Present Tense Craft Conference

by | Jan 11, 2019 | workshops

October 10 – 12, 2019
Loews Hotel, Philadelphia

As craft organizations are evolving, artists are innovating, and the definition of craft is expanding, the need for conversation about craft’s meaning, impact, sustainability, and relevance is more important than ever. That’s what we’ll explore at “Present Tense: 2019,” three-day gathering about craft’s evolving roles and relevance in today’s world.

We’ll hear from an exciting lineup of speakers from diverse professions who will tackle timely questions and ideas. How do other fields borrow and incorporate the tenets of craft, and what can we learn from them in return? How does craft inspire and create communities? How do handcrafted objects and acts of making shape our identity, connect us, and influence how we see the world?

We’ll experience Philadelphia, an educational and creative hub for craft and a case study for the way in which creative practices influence a whole community. You’ll encounter that first-hand on tours of local artist studios, museum collections, and more.

And we’ll come away with a shared experience, new connections, big ideas, and a path forward. Sounds like a conference you don’t want to miss, right?

Early-bird registration opens on January 22, 2019. Stay tuned for more details!

Rates: Members $335 / non-members $350 / students $200
Hint: Now’s a great time to become an ACC member and save!

Find out more HERE

save the date and register now for New Clay Conference!

by | Nov 7, 2018 | Uncategorized, workshops

Full details are found on their site, but basically it’s going to be a three-day long conference with demos by Naomi Clement, Jason Burnett and Carole Epp, alongside panel discussions, artists talks, exhibitions and social events!

Follow them on Facebook, Instagram and at their website for more details and updates leading up to the event.

Also there is a call for you to get involved with a conference studio tour and exhibitions:

Conference Tour

“One of the goals to the New Clay Conference is to strengthen our clay community and highlight all of the great clay going on already.

We are inviting local studios, galleries and artists to get involved by adding yourselves to our tour.  Leading up to and during the weekend we are encouraging our participants to tour all of the great clay in Ottawa.  We are partnering with a variety of galleries and studios that are going to host exhibitions in cooperation with the New Clay Conference.  If you have a studio or gallery in Ottawa and surrounding area and there are ceramic artists involved we want to hear from you.  You do not need to host a special exhibition, if you already have something in your gallery let us know and we can share that here.  No gallery space but you have a studio that is open to the public? Let us know that too.  We really want to create the ultimate list of studios and galleries in Ottawa that are opening their doors to visitors during the New Clay Conference.  Saturday and Sunday we are going to keep our participants pretty busy so we hope that your study/galleries are open leading up to the weekend as well.”

Please email us:

Studio/Gallery name

Address

Hours

What is going on that weekend: Do you already have scheduled exhibition we can promote? Would you like to do something special for The New Clay Conference? Perhaps this would be a great opportunity to do that ceramics show you have been thinking about for years.

Don’t have a studio or gallery but have a great idea for a themed or group exhibition? Please get in touch with us, we would love to help you find a venue to make your exhibition happen.

Don’t have an idea for an exhibition but have a space you would like to offer up for the weekend? Please contact us and we will match you up with some great art!  Does not need to be a conventional gallery space, coffee shops, restaurants, retail stores and more can make the perfect exhibition space.

Full details about participating here.

IOWA 2018 Clay Conference

by | Aug 28, 2018 | workshops

 

October 5th – October 7th, 2018

Join us for an Intimate Conference with a Midwestern Feel.

The Iowa Ceramics Center and Glass Studio of Cedar Rapids, Iowa is pleased to host the fourth bi-annual Iowa Clay Conference.   This conference brings together potters, ceramic artists and educators from the around the state, as well as contiguous states, to share information and explore areas of common interest.  Local potters and educators will be among the participants – ranging from those new to ceramics to the professional potter at this three-day event.

The Iowa Clay Conference aims to bring together the often-disparate groups of amateur potters, professional ceramic artist/potters and the ceramic educational community (teachers and students) together, to network and to learn from one-another.

This year’s Conference will feature demonstrations, presentations of the working processes of  Matt Kelleher and  Janis Wunderlich with guest presentor Zachary Wollert.

2018 Demonstrators and Presenters:

Matt Kelleher, was raised in Cedar Falls, Iowa.  He attended UNI, where he received an MA in printmaking.  He is currently an Assistant Professor at the internationally recognized Ceramics Department at Alfred University in New York with over ten years of experience as a studio potter.  Matt then received his MFA in 1999 from University of Nebraska-Lincoln where he studied with Gail Kendall, Peter Pinnell, and Eddie Dominguez.  He was a resident at Penland School of Crafts, the Archie Bray Foundation and Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park in Shigaraki, Japan.  Matt received his BFA at the Kansas City Art Institute under Ken Ferguson and Victor Babu from 1993-1995.  We are excited to welcome Matt back to Iowa for the Iowa Clay Conference!

Artist Statement:  “Pottery is a continuous curiosity; how it’s made, how it feels, its shape, its surface, how it exists in a home as an object, or a tool, or maybe an image. . . I create my surfaces for contemplation. Moods are suggested with warmth, fluidity, and translucency…Pouring and layering slip, I respond intuitively to the qualities of liquid.”

Janis Mars Wunderlich is a contemporary ceramic master. She was born in Akron, Ohio and received her BFA from Brigham Young University and an MFA from The Ohio State University.  She was profiled in a documentary Who Does She Think She Is?  Janis has been the recipient of several awards and grants, including multiple fellowships from the Ohio Arts Council and the Greater Columbus Arts Council.  She teaches Ceramics and Design at Ashland University, and is an assistant professor of art history, ceramics, and art foundations at Monmouth College, Monmouth, Illinois.

Zachary Wollert received his MFA from Kent State University.  Zachary has completed residencies at both Cobb Mountain Art and Ecology Project Cobb and Firebug Pottery in Elkton, Oregon.  He also worked as a Graduate Teaching Assistant in Ceramics and Assistant/Curator to the Director of Galleries, for Kent State University in Ohio.  Zach is currently head of the Ceramics Department at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids Iowa where he teaches ceramics and sculpture.

Juried Exhibition ‘River to River’:

In conjunction with the Iowa Clay Conference is the Juried Exhibition “River to River”.  This exhibition is in conjunction with Coe College and is juried by Clary Illian and Mitchell Spain– both accomplished ceramic artists creating and working in Iowa.  They had the difficult task of narrowing down all of the entries to 65 works for the show, and then to further chose one best-of-show and 3 honorable mentions.

This exhibit will highlight the richness and diversity of ceramic art within Iowa and across the Midwest.  Participation is open to all artists 18 years of age or older in Iowa and states directly adjacent to Iowa.  This exhibition will open on September 7th and close on October 6th.  There will be a closing reception on October 6th from 5-7pm.

Cost:

Early Registration  – $65.00 until September 15th

Registration – $85.00 after September 15th

*Student Pricing Available Upon Request (must be a enrolled High School or College Student)  Please email [email protected] for more information on registration for students.

Full details here: www.iowaceramicscenter.org/abouttheconference/

Placemaking: The Unique Connection Between Craft, Community and Tourism

by | Apr 6, 2018 | workshops

Mark your calendars! The CCF/FCMA’s 13th national contemporary craft conference will take place in Nova Scotia from October 10th – 15th, 2018.

Titled Placemaking: The Unique Connection Between Craft, Community and Tourism, this national event will highlight the role of contemporary craft culture in strengthening and encouraging community development. By exploring the positive impact of craft practice on both physical and virtual communities, the conference will share information on craft culture’s role in enhancing the sense of belonging, understanding, and appreciation of community members, leading to happier, healthier, more positive social interactions. Through the presentations, workshops, networking sessions and cultural events of Placemaking, the use of culture as an impetus for positive change will drive conversation through creation, expression, sharing and celebration.

In partnership with Craft Nova Scotia, Craft Alliance, NSCAD University, Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design, Lunenburg School of Art and the Aboriginal Curatorial Collective, this year’s event includes more collaboration than ever before. We are particularly excited that Placemaking will align with the Aboriginal Curatorial Collective’s national conference, also taking place in Halifax this fall. Working closely with the ACC to bring these delegations together, we are exploring the potential for a joint keynote speaker presentation, integrated social events, and a specially designed tour of the craft-specific and Indigenous arts specific events of Halifax’s Nocturne festival.

Placemaking will cover a lot of ground – in theory, and in practice. With three locations across Nova Scotia, delegates can take in a pre-conference tour in Cape Breton, the main conference events in Halifax, and an extended conference and tour in Lunenburg. All three locations will highlight unique cultural experiences and explorations, exposing you to new ideas and new adventures in craft.

Don’t miss out. There will be a limited number of seats available at all these events. Stay tuned for more details – coming soon.