Lee Burningham on mon 13 dec 10
Howdy,
=3D20
I am going to hopefully dispel a myth here about NCECA conference =3D
locations. It is NOT about the tourist locations everyone wants to visit =
=3D
on someone else's dime. It is about conference facilities and available =3D
hotel rooms. Greeley, Colorado, site of the first, or one of the first, =3D
NCECA conferences ever, would not be a viable candidate for a current =3D
conference today because of the sheer size of the conference. Last year =3D
there were approximately 5000 registered attendees. Add spouses, groupies, =
=3D
commercial exhibitors and unregistered followers of the Clay Muse and the =
=3D
total population of an NCECA conference swells to well over 10,000 people. =
=3D
Talk with Dori Nielsen, the NCECA conference guru, about the site =3D
requirements necessary to house the activities.
=3D20
I know hotels are expensive. Tell that to me, my students, and most of my =
=3D
K-12 colleagues that have been paying our own way for the past twenty =3D
years. Public and private school budgets do not usually include conference =
=3D
costs and travel budgets for teachers. Ditto for studio potters.=3D20
=3D20
The last consideration, but not least, is who will host the conference? =3D
Who out there, at least two of you, in Ann Arbor is willing to put two or =
=3D
three years of voluntary labor into arranging conference sites, at least =
=3D
two or three museums and galleries to host large clay shows, another 100+ =
=3D
smaller galleries, schools, art centers, sponsors, and coordinating =3D
efforts for the annual influx of potters? The annual NCECA conference =3D
turns the host city into the world center of ceramics for the week because =
=3D
of all the potters attending from all over the world.
=3D20
Is it worth attending? Not only yes, but HELL YES! It has been a life-chang=
=3D
ing experience for many of my students. It has been a life-changing =3D
experience for me. It is my battery recharge each spring. It would have =3D
been very easy to say, "It is too expensive. It is too far away this year. =
=3D
Too much hassle with the administration to get there."=3D20
=3D20
NCECA will never be held in Hawaii or Alaska because of simple logistics. =
=3D
How well do trucks, hauling heavy clay and ceramics equipment, float? ;-))
=3D20
I'm excited for Tampa. I hope you are all excited also! See you there!
=3D20
Lee=3D20
=3D20
>>> KATHI LESUEUR 12/13/2010 11:05 AM >>>
Hotels cost so much and Clayart rooms are so hard to come by because NCECA =
=3D
insists on having their conferences at big cities known for tourism. Many =
=3D
of the participants don't have to pay their own way to the conference so =
=3D
it becomes a paid vacation. For the working artist it's much more =3D
difficult. Their are lots of less expensive alternatives. For instance, =3D
here in Ann Arbor we have a community college with a great conference =3D
center. It is rented out to many groups, big and small. The Plumbers and =
=3D
Pipefitters Union holds their annual conference here. An abundance of =3D
motels and restaurants available from Motel 6 to Hilton. I'm sure there =3D
are lots of other community colleges with similar facilities. But, what =3D
they don't offer is the tourist location. The same thing happens with =3D
other professions. My brother belongs to the Librarian's Association. One =
=3D
year the conference was set for Hawaii. His library balked at the price =3D
and he didn't go.=3D20
KATHI LESUEUR
http://www.lesueurclaywork.com
On Dec 13, 2010, at 11:59 AM, Elizabeth Willoughby wrote:
> Dear Mel and clayarters,
> I mistakenly deleted your message about getting a clayart hotel in =3D
Tampa.
> However, these are my thoughts on the matter. One of the reasons that
> NCECA and the hotels involved with that conference insist on charging =3D
one
> for the first night if you cancel, is because of money. Mel and Joyce =
=3D
and
> Laguna have been incredibly generous in the past, making sure that
> clayarters have a space in a hotel. But what a headache. It simply is =
=3D
not
> right that we ask them to shoulder the responsibility of getting us a =3D
good
> deal at a hotel. There is a good deal for a hotel, and it happens to be =
=3D
one
> of the hotels that NCECA has arranged for its members. The two hotels =
=3D
are
> very close to the conference and are offered at a good rate. $159 and =
=3D
$169.
> That may sound expensive to you, but the regular rates for the hotels is
> well over $200. Check out the NCECA web-site << www.nceca.net >>and =3D
have a
> look at the hotels. Clayarters can still get together with a little
> organization if we stay at one of these hotels.
> Mel, I just want you to know that you have been over the top at =3D
organizing
> the clayart hotel and activities and now I think that you should not =3D
have to
> worry over it, and a belated thank you for all the work that you have =3D
done
> for all of us.
> Everyone out there, enjoy the season,
> Liz
> freezing out and snowing, and glad I don't have to shovel snow in Mn.
>=3D20
> --
> Liz Willoughby
> Brighton/Grafton,
> Ontario, Canada
>=3D20
tony clennell on mon 13 dec 10
Hey Lee: If I had your money I'd burn mine. You do such a good job of
including your students in clay related activities. Keep up the good
work. Logan, Utah a fond memory for a Northener. tc
On Mon, Dec 13, 2010 at 3:23 PM, Lee Burningham
wrote:
> Howdy,
>
> I am going to hopefully dispel a myth here about NCECA conference locatio=
=3D
ns. It is NOT about the tourist locations everyone wants to visit on someon=
=3D
e else's dime. It is about conference facilities and available hotel rooms.=
=3D
Greeley, Colorado, site of the first, or one of the first, NCECA conferenc=
=3D
es ever, would not be a viable candidate for a current conference today bec=
=3D
ause of the sheer size of the conference. Last year there were approximatel=
=3D
y 5000 registered attendees. Add spouses, groupies, commercial exhibitors a=
=3D
nd unregistered followers of the Clay Muse and the total population of an N=
=3D
CECA conference swells to well over 10,000 people. Talk with Dori Nielsen, =
=3D
the NCECA conference guru, about the site requirements necessary to house t=
=3D
he activities.
>
> I know hotels are expensive. Tell that to me, my students, and most of my=
=3D
K-12 colleagues that have been paying our own way for the past twenty year=
=3D
s. Public and private school budgets do not usually include conference cost=
=3D
s and travel budgets for teachers. Ditto for studio potters.
>
> The last consideration, but not least, is who will host the conference? W=
=3D
ho out there, at least two of you, in Ann Arbor is willing to put two or th=
=3D
ree years of voluntary labor into arranging conference sites, at least two =
=3D
or three museums and galleries to host large clay shows, another 100+ small=
=3D
er galleries, schools, art centers, sponsors, and coordinating efforts for =
=3D
the annual influx of potters? The annual NCECA conference turns the host ci=
=3D
ty into the world center of ceramics for the week because of all the potter=
=3D
s attending from all over the world.
>
> Is it worth attending? Not only yes, but HELL YES! It has been a life-cha=
=3D
nging experience for many of my students. It has been a life-changing exper=
=3D
ience for me. It is my battery recharge each spring. It would have been ver=
=3D
y easy to say, "It is too expensive. It is too far away this year. Too much=
=3D
hassle with the administration to get there."
>
> NCECA will never be held in Hawaii or Alaska because of simple logistics.=
=3D
How well do trucks, hauling heavy clay and ceramics equipment, float? ;-))
>
> I'm excited for Tampa. I hope you are all excited also! See you there!
>
> Lee
>
>
>
>>>> KATHI LESUEUR 12/13/2010 11:05 AM >>>
> Hotels cost so much and Clayart rooms are so hard to come by because NCEC=
=3D
A insists on having their conferences at big cities known for tourism. =3DA=
0M=3D
any of the participants don't have to pay their own way to the conference s=
=3D
o it becomes a paid vacation. For the working artist it's much more difficu=
=3D
lt. Their are lots of less expensive alternatives. For instance, here in An=
=3D
n Arbor we have a community college with a =3DA0great conference center. =
=3DA0I=3D
t is rented out to many groups, big and small. The Plumbers and Pipefitters=
=3D
Union holds their annual conference here. An abundance of motels and resta=
=3D
urants available from Motel 6 to Hilton. I'm sure there are lots of other c=
=3D
ommunity colleges with similar facilities. But, what they don't offer is th=
=3D
e tourist location. The same thing happens with other professions. My broth=
=3D
er belongs to the Librarian's Association. One year the conference was set =
=3D
for Hawaii. His library balked at the price and he didn't go.
>
> KATHI LESUEUR
> http://www.lesueurclaywork.com
>
>
>
> On Dec 13, 2010, at 11:59 AM, Elizabeth Willoughby wrote:
>
>> Dear Mel and clayarters,
>> I mistakenly deleted your message about getting a clayart hotel in Tampa=
=3D
.
>> However, these are my thoughts on the matter. =3DA0One of the reasons th=
at
>> NCECA and the hotels involved with that conference insist on charging on=
=3D
e
>> for the first night if you cancel, is because of money. =3DA0Mel and Joy=
ce=3D
and
>> Laguna have been incredibly generous in the past, making sure that
>> clayarters have a space in a hotel. =3DA0But what a headache. =3DA0It si=
mply=3D
is not
>> right that we ask them to shoulder the responsibility of getting us a go=
=3D
od
>> deal at a hotel. =3DA0There is a good deal for a hotel, and it happens t=
o =3D
be one
>> of the hotels that NCECA has arranged for its members. =3DA0The two hote=
ls=3D
are
>> very close to the conference and are offered at a good rate. =3DA0$159 a=
nd=3D
$169.
>> That may sound expensive to you, but the regular rates for the hotels is
>> well over $200. =3DA0Check out the NCECA web-site << www.nceca.net >>and=
h=3D
ave a
>> look at the hotels. Clayarters can still get together with a little
>> organization if we stay at one of these hotels.
>> Mel, I just want you to know that you have been over the top at organizi=
=3D
ng
>> the clayart hotel and activities and now I think that you should not hav=
=3D
e to
>> worry over it, and a belated thank you for all the work that you have do=
=3D
ne
>> for all of us.
>> Everyone out there, enjoy the season,
>> Liz
>> freezing out and snowing, and glad I don't have to shovel snow in Mn.
>>
>> --
>> Liz Willoughby
>> Brighton/Grafton,
>> Ontario, Canada
>>
>
--=3D20
Tony Clennell, =3DA0MFA, RCA
Studio Potter, Educator, Author
http://sourcherrypottery.com
http://smokieclennell.blogspot.com
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