Marcia Selsor on tue 21 mar 06
Dear Clayarters,
When so many criticise the past program for lacking interest to =20
professional potters, here is your chance to make the program relevant.
They are calling for proposals.
Here is a list of the categories.
Aesthetics and Critical Theory, including presentations about =20=
concepts of beauty and value, art attitudes, theory, content, goals, =20
and standards.
Art History, including presentations about traditional and non-=20=
traditional artists and movements, styles, surveys of regional, =20
national and international art in clay.
Education, including presentations about traditional and non-=20
traditional curricula, goals, standards, methods, and ideologies.
Professionalism, including presentations about working =20
standards, goals, methods, and attitudes or, the professional working =20=
relationships of guilds, co-ops and other ceramic centers.
Technology, including presentations about traditional and non-=20=
traditional materials, processes, kilns, equipment, innovations, and =20
theory.
New Work, is a category of proposals for up to 6 artists to =20
present a 20-minute visual presentation on the subject of a new body =20
of their own work, completed within the last three years. Artists 30 =20=
years and older, working professionally at least 5 years since =20
completing their training, are eligible to submit. Proposals should =20
include 10 - 20 images of new work and 5 of the older work, along =20
with a list of works, a resume, an artist's statement and an =20
explanation of how this work is new within the context of the =20
artist=92s overall career. The application deadline for this is May 1, =20=
2006, the same as for all conference proposals.
Any one want to discuss this?
Marcia Selsor
http://marciaselsor.com
Linda Ferzoco on tue 21 mar 06
I don't qualify to submit, but I'd love to hear a
presentation about:
The Importance of Craft
Distinguishing Handmade from Overseas Production Ware
AND: NCECA/ACERS/someone needs to hire someone as
clever as Carl Rove to launch a campaign about to
publicize American crafts. Maybe we could call it
"Pottery for (North) American Families" or "A Cup a
Month; That's All we Ask".
Or maybe, since there has been such a shift of income
in recent years from the bottom/middle to the top, we
need to target those with the income to spend on
handmade American pottery and leave the rest of the
market to the Walmarts of the world.
Aha, get interior designers into using handmade
American pottery in their room designs, have glossy
articles in Architechtural Digest and create a market.
Perhaps our ceramics magazine editors could connect
with their bretheren on Madison Ave.
Linda Ferzoco
--- Marcia Selsor wrote:
> Dear Clayarters,
> When so many criticise the past program for lacking
> interest to
> professional potters, here is your chance to make
> the program relevant.
> They are calling for proposals.
John Hesselberth on tue 21 mar 06
On Mar 21, 2006, at 12:30 PM, Marcia Selsor wrote:
> Dear Clayarters,
> When so many criticise the past program for lacking interest to
> professional potters, here is your chance to make the program
> relevant.
Hi Marcia and Everyone,
This is excellent to stimulate a little thinking in this area. I have
talked twice in recent years and it is a lot of work but also a lot
of fun. Here are some of my thoughts on what the members of this
group might put together.
Earning your living as a potter: Panel discussion . I would guarantee
a packed house. There are quite a number of Clayarters who could be
on or moderate that panel. (As a side note, I generally have not
liked the panel discussions but the one on wood firing this year was
OUTSTANDING. Organized by Vince with Jack Troy as a stand in and
Clayarter John Baymore as a participant--John told me he thought the
key to a well coordinated presentation was a "dress rehearsal" and
good up front planning. On the other hand I thought the one on
materials had the potential to be very good, but was ruined by one
speaker taking 80% of the time saying virtually nothing--how rude and
how disappointing!)
Taking quality digital photos of your work: Lecture. Potential
speaker, Tony Ferguson, but there are others. The ones on photography
with a recent focus on digital have been well attended, but the one 2
or 3 years ago on a subject similar to this one went way over
people's heads and recommended equipment that no potter could afford.
The routes to market (Title? This LIttle Pot Went to Market--OK
that's too corny): Lecture or panel discussion. But what would draw
people in, in my opinion, would be simple descriptions of the various
routes to market with some pros and cons and facts about each--maybe
some definition of terms used and typical numbers (% markups, booth
fee ranges, whatever). Things like the 50 mile radius, craft shows,
consignment, wholesaling, high end galleries, commissions, etc.
The Simple Mug: Lecture. History including some of the more humorous
examples (like puzzle mugs), form, characteristics of a good one--
that ought to start a good debate. The same thing could be done for
teapots or other forms.
There are lots of other potential presentations from this group, but
I would like to hear other's ideas. Let the creativity flow.
Some info about presenting. You get free membership in NCECA for the
year plus an honorarium of--I think--$300. You also get some
additional payment when you submit a written version of your
presentation for the NCECA journal. It is more or less like having
your membership and hotel room paid for. You don't get rich, but it
does help on the costs if you plan to go anyway. Oh, and if you
decide to submit and get turned down, don't take it personally. It
happened to me the first time I tried so I improved my proposal and
tried again the next year.
Regards,
John
Will Duderstadt on thu 23 mar 06
In addition to commercial food photographers, try forging a relationship
with any business that could potentially use your work to enhance
their product.
Like niche furniture or home decor stores. New home builders often
furnish
and redecorate their model homes 3-4 times a year. If you can find a
builder that isn't national (that shouldn't be hard), the decorator
would
probably welcome fresh ideas. Of course, having a website to
communicate
this is very important.
Even some national restaurants enjoy displaying work done locally.
Every time
I walk into one of the three local COSI (www.getcosi.com)
restaurants, they
have different photography or new paintings on display. Don't be
afraid to
go talk to the manager of places like this.
Good Luck!
Will Duderstadt
The Edward Orton Jr. Ceramic Foundation
http://www.ortonceramic.com
(614) 818-1341
On Mar 23, 2006, at 12:04 PM, Arnold Howard wrote:
> To get your pottery into magazines, send emails to
> commercial food photographers offering to give them
> samples of your work to include in their pictures.
> Your style might fit in perfectly with a photo theme
> they are working on.
>
> Also, look through magazines where you want your
> pottery to appear. Find the photo credit lines and
> contact those photographers with the same offer.
>
> They might lose your business card. So you will need
> a legible signature stamp and a website so the
> photographers can search on-line from your signature
> on your ware.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Arnold Howard
> Paragon Industries, L.P., Mesquite, Texas USA
> ahoward@paragonweb.com / www.paragonweb.com
Linda Ferzoco on thu 23 mar 06
Will, this post reminded me about the Showcase homes
one sees every summer around here, and other cities
I'm sure.
Designers are given carte blanche to decorate a room
in a home, usually in an upscale location. Some of
the folks who go to those displays will have the kind
of money to spend on good American ceramics. It makes
sense to connect with those designers in some way.
I wonder if our guilds, clay associations, etc.,
notify design studios of group shows and fairs?
Here in California, I'm thinking ACGA should be sure
that our local interior designers get a post card
about the Palo Alto show. Gotta go contact ACGA and
see if they do that.
Cheers, Linda Ferzoco
--- Will Duderstadt
wrote:
>
> Like niche furniture or home decor stores. New home
> builders often
> furnish
> and redecorate their model homes 3-4 times a year.
Bonnie Staffel on fri 24 mar 06
Last fall our Jordan River Arts Center put on a fantastic show. They
transformed the open gallery into a series of rooms representing a =
house.
Local interior decorators took on the job each one designing and =
decorating
a room using local art and crafts. Everyone commented on how it should =
have
been in New York instead of this little country town of East Jordan in
northern Michigan. There was a big attendance. I photographed it for =
my
own pleasure. In fact, I sold one of my tall pit fired lamps that was =
part
of the living room display. Many other artists also sold well. What =
was
very surprising to me to see all this work in one space actually shown =
how
it would look in one's own home. So many different styles of work, but
still all fit together. There is an amazing number of talented artists
living and working up here. The idea of furnishing a house with crafts =
is
an idea that could be used anywhere. The decorators also get publicity =
as
well as the artists. =20
This display really showed the public how crafts can be used in the =
home.
It also pointed up the talent of the interior decorators as well. These
objects could be seen and touched, making it all real. We all benefited =
and
because a grant was received for the expenses, the cost was minimal.
Everyone donated what was needed. This small art center is very active =
in
presenting the arts and crafts to the public, holding workshops that are
affordable, and generally in touch with the public needs in many ways. =
One
year they built an authentic tea house inside the gallery, had =
presenters of
the tea ceremony who were Japanese and they went through an authentic
ceremony and taught the audience as it progressed. The Michigan Arts
Council is very supportive to the arts in this area. In fact, the =
support
and interest of Michigan residents is what caused us to decide to move =
here
from Ohio back in the 60's. =20
If I can find the CD with the photographs of the rooms, I could put them =
in
Flickr FYI. =20
Warm regards,
Bonnie Staffel
http://webpages.charter.net/bstaffel/
DVD Throwing with Coils and Slabs
DVD Beginning Processes
Charter Member Potters Council
Donna J.S. Causland on fri 24 mar 06
Marcia Selsor wrote:
Subject: NCECA call for program topics/presenters
Dear Clayarters,
When so many criticise the past program for lacking interest to
professional potters, here is your chance to make the program relevant.
They are calling for proposals.
OK, I'll take the bait.
I wrote Marcia and she is not a full time studio potter
and is working on a tile history proposal.
I will be willing to co-ordinate a panel discussion proposal on
Full time studio potters. It is possible to make a living and I think
that those who do could share info with those struggling to do so as
well as show students an alternative to the teaching route.
There is always discussion on this forum about how to do it,
the 50 mile radius theory is an example.
Several conversations that I had at NCECA stunned me when
the person I was talking with assumed that I was subsidised by
my spouse when I said I was a full time studio potter. Not so.
If anyone is interested, please email me. We need a moderator
and 3 panelists plus any input as to content. I have sucessfully
written state grants for a non-profit organization in FL so I guess
I can give this a shot.
The deadline for proposals is May 1, 2006.
Also, has there been any programs like this at the conference that anyone
can remember? I haven't attended every year.
Thank you,
please email me at djscausland@comcast.net
Donna
Donna J.S. Causland on sat 25 mar 06
Dear Clayarters:
I have written to Joe Molinaro concerning the proposal
for a panel discussion on full time studio potters.
My first question is "has there been such a presentation lately"?
I'll post his response as this will determine the go ahead on
putting this proposal together.
Thank you so far to Dannon Rhudy for stepping up
and to Marcia Selsor for the thumbs up (she is involved in
another proposal).
Dannon and Marcia suggested Richard Aerni, David Hendley,
and Tony Clennell as possibly willing to participate.
We'll see what Joe has to say and go from there.
Please stay tuned and thanks in advance for your help.
Donna Causland
djscausland@comcast.net
May Luk on sat 25 mar 06
Hello Donna and whoever is reading this;
Something you might want to consider is to invite
practitioners from different geographic areas, rural,
urban and in between. They do business differently and
it would be interesting to see how they interpret and
work the 50 miles radius theory. America is very big.
What works for one might not work for others in
another state.
It will be good to invite somebody that shares
potter’s customer base, but not a competitor. And
discuss the potentials of working together and expand
each other’s customer list. Let’s say interior
stylists, wedding registry service buyers are who you
are looking for. It might be good to hear their
view-even knowing why they haven’t been using crafts
would be beneficial.
As an aside, I have taken a short business course at
F.I.T. in New York City. It was a course for small
creative studio. (not associated with the Fashion
Institute) It was a state funded programme. Not only
did I gain a lot of basic business knowledge, I also
met many like minded entrepreneurs and the support was
tremendous. I know that there are many programmes of
this type here in the U.K. I also keep up my
entrepreneurial skills with Business Link for London.
I wonder if any of you had tried this in your own
states? Have any of you gone to SCORE for your
business queries?
Regards
May
London, UK
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