celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, takes place every summer in August. Over the years the number of attendees has grown. Seen as a “behind the scenes” type of event, the tour attracts a diverse audience. Patrons include those who schedule their holidays each year to attend, as well as many first-timers, and vacationers who spot the tour signs as they drive around and decide to take a look. The local community is by far

the most supportive among the tour-goers; a number of residents visit their favorite artists each year to add artwork to their collections. And while the marketing and signage for the tour is centralized, the demographics for each venue seem to vary depending on each artist’s own efforts to promote the tour through their own mailing lists. Robin’s studio has been a tour venue since its inception. His studio is not regularly accessible to the public because he travels extensively to teach workshops throughout the year. His reasons for participating year after year include income, education, and community development. “[Because] I’m a potter that fires atmospheric kilns, it is really valuable to be able to explain the process and the tools to the general public when they are standing there

POTTERY TOURS

Note 1. Villani, John. The 100 best small art towns in America: where to discover creative communities, fresh air, and affordable living. Santa Fe, NM: John Muir Publications, 1998.

Studio Potter

 Robin DuPont. Jar, 2017. Wood-fired porcelain. 16 x 16 x 16 in. Photograph by artist.

in front of me. When people visit our property and can tour the kilns and witness the twenty cords of stacked wood on hand, the explanation behind the surfaces I create is so much more meaningful. Even some locals that come for the first time exclaim that they had no idea that these types of kilns are right ‘in their backyard.’ For many people, it is the first time they have ever seen or heard of a wood kiln. I value this opportunity to educate more people about contemporary ceramics, and I’m excited to shift their preconceived ideas about what pottery-making is all about.” In his role as an adjunct faculty member at KSA, Robin encourages students to attend the tour each year as an educational experience. Visiting studios and talking with the artists themselves is integral to understanding the varied approaches to making a living as a craft artisan. The list of potters who have benefitted from KSA programming is vast; Katy Drijber, Kalika Bowlby, Christopher Watt, Maggie Finlayson, and Kaitlan Murphy are just a few who are establishing solid careers in the field of ceramics. And for every student who goes on to open a studio, there are dozens who instead become craft aficionados, and their role as enthusiastic appreciators of craft is equally as important. Selling functional ceramics in this day and age has its challenges, but it certainly helps when the local market is knowledgeable and the community is supportive.

PLINTH GALLERY Plinth Gallery is a pristine exhibition space showing a well curated collection of contemporary ceramic art. The gallery is located in Denver’s exciting River North Arts District.

JUSTIN ROTHSHANK rothshank.com

3520 Brighton Blvd., Denver, CO 80216 | (303) 295-0717 | plinthgallery.com

Instagram: @jrothshank | jrothshank@gmail.com | (412) 478-3105

CORNELL STUDIO SUPPLY THE ORIGINAL HI ROLLER

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2106 4th St NE, Hickory, NC 28601 | sales@originalhiroller.com (828) 308-2585 | originalhiroller.com

EUTECTIC GALLERY Eutectic Gallery features both rising and established contemporary ceramic artists as we explore the relationship between process, concept, and how the public interacts with the finished work.

Teplitzky Car Cups available exclusively at Plinth Gallery (303) 295-0717.

Instagram: @teplitzkyart | joshteplitzky@hotmail.com | (720) 272-8146 Photo by bobbieturnerphotography.com

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BAILEY POTTERY EQUIPMENT

Bailey Pottery Equipment | PO Box 1577, Kingston, NY 12402 info@bailey pottery.com | (800) 431-6067 | baileypottery.com

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Bailey Pottery Equipment | PO Box 1577, Kingston, NY 12402 info@bailey pottery.com | (800) 431-6067 | baileypottery.com

| Studio Potter Studio Potter

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Bailey builds superior energy efficient gas and electric kilns. We pride ourselves on excellent customer service and great prices on thousands of items for the pottery studio and classroom. Pictured: Pictured: Members of “The Potter’s Guild,” Ann Arbor, Michigan.

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ARTAXIS SMITH-SHARPE FIRE BRICK SUPPLY

Artaxis welcomes its new Board of Directors. Left to right, from top left: Kwok Pong "Bobby" Tso, Casey Whittier, Adam Welch, Raheleh Filsoofi, Anthony Stellaccio, Samuel Johnson, Didem Mert, Salvador Jiménez Flores, and Brian Harper. Learn more at artaxis.org.

Supplying the highest quality silicon carbide kiln shelves, kiln furniture systems and high temperature kiln building materials available at fair market prices. We are devoted to the needs of potters, clay educators, ceramic artists and glass artists.

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Artaxis | contactartaxis@gmail.com | artaxis.org

Love one? Get the other one for less.

+ MEMBERS OF THE AMERICAN CRAFT COUNCIL receive a $20 discount on a membership to Studio Potter. studiopotter.org/shop

MEMBERS OF STUDIO POTTER

BEN CARTER

receive an $11 discount on an American Craft Council membership. Enter ACCSP16 at craftcouncil.org/membership

TALES OF A RED CLAY RAMBLER Documenting the field of studio ceramics with over 200 interviews featuring artists, curators, and critics.

Episode 117 - Warren Mackenzie | talesofaredclayrambler.com

We help people make great things!

SKUTT CERAMIC PRODUCTS INC. The people at Skutt have been providing potters with quality equipment for over 60 years. For more information visit us at skutt.com.

6441 SE Johnson Creek Blvd. Portland, OR 97206 | skutt@skutt.com | T. (503) 774-6000 | F. (503) 774-7833 | skutt.com

HAYNE BAYLESS SIDEWAYS STUDIO Hand-built stoneware for sale at the studio and at these fine galleries: ClayAKAR Iowa City, IA Charlie Cummings Gainesville, FL The Clay Studio Philadelphia, PA Dowstudio Deer Isle, ME Fairhaven Furniture New Haven, CT Freehand Gallery Los Angeles, CA Plinth Gallery Denver, CO Schaller Gallery St. Joseph, MI Spectrum Gallery Centerbrook, CT

Ivoryton, CT | hayne@sidewaysstudio.com | (860) 767-3141 | sidewaysstudio.com