sacredclay on fri 19 oct 07
Stretch's Gallery, where I have worked as an instructor and studio
work for barely a year has closed down. For six years, my boss, Rick,
has done what he could to find new students, but basically, the cost
of advertising took up too large of a chunk of money, plus where it
was located was not in the best spot. Too far back from the road and
situated between a small custom order flag factory and an overblown
sports bar that's really for the locals who knew each other for over
25 years. The bar also has its own mini-Lazy Boy chair for their
poodle dogs.At least, one of them contains some poodle pedigree and a
zillion other breeds. Rick has decided to go to the new YMCA branch
to start a new ceramic studio there with all of his equipments
donated there.He got the stuff and they got the advertising, over
70,000 contacts. A new position of an art director is created for
him.There is buzz of excitement, as this will be the only ceramic
studio that's not paint-your-own- pottery store in that area.I'll be
working there as a teacher also.Anyway,I stopped by at the studio to
help Rick pack up the studio, with an idea that my truck can be used
to load the raw materials and whatnots and transport it to the Y.I
have moved 12 times in 10 years in the 80's and early 90's.I know how
to pack a truck.The last time I've moved was 7 years ago and we've
hired beefy men with watermelon biceps to do that. I'm not a spring
chicken anymore. But I will help Rick, as I don't know how many other
people were helping him. Turn out to be only one other guy, named
Fred who did the sculptual installation in front of the studio. Came
all the way from Texas to dismantled it. He and Rick dismantled the
two kilns and loaded the moving truck with it, as well as the six
wheels. Then Fred had to go somewhere for a couple of hours.Rick has
no one else to help him so I did. We moved the kilns and the wheels
to a temporary shed at the Y.The new studio is being built into an
existing building. Those kilns are goddamned heavy, even in sections.
I found out that the top and bottom is heavier than the middle. I've
figured I've sweated out ten pounds. Rick is all energy, never
slowing down. Hey, I'm a macho woman that refuse to believe that I'm
getting old! Never mind that I took a couple of painkillers before I
did this! I'm strong! I'm capable! I'm Super Clay Goddess!
Later,reality check-oh, my aching body! I'm losing it! I want to
collect disability checks!Don't touch me! The Y was supposed to send
volunteers over with a truck to do this. It obviously fell through.
Fred came back and I left after awhile later,seven hours later,40
pounds lighter,needing to get back to my family. My truck is filled
with my stuff, my glazes, and all the recycled clay that Rick didn't
want, plus a bookshelf for my son's huge collection of Star Treks
books. What did I learn from this experience? Other than the fact
that moving sucks big time, potters are solitary creatures and don't
have alot of friends around to help them move.Odd that this is the
second time I came across this idea in less than three months. A
woman told me that I had no friends because I spent every single day
at the studio. And she was right. Social anxiety? Social phobias?
Most likely absorbed in the timeless world of clay.It made me
wondered, how many of you have moved a studio? Were there enough
people to help you? How successful was the relocation-meaning was it
better at the new place than before? And,as the Solitary Potter, how
many peole helped you? This is a long post, yes, I know, dear sweet
people,but bear with me. Meanwhile, I'm going to go suck down a
couple of more painkillers. If I can get out of this chair. Oh, my
aching body!
Kathryn Hughes in NC
Roseanne Breuer on fri 19 oct 07
You are ever so right. I was very active, well known, and in demand. My
work was going in collections around the country and parts of Europe. Then the
world changed. I had to move my studio to a secondary location where there was
no space to work. I took up windsurfing, used my creativity burning calories
and went into clay remission. Ten years later, dust collecting, I made an
attempt to work just to make tiles for a renovation -- it put the energy back
into my creative edge ... only to have it disrupted with yet another move.
There is more studio misc.equipment and tons of chemicals, bats, tables, etc., and
there is no help for this gal. I could only post ads in papers, art centers,
Craigslist and this site to try to sell everything so that I can start from
scratch on the island that will be my new home. There is still a truckload of
boxes, etc., and I will get them there with a son-in-law and his pick up. Bits
and pieces and more bits and pieces. Starting from scratch once again but
with a goal -- new ideas -- etc. There is always a way, there is always hope,
once again people may crave my creative expressions. Where ever I am there
will be people who will pay my work.
Wherever you go -- your love of your creative needs will follow -- wherever
you are -- there is a way to find new outlets, new customers, new studio. Keep
the faith.
Roseanne
Wherever you go y
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