by Carole Epp | Mar 8, 2018 | Uncategorized

(in)Visible is a show by the group “We Are Not Invisible,” a community of artists hoping to break the silence within our world, in particular the clay community, and engage in honest discussions and education about sensitive and often taboo topics, beginning with an exhibition during the 2018 NCECA (National Council on Education in Ceramic Arts) conference in Pittsburgh PA.

Our Statement – As the 2016 election year and beyond have highlighted, deep currents of belief, experience, and culture divide our world. This exhibition highlights female and gender non-binary artists working in ceramics, who in some way feel invisible to the dominant culture. These artists represent a marginalized group in the field, often unrecognized and belonging to specific groups of race, gender, culture, religion, and/or physical and mental illnesses (commonly termed as “invisible”). For each of us, art is our voice and our way to make seen and heard what we are all too often told to keep silent about.
What We’re Doing – (in)Visible is not simply a show. As part of NCECA 2018 we will be represented on two panel discussions, and have both Facebook and Instagram pages that feature artists from all media and genres beyond the original group in an effort to bring even more voices to the conversation.
The Show: NCECA 2018 Concurrent Exhibition: (in)Visible
Location: Braddock Carnegie Library, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania
February 2- March 17, 2018
reception March 16, 5-9pm
Braddock Carnegie Library 419 Library St, Braddock PA
hours: T — Th 11-8, M, F 10-5, Sat 9-4
The Panels: NCECA 2018
Thursday March 15, 1:15pm-2:45pm Spirit of Pittsburgh Ballroom A. PANEL: THE ART OF OTHERNESS, Moderaator: Courtney Leonard Panelists: Habiba El-Sayed, Mac McCusker, Raven Halfmoon. The Art of Otherness features the experiences of ceramic artists who face challenges of belonging to a marginalized culture through ethnicity, religion and gender identity. This panel seeks to challenge diversity, and offer real solutions in tackling cultural invisibility in the ceramic community.
Thursday March 15, 4:00pm-5:00pm 301-303. PANEL: UNSPOKEN, UNSEEN: INVISIBLE, Moderator: Sarah Jewell Olsen Panelists: Sara Morales-Morgan, Jamie Bates Slone, Ashleigh Christelis. Being a working artist is difficult enough without facing the social and personal obstacles of a mental or physical illness. This panel aims to end the stigma and silence and start a conversation about mental and physical health with the artistic community, out of the shadows of invisibility.


T-shirt’s! We have T-shirt’s! Thingsmadegood.threadless.com is helping us out with the design (above) and the shop.
Website: www.wearentinvisible.org
Instagram: @wearentinvisible
by Carole Epp | Jan 29, 2018 | Uncategorized



The Crafted Dish is a project brought to you as part of National Clay Week. Each October join NCW in a celebration of Clay in all its forms. Lindsay Oesterritter and Stephen Creech, began in 2015 to outline what would become the annual, National Clay Week. NCW started with the ambition of uniting and supporting communities and celebrating ceramics in all its forms.
Partnering with talented artists and thinkers has allowed NCW to accomplish more than originally imagined. With the initiative of the teams and partnerships, NCW has funded scholarship projects, raised money for charity, provided a resource for educators, brought more attention to what is happening with clay in local communities, and connected those local, grass-roots clay communities to global conversations.
All the artwork, recipes, essays, jurying, graphic design, marketing and support of The Crafted Dish has been donated by the many artists and organizations involved.It is our pleasure to offer this publication as a means to give back to the community. Proceeds from the sale of The Crafted Dish are being donated to The Stop Community Food Centre.
Mission: The Stop strives to increase access to healthy food in a manner that maintains dignity, builds health and community, and challenges inequality. For over 30 years, The Stop Community Food Centre has been at the forefront of dignified, innovative programs that provide access to healthy food; build skills, health, hope, and community; and confront the underlying issues that lead to poverty and hunger. Our wide range of programs include drop-in meals, a food bank, community kitchens and gardens, perinatal and family support, civic engagement, and children and youth engagement.
www.thecrafteddish.com
www.paypal.me/CaroleEpp
by Carole Epp | Jan 17, 2018 | Uncategorized
Claytopia
Prospectus for 2019 Concurrent Exhibition Proposals
53rd ANNUAL NCECA CONFERENCE
Wednesday March 27 – Saturday, March 30, 2019
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Deadline: Thursday, February 1, 2018 (11:59 p.m. EST)
**For questions or technical assistance contact [email protected]. NCECA recommends using Firefox or Chrome, as Safari does NOT work well with our forms.
Download the Full Prospectus (pdf)
Overview
The exhibition and expansion of contemporary ceramic practice will include diverse approaches to ideas and senses of materiality involving clay and process. NCECA’s annual conference draws thousands of informed and enthusiastic followers, and practitioners of ceramic to a different region in the continental United States each year. The experience of the annual NCECA conference, while grounded within an urban convention center, is vastly enriched by the diverse array of exhibitions that NCECA works to situate and promote throughout its conference host region. The Concurrent Exhibitions proposal is the first opportunity offered in NCECA’s conference planning cycle to solicit exhibition concepts from the field that relate to and expand on the unique theme formulated for the host region of each of NCECA’s annual conferences.
Concurrent Exhibitions provide a platform for participating artists to engage with the global audience of ceramic enthusiasts to expand, challenge, and celebrate critical and aesthetic horizons of art made with clay. NCECA promotes Concurrent Exhibitions through the print conference guide, app, website, Blog and social media. NCECA makes efforts to cluster exhibitions within art/cultural districts as well as developing neighborhoods to maximize viewer attendance.
2019 Concurrent Exhibitions Focus
NCECA seeks exhibition proposals that incorporate clay as the principal medium of expression and have conceptual resonance with the theme of its 53rd annual conference, Claytopia. The conference will take place in Minneapolis, Minnesota in March 27-30, 2019. Since the 1960s, the Twin Cities region has played a pivotal role in shaping a renaissance in studio pottery and craft as cultural forces. Adaptation of Mingei-inspired ideals within the American heartland drove a vision of artfulness in daily life. Claytopia will engage regional, national and international artists, thinkers, curators, educators, and students to produce an array of exhibitions and experiences that build on, respond to, celebrate, and push against ceramic art’s diverse legacies. Together, we will expand critical discourse on teaching, learning, aesthetics, social impacts, design thinking, and artistic production.
https://nceca.net/concurrent-exhibition-proposals/
by Carole Epp | Jan 12, 2018 | call for entry

Don’t miss out! Get your applications in! Have the chance to get your work seen at NCECA in Pittsburgh this March!
Read about the last Growlerfest in Ceramics Monthly by Amanda Barr
Check out the website for more details and info.
But most imporatantly – APPLY! (direct link to application)

- About GrowlerFest At The Brew House Association
GrowlerFest at the Brew House Association, connects artists to the craft beer movement, showcasing ties between food, beer and ceramics. It’s goal is to link craft breweries and the vitality of handmade pottery. GrowlerFest 2018 pairs invited Artists with an Open Call for beer growlers, jugs, and other containers used for storing or serving beer. Curated by Alexandra Jelleberg & Bradley Klem, the exhibition will be on view March 2-29, 2018 in the Brew House Association’s Gallery.
- NCECA VENDOR SPONSORED EXHIBITION
During this national ceramics conference, March 14-17th, 2018, GrowlerFest will be at the Brewhouse Association, located at
711 South 21st St., Pittsburgh, PA, 412-381-2000. Open hours will be extended during the conference: Tue-Sat 11am-2pm, Saturdays 11am-2:30pm, or by appointment (10am-5pm).
A Public Reception will be held Friday, Mar 16, from 6-9pm, with local beer & food tasters. More details to be announced!
- About the Brew House Association | brewhousearts.org
- GrowlerFest 2018 Invited Artists
Nicole Aquillano, Amanda Barr, Jessica Brandl, Tom Budzak, Ben Carter, Adriana Christianson, Blair Clemo, Carole Epp, Adam Field, Chase Gamblin, Perry Haas, Meredith Host, Michael Kline, Lorna Meaden, Didem Mert, Steve Theberge, Kyla Toomey, Mariko Paterson, Justin Rothshank, Liz Quackenbush, Gwendolyn Yoppolo
- GrowlerFest Concept
GrowlerFest connects artists to the craft beer movement by showcasing the ties between local food, craft beer, and ceramics. It’s goal is to create a “cross current” link between the craft brewery movement and the vitality of handmade pottery. Through the intersection of collaboration and individual aesthetic, we hope to spark investment in handmade objects among a group of people who share a common interest. The enjoyment of food and drink can be greatly enriched by the experience of using the beautiful work artists so thoughtfully produce.GrowlerFest is partnering with the Brew House Association (BHA), which provides a wide range collaborative spaces, programs, and people in order to encourage the pursuit of artistic excellence. The BHA has emerged as a place where code writers mix with sculptors, artists evolve into entrepreneurs, and citizens from Pittsburgh’s South Side, Hilltop, and Mon Valley come to be creative. A former brewery located near Pittsburgh’s cultural district, it presents the perfect location for an exhibition centering on its historical purpose and contemporary identity.The exhibition will be comprised of two components, one being juried growlers from artists who answer an open call for entry, and another being growlers made by an invited list of artists. We will pair these two components in order to create a multi-faceted exhibition which fosters a particular aesthetic while sparking interest in the growler as a form. The events will feature beer tasting and local food and will be free and open to the public during the NCECA Conference.The public is invited to an exhibition and social gatherings centering on the beer growler.
Follow on social media
Instagram: GrowlerFest | Bradley Klem | Alexandra Jelleberg
by Carole Epp | Jan 11, 2018 | Uncategorized
Roberto Lugo has generously organized a fundraiser to help get students to this year’s NCECA conference. Here is your chance to own the “POTTERY SAVED MY LIFE” T-SHIRT. Students of Tyler School of Art will be the benificiaries. Please consider buying one for your favorite potter or maybe yourself. www.bonfire.com/pottery-saved-my-life