What's Next Program by The Clay Studio

The Clay Studio Celebrates What’s Next

CELEBRATES

Saturday, May 14, 2016 Independence Seaport Museum 211 S. Columbus Blvd. Philadelphia, PA

What’s Next? For over 40 years, The Clay Studio has established itself as a cultural asset for the city and a leader of ceramics around the globe. We’ve honored ancient traditions and highlighted the artists of tomorrow. We’ve supported the needs of emerging talent while celebrating the most seasoned artists. We’ve shared the love of art with children who touch clay for the first time, and provided space for artists who have spent a lifetime in creative dialogue with the medium. In many ways, we are part of a continuum that stretches back through much of human history. When we ask, “What’s Next?” or attempt to declare, “What’s Next” we must be aware of this larger picture. In preparation for this event, we talked to artists and makers creating new trends and advancing traditions. We spoke with educators at the forefront of arts education at the national, community, and collegiate level. We talked with collectors, both budding and seasoned, to discuss the evolution of collection building. We’ve examined new models of arts and business, interviewing artists who are finding innovative ways to promote and sell their work and advance their careers. We’ve had amazing discussions and learned a lot. The next several pages are filled with a sampling of individuals demonstrating the incredibly things happening in the field right now. Finally, we’ve also taken this opportunity to ask what’s next for The Clay Studio. Over the past five years we have seen a sustained interested in our work and growth in our programs. We have strengthened our existing programs and added new ones. We are proud of our community engagement initiatives, which have sent artists into festivals and neighborhoods around the city, allowing children, adults, and families to experience the joy of creating with clay. Our Claymobile Outreach program has recently received a three-year grant from the William Penn Foundation that will strengthen our work with children and allow us to assess the impact we have in their lives. Our school has seen a record number of students passing through its doors, and our artists have received several prestigious recognitions, including fellowships, residencies, and exhibitions. The increased interest in our work, and the demand for our programming will carry us into the next 40 years and beyond. We are excited about the future. We hope you are too. So, please, enjoy your evening, which has been made possible only through the dedication of The Clay Studio staff, our Board and committee led by Kim Kamens and Karen Harmelin-Tropea, our artists, and all of our supporters. So, without further ado, What’s Next?

Christopher R. Taylor President

Table of Contents

The Clay Studio Board of Directors..........................................................................pg 2 The Clay Studio Event Committee...................………………………….………….pg 2 Event Sponsors.……………………………………………………….................. .............pg 3 The Clay Studio.………………………………………………………............................pg 4 Harry Caplen Hero’s Award.......................…………………………………………....pg 6 What’s Next: Makers..........................…………………………………………………...pg 9 What’s Next: Collectors.………………………………………………...........................pg 15 What’s Next: Arts Education.…………………………………………...........................pg 19 What’s Next: Makers and Business.………………………………….....................….pg 23 President’s Message.…………………………………………………….........................pg 27 Sponsors.……………………………………………………………….............................pg 28

BOARD OF DIRECTORS James Fulton, Board Chairman Nicholas Kripal, Vice Chairman Michael Lukasek, Treasurer Kathie Regan Dalzell, Secretary

EVENT COMMITTEE

Brian Bernhardt Sergio Coscia Karen Harmelin-Tropea Kim Kamens Ashley R. Lomery Roberta Massuch (Resident Artist Representative) Rachael Ross Joseph Rudolf

Co-Chairs Karen Harmelin-Tropea Kim Kamens Henric Adey Heath Ballowe Alexander Conner Sarah Fask Nancy Hays Raina Mehta Scott Nelson Eric Rymshaw Jennifer Slavic Ruth Snyderman

Susan Shubert (Associate Program Representative) Councilman Mark Squilla Etta Winigrad

Event Sponsors Benefactor James G. Fulton, Jr. and Eric B. Rymshaw Patron Marie and Joseph Field Leader Jill Bonovitz Customized Energy Solutions Independence Foundation Timothy W. and Alexandra Levin

Thank you to our Exclusive Program Sponsors Cocktail Reception Kim and Adam Kamens

Friend 500 Walnut Brian and Lindsey Bernhardt Clark Hill, PLC Kathie Regan Dalzell and Stewart Dalzell Timothy W. and Alexandra Levin Littler Mendelson, P.C. Michael Lukasek Ronald and Nancy Scheller Hays Karen Harmelin Tropea and Craig Tropea Amy and David Williams Etta Z. Winigrad Sybille Zeldin and Bill Brinkman

Mystery Cup Grab Judy Pote

“What’s Next” interview content written and edited by Alisha Ebling, Development Coordinator and Writer

CELEBRATES HOSTING SERVING

OVER

exhibitions each year

that showcase the work of national & international artists

4000

adults and youth

through classes and workshops

REPRESENTING OVER

100

AND

Resident Artists

North American Artists

IN OUR SHOP

from around the world

BRINGING CERAMIC ART TO

8000

individuals

throughout the city of Philadelphia via the

HANDS ON CLAY P RO GRA M

YOUNG ARTISTS with

HOURS A WEEK of intensely focused, self-directed technical

2 2000

through our work

exchange program

UNDERSERVED PHILADELPHIA YOUTH VIA THE

CLAYMOBILE

educational study for

YEARS

AND PROVIDING

hands-on ceramic art education to

PROVIDING

OUTREACH PROGRAM

The Harry Caplen Hero’s Award The Harry Caplen Hero’s Award is named after the visionary property owner who, in 1989, signed a favorable 30-year lease with The Clay Studio. Going beyond a standard landlord/tenant relationship, Harry shared a vision of an arts community in Old City. Harry demonstrated his vision with a generosity that allowed The Clay Studio to thrive for more than 25 years. The award premiered at The Clay Studio’s 40th Anniversary celebration in 2014 and was accepted posthumously by Harry’s daughter, Linda Levin Silverberg. The award is presented to an individual who demonstrates unparalleled commitment to our shared vision and values.

Marge Brown Kalodner

Marge Brown Kalodner believes in artists. In particular, she believes that young artists deserve high-quality exposure and financial recognition to propel their early careers. In 2004, Marge made her belief a reality by establishing and sponsoring the Marge Brown Kalodner Graduate Student Exhibition. For 12 years, she supported a series of annual exhibitions of current and recent graduate students. Thanks to her support, the next generation of artists has excelled at their careers and many have become Resident Artists at The Clay Studio. In recognition of Marge’s commitment to “what’s next” with young ceramic artists, we present her with The Harry Caplen Hero’s Award at our 2016 event, The Clay Studio Celebrates: What’s Next.

Marge Brown Kalodner is happily married to Philip Kalodner. They have five children and six grandchildren. She has been in the full time practice of residential interior design for 45 years, with locations in New York City and in Connecticut. For 25 years she was a Great Books Discussion leader, and for the past 11 years she has led and loved a film discussion group. Gardening, cooking for friends, watching films, and attending theater and the opera are her perennial joys.

TCS: What began your passion for the ceramic arts? MBK: In 1979 Phil and I were newly a couple. We needed the basics. Friends took us to a Craft Fair in Rhinebeck, NY and we were hooked! It took eighteen months to cheerlead those dishes from the artist. We still treasure them. Our passion made it inevitable that we would not confine ourselves to functional work.

Merrie Wright “In Passing” 2004

TCS: What do you see as the best way for collectors to help strengthen the field in the future?

TCS: How did you become involved with and support the Graduate Student Exhibition at The Clay Studio? Why do you feel that an exhibition showcasing emerging graduate students is a good way to support the field?

MBK: Support living artists. Educate yourself about the field. Visit museum collections. Check catalogs of major museum ceramic collections.

MBK: It has been a great privilege for us getting to know and collect the work of many great ceramic masters: Richard DeVore, Betty Woodman, Viola Frey, Daisy Youngblood, Philip Eglin, Goro Suzuki, and Kathy Butterly. We had collected the work of many emerging Clay Studio artists. Our friend Stanley Shapiro paved the way for us to “pay it forward” [with his 21-year funding of the Shapiro Fellowship]. Jeff Guido enthusiastically supported our suggestion for a graduate show modeled on one he had done in his Michigan Gallery.

TCS: What do you hope is next for the field of ceramic arts? MBK: Phil and I hope for major museums to continue acquisitions of ceramic art. For example, The Houston Museum of Fine Art has recently acquired several very fine private ceramic collections and is building an addition to house the work of artists in all five media.

Makers Each year, there seem to always be new artists to celebrate; artists who, each in their individual way, push the boundaries of how we think of the ceramic arts. The Clay Studio has the unique position to connect with these artists and observe and promote their work. In the next section, we will highlight three makers who we’re happy to celebrate for the ways in which they innovate the field. Whether by incorporating new technologies, integrating simple moments of life into functional work, or caring for their communities through provocative cross-cultural art making, the makers in the following pages gives us new reasons to celebrate the evolution of the ceramic arts. Join us as we take a look at what’s next for ceramic art makers. “I have been interested in engaging ideas of how technology, material practice, and the body intersect—particularly in the balance between clay as a vital, direct, and ancient material technology, and the promise of mechanization and computerization in contemporary culture,” says Czibesz. Initially, this exploration manifested into introducing 3D printing to make large components of the work itself. As the exploration evolved, however, Czibesz now builds the machines that make the components of this work.

Bryan Czibesz, photo by Richard Burkett

Bryan Czibesz is a former Clay Studio “I enjoy engaging this tension [between making by hand versus digital making]— and, in fact, my work is somewhat contingent upon it. I like witnessing resistance in the ceramics community to new things, because I share that resistance and skepticism,” says Czibesz.

Resident Artist (2009 – 2011) currently teaching at SUNY New Paltz. He reflects on his Residency at The Clay Studio as instrumental in establishing himself as an artist. He is interested in the balance between old and new, ancient and advanced, which he explores specifically through the intersection of clay and 3D printing technology.

Bryan Czibesz, “Precis, Re/Charting, (Object 1)” 2014

Bryan Czibesz, “Szabadság Emlékmü, Szabadság Tér” 2015

Czibesz recognizes that the digitalization that involves removing the hand from the making process is difficult for many in the way it contradicts traditional notions of working in clay—but that’s part of why he does it. Czibesz is fascinated with technology’s way of seducing us, even when we try to push it away. He reminds us that throughout time, we’ve always come to accept new processes and technologies, however reluctantly, and perhaps this juxtaposition is the next frontier of combining machines and ancient art.

Bryan Czibesz, “Madár Bögre, Nagyi” 2015

things: first, I think that the use of digital (as of material itself) and its ability to harness data will allow us to visualize and generate form and ideas that we could not make, see, or understand any other way, which is in my mind a primary goal of art making; and second, I look forward to the day when these tools are fully integrated and understood in our processes as simply additional ways to work with the most vital and human material, one that engages a continuum of human history from its discovery through the present moment and into the future.”

In this, he understands the limitations of human’s abilities. “My work continues to engage the margins and space between what I am able to do with my bare hands and what I want to make that I am unable to do with that limitation,” he says. He argues that this balance is essential to his understanding of his place in the world. He looks at technology as a vital part of the future of art making. “I believe that the future of 3D printing and digital processes in ceramics and sculpture will engage two

A display of oranges in the market will drive the use of a matching orange glaze. A photo of a zebra will encourage camouflage-like stripes on a functional piece. For Chappell, simple moments of life infuse and elevate her work. Chappell is a recipient of an Independence Foundation Fellowship to study Victorian Sugarwork with food historian Ivan Day in London, England. She’s found herself fascinated by the pageantry of historic food of this era. “The idea that the food, flower, candle, drink… is just as important as the created object is an idea that I find very true and continually work with in my studio practice.” Chappell says the theatrics of the Victorian banquet, from the strict and specific rules, stark social implications, and hidden meanings, are what draw her to it. During her time in London, Chappell will also visit the Victoria and Albert Museum, giving her access to an array of forms and objects from this time period that she had previously only seen in books.

Rebecca Chappell

is a former Clay Studio Resident Artist (2010 – 2015) and currently lives and works in North Philadelphia, PA. Chappell’s work is bright and pleasant as it plays with form, color, and pattern. She cites her experience as a Resident Artist as one that helped evolve her work while giving her the confidence to transition into her home studio. Chappell sees her life and artwork as “two separate animals” that “run beside each other and talk back and forth, like two roommates in the same house.” She sees how her everyday life finds its way into her artwork. “When I’m out and about experiencing life, looking around; images or situations will spark my curiosity and wonder or make me think about and see things in a different way, and that in turn will feed my studio work.” She adds, “I hope my work can provide that kind of spark and curiosity in the environments they end up on.”

Rebecca Chappell, “Halo Vase” 2015

Rebecca Chappell, “Basket” 2015

Given her fascination with the past, how does Chappell view the future of ceramics? “I think the past always informs the future. Every time I make a cup, a bowl, a plate, etc., I am working with an ancient form or idea.” Chappell believes that the historical use of pots—containment, preservation, sustenance, ritual, and life and death—are still alive today. “The history of ceramics provides an object library that shows various solutions to these ideas. History can provide a spark that can lead to new solutions today.”

Roberto Lugo, “Frederick Douglass Teapot” 2016

Roberto Lugo

is a self-described “potter, activist, culture-maker, rapper, poet, and educator.” All of these art forms feed each other, allowing him to switch disciplines and mediums when a creative block occurs. He was a 2015 NCECA Emerging Artist (you may have heard of his brilliant 15-minute long speech when accepting this honor, and if you haven’t, watch it) and currently teaches at Marlboro College in Vermont, and is a Doctor of Philosophy candidate at Pennsylvania State University. Lugo has worked with students in The Clay Studio’s Claymobile Outreach program. He will serve as a Clay Studio Guest Artist-inResidence during the summer of 2016.

Rebecca Chappell, “Fruit Bridge” 2015

to painting a message.” This layering effect achieves his artistic goals both aesthetically and conceptually. He finds himself drawn to porcelain China painting because of its depth of color, history, and aesthetics, which he also sees as evident in graffiti painting. “It is up to artists like myself to make these connections and bridge cultures in ways that have yet to be done.”

Lugo uses his work as a jumping point for conversations on social justice. He sees his art as an “opportunity for inclusion.” He has said that often, he has found himself feeling like an outsider, “but the opportunity to make art has allowed me to invite myself to conversation where I was previously absent.” “By taking historic ceramic forms made for royals and putting symbols that represent my culture, I believe that I am providing social justice by allowing people who come from where I come from to feel equal.” Lugo is currently taking his work out of his studio and creating a pottery workshop in Puerto Rico. He’s also working with The Clay Studio and Mural Arts on community-based projects that reflect and relate to the community in which he grew up.

For Lugo, ceramics was one of the first things he was told he was good at. He cites one single suggestion as the pivotal moment that changed his life: “Maybe you should try the potter’s wheel.” “There is something about the connection with nature through touching earth that I had previously not been exposed to,” he says. “This is a necessary part of our lives that I intend to bring to children everywhere—poor or rich.”

Lugo believes that the next steps for addressing social justice through art is for art to become less “pluralistic.” He explains, “Often, I find that in order for me to have any success, people must know ‘who I am.’” In reality, Lugo argues, the work that he and other activists take on doesn’t hold the need for name recognition as a requirement. “There is a degree of selflessness that an artist needs to exhibit in order to institute true works of social justice—a real sense of humility.” So, how does his own work reflect his activist principles? “I often paint over my paintings in the same spirit as the city covering up graffiti, and I then return

Roberto Lugo, “Refugee Century Vase” 2016

Bryan Czibesz, “Precis, Re/Charting (Objects 2, 3, 38)” 2014

Roberto Lugo “Roberto Lugo Teapot” 2015

What’s Next? All of our profiled artists have different takes on their work and their place in the ceramic arts. With that in mind, we asked each, what’s next? “I think we will only see further engagement in expanding the margins and boundaries of the field. What’s next are new and meaningful ways of visualizing and formalizing digital information and data, as well as new ways of engaging the hands and body directly in clay, increasingly reinforcing the entire continuum that the plasticity of the material has always defined,” says Czibesz. “I believe clay will get more brown in America; I believe it will reach to African and South American routes in the same way it pays homage to Asia and Europe. I believe the true inclusiveness of cultures will not just be the right thing for our field but a pragmatic necessary thing. When our field has more diversity, through race, gender, and nationality, it becomes more comprehensive—you can get yourself lost in the oceans of stories,” says Lugo, adding, “I want to drown in them.” Chappell’s less prepared to see into the future. “It’s something I think very little about. I have no idea ‘what’s next,’ but I do believe that clay will continue to be used,” she says. “I feel like it is my job to make work honestly and follow my interests. I try to think ‘what’s now’ vs. ‘what’s next.’

Collectors Collecting. It’s how we decorate our homes, begin conversations with friends, and support our favorite artists. Collecting is a personal, intimate glimpse into the owner’s views and aesthetics. As with anything, collecting continues to evolve and change. With this change, we have seen a profound shift in how the ceramic arts are viewed and sold: what was once only found at craft fairs and art shows is now found at major art fairs and contemporary galleries around the world. But for some, “collecting” can be a scary word. Instead of images of art-enthusiasts gaily seeking out work that they love from their local galleries or from artist friends, it can incur the image of a wealthy, older individual shelling out thousands for an obscure piece from some equally obscure artist. Collecting can feel unattainable, so far from the realm of some people’s—particularly young people’s—lives.

In this next section, we will talk about the state of collecting with those who understand it best. Ruth and Rick Snyderman have been collecting and selling contemporary craft to Philadelphians since the mid-60’s. They’ve seen it all in the world of craft collecting, and happily regale us with what they’ve learned during their time. Alex Conner is a young collector on a mission to marry the dynamic individuals he sees in Philadelphia with dynamic artworks for the home. Read on to learn what’s next for arts collecting.

You’ve surely heard of them. For the last 50 years, Ruth and Rick Snyderman have been a force in contemporary craft collecting, beginning with Ruth’s founding of The Works Gallery in 1965. Back then, it was a small basement shop located near 20th and Locust Streets before moving to a new location on South Street. (Ruth was a founder of the “South Street Renaissance” that helped to revitalized the neighborhood in the 1970’s.) The Works Gallery sold contemporary studio crafts, focusing on ceramics, jewelry, and fiber, and was one of only a smattering of craft galleries in the country at the time. Rick joined Ruth in her gallery operations in 1972. With Ruth and Rick in combined force, they opened a second gallery, the Snyderman Gallery, with a mission to focus on studio furniture and sculptural glass.

By 1992, Snyderman Gallery had expanded to include a 6,000 square foot space in Old City, allowing the gallery to expand to painting, prints, photography, and sculpture. Finally, the Snydermans brought all operations under one roof in 1996, with the opening of the SnydermanWorks Gallery in Old City. Today, they are one of the oldest continuously operating galleries in the field, and a stalwart even while competing with national craft fairs and increased Internet sellers. But as they attest, collecting trends have changed. The Snydermans recall their early days with young buyers who were “enthusiastic supporters,” but as they’ve gotten older, those same supporters “have stopped acquiring work, although they are still enthusiastic.” They both agree younger audiences are less focused on collecting crafts.

be able to surround themselves with visual reference points that add nuance and depth to their own thoughts and being.” For him, collecting and displaying art are essential ways to engage into dialogue on the world and the artworks that inhabit it. So, both can agree that there is sometimes a disconnect. But how to change it? In our quick-paced, click-bait, social-media driven society, how does one slow down, truly examine art, find something that resonates within the contexts of their own experience, interest, and personal style, and then take the next step to purchase it? Alex Conner

“Every generation brings with it a new way to envision the world around them,” says Conner. “It is each generation’s duty to the next to preserve that which they believe best reflects their own experience.” In this, Conner notes, it is vital that young Philadelphians act as stewards of their experience by finding the artwork that expresses it. “Collecting art offers an opportunity to do this.”

Alex Conner

may have a differing opinion. Perhaps equally frustrated by the state of young collecting in Philadelphia, Conner began to take an interest in collecting “because I was sick of walking into friends’ homes and seeing IKEA canvasses on the wall.” (No offense, IKEA.) Conner says he’d rather see the homes of his friends reflecting the conversations and progressive dialogues he sees happening in other forms throughout the city. “When I would casually ask about their choice of artworks I tended to hear a lot of sighing and feigning of ironic purposelessness as a way of negating their decision to go with easy and inoffensive, instead of thoughtful and purposeful, art,” says Conner. He believes that a place is defined by its inhabitants who are “attentive to emerging discourses, often participating.” These individuals, Conner argues, “deserve to

Alex Conner’s collection

He sees the Philadelphia art world as historically not always good at expanding beyond itself. But, he also notes, “there is beginning to be a spillover... Everyone is beginning to participate, and, by supporting the artists creating the artwork, furthering the discussions that occur because of it.”

Conner notices the tides changing. “Really powerful and thought provoking artwork has become more and more accessible through the increasing production of and interest in art in our society.” And as for emerging artists, he proposes, “Who better to support them than young and emerging people operating in similar contexts?”

The Snydermans may have an idea of what may attract the attention of potential collectors. “Design has become the operative buzzword,” they say, while championing the ceramic artists currently pushing the boundaries of the field in this way. They also look to new mediums on the horizon. They see “mixed media, painting, and objects in all media presented as design” as the next trend in collecting.

So, what’s next for collecting? “[Asking] ‘What’s Next for collecting?’ is somewhat like asking ‘What’s next for breathing?’” says Conner. “For those of us with a passion for it, we will keep our eye out for artwork [that] most saliently and inspiringly reflects the world around us. The impulse doesn’t change and the hunt continues.”

Arts Education At The Clay Studio, our mission is to provide a unique learning environment in which to experience the ceramic arts. Each of our programs is tailored to support a variety of learners. Whether by studying the techniques of professionals through our exhibitions and lectures, hands-on engagement through making in our school or out in the community, or learning alongside other makers in our studios, we are dedicated to arts education. In this next section, we will look at three different ways arts education is shaping the field: in higher education, through nonprofit arts outreach, and through art therapy. Read on to explore what’s next for arts education. moved the emphasis away from purely form, technique, and utility towards the expression of meaning and content through narrative, abstraction, and sculptural expressions,” says Kripal. Though significant, this is only one change Kripal has seen. “There are still students that attack the medium with experimentation, enthusiasm, and ambition, often moving far beyond the expectations of the assignment or project,” he notes. “However, there are a significant number of students whose approach to the classroom assignments or projects is less experimental. First and foremost, they want to make sure they have fulfilled the requirements for a passing grade. The definition of which has become greatly inflated,” he concedes.

Clay Studio Arts Education program

Ceramic Arts and Higher Education Nick Kripal has been teaching at Temple University’s Tyler School of Art since 1985. He has seen trends change both in the ceramic arts field and in the ways in which it is taught, including the switch from instructor-demonstrated techniques and processes (which were then repeated and practiced by students until adequate technical skill level was reached) to a focus on more personal expression through social, political, cultural, and autobiographical representations. “This

There has also been a shift towards more interdisciplinary studies, which Kripal notes was a factor when designing new studio facilities at Tyler. “The move to multi-media

art forms has been primarily student driven in that their use of multi-media preceded the development of facilities that could accommodate such art making practices. This is evident in the diverse range of studio practice by the applicants to The Clay Studio’s Residency program, and will be a key factor in the design of a new space.” He adds, “As a teacher, it is both invigorating and daunting to teach and accommodate the needs of such postgraduate students.” This particular shift from single to multidisciplinary art making is to Kripal, the next movement in the ceramic arts. “I see ceramic arts education continuing to acknowledge and celebrate the history and traditions of the media while at the same time moving beyond the media specificity of those traditions to address multi-media, product design, and digital applications for the creation of new ceramic art forms.”

Clay Studio Arts Education program

Arts Education and Youth The move toward multi-disciplinary work is one trend to note in the field. But what about other applications of arts education, such as those for youth? Hillary Murray is a Program Associate at the William Penn Foundation, where she focuses on the development of Arts Education strategy. She, and the William Penn Foundation, believe that introduction to the arts at a young age can change how a young person sees the world, as well as how they see themselves. “We believe arts learning to be an effective way for young people to develop the socio-emotional skills that enable them to develop abilities as learners and members of a community. Learning to think creatively, work collaboratively, problem-solve, persevere in a task, along with the many other skills that are inherent to the arts, positions students for both success in school and for future success in life,” she says. The William Penn Foundation is helping to continue this important relationship

Clay Studio student Janet Felton

between students and the arts by helping to fund arts organizations working with Philadelphia youth, including The Clay Studio’s own Claymobile Outreach program, which received a three-year $285,000 grant to help grow and evaluate the program. The Foundation works with organizations to collect data on the impact of arts on youth. Though it is too early to reveal any findings, the evaluations focus on the socio-emotional development in students who participate in arts education programs offered through outside partnerships.

Because of their advocacy, in 2015 the arts were included in the definition of a “wellrounded education” in the reauthorized Elementary and Secondary Education Act. As Murray points out, this leaves it up to arts educators, funders, outside cultural partners, parents, elected officials, and invested individuals to provide high-quality arts learning experiences that respond to the needs of individual students. “Arts education has always been a unique opportunity for young people to connect not only with their own creative voice, but also with the world around them, and it’s important as we think about ‘what’s next’ that we continue to prioritize these investments and remember the impact it has on the lives of the youth it touches.”

“Teaching artists and outside arts education programs open doors not just between the schools and the city’s cultural life, but also between the arts and the students’ other core subject matter. Funding outside programs that provide this multitude of opportunity is one effective approach for supporting arts education in schools.”

Art Therapy At The Clay Studio, we see the role of arts education permeating the world of emotional, social, and behavioral health. In this way, it can be a vital part of the therapeutic process for individuals suffering from mental and behavioral health issues. Lindsay Edwards, MA is the Director of Creative Arts Therapy Department at 11th Street Family Health Services of Drexel University. The Clay Studio recently completed a Claymobile residency with youth at 11th Street. “The children enjoyed the process of learning new skills and working on a project each week that would materialize into a piece of art that they owned,” says Edwards. “They felt empowered by having full decision-making power to decide what to do with their art—to take it home, or display it at 11th Street in our gallery cases.

Clay Studio Arts Education program

Arts education has seen some advances over the last few years. Americans for the Arts, Grantmakers in the Arts, and many other organizations have been working hard to ensure that the arts remain a part of the school day for American students.

The participants were excited that their clay skills were improving, and the really enjoyed the reliable workshop structure that still allowed them to express their own creative individuality.” Art therapy, or art psychotherapy is one of many Creative Arts Therapies that also includes music, dance/movement, poetry, and drama. In this type of therapy,

Youth art at 11th Street Family Health Services

Edwards elaborates, “It’s also important to note that an art therapist is trained to use specific materials to support a client’s behavioral health needs and psychosocial goals. For example, if an adult client is initially working on containing their emotions to feel more in control, an art therapist would not use a liquid base medium like water-color paint because the colors can unintentionally bleed and spill, mix and middle, which, as you can feel with those word choices, doesn’t illicit a sense of self-control.” Instead, Edwards explains, a trained art therapist would know to use a medium such as clay, where a patient can easily mold shapes and have a stronger sense of control over the art form.

art therapists use “art media, the creative process, and the resulting artwork to explore their feelings, reconcile emotional conflicts, foster self-awareness, manage behavior and addictions, develop social skills, improve reality orientation, reduce anxiety, and increase self-esteem.” (American Art Therapy Association)

Mural at 11th Street Family Health Services

Edwards is careful to note that while art can be viewed as intrinsically therapeutic, it is not necessarily “art therapy” without a trained professional administering the tasks. While it might feel relaxing and stress relieving to enjoy coloring at the end of a long workday, this type of activity should not be construed as therapy. Edwards offers a final tip to those who argue against: “If your ‘art therapy’ costs $50 per year for supplies, versus $65,000 for salary and benefits, then you’re not offering art therapy. Naturally, all forms of healing are valid, we just all need to be clear about how we describe what we’re able to offer.”

“Like all mental/behavioral health psychotherapies, art therapy must be practiced by a trained art therapist,” says Edwards. “Art therapists conduct biopsychosocial intakes, psychological and art therapy assessments, and create long-term treatment plans for clients. They maintain treatment notes for individual and group sessions to notate client change, progress, needs, and shift effective interventions to maximize growth with clients.”

Makers and Business Whether or not we like to admit it, there is a certain perceived dichotomy that lies between being an artist and making money from your craft. It can be a tricky world to navigate, and for many artists, often requires more than selling work in galleries, craft fairs, or shops. We’ve talked to artists who have turned their love of ceramic art into their full-time business. Felt + Fat is a rapidly expanding collaborative design manufacturing studio based in Philadelphia that sells their custom tableware to restaurants and businesses around the country. The company is co-owned and operated by Wynn Bauer and Nate Mell. Molly Hatch is an artist and designer who, alongside exhibition openings and New York Times write-ups, sells her ceramic work and designs through popular retailers that include Target and Anthropologie. From tableware to a wide range of lifestyle products (including coloring books!) her bright, quirky designs light up anyone’s home or workspace. We’re proud of the role we’ve played in supporting these artists in achieving artistic and business success. Join us as we look towards what’s next for makers and business.

Felt + Fat co-owners Nate Mell and Wynn Bauer, photo by Neil Santos

Felt + Fat began with one small project, which led to an idea, which quickly flourished into a full-grown business. “Nate and I met at The Clay Studio. It’s where it all began,” says co-owner Wynn Bauer. “We quickly realized we needed to go out on our own as partners in order to grow and keep up with demand.”

Design and ceramic work seem to go hand-in-hand. For Molly Hatch, whose been working in both disciplines long before opening her home studio in 2008, the processes feed each other. “I see my design work and one-of-a-kind artwork as very much related, but feeding different parts of my creative process,” says Hatch. “I love the long-term projects and larger bodies of work that I explore through working with galleries and museums because they give me the opportunity to dig pretty deeply and more abstractly or conceptually into ideas I am thinking about for both design and one-of-a-kind artwork.”

Felt + Fat plates, photo by Neil Santos

And grow they did. Felt + Fat has moved twice, growing from a studio of 300 square feet, to 1,700 square feet, to now 5,500 square feet, all in just over two years, and they’re not done yet. Initially sellers of handmade custom tableware to local restaurants, they’re now exploring new avenues for their work. “Felt + Fat is hoping to push ceramics beyond tableware,” says Bauer. “Lighting designs are underway, [as well as] tiles and architectural elements.” They are hoping to collaborate with artists that specialize in other craft materials, such as wood, metal, and fibers, as well as 2D artists to create graphic and textural surfaces.

Both businesses have a relationship with the traditional history of ceramics while infusing modern-day style into their works. For Felt + Fat, this appreciation of the handmade is exactly what supports their success. “We think there is definitely a rise in appreciation and curiosity in the handmade, more humble mediums like ceramics; art forms that require more intimacy and the constant involvement of the hand. There is no other medium like ceramics. It awaits to be touched,” says Bauer.

The Clay Studio’s role in this? “TCS taught me about community and communication,” says Bauer. “It provided me with access to facilities and people’s minds where I could continue to grow as an artist and make work after graduating college.” Felt + Fat plates, photo by John Benardo

make amazing ceramics, but so can a lot of people,” says Bauer. “One thing that is totally unique about your work is the fact that you made it! Find a way to connect people to you personally.” Decide on the part of the business that you most enjoy doing, and figure out how to do it. Don’t undervalue your work. Associate yourself with good people and brands. And, of course, “Hustle! Work every day until you don’t think you can anymore, and then work some more!”

Molly Hatch,photo by Michael Piazza, 2014

“I have always felt as though I am playing telephone with art history in my work,” says Hatch. “We all have such strong associations with ceramic objects— historic and contemporary. I see my interest and sourcing of history as a way to work in a continuum—for my work to be conversant with history.” In this way, she notes, the work she makes is a way “to make something old new again.”

With both businesses at the top of their game and still growing, what do they see as “next” for makers and business? Bauer and Mell continue to keep their ear to the ground for new ideas and trends, looking to businesses such as Mud Australia and Heath Ceramics as a model for their own.

So, what advice would both of these successful businesses offer to young makers seeking new ways to sell their work? “Copywriting your work and publishing your ideas online [gives] a clear timestamp to when you thought of your idea. This helps when you feel your intellectual property has been infringed upon,” offers Hatch. Though, she adds, this concern has only come up a handful of times. She suggests enlisting the help of an Intellectual Property lawyer when dealing with contracts. “It’s great to have someone on your team who can be an advocate for you.”

For Hatch, there are only great things on the horizon. “I am so excited for the ceramic medium to become more dominant and accepted in the fine art world and art markets,” she says. “I see a lot of great design coming up as well and I am excited by younger artists who are seeing that diversifying income and taking advantage of collaborative opportunities with the right companies can lead to careers that are bigger than we could ever imagine.” Molly Hatch,photo by Michael Piazza, 2014

Bauer and Mell offer far-reaching advice: Surround yourself with people who know more than you. Create a story. “You can 25

A final message from Christopher R. Taylor, Clay Studio President Change is in the air, but, in many ways, it has always been in the air at The Clay Studio. What began as five artists sharing a communal workspace now welcomes tens of thousands of people each year through community, cultural, and educational programming. One need only look outside our windows in Old City to see the change that is and has been taking place all around us. The field of ceramics is also changing and so is the life of the ceramic artist. Young art students are pushing the boundary of traditional ceramic technique and blurring the lines of the media. Our future Resident Artists will be well versed in 3-D scanning and printing technologies that were once the purview of science fiction. Upon graduation, these artists will live in a more digital world and many will chart new career paths in the design field. With the reduction in formal arts education in schools, nonprofit arts organizations are finding new ways to integrate arts into classrooms. Support is growing for alternative learning methods and evaluation of the benefits of an arts-rich curriculum. As we move to a more global community, ceramics is proving to be a vehicle to illustrate world history and celebrate cultural diversity. Clay has also become a respected medium for the practice of art therapy. A new respect for the artisanal is signaling a newfound respect for the handmade object from all corners of society. New farm-to-table restaurants are commissioning dishware from local artists who are, in turn, opening new production businesses. At the same time, young adults from all over the city are enrolling in clay classes and evening workshops in record numbers. The next generation of collectors is encountering clay alongside paintings and sculpture in blue-chip galleries, museums, and at major art fairs. As we consider the next phase in the life of The Clay Studio, we are once again called to meet the evolving needs of our artists, our community, and the young people of our region. This evolution is taking place against a backdrop of a world that is increasingly connected, digital, and globally focused. The new Clay Studio will be more than improved space and facilities. The new Clay Studio must meet these emerging trends while continuing to serve emerging talent, build partnerships with schools, showcase the best ceramic art, and contribute to Philadelphiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s world-class cultural community. I hope you join in my excitement when we begin to unveilâ&#x20AC;Ś Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Next!

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