Lori Richter on fri 29 apr 05
Our ceramics department (2-year community college) is in the planning =
stages for a couple of workshops in the upcoming fall and spring =
semesters and we'd appreciate some input from those of you that have a =
little more experience in this area. Bear in mind that we're located in =
the Midwest, U.S. (not the richest place around), will be targeting =
local attendees and doing the teaching/presenting ourselves =
(non-celebrity status...) and need to keep things "reasonable". =20
This is a first for us, and so want to:=20
a) Not come away with too much egg on our faces (none would be =
preferable)
b) Continue to increase the knowledge and appreciation for what we do =
as well as increasing the skill level of those attending
c) Enjoy it enough to want to do it again (us AND the attendees)......=20
d) Not lose our shirts
So, let's take a "for instance" - how do you decide what kind of fee =
you're going to charge? If the intended workshop were for, let's say, a =
raku or pit-firing workshop, where would you start? =20
2 Saturdays? - pot-making the first (use the week for drying and =
bisquing the work) and glaze/fire the second (WITH the accompanying =
party of course)?
How long would you allow for each session? 3 hours? 4 hours? Full day =
with accompanying breaks?
What about those who want to provide their own bisqued pots and only =
want to attend the second day? How would you break down the charges for =
attending only one day of the two?
"Class" size? How many participants?
TIA - Any and all advice will be much appreciated.
Lori
In northwestern Illinois
Gail Dapogny on wed 4 may 05
Workshops are a wonderful vehicle of information for organized groups.
This year I have attended some really great ones which I will briefly
list below.
Lana Wilson: fabulous handbuilder; great personality, witty and
absolutely accessible; from California.
Tony and Sheila Clennell: husband and wife team who work beautifully
together; Tony is a wonderful thrower, Sheila handbuilds beautifully,
and also is an expert at cane handles; a real pleasure; from Eastern
Ontario)
Robert Piepenburg, world class raku expert, also great handbuilder,
insightful, wonderful personality, from Ann Arbor, Michigan
In Baltimore: the foursome, Steven Hill, Malcolm Davis, Lynn Smiser
Bowers, and Jeff Oestreich. This was a first class workshop, and all
were great. Steven, it almost goes without saying, is always
wonderful, expensive but worth it; Malcolm is unique, funny, a wealth
of information, the Shino master, from the D.C. area; Jeff, from Iowa
or Minnesota, and Lynn, from Texas, were both new to me; I thought
both were terrific and would go back to see them in a minute.
Sandi Pirentozzi (sp?) and Neil Patterson, husband and wife from
Philadelphia, she's a lovely handbuilder, he's a thrower who puts
things together in unique ways; both great and fun and interesting.
Mark Hewitt from North Carolina (British); throws wonderful large pots;
terrific personality.
That's just a few, and I'm sure you'll hear many more names.
Most workshops that I've attended are two days, a few were just one; if
you're thinking of something more ambitious and longer, you probably
should talk to people who have been to Penland, Haystack, Peters
Valley, Arrowmont, etc.
For the two day ones, usually the workshop giver has a structure in
mind and will talk with you about it.
You find out his/her/their fee, find out about transportation, housing,
figure in food, other expenses such as rent, phone calls, publicity if
needed, any extraequipment, tools, or clay needed; then look at your
facility and decide how many you can accommodate, and divide that into
the expense number.
Some other things to consider:
Does the fee include transportation? (probably not, but sometimes it
does)
Consider ways to cut down on food expenses such as a light potluck for
lunch each day.
Some workshop givers are willing to stay at someone's house; others
prefer a motel. Find out.
Almost all workshops include slides so make sure you have the necessary
equipment, plus the means to darken the room.
Are there other groups or potters around who might be interested in
coming? Post a deadline for your own group, and make it early
enough that you can then open the workshop to others with plenty of
advance notice.
Obtaining clay that will suit the workshop giver (talk to him)
Delegate. This is important! You need group help; it's a lot of work.
For instance:
Going to the airport (two trips)
Housing
Drawing maps, making out directions
Continental breakfast supplies
Lunches
Dinners -- where, who will attend
Setting up the facility
Cleaning up at the end
Any needed publicity if extending the workshop to outsiders
An information sheet for all attendees
That's all that comes to mind just now. My bet is you'll hear lots of
good information.
Best of luck, Gail
Gail Dapogny
Ann Arbor, Michigan
gdapogny@umich.edu
http://www.claygallery.org/
http://www.pottersguild.net/
On Apr 29, 2005, at 12:26 PM, Lori Richter wrote:
> Our ceramics department (2-year community college) is in the planning
> stages for a couple of workshops in the upcoming fall and spring
> semesters and we'd appreciate some input from those of you that have a
> little more experience in this area. Bear in mind that we're located
> in the Midwest, U.S. (not the richest place around), will be targeting
> local attendees and doing the teaching/presenting ourselves
> (non-celebrity status...) and need to keep things "reasonable".
>
> This is a first for us, and so want to:
>
> a) Not come away with too much egg on our faces (none would be
> preferable)
> b) Continue to increase the knowledge and appreciation for what we do
> as well as increasing the skill level of those attending
> c) Enjoy it enough to want to do it again (us AND the attendees)......
> d) Not lose our shirts
>
> So, let's take a "for instance" - how do you decide what kind of fee
> you're going to charge? If the intended workshop were for, let's say,
> a raku or pit-firing workshop, where would you start?
>
> 2 Saturdays? - pot-making the first (use the week for drying and
> bisquing the work) and glaze/fire the second (WITH the accompanying
> party of course)?
>
> How long would you allow for each session? 3 hours? 4 hours? Full
> day with accompanying breaks?
>
> What about those who want to provide their own bisqued pots and only
> want to attend the second day? How would you break down the charges
> for attending only one day of the two?
>
> "Class" size? How many participants?
>
> TIA - Any and all advice will be much appreciated.
>
> Lori
> In northwestern Illinois
>
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