Stephani Stephenson on sat 8 jan 11
For those of you who have either taken on apprentices or have worked as a=
=3D
n
apprentice:
what worked?
what didn't?
i am interested in the nitty gritty. what were your financial arrangement=
=3D
s?
work arrangements?
you can email me privately or on list.
thanks!
Stephani Stephenson
Lee on sat 8 jan 11
My first rule is: Don't be an apprentice to someone who has not been
an apprentice.
--
=3DA0Lee Love in Minneapolis
http://mingeisota.blogspot.com/
=3DA0"Ta tIr na n-=3DF3g ar chul an tI=3D97tIr dlainn trina ch=3DE9ile"=3D9=
7that is, =3D
"The
land of eternal youth is behind the house, a beautiful land fluent
within itself." -- John O'Donohue
Liz Gowen 1 on sun 9 jan 11
I hope people respond online on this as I took on an apprentice this past
fall. I am not in a situation where I can pay someone regularly but could
use some help around the studio and with sales. The young lady that I am
working with took some pottery in college but needs a degree of direction,
ideas and taught how to throw and make somethings as well as needing
supplies and firing, use of the wheel. We are trying to work out an
exchange, kept in a book of what was done for the other and it seemed to
work ok up until sale time. She felt even though we were having the sale in
my home it was my job to do all the cleaning which is very difficult for me
since I also had to move my things out of the 2 rooms we were using. Mind
you she did sell along with a local jeweler that didn't feel she needed to
help either. Next time everybody will chip in and I will hire someone.
One issue make sure you ask if they have any physical limitations
point blank do you have a bad back that would limit your lifting bags or
boxes of clay. SHe skirted around that one until we went to pick up clay. M=
y
clay dealer said what kind of studio help did I get if she can't lift clay.
Guess I am learning. On the other hand she is good motivation to get me out
working on a regular bases knowing she is coming 2x'S a week and she lives
about a mile away. It still leaves me having to hire out to have my clay
carried upstairs since that is where I throw. I guess still working on what
an hour of instruction is worth and as her work becomes larger I will have
to figure out firing cost. To date most of her work fit around mine and
wasn't a big deal till the last firing where she had half of the kiln.
Certainly a learning experience and solutions need to evolve as situations
occur so that it is still benificial to us both...Liz Gowen
Stphanie wrote:
For those of you who have either taken on apprentices or have worked as an
apprentice:
what worked?
what didn't?
i am interested in the nitty gritty. what were your financial arrangements?
work arrangements?
Larry Kruzan on sun 9 jan 11
Hi Stephani,
I have had two short term apprentices - perhaps really more interns, but
that's semantics I guess.
Number one was a girl that I saw at the university where I was taking a
couple classes and who impressed me with her work ethic. She was very
diligent about every part of the process. I asked what she had planned for
the summer and we discussed how she might work as an apprentice with me.
First mistake on both parts - no written contract.
I agreed to pay her $100 for each show we did as well as after show dinner,
show transportation, etc. Provide refreshments and lunch each work day, and
to fill her gas tank each week. For any class she taught, I agreed to split
all class fees I received. I also provided a display area in my store where
she could sell her work - she paid no commission fee for the sale (this cos=
t
me). I also agreed to give her a small stipend as sales permitted. I also
allowed her unlimited access to clay, materials, and kiln use - in the end
she didn't use it much. I promised to teach her what I knew about kiln
building.
On her part she agreed to arrive at the studio at a certain time and
basically be working with me on whatever I was working on. If I was throwin=
g
she made my clay balls, glazing, waxing bottoms of pots, sweeping the floor=
,
- whatever was needed. When I went for clay she traveled with me, and we
went to galleries and shops making contacts, she went along. I kept no
secrets from her. I gave her my complete glaze catalog. We also built a
small kiln so that she would learn how.
At the end of three months she and I were at what was to be our last show
together. I had agreed that she could have a table there (I had a lot of
room reserved), that she could show and sell her work along side my own.
She picked that day to have a complete emotional meltdown. I had reserved a
double booth space and was going to just use 1 1/2 of the spaces leaving a
half space for her one table - she really did not have much work to show.
This was in a covered space so we were not using tents.
After we set my display up she put a table in front of my pots that she
proceeded to put her work on. When I pointed out that I was not going to
allow for that she threw a loud fit that was quite embarrassing for anyone
near. She then threw everything she had brought in her car and disappeared.
Just after the new year, word got back to me that she was telling everybody
at school how I'd somehow taken financial advantage of her, so I sent her a
1099 for what she had been paid - $2800, not chump change for a unpaid
internship.
I later discovered that since my poor accounting did not show what pottery
of hers sold in the store (I just handed her the cash for a sale - double
dumb) I ended up paying taxes on The sale as if it was my stuff that sold.
Karma I guess - only the IRS made out.
The next year I was contacted by the Youth Resource Counsel - a group tryin=
g
to place financially underprivileged young people into positions with
businesses. They told me that they had a young lady that would love to work
with me for the summer - they would pay a salary, take care of paperwork,
etc. All I had to do was to provide a slot and keep time sheets that were
mailed in. This was much better.
Good kid, worked hard, at the end of the summer she and her husband moved t=
o
our town and she now works at the winery. She is making a few pots and
selling them at the winery, mine are on a bakers rack near them. She bought
a wheel, kilns and a old slab roller, working out of a small shed - I don't
know how she gets anything done in that tiny space but she does. We don't
compete, we compliment.
This past summer I was recovering from surgery and had the store closed mor=
e
than open so no extra help was needed.
I've now decided to scale my operation down to the point that I don't need
help. I'm raising my prices to the point I can make money without competing
with wally mart. Working to make show pieces only since the retail trade is
in the toilet. Instead of making 1000 pieces a month I'm going to make 50.
The pain from the first girls emotional collapse is still tough to think
about. I'm sure that I did all I could for her - I think she was looking fo=
r
a father figure, not a mentor. The second girl was much, much nicer and
appreciated everything I did for her. Hard to figure out.
Every position and every potter is different. However there are some things
that I think are essential - Contract, Spell out EVERYTHING in black and
white. Hard Part 1 - stick to it. Hard Part 2 - make them stick to it. Sit
down at the end of each week and discuss what each expected and what each
got - this is a must. Do not let things go unsaid, it will build into a
volcano that will erupt at a very bad time. It must have a dismissal clause
and don't be afraid to use it. Some people don't understand that the world
is NOT waiting for them - the sooner they discover that fact, the sooner
they might grow from the self absorbed brats we are creating these days,
into a decent, contributing human being. If there is ANY hint of a problem =
-
fire them. How easy it is to say that and how easy it is to not do it, but
you must, if it needs done.
I could go for hours but I know you will get more.
Best Wishes,
Larry Kruzan
Lee on sun 9 jan 11
On Sun, Jan 9, 2011 at 11:17 AM, Liz Gowen 1 wrote:
> boxes of clay. SHe skirted around that one until we went to pick up clay.=
=3D
My
> clay dealer said what kind of studio help did I get if she can't lift cla=
=3D
y.
I am speaking from my traditional apprenticeship experiences:
Unless there is some special circumstances, like taking on a
disabled apprentice, the apprentice, by definition, should be able to
do all the various jobs in the studio. This should be understood
from the get go.
> to figure out firing cost. To date most of her work fit around mine and
> wasn't a big deal till the last firing where she had half of the kiln.
> Certainly a learning experience and solutions need to evolve as situation=
=3D
s
> occur so that it is still benificial to us both...Liz Gowen
This doesn't sound like an apprenticeship system to me. It
sounds like bartering for space, firing and instruction for help in
your studio. Two completely different things.
--
=3DA0Lee Love in Minneapolis
http://mingeisota.blogspot.com/
=3DA0"Ta tIr na n-=3DF3g ar chul an tI=3D97tIr dlainn trina ch=3DE9ile"=3D9=
7that is, =3D
"The
land of eternal youth is behind the house, a beautiful land fluent
within itself." -- John O'Donohue
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