job postings @ Clay Art Center

Clay Art Center is Hiring!

Program and Sales Assistant

35 hours/week, Tuesday – Saturday
Pay: $30,000 – 33,000

Clay Art Center seeks a Program and Sales Assistant to work in our vibrant non-profit ceramic art organization in Port Chester, New York. We are looking for a person with excellent people skills to operate the front desk with the day to day tasks of sales and student registration. Be the first person that our customers/students see and hear on a daily basis. This position requires individuals to be detail-oriented, organized, and possess excellent people skills. Must have a working knowledge of applications including Microsoft Office, QuickBooks, Salesforce (database management) and website management. Language proficiency in Spanish is a plus.

Details of the job:

Programs – Responsible for registering students and managing student activities for all educational programs
● Manage student class and workshop registration
● Update and maintain class, party, and private instruction schedules
● Process, deliver and manage student credit logs for payment of supplies
● Assist in coordination of private instruction sessions and clay parties
● Manage classroom tools and office supply ordering and inventory

Communications – Responsible for timely communications with students & visitors via email/phone & in person.
● Answer phones and greet visitors, guests, or customers in a professional manner daily
● General customer care, including giving tours of facility when needed
● Update website for classes, programs, and other pages

Gallery Shop Management
● Handle gallery and shop sales
● Maintain upkeep of display in shop
● Attend gallery openings and events as needed

Exhibitions
● Assist Exhibitions Manager with exhibition related programs

Benefits: Health Insurance, vacation and sick days, opportunity to take a free ceramics class.

Application instructions: Please send resume and cover letter with the subject line Program and Sales Assistant to [email protected]. No phone calls please.

Posted October 31, 2019

Program Director

Full-time
Salary: $45,000-60,000

Do you love clay? Do you believe everyone deserves access to the arts?

Clay Art Center, a nationally recognized non-profit center for the advancement and practice of the ceramic arts, seeks a dynamic educator and program administrator to lead Clay Art Center’s Programs. Reporting to the Executive Director, you will be responsible for managing onsite adult and youth education and work in partnership with area schools, community centers and organizations to provide access to the ceramic arts for the community’s economically disadvantaged youth, teens and older adults, and for those with special needs. The Program Director also oversees special projects such as mosaics and youth symposia. The Program Director is responsible for each program’s content, budget, and growth.

Specific responsibilities include:

Program Development:
• Direct, expand and deepen existing community arts and youth programs and develop new partnerships.
• Develop, implement and grow adult educational programs, including one-time and weekly classes, private lessons, independent study and clay parties
• Hire and supervise community arts and youth/summer camp instructors. Provide opportunities to develop teaching skills.
• Hire and manage instructors, and produce teacher contracts each session. Conduct 3 teacher meetings per year
• Manage the scholarship program for summer camp and youth classes.

Education Programming:
• Curate and coordinate a calendar of workshops, collaborating with Exhibitions Manager; implement workshops
• Oversee enrollment and manage communications to address low enrollment and ensure student prospects are being attended to in a timely manner
• Ensure classrooms are adequately equipped to fulfill needs of program, working with Studio Manager to address short and long term needs;
• Help organize public and private events specific to students and members

Marketing and Evaluation:
• Prepare content for class brochures and other print media by working with other Clay Art Center staff
• Oversee and maintain educational and community content on website
• Analyze metrics and evaluate the impact of programming quarterly

Personnel:
• Supervise part-time Community Liaison and full-time Program Assistant
• Supervise and mentor Community Arts Fellow and Community Arts Assistant(s), who provide technical and administrative support.
• Be accountable and report to the ED
• General customer care, including returning phone calls and emails daily and developing relationships with students, teachers, student prospects and visitors.
• Attend gallery openings and events as needed

Financial:
• Develop budget for programming
• Maintain controls to meet fiscal year income and expense budget targets
• Manage credit log system
• Manage instructor hourly payroll on a bi-monthly basis.

Qualifications:
• 4 years of experience in community-based arts programming, adult education, k-12 education or arts administration.
• A deep knowledge of ceramics.
• Ability to teach and develop programming for a wide spectrum of audiences and ages.
• Access to reliable transportation.

Benefits: Health Insurance, vacation and sick days, opportunity to take a free ceramics class.

Application instructions: Please send resume and cover letter with the subject line Program Director to [email protected]. No calls please.

Posted November 1, 2019

www.clayartcenter.org

260 Fingers: An Invitational Exhibition of Ceramic Art

260 FINGERS: 26 CELEBRATED CERAMIC ARTISTS CONVERGE FOR 15TH ANNUAL INVITATIONAL EXHIBITION AND SALE

175 Third Ave. Ottawa, ON

Opening/Vernissage: Friday, November 8, 6-9pm

Saturday, November 9 and Sunday, November 10, 10am-5pm

Just as the farm-to-table movement shows us where our food comes from and how it is grown, handmade pottery urges us to consider the story behind the objects we hold in our hands. It is a story about processes, materials, and an individual artist’s skills and creativity as they express themselves through clay.

To join in a conversation with 26 ceramic artists and learn more about their relationship with clay, come to 260 Fingers at the Glebe Community Centre from November 8 to 10!  For the 15th consecutive year, 26 of Ontario and Quebec’s most accomplished ceramic artists are converging to exhibit and sell some of the most innovative and inspiring clay work being produced in the region.  The breadth and caliber of this invitational show is recognized as unique in both provinces and features work from functional to sculptural, wood-fired to electric-fired, subtle to highly decorative.

On Friday, November 8, from 6-9pm, the gorgeous, domed atrium of the Glebe Community Center will open its doors to visitors eager to be among the first to view and purchase this year’s new work. Open to everyone, the vernissage is a vibrant celebration of ceramic work complete with music, food, drink and lively conversation. The show continues Saturday November 9 and Sunday November 10  from 10am –5 pm. The artists are always available for discussions, and, with such a wide range of work and artistic practice, visitors often have questions. There are also guided tours both Saturday and Sunday during which artists talk about their work and techniques.

In addition to the solid core of accomplished potters that have made 260 Fingers such an eagerly anticipated event, eight new guest artists will be adding to the excitement with their best new work. 260 Fingers is different every year, but there is one thing that doesn’t change: the excellence of the craftsmanship and the vibrant atmosphere of an inspired artistic community that comes together to celebrate and talk about clay.

This year, among the 26 participating artists, seven are potters who fire with wood, a laborious and risky method that can result in spectacular yet subtle vessels.  We are thrilled to welcome guest artists Bruce Cochrane and Tony Clennell, both well known teachers and veteran wood firers. Also in this group are Heather Smit, Anne Creskey, Andrew Kellner, Jen Drysdale and John Ikeda. Wood firing is part wild risktaking and part stuborness as it can take days to load the kiln with the pots in strategic places, and days and nights to feed wood into the fire to produce the complex interactions between clay, flame, ashes and salts. The results can be pure, poetic magic.

260 Fingers is a free event. For more information or high-res images, please email [email protected] or call Maureen Marcotte at 819-459-3164.

Participating artists for 2019 are members Anne Creskey, Bill Reddick, Carolynne Pynn-Trudeau, Chandler Swain, Cynthia O’Brien, Don Goddard, Heather Smit, Jen Drysdale, John Ikeda, Leta & Don Cormier, Maria Moldovan, Maureen Marcotte, Reid Flock, Rita Redner, Saskia Praamsma, Susie Osler, Teresa Wingar and guests Bruce Cochrane,Tony Clennell, Andrew Kellner, Terri MacDonald, Patrick Yeung, Michelle Mendlowitz, Marney McDiarmid, and Janet Keefe. To see more about their work visit: www.260fingers.ca

Facebook: www.facebook.com/260Fingers/

Twitter: twitter.com/260Fingers

Instagram: www.instagram.com/260Fingers

call for entry: Off Center

Since the first ceramics were created, like Venus of Dolní Věstonice, before 25,000 BCE and pottery vessels that were discovered in Jiangxi, China, which date back to 18,000 BC, people have been fascinated with clay. Northern California has a rich history of talented ceramic artists from Rob Arneson to Manuel Neri.  Blue Line Arts is excited to showcase the innovation of ceramic techniques and vision from around the world during this annual show.  Ceramic artists who want to share their vision of ceramic art are encouraged to apply.

Judge

TBD

Important Dates
Deadline to enter: March 20th, 2020
Exhibition Dates: May 2nd- June 13th, 2020
Artist Notification: March 28th, 2020
Shipping deadline of work to Blue Line Arts: April 19th, 2020
Hand deliver work to Blue Line Arts: April 26th or April 27th from 10 to 3pm
Opening Reception: May 16th, 2020 From 5 pm- 8:30 pm

Pick up unsold work from Blue Line Arts: June 14th and 15th, from 10 am -3 pm

Eligibility

  • Open to artists everywhere!
  • All artwork must be original and completed within the last two years
  • Artwork cannot have been previously exhibited at Blue Line Arts
  • All 2-D works must be ready to hang
  • All artwork must be for sale
  • Accepted artwork that differs significantly from image in online submission will be disqualified
  • No accepted entry may be withdrawn or sold outside of the exhibition prior to the closing date
  • Blue Line Arts handles all sales transactions. Non-member artists receive a 50% commission from all gallery sales and members receive a 60% commission
  • Size limitations
    • Art must be able to enter through the doors with a clearance of 94”h x 91”w
    • Ceilings in the gallery are 10 feet high
    • Nothing over 60 lbs will be accepted
  • All artwork images must be renamed in the following format:
    • LastNameFirstName_ArtworkTitle
  • The artist is responsible to pay for all shipping and should have a prepaid label from FedEx or UPS (No US Mail)  for return of artwork.

ENTRY FEES

There is a non-refundable entry fee for Off Center show of $35; there is a $5/image fee for every additional image upload.

Application Requirements: Applicants must apply using the form on the Blue Line Arts website, http://www.bluelinearts.org/call-to-artists. You must be 18 years or older to apply.

Questions: If you have any questions about submissions, please contact Blue Line Arts staff during open hours at (916) 783-4117 or email [email protected]

www.bluelinearts.org/off-center-2020