AYUMI HORIE SEEKS NEW POTTERY/CERAMICS ASSISTANT
FLEXIBLE START DATE IN LATE SUMMER/EARLY FALL 2018
Who Should Apply I’m seeking an assistant who cares about quality in all aspects and forms. The applicant should be curious, a hard worker, direct communicator, self-motivated, respectful, be able to hustle, and be detail oriented. Applicants with academic degrees outside of the fine arts are encouraged. Someone with experience in 3D modeling and mold-making would be a plus, but not necessary. The relationship between potter and assistant is an intimate one and needs to be the right fit personality-wise. A sense of humor and ability to learn from mistakes with humility are a must. I’ve had many different assistants with a variety of skill sets, I can meet people where they’re at. I do require a positive, can-do attitude and love it when assistants are open and honest about their opinions.
Time and Timing 1-3 days of work a week with flexible daytime hours. No studio space or board is provided, and pay depends on experience. I value my quiet work time and find that having space apart makes for a better relationship for both parties. There are studio spaces in town that can be rented. Flexible start date between August 15 and September 15, with a two week trial period to make sure we have a good fit. One-year commitment.
Responsibilities Responsibilities include all aspects of studio maintenance- preparing clay (applicant should be able to occasionally wedge 25 pound of clay), production using a RAM press, glazing, mixing slips and glazes, decaling, loading and unloading kilns, photographing and videographing, data entry, packing and shipping, research and copy writing. If you have 3D modeling and mold making skills, we’d be utilizing these as well. If you don’t know some of these things, it’s alright as long as you’re a fast learner and detail-oriented. Possibly some marketing as well, depending on skill level. Having a car is highly recommended, but not necessary as I’m on a bus route ten minutes from downtown Portland.
What You’ll Learn You’ll be part of all aspects of the making process from start to finish and learn how a small business operates. I always have multiple side projects that I need help with. I’m very open about all the marketing and the strategy behind it. Depending on your interest, we can go further into social media and online presence.
How to Apply Apply here. Rolling application until August 1. Please take your time answering questions to the best of your ability. I value thoroughness and will review the applications as they come in. If you need an answer back within a certain time frame, please let me know. If you are a selected candidate, I will set up a Google Hangout interview with you. Please feel free to contact me with questions. Thanks and good luck!
With great sadness, but with gratitude for a life well-lived, Jack Sures’ family informed his students of his passing at noon on May 12, 2018. This news came just weeks after the celebrated Saskatchewan artist received the Governor General’s award in Visual and Media Arts.
Jack Sures, was born in 1934 in Brandon, Manitoba. He completed his Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of Manitoba in 1957, and his masters degree in Painting and Printmaking from Michigan State University in 1959. After travelling around Europe and the Middle East for several years, he returned to Canada to set up his own ceramics studio in Winnipeg. In 1965, Jack moved to Regina to built the Printmaking and Ceramics program at the University of Saskatchewan’s Regina Campus. His contributions at the University of Regina helped to make it the hub of creativity, teaching, and learning it is today. He was the Chairman of the Department of Visual Arts at the University of Regina from 1969 to 1971. On his retirement in 1998 he was granted Professor Emeritus, where he remained actively working in his studio on the University of Regina campus, influencing and inspiring students every day.
During his teaching career, Sures was the recipient of numerous commissions, including pieces for the Canadian Museum of Civilization, Sturdy Stone Provincial Office Building, the University of Saskatchewan, and the Wascana Rehabilitation Centre. His work has been exhibited throughout Canada and internationally.
Sures received many honours and awards, including the Saskatchewan Arts Board Lieutenant Governor’s Lifetime Achievement award. (2017), the Grand Prize at the International Ceramics Competition in Mino, Japan (1989), the University of Regina’s Alumni Association Awards for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching and Research (1991, 1992), the Order of Canada (1991), the Canada 125 Medal, and the Saskatchewan Order of Merit (2003). He was also elected to the International Academy of Ceramics.
Sures’ ceramic work is represented in numerous collection, including the MacKenzie Art Gallery (Regina), Saskatchewan Arts Board, Pecs National Museum (Hungary), Canada Council Art Bank (Ottawa), Winnipeg Art Gallery, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Canadian Guild of Crafts (Montreal), and Mendel Art Gallery (Saskatoon).
In the ceramics classroom, he was uniquely one of a kind charismatic man, and his influence will be remembered and treasured by many. He was a renowned ceramic artist, a remarkable educator, a mentor, and a friend. He led his students by example, showing them what it means to be a motivator through hard work and a passion for life and art. Jack displayed what it takes and what is possible in terms of being a professional artist, right up until the age of eighty-three. The number of students that have been touched by Jack’s knowledge is incalculable. Jack was a generous person, artist, and teacher who loved his “kids” (as he fondly called his students) as if they were his family. He was an artist who showed unwavering kindness and generosity through his actions, shining an internal bright and brilliant light. He fed his student’s fires with his love of art, clay, music, food and life. The gifts he gave are immeasurable and will forever live on through the objects and traces he left behind; his essence of presence will be felt long after he is gone. God Bless his care and hard work with his time on this earth. He will certainly be missed but lives on as an unparalleled friend. Rest in peace, Canadian Ceramic Master and dearest sandwich man.
