February 1998 1 2 CERAMICS MONTHLY February 1998

Volume 46

Number 2

Wheel-thrown and slab-built porcelain dish with wax- and latex-resisted glaze decoration by Lynn FEATURES Smiser Bowers. 30 In My Own Backyardby George (Kim) Ellington 48 Continuing a Southern pottery tradition 36 Lasting Impressions by Collin D. Rosebrook Large-scale forms with impressed decoration A forgiving clay body allows Collin Rosebrook with Rosebrook’s “Not Set in Stoneware” Recipes to produce disks up to 39 Making Craft to Make Art 4 feet in diameter. Musings on Production Day by Cynthia Spencer 36 42 Jana Bednarkova by Douglas Kenney Sculpture incorporating Western and Eastern influences 43 Talking Tradition A Conversat" on Boundaries by Stacy Snyder 45 EmBODYment by Dorothy Joiner Exhibition of figurative sculpture 48 A Working Historyby Lynn Smiser Bowers A reflection on influences and aesthetic concerns 53 Brad Schwieger by Samantha Moore McCall Salt- and soda-fired stoneware vessels with Surface Effects by Brad Schwieger Rowantrees director Laura Paddock preparing 61 Rowantrees Potteryby Andrew Phelan local materials for glazes Founding of a coastal Maine art pottery by grinding with a mortar and pestle. 61

“Lumbering On” by Allan Rosenbaum; shown at Connell Gallery in Atlanta. The cover: “Teapot” by Ohio artist Brad Schwieger; see page 53. 45 Photo: Steve Paszt.

February 1998 3 UP FRONT 12 Arkansas Arts Center Receives Besser Collection Includes American and British ceramics of the past decade EditorRuth C. Butler 12 Earthworks Associate EditorKim Nagorski Juried exhibition of ceramic objects by Rhode Island artists Assistant EditorConnie Belcher 14 Ceramics and Print Editorial AssistantElaine Jebsen Works decorated with printed imagery at Harriet Green Gallery in London Art Director Randy Wax 14 Homage to R. Mutt Production SpecialistRobin Chukes Toilet art at Garth Clark Gallery in New York City Advertising ManagerSteve Hecker 14 50th Faenza Ceramics Competition Circulation AdministratorMary R. Hopkins Juried international in Faenza, Italy Circulation AdministratorMary E. May 16 Southern California Historical Survey Publisher Mark Mecklenborg Clayworks from the past 50 years at Long Beach Museum of Art Editorial, Advertising and Circulation Offices 18 Alexis Nichandros Moyer 735 Ceramic Place Chair forms at Scharrffenberger Gallery in Philo, California Post Office Box 6102 Westerville, Ohio 43086-6102 18 18th-Century Flower Vessels Telephone: (614) 523-1660 Planters and vases at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto Fax: (614) 891-8960 20 Fifth Annual Teapot Exhibition E-mail: [email protected] Works from North America and China at Craft Alliance in St. Louis [email protected] Sculpture Workshop with El Natan Abramov by Liz King [email protected] 20 [email protected] Press-molded slab sculpture Website: www.ceramicsmonthly.org 22 Patty Maly Brightly glazed vessels and wall forms at BonaKeane Gallery in Portland Ceramics Monthly (ISSN 0009-0328) is published monthly, except July and August, by The American Ceramic Society, 735 22 Ropes of Fire Ceramic Place, Westerville, Ohio 43081. Periodicals postage Bizen ware at the National Ceramics Museum, Sevres, France paid at Westerville, Ohio, and additional mailing offices. Opinions expressed are those of the contributors and do not 24 Eunice R. Miller necessarily represent those of the editors or The American Raku masks at Walter Art Center in Tulsa Ceramic Society. 24 Nesrin During Subscription Rates: One year $26, two years $49, three years Coil-built vessels at Art Gallery Het Posthuys in Texel, Netherlands $70. Add $ 12 per year for subscriptions outside North America. In Canada, add GST (registration number R123994618). 24 Contemporary Texas Clay by Marla Ziegler Change of Address: Please give us four weeks advance notice. Works by 24 North Texas artists at Dallas Visual Arts Center Send the magazine address label as well as your new address to: Ceramics Monthly, Circulation Department, PO Box 6102, 26 Teapots and Pitchers Show Westerville, OH 43086-6102. Invitational at Blue Spiral 1 in Asheville, North Carolina Contributors: Writing and photographic guidelines are avail­ 26 Margaret Fetzer, 1906-1997 able on request. Mail manuscripts and visual support (photo­ graphs, slides, transparencies, drawings, etc.) toCeramics Monthly, 735 Ceramic PL, PO Box 6102, Westerville, OH 43086-6102. We also accept unillustrated texts faxed to (614) 891-8960, or DEPARTMENTS e-mailed to [email protected] Indexing: An index of each year’s feature articles appears in 8 Letters the December issue. Feature articles are also indexed in the 28 Video Art Index and daai (design and applied arts index), available 68 Call For Entries through public and university libraries. 68 International Exhibitions Copies and Reprints: Searchable databases and document 70 United States Exhibitions delivery are available through Information Access Company, 70 Regional Exhibitions 362 Lakeside Dr., Foster City, CA 94404; and through Univer­ 70 Fairs, Festivals and Sales sity Microfilms, 300 N. Zeeb Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48106. 76 Suggestions Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal 80 Calendar use, or the internal or personal use of specific clients, is granted by The American Ceramic Society, provided the base fee of 80 Conferences $5.00 per copy, plus $0.50 per page, is paid directly to the 80 Solo Exhibitions CopyrightClearance Center, 222 Rosewood Dr., Danvers, MA 82 Group Ceramics Exhibitions 01923. Prior to copying items for classroom use, please contact 86 Ceramics in Multimedia Exhibitions the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Dr., Danvers, 88 Fairs, Festivals and Sales MA 01923; (508) 750-8400. The code for users of the Trans­ 89 Workshops actional Reporting Service is 0009-0328/97 US$5.00 + $0.50. 92 International Events Back Issues: When available, back issues are $7 each, includes 94 Questions shipping and handling; $10 each outside North America. 99 Classified Advertising Postmaster: Send address changes toCeramics Monthly,VO Box 102 Comment: 6102, Westerville, OH 43086-6102. Form 3579 requested. Copyright © 1998 I Am Not an Artisan by Derek Marshall The American Ceramic Society 104 Index to Advertisers All rights reserved

4 CERAMICS MONTHLY February 1998 5

Mark Zamantakis and his noborigama kiln is without doubt the most innovative prob- Letters and pottery studio in Fairplay, Colorado (see lem-solver I’ve met in my years in the field, the November 1997 CM). Mark and his wife and continues to astound those around him Jo share information and friendship freely. In with his many creative accomplishments. Comment Rebuttal fact, Mark shares his kiln with our commu­ Just wanted to set the record straight. Kevin Hluch’s Comment article in the nity here in Park County and with interested RichardAemi, Bloomfield, N.Y. January 1998 CM asked that craft and art be persons worldwide. required to meet an aesthetic standard of Since 1975, the Zamantakis’ noborigama Required Reading beauty. This has often been the case through­ has been fired through the efforts of scores of The article by Mel-san (Mel Jacobson) in out history and tends to produce an enor­ people with a variety of expertise and intensi­ the December issue of CM was superb—a mous volume of work that is impressive ties of interest. It has become a much antici­ delight to read. He is right. Form is the technically yet empty of inspiration. Fortu­ pated annual late-June event for many of us: leading element in ceramic design, and his nately, a few artists will meet the standard of Tom Forte of the Clay Pigeon Gallery in pots pictured in the article are exquisite and the day and also astonish the viewer. Denver, which represents Mark’s pottery; exemplify the point. This article should be Today’s climate is different. It lacks the Jerry Thiel of Ft. Morgan, Colorado; Gary required reading for most of the other potters very requirements Hluch yearns for. Bear in and Ronna Tyson of Manhattan, Kansas. whose work is pictured in that issue. mind the price we pay for that lack: we are Cloyde Snook has had workshops at the kiln Harold Hart, Okemos, Mich. sometimes left bewildered, standing in front with potters from Adams State College in of rubbish. Alamosa. Angelo Garzio has also had his Worth the Subscription We live in an age where an artist is free to students from Kansas State University in­ As a beginner in my second year of train­ roam to any style—ancient, old, new or volved in firings. ing, I appreciate articles about glazes, aesthet­ futuristic—and assemble a work. Bear in In recent years, my wife, Carolyn, and I ics and history. The best article of 1997 was mind the payofF we receive with this free­ have participated in the firings. We met Mel Jacobson’s semiautobiographical descrip­ dom: we are sometimes astonished at the Mark and Jo when they came into our tion of his apprenticeship with Uchida-sensei. unprecedented originality of thinking in an Shawnee Mission Gallery several years ago It would have been enough to experience artist’s work. and we have attended this annual event ever such training vicariously as I did, but the I would like to address directly a few of since. I have experienced a special joy in pearls of wisdom strewn through that article Hluch’s comments: helping to split the wood just right. alone are worth my year’s subscription. “Numerous tomb relics from many cul­ The noborigama kiln of Mark and Jo William W. Thayer, Pasadena, Calif. tures show that craftspeople (Did artists even Zamantakis has brought people together in exist then?) made pots, necklaces, textiles, Park County, Colorado, from all over the Look It Up baskets and other objects that were essential world. We thank you, Mark and Jo. Contrary to popular opinion, form does to the community....” We must be aware that Vincent and Carolyn Lee Tolpo, Shawnee, Colo. not follow function. Form follows forlorn these tombs included the work of artists, hope. I looked it up ( American Heritage artist-craftspeople and craftspeople. Fifteen Overspiced Dictionary, New College Edition, 1976). thousand years ago, prehistoric artists carved I perused the abundant multitude of James Kasper, Tipton, Iowa exquisite images on deer bones. mostly artsy-fartsy salt and pepper shakers in About George Ohr: “His expressions were “Salt & Pepper: Shake & Grind” (CM, Grow Up the most far removed from the prevailing December 1997) and must acknowledge that I much enjoy CM, but as a functional concept of beauty.” I have seen George Ohr's I opined most pieces more than a trifle potter, I find the endless artlcraft, function! pots in person. They are exquisitely beautiful. overspiced and certainly nothing to be nonfunction debate tedious and frankly I fear Hluch opposes work created outside sneezed at. I presume one probably needs to immature. Hey, grow up, potters! The world the prevailing concept of beauty today. take out a second mortgage if one has the of ceramics is infinitely bigger, older and While he is correct in some of his assump­ inclination to procure the respective dinner more complex than anyone’s narrow tions about which work grabs the most media set. So who can afford to purchase such definition, so let a “thousand flowers bloom,” attention, I believe there is a second tier of expensive condiment containers? Of course, a thousand viewpoints thrive. Stop arguing work, never far from view, which has all the the “older, wealthier” patrons (see “NEA and get on with making the beauty within elements of beauty Hluch craves. Instead of Survives” same issue). For my part, I think you physical. attacking the fine-art establishment, I pro­ that I should turn my attention to becoming Brian McGee, County Donegal, Ireland pose we work together to uncover the best of a salt (& pepper) seller. art and the best of craft. Larry Hitchen, Stanfordville, N.Y. Looking Cool Steven Rushefsky, New York City It goes without saying that I always get Setting the Record Straight info and inspiration from CM. The best Zamantakis Kudos I was glad to see Dick Lehman’s article aspect, though, may be just how cool I know Let me congratulate Shelley Schreiber on praising Phyllis Blair Clark and the “Func­ I look when reading it while riding the train an excellent and informative article about tional Ceramics” show. It was an honor to to my “day job” in the copy shop. have been associated with it, and dealing with Kristin Molitor, Chicago In keeping with our commitment to provide Phyllis and her associates was indeed a joy. an open forum for the exchange of ideas I would like to insert a brief clarification Correction and opinions, the editors welcome letters concerning several points Dick made about Caption information for the two vases from all readers. All letters must be signed, my workshop techniques. The ones described shown in the January 1998 Up Front article but names will be withheld on request. Mail in the article were developed while I was in “Northwest Wood Fire” was inadvertently to Ceramics Monthly, PO Box 6102, partnership with my friend and mentor Mike transposed. The 32-inch-high vase on page Westerville, OH 43086-6102, e-mail to Frasca at Spring Street Pottery in Cincinnati, 24 should have been credited to Steve Sauer, [email protected] or fax to and to see them described and attributed to while the 6-inch-high vessel on page 26 was (614) 891-8960. me alone does a great disservice to Mike. He made by Hiroshi Ogawa.

8 CERAMICS MONTHLY February 1998 9

Up Front

Arkansas Arts Center Receives Besser Collection The Arkansas Arts Center Decorative Arts Museum in Little Rock recently received a gift of 89 contemporary objects in clay, fiber and glass from Sanford M. and Diane Besser. Among the

Beverly Mayeri’s “Wavering,” 10 inches in height, 1983.

stated Alan DuBois, curator of decorative arts at the arts center. “It strengthens the collection in...American and British ceramics of the last decade.” Earthworks “Rhode Island Earthworks,” a juried exhibition of ceramic objects by artists currently or formerly residing and/or worldng in Rhode Island, was presented recently at the South County Art Association in Kingston. Juror Mary Barringer, a ceramist

Gordon Baldwin’s “Untitled,” 30 inches in height, 1985; at the Arkansas Arts Center, Little Rock. clayworks in the Besser collection are “Wavering” by California artist Beverly Mayeri and an untitled stacked vessel form by British artist Gordon Baldwin. Thomas Ladd’s “Oval Dish with Handles,” 19 inches long, “This major gift nicely augments the museums rapidly stoneware, thrown, altered, handbuilt and assembled, soda- growing collection of contemporary objects in craft media,” vapor glazed, fired to Cone 10, $165; from “Rhode Island Earthworks” at South County Art Association, Kingston. Submissions are welcome. Wewould be pleased to consider press releases, artists' statements and photoslslides in con­ and educator from Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, selected 46 junction with exhibitions or other events of interest for publi­ works from 140 entries. cation in this column. Mail toCeramics Monthly, Post Office Barringer selected pieces that not only looked good in Box 6102, Westerville, Ohio 43086-6102. profile, but that “held up from different perspectives, both

12 CERAMICS MONTHLY February 1998 13 Up Front Bunnell creates her designs using computer programs. Once she has completed an image, she cuts it out of adhesive-backed vinyl. After removing the image from the backing, Bunnell transfers it to the plate to act as a mask, then sandblasts the glazed surface. The vinyl is removed and the plate is reduction fired to produce the luster-glazed surface. For her work, Goddard uses lino-cuts pressed into wet slabs. Slips are then applied in thin layers; once they are leather hard,

Katie Bunnell’s “Bulldog Lace 5,” approximately 6 inches in diameter, bone china with luster.

the surface is again printed with lino-cuts “inked” (with a mixture of black iron oxide and frit). The lino-cut-printed slabs are then used to construct vessels. Darren Prodger’s “Bulbous Green Bottle,” 14 inches in height, wheel-thrown stoneware, reduction fired Homage to R. Mutt to Cone 10, $175; third-place award. In 1917, Marcel Duchamp submitted “Fountain,” a factory- visually and in the hand. Making things that work on all levels made urinal signed R. Mutt, to the “First Exhibition of the is both the difficulty and the lure of clay.” Society of Independent Artists.” Rejected then because it was One of the works Barringer chose was the oval dish (shown deemed immoral, vulgar and simply a piece of plumbing, it on page 12) by South Kingstown potter Thomas Ladd. “I have a strong commitment to making functional pottery for daily use,” he says, “to bring artistic expression and quality craftsman­ ship onto an intimate personal level.” Ceramics and Print “Fired,” an exhibition of works by 11 artists who use printing processes for surface enhancement, was presented recently at Harriet Green Gallery in London. Curator Juliette Goddard selected pieces by Greg Bell, Michael Keighery, Australia;

Kim Dickey’s “Pissoir (Model #5),” 41A inches in length, porcelain; at Garth Clark Gallery, New York City.

won lasting fame as a challenge to the perennial question “What is art?” (See “Duchamp’s Fountain” in the June/July/August 1988 CM.) To commemorate that event and the continuing interest in the toilet in art, Garth Clark Gallery in New York City presented “Homage to R. Mutt,” an exhibition of works by Juliette Goddard’s “Alice,” approximately 11 inches “R. Mutt,” as well as Robert Arneson, Ron Baron, Mike Bidlo, in height, with lino-cut impressions and prints; at Harriet Green Gallery, London. Marek Cecula, Kim Dickey and Claes Oldenburg. Charles Krafft, United States; Deborah Battley, Katie Bunnell, 50th Faenza Ceramics Competition Robert Dawson, Gila Kaffafh, William Latham, Kevin Petrie Celebrating its 50th anniversary, the “International Competi­ and Paul Scott, United Kingdom. tion of Contemporary Ceramics” was presented through Janu-

14 CERAMICS MONTHLY February 1998 15 Up Front promise, freshness, vision and a touch of youthful iconoclasm” when looldng at the 1378 entries by 578 ceramists from 57 countries. Their final selection included 92 works by 52 artists ary 31 at the International Museum of Ceramics in Faenza, from 22 countries. Italy. Keeping in mind the criterion that all entrants be under “Cultural differences were taken into account but finally all 40 years old, jurors Gian Carlo Bojani (director, Museo artists had to meet an international level of professionalism in Internazionalle delle Ceramiche, Faenza), Garth Clark (author both the use of the medium and in the expression of ideas,” and gallery owner, New York City), Maria Concetta Cossa they noted. (assessor, Cultura del Comune, Faenza) and Janet Mansfield The “Premio Faenza” award of 20,000,000 lira (approxi­ (editor, Ceramics: Art and Perception, Sydney, Australia) “sought mately US$11,200) plus a 5,000,000 lira (approximately US$2800) scholarship went to German artist Michael Cleff for a group of three sculptures. Medals were awarded to Mieke Everaet, Belgium; Emil Heger, Germany; Sasja Scherjon, Netherlands; Jurgen Ibounigg, Austria; and Byung Joo Suh, South Korea. Southern California Historical Survey “Function and Narrative: Fifty Years of Southern California Ceramics,” an exhibition featuring over 70 clayworks made from the 1940s to the present, was presented recently at the Long Beach Museum of Art in Long Beach, California. A historical survey of func­ tional and decorative ware produced in Southern Califor­ nia, the show emphasized the Michael Cleft’s “Vases,” to approximately 17 inches in length, “Premio Faenza” works of artists who continued winner at the “International Competition of Contemporary Ceramics”; at the to explore variations on tradi­ International Museum of Ceramics, Faenza, Italy. tional forms rather than moving into sculptural work. Two other themes—the use of imagery on pottery, and the importance of women to the development of ceramics in the area—were also explored. Among the featured artists were Claremont potter Harrison McIntosh and Los Angeles ceramist/educator Ralph Bacerra. McIntosh attended the Art Center School in Pasadena, then studied with Glen Lukens at the University of Southern California. In the mid 1980s, he experimented with Japanese wood-block prints as sources for images on plates. Shown on page 18 is a rare example of a vessel bearing a wood-block image. Bacerra received his B.F.A. from the Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles, studying with Otto and Vivika Sasja Scherjon’s “Crown,” approximately 12 inches in height, medal winner. Heino. He went on to serve as

16 CERAMICS MONTHLY February 1998 17 Up Front head of the ceramics department at Chouinard, becoming chairman of the department in 1983. Among his influences are the colors and patterns of Imari and Kutani wares from Japan, Persian miniatures and Chinese Tang ceramics. Alexis Nichandros Moyer Chair forms by local artist Alexis Nichandros Moyer were exhibited recently at the Scharrffenberger Gallery in Philo, California. Approximately 20 inches in height, the chairs are

Harrison McIntosh’s “Utamaro’s ‘Abalone Divers,”’ 13½ inches in height, glazed stoneware, 1986.

Alexis Nichandros Moyer’s “Lavender Chair,” 19 inches in height, slab and coil built; at the Scharrffenberger Gallery, Philo, California.

slab and coil built, and often textured with objects impressed in the wet clay or with sprigged additions. Moyer sees the chairs as “architectural elements that suggest a story about a time and place unique unto itself.” 18th-Century Flower Vessels “Containers of Beauty,” an exhibition of ceramic flower con­ tainers from the 18 th century, was on view recently at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) in Toronto, Canada. Included in the show were 32 vessels from the Mint Museum of Art in North Carolina, as well as 10 from the ROM. The art of flower arranging became popular during the 17th and 18th centuries; accompanying this new trend was a flourishing trade in ceramic flower containers. “Although they were very enthusiastic, few women in the 18th century had a knack for growing or arranging the newly popular flowers like tulips, hyacinths, anemones and carna­ Ralph Bacerra’s “Untitled Cloud Vessel,” 24½ inches in tions,” noted exhibit curator Patricia Ferguson. “Pots with height, porcelain with glazes and luster, 1997; at Long pierced lids or multiple fingers were prized because the flowers Beach Museum of Art, California. or bulbs could just be plunked into the spouts and holes, and

18 CERAMICS MONTHLY February 1998 19 Up Front you ended up with a nice-looldng arrangement that required very little skill.” Recognizing the growing demand for these types of pots and vases, Josiah Wedgwood consulted with gardeners and the fashionable elite to produce vessels that were both functional

Melody Evans’ “Teapot from the Spring Bulb Series,” 7 inches in height, porcelain.

Flower vase with pierced lid, 11½ inches high, Wedgwood, circa 1807; at Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Canada. and ornamental. These new pieces were so successful that the Roger Honey raku-fired teapot, approximately company emerged as a leader in floriculture and for decades 10 inches in height. reigned as the supreme arbiter of taste. Wedgwood’s success led to fierce competition among the ceramics factories and, by the Alliance in St. Louis, Missouri. Over 75 artists from the United end of the 18th century, many were making and marketing States, Canada and China participated, including ceramists planter and vase forms. Katya Apekina, Massachusetts; Melody Evans, Missouri; and Roger Honey, Illinois. Fifth Annual Teapot Exhibition About his preference for worldng with clay, Honey com­ Teapots made of clay, fiber, metal and wood were on view ments, “I feel no substitute for working in the solitude of the recently in the “Fifth Annual Teapot Exhibition” at Craft studio with a medium of infinite possibility, excruciating demands and a cup of tea!” Sculpture Workshop with El Natan Abramov by Liz King El Natan (Eddie) Abramov, a Uzbekistan ceramist, recently gave a workshop on sculptural techniques at De Anza College in Cupertino, California. Prior to the workshop, he had prepared two plaster press molds, each approximately 3 feet long, 1 ½ feet wide and about 1 foot deep, and rolled out a slab of commercial red sculpture clay that can be satisfactorily worked when drier than most clay bodies. After cutting off a slab about 1 foot in length, Abramov held it in one hand and paddled gently with a 1-inch-thick dowel to

Katya Apekina’s “Love Letter,” 14 inches in put a lengthwise bend in the middle. He then pressed it into height, handbuilt terra cotta; at Craft Alliance, part of the mold for the back of the form. Next, he cut slabs of in St. Louis, Missouri. various shapes and sizes, most of which were about 2 inches

20 CERAMICS MONTHLY February 1998 21 Up Front The bottom edges were trimmed and a slab was cut and shaped until it fit the opening at the base of the form. The edges were mitered and slipped, and the base was placed on the bottom of the mold. Pressure was applied and the bottom was paddled to ensure a good join. The straight side of a butcher knife was used to scrape the bottom, flattening it and removing excess clay. After about an hour, the sculpture was dry enough to remove from the mold. First, the mold was loosened around the base by lightly prying with the knife. Then one side of the mold was carefully lifted off, beginning at the base and lifting toward the top. For the second side, some separating of the clay from the plaster mold was done with the paring knife and when the clay was loosened enough, it was carefully pulled off. Abramov then examined the surface for specks of plaster and removed them by scraping with the lmife. Patty Maly Uzbekistan ceramist El Natan (Eddie) Abramov brushing Vessels, platters and wall forms by Oregon potter Patty Maly slip on joins of a press-molded piece, during a workshop at De Anza College in Cupertino, California. were featured recently at BonaKeane Gallery in Portland, wide and usually narrower at one end, forming elongated triangles. These were placed inside the rest of the mold in what appeared to be a random pattern (although some sketched lines guided their placement). This provided texture for the finished sculpture surface. A similar procedure was followed with the mold for the front of the piece. Once all the slabs were in place in the mold, slip was brushed onto some of the joins and wads of clay added for reinforce­ ment. When this was completed, Abramov trimmed the edges of each mold with a paring knife, brushed slip on the edges and scored them. He then pressed the two halves together, and smoothed a coil into the seam from the inside.

Patty Maly’s “Ruby Throats,” 20 inches in height, white earthenware; at BonaKeane Gallery, Portland, Oregon.

Oregon. Thrown or handbuilt from white earthenware, Maly s pots serve as canvases for figures and abstract organic forms in brightly colored glazes, such as yellow, orange, green and blue. Ropes of Fire Abramov, with the finished form, answering The National Ceramics Museum in Sevres, France, presented participants’ questions. the exhibition “Ropes of Fire: A Thousand Years of Japanese

22 CERAMICS MONTHLY

Up Front

Pottery from Bizen” through December 28, 1997. On view were many pieces that have not been seen outside of Japan, including several that have been classified Items of Major Cultural Importance. Organized chronologically, the exhibition looked at Japans move from an aristocratic civilization to a medieval culture, the introduction of the Buddhist Zen sect and the rise of the Tea Ceremony, and the revival of traditional arts and avant-garde

Eunice R. Miller’s “Chipo,” approximately 16 inches in height; at the Walter Art Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma. Each mask, says Miller, takes “on a life of its own. The masks give me an outlet for my feelings on social issues and also for my poetry. Each mask has its own poem, which gives it personal significance and shows the feeling I have for each piece.” Nesrin During Coil-built boatlike vessels by Dutch artist Nesrin During were featured through January 31 at Art Gallery Het Posthuys in Texel, Netherlands. During coated the interiors with ash glaze, Stoneware jar with “ropes of fire” patterning, approximately 14 inches in height, late 16th to early 17th century; at the National Ceramics Museum, Sevres, France. research. In the Middle Ages, Bizen pottery was sold throughout Japan; the taxes levied on jars from the 14th century onwards suggest they were a lucrative source of income. Production of Bizen pottery reached its peak in the 16th century, when it was used for tea ceremonies. Surface effects were obtained by variations in firing—colors ranged from orange-red to blue-violet, and “ropes of fire” were left on the surface by straw used in the firing process. The tradition was revived in the 20th century by several potters who were recognized for their work by the designation of Living National Treasure, including Toyo Kaneshige (1896— 1967), Kei Fujiwara (1899-1983), Toshu Yamamoto (1906- 1994) and Yu Fujiwara (born 1932). Nesrin During coil-built vessels, to approximately 14 inches in length, wood fired to 2336°F; at Art Eunice R. Miller Gallery Het Posthuys, Texel, Netherlands. Raku masks by OHahoma artist Eunice R. Miller were exhib­ ited through January at the Walter Art Center in Tulsa. The but left the exteriors unglazed so that they would show the images were begun by pressing a slab in a mold made from her effects of fly ash from wood firing to 1280°C (2336°F), as well own face. Once construction was complete, the masks were as from salt, which was placed in small pots within the kiln. brushed with underglazes, then bisqued in an electric kiln. Next, the masks were brushed with raku glazes, fired to Contemporary Texas Clay temperature in a propane kiln, then removed with tongs and by Marla Ziegler placed in a trash can filled with newspapers (or on top of “Ceramic art is not taken seriously.” “Only a handful of local newspaper in holes in the ground, then covered with more galleries represent clay artists.” These and other such remarks newspaper and kicked dirt). echoed through the first informal gathering of North Texas

24 CERAMICS MONTHLY

Up Front artists, educators and collectors, all of whom were concerned with improving the recogni­ tion of clay as a valid contemporary art form. Two years and hundreds of volunteer hours later, this (considerably more organized) group, now called the Texas Clay Artists, successfully mounted its first exhibition. “Contemporary TX Clay,” featuring both sculptural and functional works by 24 North Texas artists, was presented recently at the Dallas Visual Arts Center. Bill Otten, director of the Art Museum of South Texas in Corpus Christi, was asked to jury the show. A salt-glazed thrown stoneware platter by Suze Lindsay’s “Pitchers and Tumblers,” to 15 inches in height, salt-fired Dallas potter Sam Clarkson was one of the stoneware, $250 for the pitcher; at Blue Spiral 1, Asheville, North Carolina. functional works on view. Cut with a kiln Spiral 1 in Asheville, North Carolina. The dual aspects of tea served in America were presented to gallery director John Cram when he moved to North Carolina from Wisconsin. “I stopped in [a restaurant] in Asheville on a cold, rainy day and ordered tea,” he explains. “The waitress brought this sweet stuff with ice in a glass, when what I expected was something hot in a cup. That’s when I knew I had crossed the Mason-Dixon line.” This exhibition “playfully” addresses these differences, with works ranging from functional and sculptural to the absurd. North Carolina potter Suze Lindsay, whose functional forms

Sam Clarkson’s “Faceted Platter,” 24 inches in diameter, were included in the exhibition, believes pottery can become “a salt-glazed stoneware; at the Dallas Visual Arts Center. work of art that is integrated into our daily living. I envision functional pottery not only in terms of straightforward useful­ element, the deeply carved inner surface was enhanced by the ness,” she says, “but also, because of the aesthetic qualities with salt-firing process. which I invest it, as allowing the user to take pleasure in every­ Seemingly more fanciful than functional was the cartoonlike day activities, inviting participation, soliciting interaction.” teapot by John Britt, also of Dallas. The animation of “Yum Yum Blueberry Tea” comes from the exaggerated wedge shape Margaret Fetzer, 1906-1997 Ceramist/educator Margaret Fetzer died on December 16, 1997; she was 91. Born in a log cabin near Maplewood, Ohio, she earned both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from the Ohio State University (OSU) in the early 1930s. While a freshman ceramics engineering student, she had read in the campus newspaper about a new program in ceramic arts and immediately changed majors. After completing her M.A. degree, she joined the OSU faculty as an instructor. In 1936, she married fellow OSU graduate George Fetzer, and together they established a supply company in Columbus. It was one of the first in the country to focus on providing materials to studio artists and educational institutions. For the John Britt’s “Yum Yum Blueberry Tea,” 6 inches in six years George was called into military service during World height, fired to Cone 05. War II, Margaret ran the company alone while continuing to fulfill her faculty responsibilities at OSU. (not quite a slice of pie, not quite a boat), as well as the bright During her tenure at OSU, her studio work dealt largely with Cone 05 glazes. the production of miniature wheel-thrown forms and well- The variety, sophistication and complexity of the works documented glaze research. She was also instrumental in estab­ selected for this exhibition underscore the reason for the genesis lishing the Arthur E. Baggs Memorial Library, with its of the Texas Clay Artists—although clay may be a bond for collection of hundreds of ceramics-related boolts and periodi­ many, it is a medium possible of great individual expression and cals, plus historical examples of ceramic objects. Although she is deserving of the status and attention equal to other art media. officially retired in 1969, she actively continued in her capacity as curator, acquisitor and archivist until 1989. Teapots and Pitchers Show Over the past 45 years, Margaret also served as an adviser to “Hot/Ice II: A Tea Ceremony,” an exhibition of teapots and Ceramics Monthly, and most recently contributed answers to the pitchers by over 40 clay artists, was presented recently at Blue Questions column.

26 CERAMICS MONTHLY February 1998 27 volunteers dismantled over a period of three Video and a half months. Several times, construc­ tion had to be halted until additional funds were obtained. Mata Ortiz Pottery Completed in September 1995, the A documentary on the work of potters in Nanaimo Tozan contains four chambers and Mata Ortiz, Mexico, this video features inter­ a dogi house, in which the firing begins; views (with English translations) with several special burners were installed in the chimney artists, including Juan Quezada, who is widely to reduce smoke. For bisque firings, a small recognized for rediscovering the necessary anagama was also built alongside the Tozan. processes and sharing his findings with the The inaugural Tozan firing took four days, other villagers. At the age of 14, Quezada then another four days to cool. became interested in the pottery shards found With the completion and successful first at nearby Casas Grandes, an abandoned site firing of the kiln, Malaspina’s ceramics tech­ with apparent ties to early pueblo civiliza­ nician Jackson Hirota saw “quite a bit of tions to the north. Without any instruction potential in terms of the advancement of and using only local materials, he started to ceramics,” because at the time there wasn’t “a create similar pots. “When I began, I was single climbing kiln that I know of in Canada, inspired by the ancients,” he remarks. “I let alone a Tozan kiln.” never wanted to make a copy of their The second part of the film is a brief work....Style was my interest.” profile of master kilnbuilder Yukio Yama­ Today, over 300 people in Mata Ortiz moto, who maintains a studio and gallery in produce pottery. While designs vary from Himeji, Japan. Born in 1925, Yamamoto was artists to artist, most employ the methods an elementary school teacher until He began demonstrated by Quezada at the end of the potting full time. He became interested in the video. Beginning with local clay (dug and Tozan technique, which was developed in processed by hand), he slaps a ball into a China around 200 B.C. and flourished in tortilla-shaped slab and lays it in a bowl to Japan from 1722 until the late 1800s. The form the base. He then rolls out a large coil, remainder of the film looks once again at the which is attached to the base and pinched three Tozans he has built. Approximately 26 upward. The completed form is burnished, minutes and 15 minutes, respectively. Avail­ then decorated with iron and manganese. 35 able as VHS videocassette. Can$29.95 (ap­ minutes. Available as VHS videocassette. proximately US$20), includes tax and $29.95. Goebel Imports, 4071 Willow Creek shipping. Venture Video Productions, 9B-1150 Road’ Paso Robles, California 93446. North Terminal Avenue, Nanaimo, British Columbia V9S 5T8, Canada. Tozan/Tozan Master The first section of this two-part docu­ Imperial Tombs of China mentary follows the planning and construc­ Intended for a general audience, this video tion of a Tozan (an East-facing, climbing, is a guided tour through an exhibition of multichamber) kiln in Nanaimo, British Co­ artifacts in various media found in Chinese lumbia, Canada. It was the third of this imperial tombs (from 7 dynasties spanning design to be built by Tozan master potter 2000 years). In addition to describing the Yukio Yamamato—the first was constructed objects, the narrator also explains their rel­ in Japan, the second at the University of evance to court life and rituals. Arizona in Flagstaff. “It’s been a good thing Among the featured ceramic objects are for not only the university, but for the city of tricolored figures from the Tang dynasty Flagstaff,” says professor Don Bendel of the (618-906). According to the narrator, “each Arizona kiln. figure was covered with lead glaze and then, In the early 1990s, eager to build a Tozan while the glaze was still hot, various mineral in Nanaimo, potter Les Beardsley persuaded and metallic powders, copper, iron, cobalt, Yamamoto to design and construct one at were sprinkled on to create vibrant rivers of Malaspina University. Yamamoto arrived in color when they melted.” the fall of 1994 with several friends to help Also shown are figures from the tomb of select a site. Clearing of the land began in the Emperor Qin in Xian. Not yet fully exca­ spring of 1995, and construction took most vated, the buried army consists of at least of the summer. 8000 full-size terra-cotta soldiers, horses and The Tozan Cultural Society, which chariots. “The emperors sought to live for­ Beardsley founded, worked to come up with ever by what they placed around them...in over $300,000 (much of it donated) in land, their tombs,” notes the narrator. “So it seems materials, etc., for the kiln. In fact, the 80,000 they have.” 60 minutes. Available as VHS donated bricks for the Tozan came from a videocassette. $19.95 Media for the Arts, 360 factory car kiln, which Beardsley and many Thames Street, Newport, Rhode Island02840.

28 CERAMICS MONTHLY February 1998 29 In My Own Backyard by George (Kim) Ellington

Kim Ellington preparing to load the groundhog kiln

I live in the rural community of Vale in ion. I had been making pottery for seven was considered folk pottery and for some the Catawba River valley of western years before I found this treasure trove reason ignored in favor of the new, im­ North Carolina. I grew up in Hickory, of ceramic tradition and history in my proved studio pottery. I didn’t really 10 miles north; just beyond the furni­ own backyard. loiow or care about any difference. I ture factories and textile mills that sur­ I had left home as a teenager, eager just wanted to make pots. round this town, a 200-year pottery to travel and desperate to get away from After my two years in school, I some­ tradition almost vanished. I faintly re­ factory work. I moved to the moun­ how ended up back in Hickory. Some­ call the occasional mention of Cat tains, then joined Jimmy Carters peace­ thing about this area made it easy to Square and the once-flourishing pot­ time Army. After my discharge, I relaxed make pots. There was a large enough tery “industry” located around this coun­ a while in “wild and wonderful” West base of potential customers to make it try crossroads 15 miles southeast of Virginia. I then migrated back to North at least imaginable. The fickle world of town. Old peoples talk, a thing of the Carolina to attend a technical college in the mountain tourist trade did not ap­ past, I was sure. the mountains, having enrolled in a pro­ peal to me, though its proximity also In the 20th century, refrigeration and duction pottery program. offered sales potential. I soon opened a glass jars had replaced the need for hand­ Pottery seemed to fit into the back- shop in an old grocery on the cheap made crocks, churns and jugs, the manu­ to-the-earth, self-sufficient ideal I had side of town. The location was on a facture of which had established the adopted. It was a popular idea at the busy short-cut street that provided good first potteries in Catawba County. Mi­ time. I learned how to make pots with visibility, for better or worse. I sold re­ raculously, a lone purveyor of the skill and technical proficiency. Unfor­ tail. I sold wholesale. I did craft shows Catawba Valley tradition continued his tunately, I learned very little of North with a display that conformed to a craft in a quiet and unassuming way, Carolina’s pottery tradition and noth­ 10x10-foot space. I had MasterCard. evidently just for the sake of making ing of the Catawba Valley potters, whose Despite all the effort, I was having a pots. I eventually discovered this for numbers were in the hundreds in the rough time breaking into the make-a- myself, though in a roundabout fash­ 18th and 19th centuries. Their work living-doing-this world.

30 CERAMICS MONTHLY By this time, a few of the old local pots were finding their way to my shop, brought in by their owners wanting to know the value of grandmas molasses jug. I didn’t have a clue as to their col­ lectible value and usually insulted the owners greatly when I offered them 20 bucks, usually all the money I had. The beauty of these few pots haunted me. They had ash glazes running down their ovoid sides, looking much like ripe watermelons. They were thrown un­ commonly thin from the local quartz- ridden clay, apparent from the occasional quartz “pearl” on the surface. Crocks and jugs were usually marked on the sides with a number indicating capac­ ity—the older ones done so in the flow­ ing script of the 19th century. The more prominent potters stamped their work with initials either on the side or atop a strap handle. These were truly pots of distinction, made with a grace and fluidity that be­ lied their humble function. I realized whoever made these pots around here 200 years ago knew something I didn’t, but I made little effort to jump out of my day-to-day living to explore. I had read about the folk pottery of Spain and Japan, and found it hard to believe such a thing was going on in Vale, North Carolina, just 10 miles from my shop. Gallon jar, 10 inches in height, wheel-thrown stoneware with Then one day, I was working late for alkaline glaze and glass runs, wood fired. the Christmas season when a man walked into my shop and unpre­ tentiously asked me what I knew about within the county and moving them to thing, I would have to go to the source. groundhog kilns. By that time, I had his property, log by log. There he was I finally made my way to Burlon Craig’s learned slightly more about the local painstakingly reconstructing and fur­ shop, located beside his house in Henry, tradition and at least knew he was talk­ nishing them, preserving the area’s heri­ just north of Cat Square. At the time, ing about a big wood-burning kiln so tage from decay. Burlon was the only potter still working named for its low tunnel shape. I had As he well knew, no local preserva­ in the ways of the Catawba Valley. He been burning fast-fire wood kilns for tion effort would be complete without was using the last groundhog kiln built years, but had recently switched to pro­ including an authentic groundhog kiln. in this area, constructed by the pane and I was experiencing withdrawal. Many of the first German settlers of Rhinehardt brothers in the 1930s. I I expressed great interest in his inquiry. this and adjoining Lincoln County were might as well have jumped into a time Sensing my enthusiasm, he asked me if potters. This was all fascinating to me, machine as walk through his shop door. I would build him one. As anyone who so I acted as if I knew what I was doing, Burlon had made few, if any, changes to sells retail knows, you run into all sorts. and went along for the ride. I had no the kiln and adjoining pottery, hence its I told him to come back after Christ­ idea I was getting into something that uninterrupted link to the past. mas. He did come back and took me to would challenge my knowledge of pot­ I explained to him my intentions his farm south of Hickory. After a 20- tery making as well as the fundamental and he graciously acknowledged them, minute ride, I found myself in the concepts I had based it on. though I am sure he probably thought I middle of a 19th-century village. This There had not been a groundhog was full of it. I didn’t know enough to man was privately procuring most of kiln constructed around here in 50 years. fool myself, much less him, so I told the original hand-hewn homesteads I knew if I really wanted to do this him straight up, “I don’t know what I’m

February 1998 31 larger than any I had encountered. The inside height is only 30 inches, so the pots are made in sizes that conform to the shape of the crown—big ones in the middle, graduating in size to the sides. Kiln furniture isn’t required, just a creek- sand floor. There is room for approxi­ mately 250 pots, ranging in size from 1-pint to 20-gallon capacity. An aver­ age firing takes 10 hours. At first, this all seemed crazy to me. However, I witnessed the results from Burlon’s kiln and was convinced I could do the same. I just didn’t realize it would take another five years. Although I learned most of the firing techniques within a year, it took me another four years to figure out something I hadn’t even thought about—the clay. I inno­ cently assumed any of the commercially available fireclays would work. I was stupid on that one. The big mining companies don’t consider a clay’s ability to be green-glazed, then quickly wood fired to over 2400°F. The first firing was pretty much a disaster. There were many explosions and bloats. I was beginning to get a sense of the tiger whose tail I had grabbed. I now realized just how local­ ized this type of pottery is—how every­ thing needs to be adapted to or by the local materials. Bring in something from the outside, everything changes. It was Two-gallon jar, 14 inches in height, wheel-thrown and incised time to go back to Burlon for another stoneware, with alkaline glaze and glass runs, wood fired. dose of humble pie. Again, Burlon endured my dumb doing and need some help.” He just gible link with this tradition I was dis­ questions and offered to help as he could. chuckled and said he’d help me any way covering. I was proud to be able to use I think it gave him some pleasure to see he could. them, even if I did almost destroy them. another potter trying to continue this It is important to note that if it wasn’t Meanwhile, I continued operating tradition. What had started as a “simple” for Burlon Craig, a unique tradition my shop in Hickory. I was beginning to kiln-building project was now consum­ would have gone the way of the buffalo. worry that this groundhog thing was ing me and my business. He had persevered through good times, taking too much time and effort. Mis­ The pots I had been making before bad times and now better times. Like takes were made and corrected along all of this were fading into the backdrop the last bull of a dying breed, he had the way, and finally by October the kiln of all the others just like them. The stayed his ground, making few conces­ was ready to fire. alkaline glaze had worked its spell on sions to the modern world swirling Prior to that, I had taken advantage me. All I wanted to do was make jugs, around him. As a result, there are still of every opportunity to help Burlon fire crocks and jars like the “old-timers.” I potters in Vale digging the clay, turning his kiln. I had previously fired with was learning much about history, raw the pots and burning the kilns. wood, using a 30-cubic-foot fast-fire materials and self-reliance. Most of this That summer, a groundhog kiln was kiln, but not a whole lot of that Jmowl- knowledge was coming to me orally, built with the same arch boards used edge transferred to the scale I was now the standards and anecdotes passed for Burlon’s lain, the one before it, and dealing with. down through generations. who knows how many before that. With a setting floor 10 feet wide by “You can do whatever, but around These old arch forms were my first tan- 15 feet long, the kiln we built was much here you weren’t considered much of a

32 CERAMICS MONTHLY Two-gallon crock, 13 inches in height, stoneware with alkaline glaze and glass runs, wood fired to approximately Cone 12. potter til you made a 10-gallon” was up. I literally threw my old mailing list local geology, people and history along one of Burlon’s quips that struck home. away. The majority of my previous cus­ the way. In this area, the good potters’ I might get one made, but was long tomers were not interested in green pots. clay does not lie in sedimentary plains away from glazing and firing it in one They wanted blue pots or soap dispens­ but in isolated pockets, where all the piece. Everything I had learned about ers or whatever else was popular at the right ingredients happened to settle. making pots was being challenged. My time. These new customers wanted The legendary Rhodes clay hole set wife thought I was losing it. wood-fired pots with rich ash glazes the local standard for potters’ clay. Lo­ Then I started selling those “green made from local materials. They wanted cated on the south fork of the Catawba pots.” Although that first firing was a a piece of this place and its tradition. River, it is perhaps 6 acres in size. This disaster, I sold every salvageable pot in It has been 11 years since I built that deposit has been completely dug out about 15 minutes. People drove for miles groundhog kiln. I’m getting ready for over the past 200 years. It started “dry­ to stand outside on a cold day and buy my 30th firing. Now that I have the ing up” in the 1930s, about the same pots literally “off the yard.” kiln about figured out, I am in the time the pottery trade here was in seri­ I thought I might be onto some­ process of building another one, with ous decline. thing here. Collectibility was something the addition of side-stoking holes. Although many other social and eco­ I hadn’t considered. That next year I After moving to Vale in 1989,1 finally nomic factors contributed to the pot­ sold more pots out of my yard than I found the clay I was looking for. It was ters’ demise, I also consider the had sold the previous five years doing no easy task, but well worth the time exhaustion of the clay resource to be a every craft show I could do. I gave them and effort. I learned much about the factor. It was such a good clay that some

February 1998 33 but the difference in taste is worth all the trouble. This difference also applies to clay. The “store-bought” clays are separated and refined, then remixed to concoct “potters’ clay.” Mother nature does a much better job. I once relied solely on store-bought clay without giving it a second thought. I now realize the only connection I had with the material I was dedicating my life to was through a telephone line and delivery truck. The vast geological differences avail­ able in America are too precious and unique to be used in such a homog­ enized manner. As a result, the regional characteristics and subtleties of this country’s hand-crafted wares have all but disappeared. The anti-industrial philosophy that so many of us adopted to become potters has been severely compromised. Environments are differ­ ent, potters are different, local geology is different. When you add these ele­ ments together, you get a truly unique pot, one that not only responds to the soul and locale of the potter, but also gives the customer something tangible to relate to. The concept that captivated me about the Catawba Valley tradition was the use of local materials. I immersed myself in the traditional techniques and methods to re-establish something I thought was too valuable and beautiful to lose. Along the way, I discovered how far I had distanced myself from the clay. Now I can move on, no longer having to search for something that will make my pots “different.” Two-quart pitcher, 17 inches in height, stoneware with alkaline glaze and glass runs, by George (Kim) Ellington, Vale, North Carolina. The difference is in the clay itself. It no longer matters what shape I make or for what function, it will still be dis­ potters actually quit an increasingly sure whatsoever in handworking a com­ tinctly Catawba Valley to those who nonprofitable trade rather than switch mercial product. can discern the difference. I believe the to commercially available clay. Besides the superior tenacity of the ideal graduate program for any pottery Burlon told me about his previous natural clay, there is something else that school would be to place the individual experience using commercial clay. “You goes beyond description. It’s the differ­ someplace on the planet with nothing. can’t turn that stuff thin; it just won’t ence between a handmade Martin gui­ Then come back in a couple of years stand up. It’s all the same clay, the only tar and a plywood copy. They both play and see what kind of pots he or she has difference is in the color.” He was refer­ music, but beyond the obvious tonal made. No pots, no degree. ring to the sameness in the particulate differences, there is an indescribable dif­ I still have that first pot I made en­ makeup of the refined clays. I doubt I ference in soul. It is the same distinc­ tirely from found, natural ingredients. I would give up pottery making if I ran tion between commercial and home­ refer to it as my “master’s degree” pot. out of local clay, but I might resort to grown tomatoes. You have to put up The alkaline glaze I use is also made jiggering and casting, finding no plea- with a few irregularities and hard work, up of found materials.

34 CERAMICS MONTHLY Alkaline Glaze (Cone 12) Wood Ash...... 7 parts Powdered Glass...... 5 parts Clay Slip...... _2 parts 14 parts These are the general proportions; consider them a starting point. Some­ times I’ll throw in a handful of this or that. Actually, every batch I mix is dif­ ferent. I often push my serendipitous Inside the kiln looking toward the firebox; the setting floor is attitude to the limit. It keeps life inter­ 10 feet wide and 15 feet long. esting. I use either or both pine and oak ash. On my clay, the type of ash makes little noticeable difference in the fired glaze. There are many different combi­ nations of feldspar and silica to be used for the glass source; I usually recycle window glass. The clay slip is made from the clay I turn with. Different percentages of iron content in the clay will affect the finished color and, to some degree, the firing temperature. This is an ancient Oriental glaze used by German potters in the primitive outback of North Carolina over 150 years ago. That is an oddity in itself. Some clever potter discovered this recipe Exterior view of the firebox; the three stoke holes are fed and brought it to the area. The potters continuously during the 10- to 12-hour firing. in the eastern region of the state typi­ cally salt glazed their stoneware. But salt was much too precious a commod­ ity in this isolated region to be dump­ ing it into kilns. Also intriguing are the similarities to Oriental kiln design, as well as the shapes and functions of the pottery forms. The Orientals made large, round ash-glazed pots for pickling cabbage. The German settlers in this area made large, round ash-glazed crocks for sauerkraut. Go figure—something about form follow­ ing function. I know I’m in a unique situation here, not one that would be available to many other potters; however, most of what I have learned can be applied to any place, any time. I sit here at a com­ puter that has access to most of the accumulated knowledge of modern civi­ lizations, all over the world. It is truly amazing. So is this world right around me. I recommend taking a walk, asking questions. Look for some clay or some rocks for glaze. I guarantee you will Smoke pours from the chimney during “blasting,” learn something important. ▲ the final stage of the firing.

February 1998 35 “Toys and Tools,” 36 inches in diameter, handbuilt, with impressed patterns, sodium vapor fired in reduction to Cone 06 flat, $975. Lasting Impressions by Collin D. Rosebrook

Few people may know my name or then gone. The bombing also has had that of my studio, Paseo Pottery, but an impact on my work. the world knows my hometown, Okla­ Recently I have been experimenting homa City. Everywhere I go, from La with surface treatments—making last­ Quinta, California, to Atlanta, Geor­ ing impressions—on large-scale forms. gia, people ask if I was there, did I see, You never get a second chance to make what was it like, how did it feel. a good first impression, or so the saying My studio is approximately 20 blocks goes. But clay is very forgiving. Surfaces north of the bomb site, and I was there can be created, manipulated, recreated, the day of the blast. I cannot explain then restored. the sound of the explosion; the concus­ After 23 years of experimenting, I sion rocked and shook the building. have developed a clay body that per­ Going outside and seeing the black forms well beyond my expectations; plumes of smoke, we knew a tragedy of however, the recipe is not set in stone or great magnitude had occurred. People stoneware, you might say. Because it is were running everywhere. Sirens blared mixed with studio scraps, chance al­ for hours and hours. ways plays a part. The impact on the community is Consistent results with works up to still felt. Passing the site daily on my Thoroughly wedged clay is placed on 3 feet in diameter were achieved with way to the studio, I often think about a fabric-covered board, then pounded this new clay body fired to a flat Cone the brevity of life; like a vapor its here, by hand from the center outward. 06. There seemed to be no limitation in

36 CERAMICS MONTHLY ‘Celebration,” 48 inches in diameter, handbuilt disk with impressed patterning sodium vapor fired in reduction to Cone 06 flat, on a metal stand, $12,500.

Still on the fabric, the impressed disk is transferred from the board to a concave plaster bat for drying. Next, the surface of the disk is embellished with impressions from handmade stamps and found objects.

February 1998 37 Rosebrooks “Not Set in Stoneware” Recipes

To develop a forgiving low-fire clay body capable of producing disks up to 4 feet in diameter, Collin Rosebrook began with a standard 20% talc, 50% clay and 30% grog mixture. Many experiments later, he found success with the follow­ ing recipe: Rosebrook Clay Body (Cone 06) Talc...... 20.00% Wollastonite...... 0.50 Fireclay...... 50.00 Mullite...... 8.25 Pyrophyllite...... 1.25 Sand...... 20.00 100.00% Added to this dry mixture were buckets of aged slop—a conglom­ eration of throwing remnants, slaked greenware, unknown scraps (low-fire, as well as high-fire, clays), leftover coffee, tea and coke, and mosquito larva. Whatever ended “Orchid Leaf,” 36 inches in diameter, hand-pounded disk, with impressed imagery, sodium vapor fired in reduction, up in the slop buckets was added $975, by Collin D. Rosebrook, Oklahoma City. to this clay. He began with a batch of about 3000 pounds, combining the dry ingredients, then adding the slop size, except for my kilns dimensions— doom because of human error, not be­ and foot-wedging the mix to a good the interior measures 4x4x5 feet. So I cause the clay wasn’t up to the task. working consistency. Packaged in decided to try making a 4-foot-diam- Before the third attempt, I tried to con­ plastic bags, it was put away to age eter disk in one piece. sider all the factors. several months. Taking 65 pounds of thoroughly To eliminate stress, I enlisted the aid wedged clay, I began in the center of a of eight men (not boys) to carry the Rosebrooks Big Pot Clay Body board covered with fabric (an old heavy disk still in the plaster form to the edge (Cone 10) sheet), pounding by hand from the cen­ of the kiln car. I had already prepared a Custer Feldspar...... 25 pounds ter out in a circular motion. Besides large bed of vermiculite on the kiln Talc...... 20 spreading the clay outward, the pound­ shelves to receive the disk. On com­ Ball Clay...... 50 ing contributed much to the strength mand, each of the men pulled on an Cedar Heights and durability of the piece. edge of the fabric, lifting the disk up­ Goldart...... 100 Next, the surface was embellished ward. They then lowered it gently onto Cedar Heights with impressions. Most of the images I the vermiculite. Redart...... 50 impress come from drawings transferred Once the car was pushed in, thanks Lincoln Fireclay...... 300 to matt board, cut out and applied; to slight alterations so the piece cleared Sand (70 mesh) ...... 25 Styrofoam stamps; and objects found the opening, the door was secured and Grog (28 mesh)...... 50 (stop the car) on the road; as well as toys the kiln ignited. After one day of pilot­ 620 pounds and tools from my home. Still on the ing, one day of one burner on low, one This clay body is also mixed with fabric, the flat disk was then transferred day of firing to a flat Cone 06 and three stoneware slop (to extend the vol­ to a concave plaster bat for drying. days of cooling, the 4-foot-diameter disk ume of the yield and encourage It took three attempts to reach this emerged, with no cracks and a nice ring faster aging) and foot-wedged. stage, the first two having met their to the flick of a finger.

38 CERAMICS MONTHLY Making Craft to Make Art Musings on Production Day by Cynthia Spencer

Glazed stoneware watering can, 8 inches in length, $35.

I always chuckle at debates over art fronted with a blank canvas in a small dishes, but discovered handbuilding was versus craft, and wonder how some apartment, what other subject was there? my construction method of choice. people can be so rigid. In my mind, I Then a wonderful thing happened. I Somewhere in here, my partner came have been an artist since I was about discovered one could acquire a lab card back from a tax law class and declared I five years old; but if I had not stumbled at the local university’s ceramics studio. should claim my pottery making a busi­ upon the satisfying life of making and The availability of space to work, spread ness and deduct expenses. Making selling functional ware, I might not be out, get dirty(!) was a delight, and gave money from artwork was alien to my making art today. me another focus. I decided we needed thinking (Was something wrong with My early days of art making were a set of handmade dishes. my art schooling or what?), but the filled with a lot of work about me: self- This took relearning how to throw suggestion sounded wonderful, and we portraits, photographs of friends, pur­ on the wheel, which included many, took the plunge. ple prints inked directly from my body many hours of practice to master the Slowly, some of the forms became parts. Heck, my senior thesis show in basics of centering, trimming and even­ my own: watering cans, vases, platters, college was mostly blatant self-indul­ tually knowing good form from bad. It garden pots. And they began to sell. gence. (Isn’t everyone’s?) was liberating to give my brain a rest Business grew. During a few corporate work years, from trying to come up with subject Market forces encouraged me to stan­ the little bit of art making I was able to matter for the blank canvas and paper. dardize some of the forms to function squeeze in still focused on examining During this developmental period, I pro­ better as useful pots. With standardiza­ me, my partner, our feelings. Con­ duced a mishmash “set” of thrown tion came the freeing of my mind to

February 1998 “As She Surveys Her Garden,” 24 inches in height, handbuilt stoneware, with Cone 10 reduction glazes, $850.

40 CERAMICS MONTHLY Canister, 12 inches in height, Cone 10 stoneware, $75, by Cynthia Spencer, Corvallis, Oregon. use creative energies on new forms. my sculpture has worked its way back vest the fruits of production labor in Along the way, ideas for sculpture floated to being about me. But now the narra­ the form of stronger sculpture. I want in between ware boards of vases and tive, self-portrait quality is cloaked in my sculpture to be useful works, too. watering cans. Whenever a vase would the craft tradition of pottery vessel ter­ They should engage viewers with a vi­ slump into a “personality,” I would ac­ minology—feet, belly, shoulders, neck. sual question to answer. They can func­ centuate the gesture in a sculpture. Even­ And somehow, carrying on this thou- tion purely for their beauty, or they can tually, a body of figurative sculpture sand-year-old craft has strengthened and also stand in the garden for birds to took off on its own. Each sculpture emboldened what I do. land on. challenged me as a puzzle to be solved, Daydreaming as I cut out my The usefulness of my work is very a technical question to be answered, zillionth vase, I realize how lucky I am satisfying, and is the catalyst that keeps and even a way to show off a little. to sell work to a (mostly) appreciative me going. Of course, the occasional Of course, wouldn’t you know it, audience, while also being able to har­ check in the mail helps, too.

February 1998 41 Jana Bednarkova by Douglas Kenney

Ihe complex organic sculp­ Bednarkova has main­ tures of Paris-based artist Jana tained a studio in Paris since Bednarkova were exhibited 1990. She moved to France recently at Gallery Tao in To­ after earning a master of fine kyo. For inspiration for these arts degree in ceramics from slab- and coil-built stoneware the University of Applied forms, she turned to nature Arts in Prague, and contin­ and the cosmos, whether it ued her ceramics studies at be the ocean, sun or stars. the University of Applied After a bisque firing, Bed­ Arts, Paris. narkova used combinations of In 1993, she was invited oxides and glazes to develop to live and work at the color. Watering down glossy Machida Art Center in To­ glazes and applying them kyo. Two years later, she re­ with a sponge created varied turned to Japan to develop a matt and glossy surfaces, new body of work as a resi­ which added visual depth. dent artist at the Shigaraki A glaze firing to 2232°F Ceramic Cultural Park. in an electric kiln was fre­ Back in Paris, the experi­ quently followed by multiple ences in Japan have had a low firings for overglazes and significant impact on the evo­ lusters. Many times, matt lution of her work, which gold luster was employed, but incorporates interesting com­ most forms were accented binations of Western and with opalescent lusters. Eastern influences. “Flower and Butterfly,” approximately 23 inches in height, handbuilt stoneware with oxides, glazes and lusters.

“The Sea,” approximately 40 inches in height, stoneware, with oxides, glazes and opalescent lusters, “Embrasse,” approximately 33 inches by Jana Bednarkova, Paris. in height, stoneware with sponged and brushed oxides and glazes, multifired.

42 CERAMICS MONTHLY Talking Tradition A Conversation on Boundaries by Stacy Snyder

Tradition, as a term, is an enigma. What exactly is tradi­ sculpture, where all of those artists have had references to tion? What, and perhaps who, defines it? In his essay traditional work and the past. “Tradition and the Individual Talent,” T. S. Eliot defines Everybody is involved in some relationship with tradi­ tradition as: tion. Usually they are either embracing it or trying to escape it. But, even if they are trying to escape it, they are A matter of much wider significance. It cannot acknowledging the dynamism of tradition in their life. be inherited, and if you want it you must obtain it by great labor. It involves, in the first place, the Ferguson: I believe in historical reference, and I think the historical sense...and the historical sense involves a weakest pots are those being made by people who deny perception, not only of the pastness of the past, but historical reference and only look at what is fashion­ of its presence. able today. They should go back to the well and look at the source. They will have a sense of what has been Although Eliot’s essay was written in 1919, his words done, why it has been done and how things have devel­ still ring true. He defends a sense of tradition that was oped—the needs, the clays, the available techniques. Then based on a real understanding of the past (either of they could start to understand. Then they usually can techniques or con­ sort out and remem­ cepts) where novelty is ber and take the only new in relation “I think the weakest pots are those being made by best....I think that ev­ to this past. eryone has looked at, In an attempt to people who deny historical reference and only look at and tried to grow and understand more what is fashionable today. ”—Ferguson develop from what has about tradition and come before them. the role it should or should not play in a ceramics artist’s work, I asked the Callas: From an educated perspective, I think tradition following questions of Ken Ferguson (studio potter and can be enriching, but today it is sort of stuck in a rut. former head of the ceramics department at Kansas City From the standpoint of learning the ropes and so forth Art Institute), Peter Callas (studio artist working in and so on, anybody who does ceramics has to follow Belvidere, New Jersey), and author/ceramic arts dealer procedures, has to follow some sort of working format to Garth Clark (partner in the Garth Clark Gallery, New get their stuff done. But, I give thanks to the people who York City): went before me to give me the knowledge so that I can pursue my own avenues of creativity. Interviewer: Ceramics is a medium historically linked to tradition. Yet often it is sidelined in the greater game of Interviewer: Ceramics links itself to the past both with art because many of the coaches and critics see tradition context and technique. This adherence to one specific in opposition to the avant-garde and novelty. Many ce­ medium is seen as a component of that which separates ramics artists thus walk a fine line between tradition and craft from art. Does tradition mean a different thing to cliche. Does the idea of tradition in ceramics offer a ceramics than it does to other media? foundation on which ceramics artists can stand or does it actually hinder progress? How important is tradition to Ferguson: No, tradition is the same in ceramics and in ceramics today? everything else. You look at it and you want to improve, you want to grow from it, learn from it, take from it. If Clark: No more or less important than tradition is for you dig a deep well, it will not dry up. But, this is very everything else. Tradition is like a stepladder. If you want, old stuff, and everybody has said it one way or another. you reach for something new. Everybody, from Duchamp Willa Cather is noted for saying, “The end is nothing; onward, has had to climb up the stepladder. It depends the road is all.” It gives you something to stand on. A how far you stretch beyond what you consider tradition. solid base. It gives you confidence. You must have the Nobody is free of tradition. I don’t think it is any more confidence. Then you earn or you get the right to work important in ceramics than it is, say, in painting or with it and go forward.

February 1998 43 Callas: Yes. This gets back to how people view ceramics. English potter who settled in New Zealand, said, “Art is a And for the most part, up until the 20th century, all sophisticated form of play.” other art forms were used for a decorative side of life, We travel more than ever, we have books on so many whereas ceramics was used for containers, utilitarian, subjects, we see exhibits, films, and its hard not to imag­ basic hand-to-mouth kind of contact. The potters have ine the impact of all of this. Some stay with us. We reflect put their stamp of nostalgia on clay, and people look at all of these images. We cant help it. We are the sum total ceramics in a certain way. Only when you get into big-city of our experiences. markets do you occasionally see obscure, esoteric ceramics. Interviewer: How do we as artists place tradition into a Interviewer: A criticism associated with the use of tradi­ workable context both within our studio activity and within tion involves a lacking of boundaries; where anything our collective notions of the past? Where do we draw the becomes fair game. What responsibilities do we have to line in pulling from the past? How should we define tradi­ the past? Are there limits to appropriating traditions, forms tion today? and ideas from other cultures? Is there a difference be­ tween tradition and appropriation? Callas: I think I have been boiling all my answers down to two things: desire and technique. Well, time is the other Clark: Well, you know appropriation has recently become thing that is going to come into play. You just have to have chic. It was given a title and it became a movement in the time. But, really, how many people are going to make a 20- fine arts. But, it has always been done. year sojourn of looking at bowls in museums, handling Previously, artists teabowls, talking to would call it homage if people, trying to do it they were referring in “The kind of tradition that produces a mindless yourself, having a kiln, their work to another spending years, han­ artists work from an­ imitation of someone elses moment in time is worthless. dling, feeling, touch­ other period of time. It It creates something that does nothing for our own time ing, talking? How was a way of stating many people are go­ how much they re­ and is probably second-rate compared to what ing to spend that spected that art and it was imitating. —Clark much time to make how influenced they something that good? were by it. You can get by mak­ Now, it is being treated as though it is a new event. It is ing a Volkswagen or you can go all out and make a Porsche. new to the extent that it has been developed. Someone can There are two levels of expression, and it depends upon literally make a copy of another piece of work and sign it your own individual talent—it is the enormous commit­ themselves and claim that that work has contemporary ment to that little universe. I use tradition as a barometer, to relevance because it was done again by a contemporary look over my shoulder and say, “How does this hold up to artist. That is the far end of the process where it becomes what I have seen or what is out there?” very questionable. Ceramics is different and has tended to be less of a Clark: Michael Cardew once said that tradition by definition purist field, so the artists have felt very free to mix and should be a living thing. He remarked that most traditional­ match from the art, styles and artists who have influenced ists are people who merely take measurements of the corpse them. Also, because it was traditionally a decorative arts and reproduce work of the past. And by that he meant that field there has been more of a sense of playfulness about if you aim to follow tradition, when you come to it you have picking up things from the past. But, that is also fairly new to extend the tradition, you have to take it down the path. It because it is only in the last three centuries that we have is not enough to take the tradition and replicate it in a way started to get to know the ceramics of other cultures. This that brings no new life. eclecticism began to pick up speed particularly in the 19th I think that is really your argument for and against century as World s Fairs, magazines, books and other things tradition. I think the kind of tradition that produces a made us aware of the different cultures in a much more mindless imitation of someone elses moment in time is cognitive way. worthless. It creates something that does nothing for our own time and is probably second-rate compared to what it Ferguson: There is nothing wrong with appropriating was imitating. But, if someone takes tradition and uses it as a images from the past. If you do, eventually even you springboard, that is exactly what tradition is for and that is will become bored with it. When jazz musicians impro­ when tradition is a force for innovation. vise, they use many tunes, put them together and play with them, and if they are successful, they have some­ The interviewerStacy Snyder is an M.F.A. candidate in ceram­ thing new. The key word is play. Harry Davis, the ics at The Pennsylvania State University.

44 CERAMICS MONTHLY EmBODYment by Dorothy Joiner

Twenty-two works by five artists were more ethereal aspirations reflected in presented in “EmBODYment,” an ex­ the cloud-studded sky on the figure’s hibition of figurative ceramic sculpture upper chest and shoulders. The spoon, at Connell Gallery in Atlanta. Displayed which substitutes for a head, conciliates in informal groupings, these highly dis­ this antinomy. Linked with nourish­ tinctive sculptures worked remarkably ment and the female, a spoon in Africa well together, illustrating once again is an award for outstanding women. Montaigne’s affirmation that nothing is Here the blue color of the spoon serves as interesting as man. to join its innately feminine, practical Almost life-sized, Indira Freitas function to the more lofty aspirations Johnson’s triumphant female figures symbolized by the blue sky. confirm her Indian heritage. Develop­ Engagingly fragmented, Allan Rosen­ ing the metaphor of woman as build­ baum’s bodies with detached heads ex­ ing, “Crumbling Shelter” is an amply plore the disjuncture between thought curvaceous figure, patterned as though and physicality. A provocative evoca­ constructed of bricks that are falling tion of Rodin’s “Thinker,” the zig-zag into ruin near the base. Because they body of “Reflection” sits on its head as are made of earth and related to the if on a big cushion. In its service as seat, practical side of life, Johnson associates the head is pressed, as it were, by the bricks with time-bound, familial respon­ effort toward thought. Sharing a splash sibilities, in seeming opposition to the of yellow at their interface, the head

“Crumbling Shelter,” 60 inches in height, handbuilt, painted with oils, $5500, by Indira Freitas Johnson, Evanston, Illinois.

“Reflection,” 31 inches in height, handbuilt earthenware, with stains and glazes, $3000, by Allan Rosenbaum, Richmond, Virginia.

February 1998 45 “Last Wish,” 40 inches in height, earthenware with terra sigillata, glaze and enamel paint, $3000, by Tim Taunton, La Grange, Georgia.

“The Collector,” 35 inches in height, glazed earthenware, $3000, by Wesley Anderegg, Denver.

46 CERAMICS MONTHLY “Projection II,” 26 inches in height, $2500, handbuilt earthenware, with slips, stains and terra sigillata, by Judith Condon, Knoxville, Tennessee. and the buttocks both partake of that enigmatic patterning, showing her immediacy to the figures’ poignant ex­ hue said to stimulate intellection. The wealthy lifestyle. The outline of strong pressions and eloquent though re­ artist thus hints at a mind-body con­ features is visible through the white veil strained gestures. As if absorbed by an nection, an idea that he simultaneously pressed by the wind against her face, an inner struggle, the woman of “Projec­ undercuts by the obvious disjoining of allusion to death similar to that which tion II” turns her eyes searchingly up­ the two. Magritte saw over the face of his drown­ ward, elbows back, palms up. The mans Droll and winsome, Wesley Ander- ing mother. (Taunton was unaware of image on her chest, as though beamed egg’s figures stand like robots on comic, this connection until after finishing the from a projector, together with a pen­ spindly legs. “The Collector” also vaunts work.) The Aladdin’s lamp atop the ris­ dant face of a woman on her back, a shallow box displaying a collection of ing coils of her hair is a reprise of the bespeaks the psychological projections “pre-Columbian” heads, all resembling title—that final, overriding aspiration operative in all human relationships, his own, even to the miniature teeth. only a genie might grant. particularly those between the sexes. A surrealist apres la lettre, Tim Described by the artist as “all self- With its variety of expression and Taunton makes full but miniaturized portraits, whether they have my fea­ surface treatment, “EmBODYment” figures that join intriguing, often bi­ tures or not,” Judith Condon’s busts are demonstrated once again the adaptive zarre appendages to captivating, realis­ surfaced with what she terms “impure” nature of clay. More importantly, how­ tic detail. The armless female of “Last materials: oil paint, acrylic, encaustic, ever, it emphasized how fascinating the Wish” wears a rich, strapless gown with even furniture wax. With these, she lends human being really is. ▲

February 1998 47 PHOTOS: JEFF BRUCE, E. G. SCHEMPF

“Fish Bone Platter,” 18 inches in length, porcelain, with poured, masked and brushed oxide and glaze decoration, fired in reduction to Cone 10 in a gas downdraft kiln. A Working History by Lynn Smiser Bowers

Over 20 years have passed by since I I was admitted to the Kansas City Art first walked the campus of the Kansas Institute ceramics program as a third- City Art Institute. As a prospective stu­ year student. Since I already held an dent, I was anxious to tour the ceramics undergraduate degree, I was exempt facility, but I was lost. Wandering aim­ from most academic classes. Much of lessly, I came upon a towering man in my time on campus would be spent in baggy, dusty clothing and a small snap- the ceramics studio. brim cap. I thought this “maintenance Coming from a sedate Mr. Rogers- man” might be able to point the way. like art department at the University of As he “grumped” directions, it dawned Missouri, I thought the KCAI. studio on me that this was, in fact, Ken had the feel of “Pee Wee Hermans Play­ Ferguson, chairman of the ceramics de­ house,” as 65 of us were crammed into partment. It would not be the only time a space constructed for 35. Competi­ I would misread Ken—nor the last time tion for wheel time, workspace and Ken Lynn Smiser Bowers waxing the foot he would be my guide. Fergusons attention was fierce. ring of a large serving dish. After submitting transcripts and par­ The theory of “survival of the fittest” ticipating in a portfolio review process, was proven daily. I remember a strong

48 CERAMICS MONTHLY young man crying when Ken threw out two weeks worth of finished greenware because his pots were too incompetent to fire. Several days later, the fellow changed his major to photography and left the ceramics department. Other stu­ dents claimed his empty wheel space. Limits were never placed on our zeal for expressing our ideas. We were pushed to go bigger and better, to look over the edge—and to suffer the consequences if the concept or the execution was found to be weak. I learned that the creative process can be risky. The willingness to stray from the known, to push beyond what is comfortable, gives vitality and strength to an artists effort. This was a painful process for me, as my throwing skills were not as advanced as my ideas. Asian influence was dominant in taste and style. At some point, everyone made teabowls, referencing the loose, gestural folk pottery of Japan. Before I was ex­ posed to this relaxed throwing style, my method had been mannered, uniform and precise. But these pots were squashed, misshapen and full of vital­ ity—this was intriguing. The talents and dedication of my fellow students were overwhelming. Many arrived early, stayed late and ap­ peared again on weekends. I threw on a wheel next to Jim Bailey and Barry “Jar with Blue Knob,” 10 inches in height, wheel-thrown and altered porcelain, Bartlett, who both possessed “boy won­ with layered glazes brushed and poured over stencils and resists. der” skills. Chris Gustin, Andrea Gill, Stan Welsh, James Watkins, David Nelson, Ron Kovatch, Akio Takamori, this most primitive of jugs. The handle efforts were fair game, as their faults or Allan Winkler and Arnie Zimmerman on this jug presented a fine example for merits were discussed openly by the were also among my talented classmates, us to copy. It strengthened the body of teachers. Every detail of a pot was con­ many of whom have gone on to teach a the form by flowing naturally from the sidered. A spout that was too small or new generation of students. correct placement on the neck and at­ misplaced on the profile of the pot, or a Each semester, we were given specific taching itself to the belly, without handle that appeared to be “stuck on” form assignments so that a vast number flourish. Later, I realized these old jugs rather than growing naturally from the of shapes could be tried; for example, were the prototypes that inspired Ber­ form would be pointed out. These ses­ we worked exclusively on the pitcher nard Leach and other English potters. sions were usually tempered with one form for several weeks. When one stu­ For a year and a half, I studied with of Ken’s humorous anecdotes. He has a dent brought in a book on medieval Ken Ferguson and Victor Babu, who gift for storytelling. pitchers, I was fascinated by the crude- augmented our assignment with weekly Ken is also an expert ceramics histo­ waisted foot of the pitcher that led up demonstrations and critiques. On Fri­ rian, and conveyed the richness of the to the graceful swell of the belly. The days, we would gather up our favorite craft to us. Through his extraordinary neck and spout were equally strong state­ creations from that week’s assignment collection of slides and lectures, we were ments and completed the harmony in and place them on a large table. Our exposed to pots from around the world

February 1998 49 and given a sense of their place in his­ I loved best. Most of my classmates This approach to her craft appealed tory, as well as a better understanding of would be heading for M.FA. programs, to the practical in me. Clary also talked what elements make a piece enduring. a path encouraged for most. I knew about bookkeeping, marketing and liv­ As a teacher, Ken observed and com­ that I did not wish to teach or accumu­ ing within a budget. Finally, I could see mented on many aspects of his stu­ late another degree, but I was unsure some of the business aspects involved in dents lives as developing artists. One how to make the transition from stu­ pursuing this craft as a livelihood. day, he questioned me about my ap­ dent to professional potter. Out of school, I built a small studio pearance—a head scarf, some jewelry My last semester was a summer ses­ off a pre-existing garage that was on or overdone makeup was disturbing sion, during which Clary Illian had been property I had purchased several years him. At the time, I thought his atten­ hired to teach. Since Clary is a full-time earlier. My home and studio are located tion over such a minor detail was an­ studio potter trained in the Leach tradi­ in midtown Kansas City, not far from noying. I now realize he wanted me to tion, I was shown yet another approach the institute. When I moved here, the be aware that too much time spent on to the craft. Every day that summer, I renowned artist Thomas Hart Benton daily trivia, such as fussing with ones saw Clary make pots just as she might still lived in the neighborhood. After he appearance, drew a student s concentra­ in her studio in Iowa. She set up her died, his home and studio were turned tion away from learning. Leach treadle wheel in the center of the into a state museum. The neighbor­ Ken gave 100% to his students and room and worked alongside us. She had hood is very supportive of artists, and I he demanded the same in return. He a production potters rhythm I had not felt comfortable putting down roots and wanted us to understand that being a seen before. She worked in series—12 becoming part of the community. potter is a whole life. or 13 pots—similar forms, yet with vari­ Once established in my studio, I be­ By the last semester, I was more de­ ous nuances, would be thrown and gan filling wareboards and selling pots. termined than ever to make functional placed on wareboards. Once a board Loading the shelves with ware was no pottery and to make a living doing what was full, she went on to the next series. problem, but the marketing phase of this adventure was another story. The selling of one s art could be classified as an adjunct career with an entirely new set of skills to be developed. I began completing art fair applications, taking slides of my work, designing and build­ ing display units, and learning to deal with rejection notices from art fairs and galleries. Many artists cannot tolerate the busi­ ness side of their work, and they find galleries or agents to handle this aspect. Oddly enough, I liked the challenge of assembling a temporary retail space and interacting with customers. The posi­ tive comments and contact with buyers balance the “alone time” in the studio. Along with selling at retail fairs, I began to diversify my market. I have galleries that represent my work; I enter a few juried competitions each year and on occasions, I participate in an Ameri­ can Craft Council wholesale/retail show. In addition, each year I am involved with the Kansas City Clay Guild Holi­ day Show Tour. It is an opportunity to clean my workspace, open my studio for visitors and break out the cham­ “Pitcher with Green Spout,” 9 inches in height, porcelain, pagne. Over the years, many pottery with Cone 10 reduction glazes. buyers have become friends, and vice

50 CERAMICS MONTHLY versa, so I look forward to the social part of this yearly event. One defining moment in these early stages of my quest for commercial expe­ rience was an incident involving a gal­ lery I hoped would sell my work. I arrived with a chicken box loaded with pots, thinking they might purchase them on the spot. After going through the box, they commented that they liked some of the work but would like to see a “complete line” of pottery. As dealers, they understood market­ “Tea Party Platter,” 22 inches in length, porcelain, decorated with oxides ing and that an effective display had to and glazes, poured and brushed over stencils, and wax and latex resist. have a certain cohesive quality with a variety of functional items. What a novel idea. As a recent art graduate, I was required that I consider outside influ­ have a signature style or a specific line amazed to think I might have to mass ences and market demands. of work. I was still in the process of produce a group of pots that were glazed Another part of this equation is that experimentation and development. in a similar fashion and worked as a I possess a restless personality. I like Searching for better control of my unit. I had never thought of my pots in juggling endless rounds of new shapes, decoration process, I took a night class terms of a “line.” glazes and surface embellishments. I in surface design. I had been decorating As students, we were encouraged to watched fellow potters develop signa­ my pots for some time but without a create unique one-of-a-kind pieces, and ture styles and personal lines of work. clear concept of the desired end result. this seemed to be in conflict with that My art fair displays looked like collabo­ My lack of experience in the area of philosophy. The reality of the situation rative efforts of several potters. Some­ surface design made me tentative and was, on the one hand, I wanted to make times, results fought one another, fearful. I worried that my amateurish things that satisfied me as an artist. Yet, forming a disjointed group of work. I attempts to decorate the pots would to make a living as a production potter knew at this point I was not ready to detract from and diminish the forms.

“Oval Serving Dish,” 14 inches in length, wheel-thrown and altered porcelain, with oxides and glazes, reduction fired to Cone 10.

February 1998 51 this puzzle of glazes had to be matched with compatible oxide stains. The pots that sprouted from this small seed of an idea were pivotal in directing me toward new design ideas. My work began to evolve with continu­ ity and purpose. I was finding more pots in each kiln that went together as a body of work, with the form and sur­ face working together, the freshness of the surface uniting with the vessel to make a cohesive statement that excited me. I was finally technically and artisti­ cally able to express my love of pattern and color. After years of building a broad, solid, technical base, I now have the freedom to play—to express my sense of humor and fun. To keep the momentum going, I document new pots from each kiln. After the kiln is unloaded, I photo­ graph, using print film, each one that “Teapot with Orange Spout,” 6 inches in height, porcelain with brushed and has a pattern or form I wish to continue resisted oxides and glazes, fired to Cone 10 reduction in a gas downdraft kiln, to work on for the next firing, and pin by Lynn Smiser Bowers, Kansas City, Missouri. these pictures to the studio wall. Since it may be months between the throw­ ing and glazing cycles, the photographs The teacher encouraged me to practice magazine, I found a picture of an exotic remind me of directions I want to pur­ my ideas on paper before applying them bathroom in a restaurant in Southern sue. I am able to begin glazing with to pots. I began to use a set of child’s California. The artist had used six or firm ideas in mind. Having a concept watercolors and large newsprint paper seven colors that flowed freely into and of where to go next prevents freezing up to firm up ideas and to lay out the over one another. Onto this colorful when faced with the bare skin of a pot. designs. It was much easier to practice background, vague images that seemed Over the years, my studio has be­ on paper that could be wadded up and both familiar and mysterious were come wallpapered with these photo­ thrown away, instead of honing my skills painted. This small 2-inch picture in­ graphs, which are now two or three on pots that were already invested with trigued me. I cut it out and pinned it to layers thick in some places. My work so much effort. my studio wall. history is documented by the prints on As I developed more confidence in Several weeks later, as I began to these walls. Not only is this helpful to this area, I began to look at decorating glaze a series of pots, I put several aside me, but clients use them as a visual and patterning with a new respect, re­ to experiment with the idea that had menu when ordering commissions. ceiving inspiration from many sources. been inspired by the playful bathroom Looking back over my past 20 years Navajo pictorial, antique Kilim and no­ photograph. I selected five glazes of in­ as both a student and a studio potter, I madic Asian rugs were of particular in­ tense color, then began to dip and pour value the sharing of knowledge from terest. A book with West African flags applications, allowing them to overlap Ken, Clary and others who offered filled with graphic images also stirred and run into one another, anticipating thoughtful advice and technical infor­ my imagination. accidental variations. I also waxed and mation. Though teaching styles, tech­ Unlike my days as a student when I blocked off several areas on the pots nique and personalities have all differed, looked only to other pots and potters with tape, paper and latex before apply­ the message remained the same—the for ideas and direction, I began to find ing the glazes. most passionate, dedicated potters have that my decorations were stimulated by After the glazing, I removed the sten­ incorporated making pots into a com­ fabrics, textiles and a wide variety of cils and detailed these areas with brush- plete lifestyle. This life’s work is never a other traditions of domestic art. One work. The process was time-consuming, 40-hour work week. It is a whole life day, while leafing through a design unpredictable and confusing because that encompasses all aspects of clay. ▲

52 CERAMICS MONTHLY

If it had been up to his parents, Brad wasn’t a very exciting job, but what a Nowadays, he can be found either Schwieger never would have thrown a great accomplishment it was to fit the teaching in the ceramics studio at the single pot, let alone make an entire ca­ last pot in the top of that tightly stacked university or working in his home stu­ reer out of it. Fortunately, they eventu­ kiln. Today, I still like to stand back dio near Stroud’s Run State Park on the ally realized that their youngest son was right after I set the cones in and admire outskirts of Athens. For Schwieger, serious about clay. When they saw he the full stack of ware before I close the maintaining a healthy balance between wasn’t simply following the footsteps of door and begin the firing.” being an artist and a teacher has been his older brother’s fleeting affair with When it was his turn to go to col­ essential and a constant challenge. “I ceramics, they finally relented and gave lege, Schwieger realized—much to his have had to be a productive artist in him their stamp of parental approval. parents’ dismay—that he, too, wanted order to be a productive teacher. There’s But to this day, Schwieger remains to study ceramics. At the time, every­ no other option for me,” he explains. grateful to his brother who unknow­ one was telling him to major in busi­ “It is important that all of my stu­ ingly helped pave the way for a career in ness or something more practical than dents become technically competent. ceramics. Indeed, the younger Schwieger art, so it was a tough decision for him to Technique and process are simply a picked up the ball of clay and took it make. Yet, thanks to the encourage­ means to an end. These skills act as a well beyond the springboard that al­ point where his lows students to brother left off many generate and pursue years ago. ideas. Teaching has “I wasn’t aware played a very impor­ that, at the age of 12, tant role in the de­ I was being nurtured velopment of my in what I would work as well. I, too, choose as my profes­ must question my sion later in life,” says direction and deci­ Schwieger, an associ­ sions. I am con­ ate professor of ce­ stantly reminded ramics at Ohio Uni­ through teaching to versity in Athens challenge my own since 1990. “I imag­ ideas, take chances.” ine that had my Schwieger finds brother worked on a it difficult to narrow fishing boat instead, down specific influ­ I may very well be ences in his work, catching fish today.” which, for the most A few years later, “Folded Vessel,” 16 inches in height, wheel-thrown and altered stoneware, part, has been during the summer with Bauer’s Slip, Torbjorn’s Bronze Slip and Oribe Turquoise Glaze, founded on utilitar­ of 1972, Schwieger salt fired, by Brad Schwieger, Athens, Ohio. ian ware and tradi­ really learned to ap­ tional forms like preciate clay. “My vases, teapots and brother was becoming confident with ment of Steve Kramer, an instructor at bottles. In the past, he was deeply moved ceramic materials and processes, and I Ellsworth Community College, who by various styles of Japanese and Ameri­ was paying more attention to what he told him to follow his heart, it’s a deci­ can folk pots, but in recent years that was doing in the studio. I spent many sion Schwieger has never regretted. has been augmented by the contempo­ hours that summer on the potter’s wheel, In 1981, he received a B.EA. in ce­ rary ceramics of Eastern Europe. “It’s using the slab roller, helping my brother ramics from the University of Iowa, and hard to be specific because I’ve been mix clay, stir glazes and load kilns.” two years later left Utah State Univer­ affected by so many experiences, people, What impressed the teen-aged sity with an M.EA. in ceramics. While places and pots in my life. Certainly, Schwieger the most when visiting the pursuing his master’s, he also spent three my teachers were a major influence.” ceramics studio at the University of months as an assistant in Mashiko, Ja­ He adds that casual conversations with Northern Iowa with his brother, then a pan, where he had the opportunity to contemporaries, visiting artists at school ceramics major, were the size and power work on both commercial production and the constant stream of students of the kilns. “On the weekends, he let ware as well as traditional pottery. Prior flowing through the studio have also me tag along to the ceramics lab. I recall to his arrival at Ohio University, had an impact on his work. spending hours handing my brother pots Schwieger taught at Vincennes Univer­ In his own studio, Schwieger likes to as he loaded the kilns. Looking back, it sity in Vincennes, Indiana, for five years. think he practices what he preaches. It

54 CERAMICS MONTHLY is here that he approaches clay but can make a substantial with the intensity of a sur­ difference in appearance. geon, and the precision of an “My work is predomi­ engineer. “My mind is near­ nantly wheel thrown; how­ ly always occupied with ever, I do use slabs for the thoughts of my work. I find bottoms and press-molded its most useful to keep a vi­ spouts and handles. I also use sual record of my ideas in my thin Kanthal wire as a way to studio sketchbook. Time and define areas where linear time again, I rely on my space is needed. By throwing sketchbook as a resource for forms without bottoms, I making new work.” have much more freedom in As his work has evolved distorting the shapes. Press over the years, Schwieger has molding certain appendages found that throwing on the enables me to create more wheel has become less inter­ variety in the form. I leave esting. “I like throwing on the flashing on the edges of the wheel as much as I enjoy the spouts and handles after wedging clay,” he says with a being removed from the laugh. However, he attributes molds because I feel the ex­ equal importance to each as­ posed edge complements the pect of the ceramics process, aggressive throwing tech­ from clay preparation and nique. In many cases, the surface to firings. piece becomes quite active in He prefers taking a thickly the construction process. The thrown piece—which is most form often takes on a very likely to be a cylinder or a gestural quality, with texture cone shape weighing as much being produced by the as 50 pounds—and altering faceting or cutting technique. it, then stacking it with other Keeping this in mind, I try thrown-and-altered forms to to find surfaces that will ac­ produce an object more centuate the construction sculptural than functional. process and enhance the “The more clay I use, the form,” he explains. more active I can get. Its of­ Regardless of the kind of ten those pieces where I’m work Schwieger is creating, just playing it on the edge— he has remained fascinated “Cut Vase,” 34 inches in height, wheel-thrown and altered where the clay is on the verge stoneware, with Bauer’s Orange Slip, Rutile Slip and with the firing process. In the of collapse from manipula­ Torbjorn’s Bronze Slip, salt fired. past five years, he has been tion—that end up looking particularly intrigued with va­ the best.” At the same time, por firing and its effects on he is always mindful of basic form, Whether it’s centering clay on the his pots. Referring to the surfaces ob­ whether its a cup or an outsized teapot. wheel or faceting pots with a wire, tained through wood, salt and soda He has little patience with those art­ Schwieger moves fast, with an air of firings, he believes “each of these pro­ ists who spend more time talking loftily confidence that comes naturally after cesses gives a distinctly different surface about the process of creating art than almost two decades of working with effect...that has been appropriate for my actually making it. “The best way to clay. And it is with this same sense of work at different times. I occasionally become a better artist is to make art. boldness that he manipulates, reas­ use various slips and glazes to comple­ Personally, I’ve answered more questions sembles, slices and pokes his forms; ac­ ment certain forms. In most cases, through doing my work than ever by centing them with heavy-handed finger though, very little additional surface asking a teacher or a colleague. The and rib marks. Instead of blending in treatment is added.” answer to most of my questions is in the clay where appendages are attached, Currently, Schwieger sees himself on the work. In fact, the only things I he wants the construction process to be the cusp of an exciting turning point in know for sure are what I’ve experienced clear and obvious. Yet he is fastidious his career. The timing for this uncharted in my studio and what I’ve actually about the details of craftsmanship, es­ direction couldn’t be better, as he is now made. Everything else is speculation.” pecially the ones that take little effort taking a year’s sabbatical to do research

February 1998 55

“Jar,” 20 inches in height, stoneware, with Bauer’s Slip, Torbjorn’s Bronze Slip and Blue Black Slip, salt fired. outside of the university. He sees this as templating for some time. I hope to be “I don’t remember thinking during a golden opportunity to do what he able to focus exclusively on making my that summer experience tagging along­ hasn’t been able to do since he was in work,” he says. side my brother that I would ever make graduate school 15 years ago: a chance While it’s more than likely his work a profession out of ceramics,” Schwieger to focus solely on his work. The sab­ will take off in a new direction within says. “On the other hand, I don’t re­ batical, which began last fall, will allow the next five years, one thing is definitely member my brother mentioning ceram­ him to reflect on where he has been, as going to stay the same—his fascination ics as a possible profession either. well as to contemplate and plot a course with ceramics. Even after years of work­ Ironically, he hasn’t made a pot since for where he’s heading. ing with clay, he finds that same sense that summer of 1972. He decided to “With a year off from teaching, I of surprise, excitement and anticipation leave ceramics and pursue other inter­ will have the time to focus on and ex­ he felt as a teenager when opening the ests. Me, on the other hand, well, I’m periment with ideas that I’ve been con­ kiln door after a glaze firing. still at it.” ▲

February 1998 57 Surface Effects by Brad Schtuieger

We have three wood kilns at Ohio University. My work is fired either in a large, single-chambered catenary arch or a coffin-style kiln. There is a distinct difference between the results achieved in these kilns. The coffin kiln is a long, narrow-chambered kiln with a stacking space that is approximately 3 feet in height, 27 inches in width and 9 feet in length, including the firebox. Built with­ out an arch, it is simply covered with kiln shelves after the ware has been loaded. Additional layers of Kaowool ceramic fiber and softbrick are used as insulation on top of the shelves. This coffin kiln is designed for heavy ash collection and is usually loaded with­ out shelves, using the tumble stacking method—individual wares are stacked on top of each other, separated with a high-alumina clay body or “wad-clay” so that the ware doesn’t fuse together. The catenary arch kiln was designed for a cleaner firing with less ash collec­ tion. It produces interesting flashing ef­ fects and is more suitable for glazeware. The soda kiln is a cross-draft design with a large forced-air burner system. I Cut Vase, 17 inches in height, stoneware, wheel-thrown prefer the cross-draft design, as it defines and altered body, press-molded handles, with White Crackle Slip and highlights specific areas of a form, and Randy’s Temmoku Glaze, salt fired. creating what I consider the face of the pot. This front-to-back surface result is directly influenced by the stacking or Multiple slips and glazes are used to placement of the ware in the kiln. enhance the surface of my work. Within The salt kiln could be considered a the school’s studio, we have generated a basic reduction downdraft kiln design; large color palette of glaze and slip reci­ it also has a large forced-air burner sys­ pes to be used in the vapor kilns. While tem. The salt glaze is achieved by intro­ the celadons and Shinos are only used ducing rock salt. in the wood kilns, all of the other fol­ The large premixer systems used to lowing recipes have produced success­ fire the gas kilns allow for more ade­ ful results in all of the vapor kilns (wood, quate circulation of salt and soda vapor. soda and salt): Soda (soda ash and sodium bicarbon­ ate) is introduced into the kiln in a liquid solution with a garden sprayer. At times, sodium bicarbonate is blown through a hollow tube directly on the pots at high temperatures to create a flashing effect. Experience has taught “Vessel,” 30 inches in height, me that heavy reduction during the time wheel-thrown and altered stoneware, with Bauer’s Orange Slip, Torbjorn’s the soda solution is sprayed into the Bronze Slip, Rutile Slip, Randy’s kiln can trap carbon in the glaze sur­ Temmoku Glaze and Oribe Turquoise face, creating a rich gray to black color. Glaze, soda fired. Bauers Orange Slip (Cone 10) Borax...... 5.7% Zircopax...... 10.5 Edgar Plastic Kaolin...... 41.9 Kentucky Ball Clay (OM 4) ... 41.9 100.0% Produces orange to yellow color. Apply to bisque. Best in salt and soda. White Crackle Slip (Cone 9-11) Borax...... 5% Zircopax...... 5 Custer Feldspar...... 20 Calcined Kaolin...... 20 Edgar Plastic Kaolin...... 15 Kentuclty Ball Clay (OM 4) ..... 15 Flint...... 20 100% Apply to bisque. Works well with trans­ parent glazes in all atmospheres. Torbjorn Bronze Slip (Cone 9) Black Copper Oxide ...... 27.2 % Manganese Dioxide...... 45.46 Edgar Plastic Kaolin...... 18.18 Kentucky Ball Clay (OM 4) .. 9.09 100.00% Yields bronze to black. Apply to bisque. Has a tendency to run. “Stacked Vase,” 36 inches in height, wheel-thrown and altered stoneware, with Torbjorn’s Bronze Slip, Oribe Blue Black Slip Turquoise Glaze, Kanthal wire, soda fired. (Cone 10) Nepheline Syenite...... 20% Alberta Slip...... 80 100% Pinnell Porcelain Schwieger Stoneware Add: Cobalt Carbonate ...... 3% (Cone 10) (Cone 9-11) Apply to bisque. Good for highlights. Custer Feldspar...... 15% Cedar Heights Fireclay...... 60% Calcined Alumina...... 3 Kentucky Ball Rutile Slip Grolleg Kaolin...... 55 Clay (OM 4) ...... 15 (Cone 9-11) Flint...... 27 Custer Feldspar...... 10 Borax...... 10% 100% Fine Grog...... 15 Lithium Carbonate...... 10 Add: Veegum T...... 2% 100% Soda Feldspar...... 40 6 Tile Kaolin...... 40 Excellent translucent throwing body. A good body for wheel throwing larger- 100% scale forms. Todd s Stoneware Add: Rutile...... 10% (Cone 9-10) Salt/Soda Body Apply to bisque. Produces a pearlescent (Cone 10) Potash Feldspar...... 8.33% effect in atmospheric kilns. 6 Tile Kaolin ...... 16.67 G-200 Feldspar...... 6% Cedar Heights Goldart...... 33.33 6 Tile Kaolin...... 30 Avery Slip Edgar Plastic Kaolin...... 16.67 Cedar Heights Goldart...... 40 (Cone 10) Fireclay...... 16.67 Edgar Plastic Kaolin...... 20 Nepheline Syenite...... 30 % Flint...... 8.33 Flint...... 4 Avery Kaolin ...... 70 100.00% 100% 100% Light-colored stoneware with good Good for producing orange flashing ef­ Red to orange in color. Apply to bisque. flashing qualities. fects in salt or soda firings. Best results in wood and soda kilns. Jeff Browns Black Matt Glaze (Cone 8-10) Strontium Carbonate...... 25% Whiting...... 7 Zinc Oxide...... 10 G-200 Feldspar...... 45 Kentucky Ball Clay (OM 4) ...... 13 100% Add: Chrome Oxide...... 2% Cobalt Carbonate ...... 5% Manganese Dioxide...... 3%

PV Liner Glaze (Cone 8-11) Colemanite...... 50% Plastic Vitrox...... 50 100% Add: Zircopax...... 10% Creamy semigloss. Good in all atmo­ spheres and on all clay bodies. Long 90-10 Glaze (Cone 10-11) Wollastonite...... 10% “Teapot,” 20 inches in height, soda-fired Cornwall Stone...... 90 stoneware, with Rutile Slip, Torbjorn’s Bronze Slip, Blue Black Slip, Oribe Turquoise Glaze, 100% and Randy’s Temmoku Glaze, by Brad Transparent. Best on porcelain. Best re­ Schwieger, Athens, Ohio. sults have come from the wood lain. Randys Temmoku Glaze Long Green Celadon Glaze Oestreich Shino Glaze (Cone 10, reduction) (Cone 10, reduction) (Cone 9—11, reduction) Strontium Carbonate...... 1.9% Strontium Carbonate...... 12% Soda Ash...... 4% Whiting...... 13.0 Talc...... 4 Spodumene...... 15 Zinc Oxide...... 2.5 Wollastonite...... 6 Kona F-4 Feldspar...... 11 Custer Feldspar...... 54.0 Custer Feldspar...... 53 Nepheline Syenite...... 45 Edgar Plastic Kaolin...... 6.0 Edgar Plastic Kaolin...... 4 Edgar Plastic Kaolin...... 10 Flint...... 22.6 Flint...... 21 Kentucky Ball Clay (OM 4) ...... 15 100.0% 100% 100% Add: Red Iron Oxide...... 7.0 % Add: Yellow Iron Oxide...... 2% Fat white to orange in color. Both the Bentonite...... 2.0% Davis Shino and the Oestreich Shino Frazier Blue Celadon Glaze are good for trapping carbon. Iron Green Crackle Glaze (Cone 10, reduction) (Cone 10, reduction) Talc...... 3.0% Oribe Turquoise Glaze Strontium Carbonate...... 9.57% Wollastonite...... 27.0 (Cone 10, reduction) Whiting...... 7.45 G-200 Feldspar...... 34.0 Bone Ash...... 1.94 Custer Feldspar...... 53.19 Grolleg Kaolin...... 15.0 Strontium Carbonate...... 9.36 Edgar Plastic Kaolin...... 4.26 Flint...... 21.0 Talc...... 3.98 Flint...... 25.53 100% Whiting...... 17.87 100.00% Add: Red Iron Oxide...... 0.5% Custer Feldspar...... 28.53 Add: Red Iron Oxide...... 2.13% Edgar Plastic Kaolin...... 3.23 M. Davis Shino Glaze Flint...... 35.09 Rob s Green Glaze (Cone 10, reduction) 100.00% (Cone 10, reduction) Soda Ash...... 17.93% Add: Copper Carbonate...... 6.67 % Colemanite...... 5.18% Nepheline Syenite...... 42.45 Bentonite...... 2.00% Whiting...... 18.30 Soda Feldspar...... 10.38 Cornwall Stone...... 76.52 Cedar Heights Redart...... 5.66 100.00% Edgar Plastic Kaolin...... 9.43 Add: Copper Carbonate...... 10.25% Kentucky Ball Clay (OM 4) ... 14.15 Bentonite...... 2.00% 100.00% Rowantrees Pottery (as it is now known) is one of the oldest surviving art potteries in the United States; it was founded by philanthropist Adelaide Pearson during the Depression in a summer house in the coastal Maine village of Blue Hill. Rowantrees Pottery by Andrew Phelan

On August 16, 1937, Arthur Baggs, a wealthy Bostonian, had founded in cially responsible projects. She worked Ohio State University ceramics profes­ 1934 in Blue Hill. Established as a phil­ for a while at the Boston Museum of sor and chief designer for the Marble­ anthropic and social experiment, rather Fine Arts and at a house for migrant head Pottery in Marblehead, Massa­ than as a business, Rowantrees Pottery children. She was also the author of a chusetts (where he spent summers), (as it is now known) is one of the oldest childrens book titled The Laughing Lion, wrote to one of his recent ceramics surviving art potteries in the United published in the 1920s. graduates, Linn L. Phelan, about a pos­ States today, having completed more Summers were spent in the small sible job opportunity: “I have just been than 60 years of operation. Rowantrees Maine coastal village of Blue Hill at a talking to Miss Pierson [sic] of Blue Kiln was named for the graceful row­ house she had inherited from her grand­ Hill, Maine, who is looking for a young ans, or European mountain ash, that father. North of Portland, across the potter to help her carry on and develop dot the grounds and that bear the dis­ bay from Mt. Desert Isle, it was, and a village industry pottery proposition. tinctive red berries depicted on a popu­ still is, a summer village, with a small She has been working out this scheme lar production line of the pottery. number of year-round residents. for the past three years and has made Born in 1875, the daughter of a Pearson inherited the house in 1898 good progress. Miss Laura Paddock has Brookline, Massachusetts, state senator and, a few years later, began her efforts been doing the technical and experi­ and industrialist, Pearson never married to bring art and culture to Blue Hill. mental work.” and, as was customary of many single Her initial exhibits and workshops in Professor Baggs was referring to the women of her time and social status, the house developed into a series of free Rowantrees Kiln that Adelaide Pearson, she devoted herself to travel and to so­ summer classes in handicrafts for the

February 1998 61 residents of Hancock County (where sources, she did not know anything Rowantrees Kiln,” the paper reads, in Blue Hill is located). about running a pottery, and while Pad­ part, as follows: “As a self-supporting, Pearson, in her own words, was bet­ dock knew something about ceramics, cooperative, community pottery, the ter at motivating others to do things these skills were largely about glaze Rowantrees Kiln has this summer taken than she was at doing them herself She chemistry and processes. She did not its first step forward. Five workers have also had the financial means to accom­ have well-developed skills in wheel work sold altogether some $300 worth of pot­ plish this. Unhappy with the person and, in fact, as the local clay was notori­ tery. We feel, however, that the work who initially was hired to teach the ously hard to throw, there is some ques­ which is being done is not in propor­ classes in clay, she brought in a young tion as to whether she ever was proficient tion to the opportunities—both for pro­ lady named Laura Paddock, duction and for selling. Miss who had studied art and Pearson has put more than (briefly) ceramics at the Mu­ $8000 into as ideal a plant as seum of Fine Arts in Phila­ she or Miss Paddock could delphia. Paddock directed the visualize. Widespread public­ operation of the summer art ity has been secured and our classes, then the pottery, as work is attracting visitors in those responsibilities ex­ largely increasing numbers. panded. After Pearsons death, In fact, our supply of pottery she became the owner of the has this summer fallen far pottery and the property. short of the demand. The A native of Cleveland, kiln as at present completed Paddock received her B.A. is capable of affording a liv­ from Western Reserve Uni­ ing wage (perhaps more) to versity, then spent several four or five full-time potters, years in advertising and maga­ as well as one man doing the zine writing. Progressive hear­ rough work. In order to take ing loss necessitated a change advantage of our publicity of occupation, so she studied and our buying public, we ceramics with E. deForest are faced with the urgent Curtis at the Pennsylvania need of vastly increasing our Museum School. output. This means we need In its infancy, the pottery more workers....Because of was run for local clubs as a her love for Blue Hill and service, but when the sum­ her blood-ties with a large mer people expressed interest proportion of the inhabit­ in buying ware and its eco­ ants, Miss Pearson has ear­ nomic potential became ap­ nestly desired to give its parent, it became more of a people this opportunity, both business and eventually the artistic and practical, and to focus of Blue Hill activities. this end...two types of pot­ However, consistent with Rowantrees’ first director, Laura Paddock, gathering iron ters will be welcome—those Pearsons original conception oxide (rust) for glazes. who aim to become serious of the pottery as a social ini­ potters offering their work tiative, the business was organized and in throwing. But she did develop a line for sale; and those who will find in operated as a cooperative, producing of glazes based on locally available gran­ potting a pleasing occupation for their ware from local materials. ite, manganese, quartz and copper from leisure time.” Rowantrees Kiln was built around a an old copper mine nearby. Apparently no one suitable re­ kiln in the literal sense. The original It was clear that the business required sponded, so they began talking to people kiln—still intact but no longer used— more expertise and creative talent than who could steer them to promising can­ was built in 1934 behind the house the local residents could supply or that didates. Among the people they con­ and, as the operations expanded, the Paddock and Pearson possessed, so they sulted was Arthur Baggs, and he, in series of shop buildings that became the began to search for artisans outside the turn, contacted Linn Phelan. pottery were subsequently constructed. immediate area. In an interesting 1936 Following graduation from Ohio Paddock arrived that summer and the paper, Pearson and Paddock advertised State and, after a short stint with Baggs subsequent plans to develop the pottery for prospective workers. Entitled “Re­ at the Marblehead Pottery, Phelan had evolved. While Pearson had the re­ quirements for Working in the returned to his hometown of Roches­

62 CERAMICS MONTHLY ter, New York, and was supporting him­ be provided with an adequate shop, with “In addition to this, we should like self by teaching at the YMCA, while a kick wheel or one electrically driven you to teach a high-school class, which trying to achieve his goal of establishing (we have both), and an oil-fired, open comes to the pottery four times a week himself as a studio potter. During the muffle kiln, which gives uniformly good for about an hour each time. For this Great Depression, potters and other results. You will have deducted from you would be paid $25 a month.” craftspeople who made their living from your earnings the price of materials and Phelan was very interested but cau­ their craft were few and far between. It firings (as per the enclosed schedule). tious and had some questions for Pad­ was precarious not only because of the Your necessary contribution to overhead dock: “I would like to see the place, Depression, but because there was no will be loading and firing the kiln and plant, people and equipment (which broadly based marketing sounds good) that you want mechanism, which limited an immediate taking over of the craftsperson’s market to a the job. If so, I could not get relatively small number of there much before October people in a given geographic 1st if I accepted the offer.” area. Alternately, potters Miss Paddock soon wrote might work for a ceramics in reply: “Thanks so much company as a production for your prompt response to potter in the limited-edition my letter. I hope you can get division, or as a designer for here and look over the plant. mass production by machine. As to beginning—October In a letter dated August first would be perfectly all 25, 1937 (about a week after right. When I said ‘immedi­ professor Baggs’ letter), Pad­ ately,’ I meant this fall, not dock wrote to Phelan: “Pro­ next spring. fessor Arthur Baggs told us “When you say the possi­ recently that you are inter­ bilities of sales might help’ in ested in the making of pot­ your income, I am somewhat tery as a means of earning a amazed. If you are as sound livelihood. I want a potter to and diligent a potter as Pro­ come to our pottery—the fessor Baggs represented, you Rowantrees Kiln, Bluehill, ought to be able to clear at Maine—to work for one year least $1500 after paying off on production, to discover your board and the monthly just how much may be advance of $25. Of course, earned by a full-time, trained Linn L. Phelan provided the expertise that enabled the pottery no one seems to know about worker. Neither Professor to grow from a summer activity to a year-round business. this aspect of our craft—that’s Baggs nor Professor [Charles] for you to find out.” Harder [Alfred University], nor any of keeping measurements and numbers of Phelan left Rochester on September the other leaders in the training of ce­ each worker’s pieces in each firing. 7th and arrived in Blue Hill on the 9th. ramists, seem to know about this. Yet, “At first I should advise you to use His daybook entry reads in part: “Found why spend so much time and money the glazes I have developed from our the Rowantrees Kilns & Lucy [sic] Pad­ training—or being trained—as art pot­ native rocks and materials, as Miss dock. Walked all over the place and ters’ if it all leads only to a pleasing Pearson, who for the present is subsi­ talked from 1 until 9:15, I guess. She’s hobby? Whoever will make this experi­ dizing the enterprise, insists that as far deaf but most interesting. I like her. ment will, therefore, be doing a real as possible local materials be used. She Wonder about Pierson [sic].” service to the craft. believes, and in this I am in entire ac­ His entry for the next day, Septem­ “My proposition is this—I will pro­ cord with her, that not only are our ber 10: “Left Bluehill [sic] after being vide simple board and lodging—all that results more original and interesting, sold on the idea of being producer or can be found in our village and $25 a but that there is a greater selling and production man for a year’s trial. Its a month in cash. Both of these, the living publicity value in such a course. Later, gamble. Anyhow, all life is! expenses and the cash advance, will be when you have learned the idiosyncra- “I like Miss Paddock. I like the idea deducted from the ultimate year’s earn­ cies of our impure raw materials, we of playing with clay—to try it day in ings of the potter. All the rest of your shall hope you may wish to develop and day out. To see, really. I like the earnings would, naturally, be yours— glazes of your own in your spare time. place too.” and an important problem in our art But my main objective is to have one And then another letter from Pad­ can be solved. In other words, you would person steadily at work on production. dock arrived about the small matter of

February 1998 63 Rowantrees Kiln tiles, 6 inches square, made from local materials by Linn L. Phelan teaching credentials: “Just a few little in the George Stevens Blue Hill Acad­ found a stomach ulcer that requires a questions: Mr. Langley, the headmaster emy at 12:45! Then he spent the rest of special diet. So that is what they are of the academy, wants to know your the day at the wheel, producing nine working out before I can get away. qualifications for teaching the pottery pieces from 13½ pounds of clay. “Perhaps within a week or so the class, such as degrees, teaching experi­ While Paddock regarded the produc­ new wheel will arrive and Piper will ence and what studies and how much tion aspect as the primary role at the bring it over. If there is special work to in the theory of education. pottery, in reality, Phelan spent a great be done to set it up, we want Harvey “I know you have done considerable deal of time teaching. Along with the Black to do it. But I would like him to teaching, so it will be very helpful if you class instruction, there was also the re­ make the splash box for the electric will give the complete list of classes— sponsibility of running the pottery it­ wheel the same day. And that depends length of time, places, all complete. That self. As the resident professional, Phelan on Clarence Howard’s finishing the means lessons in scenery painting, etc., provided the expertise that enabled the wheel. If he has done nothing about it, in addition to pottery. pottery to make the transition from its can’t you jog him on the telephone? “I hope things are getting on well status as a summer hobby activity to “It will be great if the Curtis wheel with you. The classes here are a minor becoming a year-round cooperative busi­ requires little work to set up. If you are feature of the job, you know, the main ness. It was not an easy task given the in no rush for the wheels—they can issue is to make pottery pay you a real personalities involved and the fact that wait till I get there. The idea is that if income and demonstrate to us in the Pearson and Paddock spent a large part Harvey Black comes—I want him for a village as well as to other potters that it of the year traveling or in Boston. This day’s work—not to come in on separate can be done. More power to you.” became abundantly clear within the first jobs for each wheel. On his way back to Rochester, Phelan few months. “And of course I don’t want Wescott stopped to talk with Baggs (who was in During the Christmas holidays in to start rebuilding the kiln till I get Marblehead) about the offer. Apparendy, 1937, while Phelan returned home to there. Not that there is much chance of Baggs remained positive about the Rochester, Paddock and Pearson went his coming, but then he might.” pottery’s possibilities, and since Phelan to Boston. While there, Paddock be­ Several letters from Pearson followed, had gotten reassurance from his visit came ill and sent the following letter to most of them containing specific in­ and the meeting with Paddock, he ac­ Phelan: “I am wondering how your luck structions. Whether Pearson was there cepted the offer. holds driving through this blizzard.... in person or not, she was in charge. Phelan arrived at Rowantrees in time Don’t look for me back for about two This was also Phelan’s first real expe­ for lunch on October 4, 1937, and pre­ weeks—can’t say exactly. They’ve got rience in running a pottery, and he had sented his first lecture class to students me landed in the hospital here—having limited business experience. His day­

64 CERAMICS MONTHLY books are filled with production notes about what she wanted the pottery to account of the prices that were mani­ and tallies of his activities. For example, achieve—a going business that was festly too high. You, of course, felt that on Friday, January 28, 1938, he recordedfinancially independent. In a letter to you could work for no less, and we had that the “greenware pieces this week— Phelan dated October 8, 1938, from to make the years trial in cooperation 42 minutes each piece—average time. the Hotel Victoria on Dartmouth Street with you. This was a mutual under­ 16 minutes glaze each piece. 4½ min­ in Boston, Paddock laid out the propo­ standing—each side giving its very best utes for the kiln handling of each sition for the coming months: to put the thing over. piece....Total time average each piece “Will you take on an entirely new “Now,” Paddock wrote, “what we 62½ minutes.” experiment for us this year? I shall tell want you to do this year is to plan His comments on the pottery re­ you why the idea has come about. Last production; to determine what you can corded in his daybook clearly express year did wonders and cleared the way. make that will sell for less; to cut out his joy at being able to immerse himself You did prove you could earn a living. most of the work that demands high- in the production aspects and his frus­ Didn’t you? selling prices—that is, to develop a larger trations in dealing with the other—un­ “The point is that you earned the volume at the popular price ranges. It anticipated—parts of the job. He living under conditions that are not nor­will mean making similar shapes (in a worked hard, on average about 8 or mal. That is, you had to overcome a low piece [sic] range) in quantity, so more hours a day for 6 days a week. At whole lot of difficulties. Naturally, your that we can take orders in winter. the end of his 1937 daybook, he notes production was not what it would be “You see, we have just at this time a that he put in 209½ hours in October now that you are familiar with your really astonishing break so far as the and 232¾ in November. A large part ofmaterials and working conditions. wholesale market goes....Of course, you it went into production, but a surpris­ “Then, too, out of the ten and one- may like just to work along as you ing amount of it went into things like half months that you were on the job, have—quite on your own—with the teaching or showing visitors around. seven only were given to making pot­ regular salary for the high-school teach­ Rowantrees was an ever-changing, tery. Three and one-half went to teach­ ing. But it is precarious because we can­ evolving experiment, and Pearson and ing, etc. You actually earned $700 from not see how we can sell enough at this Paddock were determined to tinker withwork that was not production. We have years prices to get you ahead.” its operation until they felt it was oper­ not yet demonstrated that production It was clear that the pottery opera­ ating in the manner most appropriate will do the trick....This situation comes tion was changing, and that sales were for the operation. Clearly, it was Pearsonsfrom the fact that the pottery has not the priority. Phelans daybooks also in­ money that continued to support the sold as it should have—not because of dicate a number of conversations about initiative and she did have a clear idea anything lacking in your work, but on the changes with both Paddock and

Wheel-thrown plates, to 9 inches in diameter, with oxide brushwork, by Linn L. Phelan.

February 1998 65 Pearson. Pearson was determined to began work at the pottery as a teenager. make the pottery into a business that Her first job was painting labels on stor­ would largely pay its own way indepen­ age drawers in the attic studio space— dent of subsidies. Later, while in India, and the labels are still there. she had a conversation with Ghandi, Rowantrees Kiln survived the war who encouraged Pearson to make the years, then went into a phase of unprec­ pottery a business, which strengthened edented expansion lasting until the late her resolve. During their extended ab­ 1950s. Pearson made a point of hiring sences, Phelan kept the pottery in op­ returning veterans and most of the eration, but this was not always easy, as throwers and production men came to indicated by the letter Phelan received the pottery from wartime service. in February 1939 from Paddock: Varnum was an exception to this. She “I suppose you felt that you had to started throwing at home at a young undertake the new spray box. Miss age and had achieved a level of Pearson is much disturbed at so large a proficiency there before she was hired bill having been incurred without con­ to throw for the pottery; however, at sulting her. It would have been better to Rowantrees Pottery (as it is now known) first, she had some difficulty in con­ have spent a small amount to keep the continues to produce a range of vincing Paddock to pay her wages equal functional ware, coffee and dessert present outfit going till we got back....If sets, place settings and serving pieces. to those paid to the men. anything else turns up, please get along Production soared as Rowantrees be­ with the least possible repairs.” gan to sell in department stores, such as After the trip and the conversation Marshall Field’s (whose first order was with Ghandi, Pearson was determined greater than an entire year’s production), that Rowantrees Pottery be­ Paines Furniture in Boston, come more business-ori- T. Eaton & Co. in Toronto, ented, and the structure of the Peasant Shop in Phila­ the pottery changed from the delphia, Altmans & Jordan cooperative management that Marsh in Boston, New York gave those involved the op­ and Chicago. The pottery portunity to set their own also sold wares at America goals to a more centralized House, and it even briefly es­ operation that sought to tablished its own outlet store maximize production. Deco­ in New York City. rative aspects of the pieces Pearson and Paddock were minimized, including jointly operated the pottery the use of brushed under- until Pearson died in 1960, glazes. And the pottery out­ leaving the pottery to Pad­ put, with few exceptions, dock—who employed Var­ took on a spare functional num as manager. In 1976, look, generally using only a Varnum became the owner. single Rowantrees glaze in Rowantrees has served as order to maximize produc­ a prototype for many of the tion and enhance the overall other potteries in the North­ cohesiveness of the line of east today; in fact, two gen­ wares sold. erations of potters have Phelan departed later that trained there. Some, includ­ year when it became clear that ing Harold Parker, Frank production of pieces that sold Day, Leroy Gray, Mick Gray, well was to have priority over Henry Mctighe, Eva Marks individual creative initiatives. and Philip Rackliff, have He was not interested in re­ moved on to establish their peating the same form for own potteries. And Sheila extended periods. Horse, 9 inches in height, marked Linn L. Phelan, Varnum is committed to en­ That same year (1940), Rowantrees Kiln, 1938; and stamped R.K. Blue Hill,Me. suring that Rowantrees sus­ Sheila Babson Varnum, the tains the quality that has kept future owner of Rowantrees, it so alive and vibrant.

66 CERAMICS MONTHLY February 1998 67 February 20 entry deadline work (relating to the theme “Espace Terre”) by Call for Entries Baldwin City, Kansas*The 1998 International Canadian artists living in Canada. Juried from 3 Orton Cone Box Show” (March 10-April 7), slides, description of the work and how it relates Application Deadline for Exhibitions, open to works composed of more than 50% fired to the exhibition theme, plus curriculum vitae. Fairs, Festivals and Sales clay that fit into a large Orton cone box (3x3x6 Fee: Can$25. Awards: prix de la ville de Trois- inches). Juried from actual works. Jurors: Harris Rivieres, Can$2000; prix Pierre-Legault, International Exhibitions Deller, professor, Southern Illinois University, Can$2000; and prix du public, Can$1000. Con­ Carbondale; Anna C. Holcomb, professor, Kan­ tact Biennale Nationale de Ceramique, 864, rue February 7 entry deadline sas State University, Manhattan; and Michael des Ursulines, c. p. 1596, Trois-Rivieres G9A San Angelo, Texas The “Twelfth San Angelo Simon, studio potter, Winterville, Georgia. Fee: 5L9; telephone (819) 691-0829, fax (819) 374- National Ceramic Competition” (April 16-May $20 per entry; up to 2 entries. Purchase awards of 1758 or e-mail [email protected] 31), open to artists residing in the United States, $ 100 each. For prospectus, contact Inge G. Balch, March 15 entry deadline Canada and Mexico. Juried from up to 2 slides per Dept, of Art/Ceramics, Baker University, PO Box Monterrey, Mexico “Second Biennial of Art work. Juror: Ronald Kuchta, editor, American 65, Baldwin City 66006-0065. in Ceramics” (opens August 5), open to works less Ceramics magazine. Fee: $15 for up to 3 entries. February 21 entry deadline than 70 centimeters (approximately 27 inches) in Awards: $4750. For prospectus, contact the San Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, Canada “8th Biennale any direction. Juried from 6 slides (from different Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, PO Box 3092, San Nationale de Ceramique” (June 20—September angles) per entry; up to 2 entries. Contact the Angelo 76902; or telephone (915) 658-4084. 13), open to large-scale sculpture or installation Organizing Committee, Hidalgo #1719Pte., Col. Obispado, Monterrey, N.L., C.P. 64080; tele­ phone (8) 346-1203 or fax (8) 346-1304. March 20 entry deadline World Wide Web “Silverhawk Fine Crafts Internet Exhibition” (Spring). Juried from 3 slides. Fee: $ 15. Send#10 SASE to Silverhawk, PO Drawer LLL, Taos, NM 87571. March 31 entry deadline Mino, Japan “The 5th International Ceramics Competition ’98 Mino, Japan” (October 23-No- vember 3), in two categories: ceramics design and ceramic art. Juried from actual works. Jurors, ceram­ ics design: Yusuke Aida, Alan Chan, Kazuo Kimura, Katherine McCoy, Timo Sarpaneve, Ettore Sottsass and Ikko Tanaka. Jurors, ceramic arts: Federico Bonaldi, Claudi Casanovas, Masako Hayashi, Jun Kaneko, Kenji Kaneko, Takuo Kato and Janet Mansfield. Awards (per category): Grand Prize, 3 million yen (approximately US$25,000), plus a do­ mestic or foreign study trip; gold award, 1 million yen (approximately US$8200); two silver awards, 500.000 yen (approximately US$4100); 5 bronze, 300.000 yen (approximately US$2460); and 7 spe­ cial judges’ awards, 200,000 yen (approximately US$1640). For further information, contact Inter­ national Ceramics Festival ’98 Mino, Japan, Ex­ ecutive Committee Office, 2-15 Hinode-machi, Tajimi City, Gifu Prefecture 507; telephone (81) 572-22-1111, fax (81) 572-25-3400, or e-mail [email protected] May 15 entry deadline Dieulefit, Erance‘Tnternational Ceramic Com­ petition: The Ceramic Phone Booth” (May 30- August 30). Juried from drawings of the booth at 1:5 scale and/or other visual support needed for presentation, plus resume. Works should not ex­ ceed 1100 pounds, 7½ feet in height or 13 square feet. Four finalist awards of US$300; winner will receive US$2500 at completion of project in Provence. For prospectus, contact Maison de la Terre Parc de la Baume, 26220 Dieulefit; e- mail [email protected] or website www.ceramic.eom/Maison.Terre.Dieulefit/ June 1 entry deadline Mashiko, Japan “The 2nd Mashiko Ceramics Competition ’98” (October 4-November 29). Juried from actual works. Jurors: master potters Tatsuzo Shimaoka, Shinsaku Hamada, Hideyuki Hayashi, Ryusaku Miwa; plus art critics Hiroshi Aoki, Mitsuhiko Hasebe, Kenji Kaneko and Hiroshi Mizuo. No fee. Awards: Shoji Hamada Award and Shoji Kamoda Award, each, 1,000,000 yen (approximately US$7800), plus judges’ spe­ cial awards, 100,000 yen (approximately US$780). Contact Secretariat, Mashiko International Pot­ tery Contest Executive Committee, 2030 O-aza Mashiko, Mashiko-Machi, Haga-Gun, Tochigi- Ken 321-42; or fax (81) 285-72-6430. September 30 entry deadline Columbus, Ohio “ Ceramics Monthly Interna­ tional Competition” (March 15-21, 1999), open

68 CERAMICS MONTHLY February 1998 69 Call for Entries the Arts’ National Juried Craft Exhibition” (June in purchase prizes; best of each show, $700; best 5-July 5). Juried from 3 slides per entry. Fee: $10. of both shows, $1000. Send legal-size SASE with Awards: $750, $400, $250, $150 and 3 at $50. 55

Regional Exhibitions April 24 entry deadline Gatlinburg, Tennessee “Spotlight ’98” (August 13—October 24, then traveling), open to artists over 18 residing in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Caro­ lina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. J uried from slides of up to 3 works. Juror: David McFadden, chief curator, American Craft Museum, New York City. Entry fee: $20. Cash and merit awards. For entry form, sendSASE to Billi R. S. Rothove, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, PO Box 567, Gatlinburg 37738; or telephone (423) 436-5860. May 1 entry deadline Bellingham, Washington “Eighteenth Annual Northwest International Art Competition” (July 10—October 10), open to artists residing in Or­ egon, Washington, and British Columbia, Canada. Juried from slides. Jurors: Linda Stevens Connor and Robbie Conal. Fee: $8 per entry; up to 3 entries. For application, send SASE to Allied Arts of Whatcom County, PO Box2584, Bellingham 98227.

Fairs, Festivals and Sales February 9 entry deadline Denver, Colorado “Cherry Creek Arts Festival” (July 3—5). Juried from 5 slides. Contact Cherry Creek Arts Festival, (303) 355-ARTS (2787). February 13 entry deadline Beaver Creek, Colorado “Beaver Creek Arts Festival 11” (August 8-9). Juried from 3 slides of work plus 1 of display. Entry fee: $25. Booth fee: $240 for a 10x10-foot space. For application, send SASE to Cathy Zaden, Vail Valley Arts Coun­ cil, PO Box 1153, Vail, CO 81658. Vail, Colorado “Vail Arts Festival 15” (July 11-12). Juried from 3 slides of work plus 1 of display. Entry fee: $25. Booth fee: $240 for a 10x10-foot space. For application, send SASE to Cathy Zaden, Vail Valley Arts Council, PO Box 1153, Vail 81658. February 28 entry deadline Midland, Michigan “Arts Midland Summer Art Fair” (June 6-7). Juried from 3 slides. Entry

70 CERAMICS MONTHLY

Call for Entries

fee: $15. Booth fee: $125 fora 12xl2-foot space. Awards: $1000; plus grand prize of exhibition in Arts Midland visual arts organization’s gallery. Contact Gail Wilson, (517) 631-3250. Bellevue, Washington “1998 Pacific Northwest Arts Fair” (July 24-26). Juried from 5 slides. Entry fee: $ 10. City of Bellevue Special Event fee: $15. Booth fee: $20 for a 10x10-foot space or $30 for a 10x15. Commission: 25%. For prospectus, contact Pacific Northwest Arts Fair, 301 Bellevue Square, Bellevue 98004; or telephone (425) 454- 4900, fax (425) 454-4102. March 1 entry deadline Savannah, Georgia “20th Annual Arts on the River Festival” (May 9-10). Juried from 3 slides. Entry fee: $50. Cash and purchase awards. For prospectus, send SASE to Dept, of Cultural Affairs/ Arts on the River, PO Box 1027, Savannah 31402; or telephone (912) 651-4248. Salina, Kansas “Smoky Hill River Festival— Four Rivers Crafts Market” (June 12-14), open to traditional crafts. Juried from 5 slides. Entry fee: $15. Booth fee: $100 for a 10x10-foot space or 10% commission, whichever is greater. Merit awards totaling $900. Contact Salina Arts and Humanities Commission, PO Box 2181, Salina 67402-2181; or telephone (785) 826-7410, fax (785) 826-7444. Salina, Kansas “Smoky Hill River Festival— Fine Art/Fine Craft Show” (June 13-14), open to fine art and fine/contemporary crafts. Juried from 6 slides. Entry fee: $15. Booth fee: $175 for a 10x10-foot space. No commission. Purchase and merit awards. Contact the Salina Arts and Hu­ manities Commission, PO Box 2181, Salina 67402-2181; or telephone (785) 826-7410, fax (785) 826-7444. March 2 entry deadline Evanston, Illinois*American Craft Exposition” (August 27-30). Juried from 5 slides. Entry fee: $25. Booth fee: $750 for a 10x10-foot space; $900 for a 10x10 corner; $1050 for a 10x15; $1200 for a 10x15 corner. Contact Auxiliary of Evanston Northwestern Healthcare, PO Box 25, Winnetka, IL 60093; telephone (847) 570-5096 or fax (847) 570-5240. Kalamazoo, Michigan “25th Annual Mayfair” (May 30). Juried from 3 slides of work plus 1 of display. Entry fee: $5. Booth fee: $50 for a 12x12- foot space. Contact Mayfair, c/o Kazoo School, 1401 Cherry St., Kalamazoo 49008-1824; or tele­ phone Mike Otto, Mayfair Coordinator, (616) 781-0304. March 9 entry deadline London, England “ 19th Chelsea Crafts Fair” (October 13—25). Juried from 4 slides. For appli­ cation, contact the Sales Development Unit, Crafts Council, 44a Pentonville Rd., London N1 9BY. March 11 entry deadline Madison, Wisconsin “Art Fair on the Square” (July 11-12). Juried from slides. Entry fee: $25. Booth fee: $275. No commission. Contact the Madison Art Center, 211 State St., Madison 53703; or telephone (608) 257-0158. March 13 entry deadline Findlay, Ohio “Findlay Area Arts Festival” (June 6—7). Juried from 3 slides of work plus resume and cover letter describing your work (with SASE). Fee: $5. Booth fee: $60 for a 10x10- foot, open space; $85 for a 7x8 sheltered space. Cash awards. Contact Findlay Area Arts Council, 112 W. Front St., Findlay 45840; or telephone (419) 422-3412, fax (419) 422-2765. March 15 entry deadline Livonia, Michigan “22nd Annual Livonia Arts Festival” (June 13-14). Juried from 4 slides of

72 CERAMICS MONTHLY February 1998 73 Call for Entries

work plus 1 of display (with SASE). Booth fee: $125 for a 12x14-foot space. No commission. Cash awards. For further information, contact Livonia Arts Commission, 33000 Civic Center Dr., Livonia 48154. Pontiac, Michigan “Art Pontiac” (June 13- 14). Juried from 4 slides of work plus 1 of display (with SASE). Entry fee: $25. Booth fee: $230 for a 10x15-foot space, $260 for a 10x20. No commis­ sion. Contact Art Pontiac, PO Box 430022, Pontiac 48343; telephone (313) 783-3830 or fax (313) 783-3852. March 31 entry deadline Clinton, Iowa “Art in the Park” (June 20-21). Juried from 4 slides of work plus 1 of display. Entry fee: $5. Booth fee: $75 for a 12x12-foot space. No commission. Cash awards. For prospec­ tus, send SASE to Art in the Park, Box 2164, Clinton 52733; or telephone Carol Glahn (319) 259-8308. Portland, Oregon “Art in the Pearl” (Septem­ ber 5-7). Juried from slides. Contact Art in the Pearl, PO Box 18053, Portland 97218; or tele­ phone (503) 722-9017. April 1 entry deadline Sheboygan, Wisconsin “28th Annual Outdoor Arts Festival” (July 18-19). Juried from 5 slides. Entry fee: $17. Booth fee: $80 for a lOxlO-foot space. Contact John Michael Kohler Arts Center, PO Box 489, Sheboygan 53082-0489; or tele­ phone (920) 458-6144. April 6 entry deadline Chautauqua, New York “Chautauqua Crafts Alliance” Quly 10-12 and/or August 7-9). Juried from 3 slides of work plus 1 of booth. Entry fee: $10 per show. Booth fee: $175 per show. For prospectus, send business-sizeSASE to Devon Tay- lor, Festivals Director, Chautauqua Crafts Alli­ ance, PO Box 89, Mayville, NY 14757-0089. April 7 entry deadline Boston, Massachusetts “Crafts at the Castle” (December 2-6). Juried from 5 slides. Entry fee: $25. Booth fee: $550-$850 for an 8x10- or 10x10-foot space. For application, send name and address to Gretchen Keyworth, Crafts at the Castle, Family Service of Greater Boston, 34½ Beacon St., Boston 02108; or fax (617) 523-3034. April 15 entry deadline Evergreen, Colorado “32nd Annual Evergreen Arts Festival” (August 22-23). Juried from 4 slides of work plus 1 of display. For application, contact Evergreen Artists’ Association, Danna Cuin, PO Box 1511, Evergreen 80437; or tele­ phone Danna Cuin (303) 674-5521. May 1 entry deadline Richmond, Virginia “34th Annual Hand Work­ shop Art Center’s Craft and Design Show” (No­ vember 13—15). Juried from 5 slides. Entry fee: $15. Booth fee: $325 for a 10x10-foot space, $490 for a 10x15, or $650 for a 10x20. For application, contact the Hand Workshop, 1812 W. Main St., Richmond 23220; telephone (804) 353-0094 or fax (804) 353-8018.

For a free listing, please submit informa­ tion on juried exhibitions, fairs, festivals and sales at least four months before the event’s entry deadline (add one month for listings in July and two months for those in August). Regional exhibitions must be open to more than one state. Mail to Call for Entries, Ceramics Monthly, PO Box 6102, Westerville, OH 43086-6102, e-mail to [email protected] or fax to (614) 891-8960.

74 CERAMICS MONTHLY February 1998 7 5 with your clay body) will comprise the upper eter of approximately 2½ inches and a bot­ Suggestions quarter of the sediment. tom diameter of approximately 5 inches. From Readers After the clay has settled several hours, This cone was centered and glued onto a bat simply pull the plug and drain the clear water that had already been covered with a sheet of off7 the top. When the fine sediment starts ½-inch-thick foam rubber. Avoid Clay-Clogged Drains draining off, save it for terra sigillata. The To use, the bat is centered on the wheel To avoid clogging your studio sink drain heavier particles at the bottom can be dis­ head (via bat pins) and a mug, small bowl, with clay, buy a large plastic dishpan and cut carded or recycled if you mix your own whatever shape that has a top opening of a hole about 3 inches up the side just big clay.—-Jeannie Cole, Broomfield, Colo. approximately 2 to 4 inches, is forced over the enough to stop with a cork. Clean tools, foam chuck, centered, then trimmed. The discard throwing water, etc., in the cork- Trimming Aid foam does not distort the rim and will actu­ stopped pan. The larger clumps of clay will I use a trimming device that works well for ally help true up out-of-round forms. settle to the bottom, while fine particles (just me and is very fast. It is a truncated foam I use this method in my production work what you need for a terra sigillata compatible rubber cone 4 inches high, with a top diam­ and have found it to be faster than any other method that I have tried to date.— Bryan Hannis, Valemount, B. C„ Canada

Luster Brightener When doing shows, my raku lusters some­ times dull because of the humidity, but I can brighten them with the following mixture: 1 pint rubbing alcohol, ¾ cup sudsy ammonia, 1 teaspoon dishwashing liquid and 1 gallon water. Works well as a glass cleaner too.— Carol Swift, Mt. View, Mo.

Preventing Broken Cutting Wires By putting a very stiff spring (purchased at the local hardware store) at the top of the wedging-board cutting wire, I prevent breakage. The spring gives just enough flexibility to the wire.—DonaldAdamaitis, Vancouver, Wash.

Buyer Feedback Galleries may not always provide infor­ mation on buyers, so I try to identify each of my pieces with more than a cursive signature that may or may not be legible. While other ceramists tape a business card to the bottom or back of the piece, or drop a card into a vessel, I prefer to use a self-adhesive return- address sticker. These are available from vari­ ous companies that advertise in the Sunday newspaper or from several catalogs. Typi­ cally, you get several hundred stickers for only a few dollars, and they come in various col­ ors.—Peter Sheremeta, San fose, Calif.

Silicone Stamps Stamps made from silicone caulk will give details equal to that of a fingerprint. Collect leaves, bugs, flowers, medallions, anything you would like to make a stamp of. Press that object in moist clay and remove. Fill the indention with silicone caulk (100% sili­ cone) . Place a big gob in the middle and work outward with your fingers. This prevents bubbles from being captured in the stamp. Keep your fingers wet with a solution of water and detergent (2 drops per quart of water). If you need more silicone to fill the inden­ tation, add it to the top of the first gob, not

76 CERAMICS MONTHLY February 1998 77 Suggestions and money. While a telephone call may seem to be the best way to find out about each gallery’s angle, it could be quite costly. Equally next to it. If you add more next to the first costly and possibly ineffective would be send­ gob, you may trap air. ing photographs of my work to unsuspecting Back the silicone with a piece of open galleries, not knowing whether my work fabric, coating it well (both sides) with the would be appropriate for that area. I would silicone caulk. Allow this to dry thoroughly. also run the risk of not having my photos Depending on the thickness, it may take as returned, which happens often. much as a week. To separate those galleries that were inter­ You can also use the silicone to attach a ested in my work from those who were not, hard backing, but I prefer to keep the stamps I simply decided to utilize my fax machine. I thin and pliable so I can run them through began by developing an appropriate letter­ the slab roller or press them into a surface head, listing my name, business name, ad­ with a brayer or rolling pin. I have found they dress, business telephone and business fax work well on concave and convex or even numbers. I stated my reason for contacting compound surfaces if they are not backed the gallery (representation), wrote a brief with a hard material. biography and described my work. I then These stamps last for years. Simply throw offered to send photos of my work and them in a box when you are finished using requested that the gallery owner/director re­ them.—W. Lowell Baker, Tuscaloosa, Ala. spond by fax. (I allowed space for signatures requesting or declining.) I also allowed room Thickening Slip for comments. I like to apply clay slip to my work as This information was faxed to 20 galler­ decoration, but it always seems that the slip is ies; 30% requested the photos; 10% declined never thick enough when I take it straight and 60% did not respond. I now have a better from my slurry bucket. Finally, one day I idea who to approach. This has been my best realized that I could put slurry inside an marketing approach thus far, costing only unfired form and, in a matter of minutes, the pennies per fax.—Alfredo Ibarra, San Anto­ clay would absorb enough excess moisture to nio, Tex. yield a thick slip. The same form can even be reused several times, if allowed to dry be­ Recycled Glaze Trailer tween uses, then later can be reclaimed with I like to apply my glaze designs with small the rest of my scrap.—MonaArritt, Hunting­ squeeze bottles, and have used a variety of ton., W.Va. plastic- and metal-tipped models, but the best is the accordionlike refill bottle for inkjet Fancy Ribs printers, which is small enough to fit in my You can make interesting edges on plastic hand. Squeezed lightly, it’s like writing with ribs (old credit cards, coffee-can lids, etc.) by a fluid pen. cutting with a pair of Fiskars Fancy Edge The metal tip is about 2 inches long and Scissors. A great selection of patterns is avail­ can reach into small crevices. It can also be able. Each pair sells for about $5.— Liz easily trimmed for closer work. Guiheen, Chicopee, Mass. The small opening in the bottle may take a little practice to learn how to fill expedi­ Cut-ofF Success ently, but the ease of use is worth it.—Les Having tried string, knotted string and all Osborne, The Woodlands, Tex. sorts of wire with mixed success, I’ve found nothing works as well as a 6-inch spackling Plaster Cleanup knife to cut pots off the hump. Just be sure to Make cleanup easier the next time you wet the blade beforehand or the clay will stick mix a bucket of plaster by lining that bucket to it.—Lili Krakowski, Constableville, N. Y with a plastic bag. When the job is done, simply discard the bag.—Van Moore, College Gallery Approach Park, Md. As a studio potter who has been in busi­ ness for myself for three years, I would like to Share your ideas with others. Ceramics share a simple, inexpensive but effective mar­ Monthly will pay $10 for each one published. keting method with others who are interested Suggestions are welcome individually or in in looking for representation outside their quantity. Include a drawing or photograph to local area. Unless you can personally visit illustrate your idea and we will add $10 to the each gallery, knowing where your artwork payment. Mail toCeramics Monthly, PO Box will fit in is difficult. 6102, Westerville, Ohio 43086-6102, e-mail My main concern was getting the galleries to [email protected] or fax to to look at my work without wasting my time (614) 891-8960.

78 CERAMICS MONTHLY February 1998 79 For further information, contact John Natsoulas ence.” For further information, contact the Col­ Calendar Gallery, (530) 756-3938. lege Art Associaton, 275 Seventh Ave., New York, North Carolina, Asheboro March 6-8 “11th NY 10001. Events to Attend—Conferences, Annual North Carolina Potters Conference” will England, Preston September 4-6 “International Exhibitions, Workshops, Zw/rc include presentations by Linda Arbuckle, Dan Festival of Ceramics: Fired Print” will include dem­ Finch, Terry Gess, Bob Lockhart, Leslie Betz onstrations, lectures and workshops by Greg Bell, Malone, Linda McFarling and Ron Propst. Fee: Neil Brownsword, Maria Geszler, Juliette Goddard, $100, includes continental breakfast, lunch, din­ Jefford Horrigan, Mo Jupp, Les Lawrence, Patrick ner. Preregistration required; deadline: February King, Philomena Pretzell and Helen Talbot. For Conferences 27. Contact the Randolph Arts Guild, PO Box further information and/or registration forms, con­ 1033, Asheboro 27204-1033. tact Caroline Till, 21 Hamilton Way, Acomb, York, Alabama, Brewton February25— 25 “Homecom­ North Carolina, Charlotte May 29-30 “Cer- Y02 4LE, United Kingdom. ing 98—A Clay Down South,” featuring Jerry MATECH ’98” will include sessions on clays, Brown, Dee and Steve Burrow, Fred Catalluchi, glazes, kilns and firing, molds and pressing. Con­ Solo Exhibitions Bill Clover, Ken Ferguson, Allen Ham, Steve tact CerMA, PO Box 2188, Zanesville, OH 43702- Haworth, Peter King, Catherine and Ted Metz, 2188; telephone (740) 452-4541, fax (740) 452- Arizona, Tempe February 20—April 19 Richard Eric and Steve Miller, Rob Reedy and Richard 2552, e-mail [email protected] or website Shaw; at Tempe Arts Center, 54 W. First St. Zakin; plus the exhibition “Gulf Coast Potters, http://www.offinger.com/cermatech Arkansas, Little Rock February 22—March 29 Jeri 100 Years of American Art Pottery.” For further Ohio, Cincinnati May 3-6 The American Ce­ Au; at the Arkansas Arts Center, MacArthur Park, information, contact Larry Manning (334) 809- ramic Society’s “100th Annual Meeting and Ex­ Ninth and Commerce. 1617 (days) or (334) 867-4281 (nights), or tele­ position.” For further information, contact The California, Idyllwild February 6-25 Karen Ko- phone Georgine Clarke (334) 242-4076 (days). American Ceramic Society, PO Box 6136, blitz; at the Idyllwild Arts Academy, 52500 Arizona, Yuma February 19-21 “Yuma Sympo­ Westerville, OH 43086-6136; telephone (614) Temecula Rd. sium 19,” will include slide presentations, lec­ 890-4700, [email protected] or see website California, Rancho Palos Verdes through Febru­ tures and demonstrations with artists in various www.acers.org ary 28 Peter Shire’s “Living Room Circus,” instal­ media, including ceramics artist David L. Brad­ Texas, Fort Worth March 25-28 “NCECA ’98— lation of ceramics, sculpture and furniture,through ley. For further information, contact Neely 32nd Annual Conference: Heroes, Icons, His­ March 1 Len Rubenstein, “The Journey,” ceram­ Tomkins, 90 W. 2nd St., Yuma 85364; or tory, Memory” will include keynote speech “Inics, sculpture and photography; at the Palos Verdes telephone (520) 782-1934. Praise of Heroes at Work in the Clay” by folklor­ Art Center, 5504 W. Crestridge Rd. California, Davis April 4—5 The “9th Annual ist/ author Henry Glassie; and closing lecture “The California, Sacramento February 5-28 Ceramics California Conference for the Advancement of Concrete Culture and the Electronic Culture” by and paintings by Gary Dinnen; at Solomon Ceramic Art” will include lectures, panel discus­ painter/Newsweek art critic Peter Plagens. Also Dubnick Gallery, 2131 Northrop Ave. sions, slide presentations, demonstrations and includes demonstrations, slide presentations, panel California, Santa Monica through February 4 tours. Presenters include Clayton Bailey, Stephen discussions and exhibitions. Contact Regina Philip Cornelius. February 7-March 4 Cindy Braun, Fiona Fell, Marc Lancet, Annabeth Rosen, Brown, Executive Secretary, NCECA, PO Box Kolodziejski; at Frank Lloyd Gallery, 2525 Michi­ Esther Shimazu, Irv Tepper and Patti Warashina. 1677, Bandon, OR; telephone (800) 99-NCECA. gan Ave., B5b. Fee: $150/2 days, $75/1 day; students, $100/2 Canada, Ontario, Toronto February 26—28 Florida, DeLand through February 15 Vincent days, $50/1 day. Registration deadline: March 31. “College Art Association 86th Annual Confer­ Sansone. February 20-March 19 Susan Z. Vey; at

80 CERAMICS MONTHLY February 1998 81 Hartsook Gallery, Greenwich House Pottery, 16 Group Ceramics Exhibitions Calendar Jones St. New York, Port Chester March 6-28 Ruth Berelson, Arizona, Phoenix February 14—April 18 “Legacy collages, “Home Free, Free for All: Memories of the of Generations,” works by 28 Native American Stetson University, Duncan Gallery of Art, Sampson 1930s”; at the Clay Art Center, 40 Beech St. women potters; at the Heard Museum, 22 E. Hall, 421 N. Woodland Blvd., Unit 8252. North Carolina, Charlotte through February 22 Monte Vista Rd. Illinois, Chicago February 13—March 14 Marga­ Billy Ray Hussey, “North Carolina Visionary California, Claremont through March 22 The ret Ponce Israel, “A Domestic Bestiary,” sculp­ Potter”; at the Mint Museum of Art, 2730 “54th Ceramic Annual Exhibition”; at Ruth Chan­ ture, paintings and sketches; at Perimeter Gallery, Randolph Rd. dler Williamson Gallery, Scripps College, 11th 210 W. Superior St. North Carolina, Durham March 22-April 22 and Columbia sts. February 21—March 21 Jun Kaneko, large-scale Gayle Tustin, wall reliefs; at the Durham Art California, Davis March 31-May 3 “ 12th Annual heads; at Klein Art Works, 400 N. Morgan. Guild, 120 Morris St. Thirty Ceramic Sculptors Show”; at John Maryland, FrederickFebruary 6-March 3 Antonio Pennsylvania, Philadelphia February 6-March 1 Natsoulas Gallery, 140 F St. Tobias Mendez, terra-cotta sculpture; at Hodson Susan Beiner, juried show of porcelain vessels. California, El Cajon March 2-27 “Ceramics: Gallery, Tatem Arts Center, Hood College. Keaton Wynn, juried installation. March 6-29 Viewpoint ’98”; at Grossmont College, Hyde Maryland, Hagerstown March 8-April5 Scott R. Sumi Maeshima, organic thrown and altered ves­ Gallery, 8800 Grossmont College Dr. Jones platters and pots, “Many Styles”; at Wash­ sels. Victor Babu, china-painted porcelain ves­ California, Los Angeles through March 30“Hirado ington County Museum of Fine Arts, City Park. sels; at the Clay Studio, 139 N. Second St. Porcelain of Japan from the Kurtzman Family Massachusetts, Northampton March 21-April March 3—25 Lynn Smiser Bowers, “Out of Kansas Collection”; at the Los Angeles County Museum 19 Megan Hart, porcelain; at Ferrin Gallery, 179 City”; at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Art of Art, 5905 Wilshire Blvd. Main St. Sales and Rental Gallery, Benjamin Franklin Pkwy. California, San Francisco March 21-May 31 “Brit­ Minnesota, Minneapolis through February 14Gary Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh through February 25 ish Potters: Dixon Long Collection”; at the San Erickson; at the Gage Family Art Gallery, Lindell David Gamble, multifired platters. February 1- Francisco Craft and Folk Art Museum, Building Library, Augsburg College, 2211 Riverside Ave. March 25 Mark David Tomczak, recent works; at A, Fort Mason. New Jersey, PrincetonFebruary 2—27 Jim Jansma, the Clay Place, 5416 Walnut St. California, Santa Monica March 7-April 1 Exhi­ wood-fired figurative work; at the Arts Council of through February 27 David McDonald. February bition of works by Akio Takamori and Kurt Princeton, WPA Gallery, 102 Witherspoon St. 6—March 27 Donald Hedman; at Manchester Weiser; at Frank Lloyd Gallery, 2525 Michigan New York, New York through February 21 Craftsmen’s Guild, 1815 Metropolitan St. Ave., B5b. Vivienne Foley, porcelain; at James Graham and Texas, Denton February 22—27 Frederic Herbst Illinois, Champaign February 19-March20“The Sons, 1014 Madison Ave. functional ceramics, “Presentation and Prepara­ Interpreted Object,” works by 21 ceramists; at through February 21 Kathi Muller, installation tion”; at Cora Stafford Gallery, corner of Oak St. Parkland College Art Gallery, 2400 W. Bradley Ave. work. February 26-March 28 Steve Welch, col­ and Ponder. Illinois, Chicago February 1—March 1 Sculpture ored clay; at Nancy Margolis Gallery, 560 Broad­ Texas, Lancaster through February 6 Margaret by Valerie Bunnell, Brad Erdy and Karen Schindler. way, Ste. 302. Bohls; at Cedar Valley College Ceramics Gallery, March 14-April26^“Vessels That Pour,” works by February 3—28 Anne Kraus. March 3-April 4 3030 N. Dallas Ave., E Bldg. over 30 ceramists; at Gallery 1021: Lill Street, Ralph Bacerra. Junko Kitamura. Beatrice Wood; Virginia, Bridgewater March 2-April 3 Tamara 1021 W. Lill. at Garth Clark Gallery, 24 W. 57th St. Laird; at the Kline Center Gallery, Kline Campus Louisiana, Thibodaux March 9—27 “Chef John February 19-March 21 Eui-Kung Lee; at Jane Center, Bridgewater College. Folse Culinary Institute Utilitarian Ceramics

82 CERAMICS MONTHLY

Calendar

National Competition”; at Ameen Fine Arts Gal­ lery, Nicholls State University. Maryland, Baltimore through February 21 “Ges­ ture and Message,” ceramics by Brad Schwieger and Janis Mars Wunderlich plus 5 artists of their choice: Von Allen, Gina Bobrowski, Patrick Hous­ ton, Triesh Voelker and Matthew Wilt; at Balti­ more Clayworks, 5706 Smith Ave. Massachusetts, Ipswich March 7—31 “A Tea Party”; at the Ocmulgee Pottery and Gallery, 317 High St. (Rte. 1A). Michigan, Berrien Springs February 3-March 1 “Women Who Fire with Wood,” ceramics by Linda Christianson, Charity Davis, Jane Herald, Catharine Hiersoux, Karen Karnes, Diane Kenney, Pam Lau, Peg Malloy, Ginny Marsh, Jan McKeachie-Johnston, Linda Sikora and Mary Wolff; at Andrews University Art Center Gallery. Michigan, Detroit through February 27“White,” works primarily in white by Marek Cecula, Ruth Duckworth, Laszlo Fekete, Howard Kottler, James Melchert, Lawson Oyekan and Robert Turner; at CCS-Center Galleries, 15 E. Kirby, Ste. 107. Minnesota, Minneapolis through February 21 “Jerome Artists Exhibition,” ceramics by Attila Ray Dabasi, Ruth Martin, Robin Murphy, Marcia Olson and James Whitney Tuthill; at Northern Clay Center, 2424 Franklin Ave., E. Missouri, Columbia through March 23 “In and On: Vessels and Wall Hangings,” works by Irene Alexander, Bede Clarke, Robert Friedman, James Kasper, Sue Luger and Naoma Powell; at Legacy Art and BookWorks, 1010 E. Broadway. Missouri, Saint Louis through February 21 Sculp­ ture by Cheryl Laemmle and Michael Lucero; at R. Duane Reed Gallery, #1 N. Taylor at Laclede. New Mexico, Roswell March 6—May 24“Ceram­ ics: Celebration ’98”; at Roswell Museum and Art Center, 100 W. Eleventh St. New York, New York through February 7 “In­ cluding Clay: Ron Baron, James Esber, Beth Katleman, Carter Kustera and Ildiko Repasi.” “Kate Missett Curates Whimsy.” February 19- March 21 “Artists on Their Own”; at Greenwich House Pottery, 16 Jones St. New York, Port Chester February 6-28 Vessels by Frank and Polly Martin; at the Clay Art Center, 40 Beech St. Ohio, Wooster March 23-April 30 “Functional Ceramics 1998,” works by 25 potters; at the Wayne Center for the Arts, 237 S. Walnut St. Oregon, Portland February 5—21 Works by Jim Koudelka, Thomas Orr and Ted Vogel; at BonaKeane Gallery, 205 S.W. Pine St. Texas, Arlington February 21—March 28 “The National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts Regional Juried Student Exhibition”; at the Arlington Museum of Art, 201 W. Main St. Texas, Dallas through April 5 “Clay Traditions: Texas Educators and Their Teachers,” works by 14 ceramics educators and their mentors; at Dallas Museum of Art, 1717 N. Harwood. March 20—April24“T exas Tea, ” works by 8 Texas ceramists; at Edith Baker Gallery, 2404 Cedar Springs at Maple. March 28-May 1 “Fireworks: On and Off the Wall,” works by 33 Texas ceramists; at the Dallas Visual Art Center, 2917 Swiss Ave. Texas, Denton March 1—29 “Ceramics USA 1998”; at the University of North Texas Gallery, School of Visual Arts. Texas, El Paso March 6—April5“From the Ground Up XVII,” juried exhibition of works by regional artists; at Los Paisanos Gallery, Chamizal Na­ tional Park. Texas, Farmers BranchMarch 4—30“Brookhaven

84 CERAMICS MONTHLY February 1998 85 Calendar

College Ceramics: Alumni + Faculty,” with works by Barbara Brault, Sam Clarkson, Lisa Ehrich, Susan Mollett and Maria Ziegler. “Texas Ver­ nacular Ceramics: 1845-1945”; at Forum and Studio galleries, Brookhaven College, 3939 Val­ ley View Ln. Texas, Fort Worth through March 1 “Qing Porce­ lain from the Percival David Foundation of Chi­ nese Art”; at Kimbell Art Museum, 3333 Camp Bowie Blvd. March 16-28 “Texas Clay Exhibition”; at the Tandy Center, 100-200 Throckmorton. March 25-April 3 “Within the Borders,” juried exhibition of works by T exas potters; at Bank One Texas, 500 Throckmorton. Texas, Irving March 19-April 8 “Making It in Clay: Celebrating Student Success,” exhibition of works by past and present students of North Lake College; at North Lake College Gallery, 5001 N. MacArthur Blvd. March 23-April 26 “To Have and to Hold: Ce­ ramic Vessel Making in Texas,” works by approxi­ mately 50 ceramists; at the Irving Arts Center, 3333 N. MacArthur Blvd. Texas, TylerFebruary 14—March 13 “Within the Borders,” juried exhibition of works by Texas potters; at the Meadows Gallery, University of Texas at Tyler, 3900 University Blvd. Vermont, Montpelier February 1—28 “Emerging Artists of the U.S.” March 2-27“ S pout It Out; An Exhibition of Teapots”; at the Vermont Clay Studio, 24 Main St. Virginia, Alexandria February 5—March 2 “Kiln Club Annual Show”; at Scope Gallery, Torpedo Factory, 105 N. Union St. Ceramics in Multimedia Exhibitions Arizona, Mesa through February 7 “20th Annual Vahki.” February 17-March l4“Gzt Real.” March 24-April 18 “The Draping Game”; at Mesa Arts Center, 155 N. Center St. Arizona, Sun City February 3-March 8 Dual exhibition including pottery by Ed Oshier; at Sun Cities Museum of Art, 17425 N. 115th Ave. Arizona, Tempe through February 8 “Heart”; at Tempe Arts Center, Mill Ave. and First St. Arkansas, Little Rock February 22—March 29 “Regional Craft Biennial Competition”; at the Arkansas Arts Center, MacArthur Park, Ninth and Commerce. California, Los Angeles through February 2* Tan­ talizing Teapots: The Felicitous Union of Form and Content,” about 100 interpretations; at the Craft and Folk Art Museum, 5800 Wilshire Blvd. California, San Diego through April 30 “Arts of the Amazon,” exhibition of 250 ritual and other art objects; at Mingei International Museum of Folk Art, Balboa Park, Plaza de Panama. California, San Francisco through February 8 “L’Chaim! A Kiddush Cup Invitational”; at the Jewish Museum, 121 Steuart St. February 21—April 19 “Treasures of African Art from the Tervuren Museum”; at the California Palace of the Legion of Honor, Fine Arts Muse­ ums of San Francisco, Lincoln Park, 34th Ave. and Clement St. D.C., Washington through April 26 “Japanese Arts of the Meiji Era (1868-1912)”; at the Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution. Florida, Hollywood February 20-May 10 “45th Florida Craftsmen Exhibition”; at the Art and Culture Center of Hollywood, 1650 Harrison St. Florida, Palm Beach February 14-March 11 “A Taste for Splendor: Russian Imperial and Euro-

86 CERAMICS MONTHLY February 1998 87 April 3—5 “Art Show at the Dog Show”; at the Nevada, Reno March 5—April 12 “A Common Calendar Sunflower Cluster Dog Shows, Kansas Coliseum. Thread”; at the Nevada Museum of Art, 160 W. Kentucky, Louisville through February 13 Liberty St. pean Treasures from the Hillwood Museum,” “DinnerWorks ’98,” artwork for the table by 30 New York, Albany through February 16 “Arts and over 180 decorative and fine-art objects; at the artists; at the Louisville Art Association, Water Crafts: From the Collections of the New York Society of the Four Arts, Four Arts Plaza. Tower, River Rd. State Museum.” February 6-April26 “The 1998 Florida, St. Petersburg through February 27“The Louisiana, Lafayette March 17-April23National New York State Biennial”; at the New York State Beaded Object”; at Florida Craftsmen Gallery, juried exhibition of 2- and 3-dimensional art; at Museum, Empire State Plaza. 501 Central Ave. the Lafayette Art Gallery, 412 Travis St. New York, Brooklyn February 1-28 “The Wed­ Florida, Tampa February 6—March 28 “9th An­ Massachusetts, Cambridge March 13—April 12 ding”; at Brooklyn Artisans Gallery, 221A Court St. nual Black and White, Shades of Gray”; at Artists “Illuminations: Into the Light,” juried exhibition New York, New York February 11—May 3“Great Unlimited, 223 N. 12th St. of candlesticks, lamps, lanterns and sconces; at Cities Small Treasures: The Ancient World of the Illinois, Galesburg March 14—April 11 “GALEX Cambridge Artists Cooperative, 59A Church St. Indus Valley,” approximately 100 objects, includ­ 32”; at the Galesburg Civic Art Center, 114 E. Massachusetts, Northampton through February ing ceramics; at the Asia Society, 725 Park Ave. Main St. 23 “Introductions”; at Ferrin Gallery, 179 Main. February 26—June 28 “Finnish Modernism in Kansas, Wichita March 1-April 2 “Art Show at Missouri, Warrensburg through February 22 Design: Utopian Ideals and Everyday Realities, the Dog Show”; at the Foyer Gallery, Century II “Greater Midwest International XIII”; at Central 1930-1997”; at the Bard Graduate Center, 18 W. Convention Center. Missouri State University, Art Center Gallery. 86th St. March 24-April 4 “Animals and Animal Designs in Chinese Art,” 25 artworks, including ceramics, dating from the Shang period to the late Ming period; at Eskenazi, 28 E. 78th St. North Carolina, Winston-Salem February 12- March 28 “New Members ’97”; at the Piedmont Craftsmen Gallery, 1204 Reynolda Rd. Ohio, Cincinnati March 15-May 24 “Designed for Delight: Alternative Aspects of 20th-Century Decorative Arts”; at the Cincinnati Art Museum, Eden Park. Ohio, Columbus through April 30 The “118th Student Exhibition”; at Columbus College of Art and Design, Canzani Center, 60 Cleveland Ave. Ohio, Mansfield February 22-March 22“ Annual All-Ohio Juried Art Exhibition”; at Pearl Conard Art Gallery, the Ohio State University at Mansfield, 1680 University Dr. Pennsylvania, Allentown through March 15“ 26th Juried Show”; at Allentown Art Museum, Fifth and Court sts. Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh February 13—March 22 Biennial of works by members of the Craftsman Guild of Pittsburgh; at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts Gallery, Mellon Park, 6300 Fifth Ave. Tennessee, Chattanooga through May “1997—98 Sculpture Garden Exhibit”; at River Gallery, 400 E. Second St. Tennessee, Gatlinburg through February 21 “Arrowmont Permanent Collection Exhibition.” February 26—April 11 “New Form/New Func­ tion: Surface.” “National Spring Faculty Invita­ tional Exhibition”; at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, 556 Parkway. Tennessee, NashvilleFebruary 19—March 18 “Vi­ sual Fragments,” two-person exhibition with wood-fired ceramics by Bill Griffith; at Sarratt Gallery at Vanderbilt University, 402 Sarratt. Tennessee, Smithville through February 21 “Still Alluring,” handmade lures; at the Appalachian Center for Crafts, 1560 Craft Center Dr. Texas, Dallas March 17-April4“Surfaces,” three- person exhibition with ceramic sculpture by Lisa Ehrich and Marla Ziegler; at Craighead-Green Gallery, 2404 Cedar Springs, Ste. 700. Texas, Houston February 6-27 “Materials + Form 5,” regional juried exhibition; at Art League of Houston, 1953 Montrose Blvd. Washington, Kirkland through February 15 “New Year/New Works”; at Anderson Glover Gallery, 303 Kirkland Ave. Wisconsin, Oconomowoc February 22—March 29 “Teapots, Fun, Funky and Functional”; at the Oconomowoc Gallery, 157 E. Wisconsin Ave. Fairs, Festivals and Sales Arizona, Phoenix February 27—March 1 “The Phoenix Antique and Art Show”; at the Phoenix Art Museum, Cummings Great Hall, 1625 N. Central Ave.

88 CERAMICS MONTHLY Arizona, Scottsdale March 13— I5“Scottsdale Arts Contact Doug Browe/Jan Hoyman, 323 N. Main “Tile Making” with Siglinda Scarpa, ylpr/7^ “Pa­ Festival”; at the Scottsdale Civic Center, Old St., Ukiah 95482; telephone (707) 468-8835 or per Clay” with Rebecca Peck Jones.April 25-26 Town Scottsdale. e-mail [email protected] “Low-temperature Salt Firing” with Richard Laun­ California, San Francisco February 6-8 “The California, Walnut Creek February 28 “Master der. Contact Brookfield Craft Center, PO Box Tribal, Folk and Textile Arts Show. ” February 12- Potter Workshop,” demonstration/slide and video 122, Rte. 25, Brookfield 06804; or telephone 15 “Arts of Pacific Asia”; at the Festival Pavilion, presentation with Claudio Reginato, focusing on (203) 775-4526. Fort Mason Center. large pottery and classic forms. Fee: $45, includes Connecticut, Guilford March28-29“Glaze Work­ Florida, Gainesville February 6—8 “12th Annual pot-luck lunch. Contact Walnut Creek Civic Arts shop for Potters” with Angela Fina. For further Hoggetowne Medieval Faire”; at the Alachua Education, PO Box 8039, Walnut Creek 94596; information, contact Guilford Handcraft Center, County Fairgrounds. or telephone (510) 943-5846. PO Box 589, 411 Church St., Guilford 06437; or Florida, New Smyrna BeachMarch 14-15 “Im­ Colorado, Boulder March 6-7 Workshop and telephone (203) 453-5947. ages: A Festival of the Arts”; at Riverside Park. slide presentation with Chris Staley. Fee: $60. Florida, Belleairy4pr/l^“Insights through Deco­ Florida, Palm Beach GardensFebruary 14—16 Sponsored by the Boulder Potters’ Guild. For rative Arts,” lecture with Cynthia Duval.April “13th Annual ArtiGras”; at the Gardens of the further information, contact Caroline Douglas, 24-26“Pueblo Pottery,” demonstration by Nathan Palm Beaches. 1527 North St., Boulder 80304; or telephone Youngblood. Contact the Florida Gulf Coast Art Georgia, Atlanta March 21-22 “ACC Craft (303) 447-0110. Center, Education Dept., 222 Ponce de Leon Show Atlanta”; at the Georgia Dome. Connecticut, Brookfield February 7“Baskets for Blvd., Belleair 33756; or telephone (813) 584-8634. Illinois, Highland Park March 7—8 “Festival of Potters” with Nancy Moore Bess.February 14-15 Continued the Arts ’98”; at North Suburban Synagogue Beth El, 1175 Sheridan Rd. Maryland, Baltimore February 20-22 “ACC Craft Show Baltimore”; at the Baltimore Conven­ tion Center. Maryland, Gaithersburg April 3-5 “Sugarloaf Crafts Festival”; at the Montgomery County Fair­ grounds. Massachusetts, Ipswich February 1—28 “Annual Seconds Sale”; at Ocmulgee Pottery and Gallery, 317 High St. (Rte. 1A). Pennsylvania, Fort Washington March 20-22 “Sugarloaf Crafts Festival”; at the Ft. Washington Expo Center. Vermont, Montpelier March 7 “Keep the Cup Tea Party,” fund-raiser. Tickets: $20 per person; each attendee receives a teacup. Telephone the Vermont Clay Studio, (802) 223-4220.

Workshops Arizona, Bisbee February 1—6 or 8—13 Hand- building workshops with Thomas Kerrigan, ex­ ploring once-fired surface processes, including glazing. Contact Thomas Kerrigan, PO Box 572, Bisbee 85603; or telephone (520) 432-4819. Arizona, Phoenix February 28 Miniature throw­ ing and raku workshop with Pab Benford. Fee: $25. Location: Grand Canyon University. Con­ tact Michelle Lowe, 25037 N. 17 Ave., Phoenix 85027; telephone (602) 516-2209 or e-mail [email protected] Arizona, Tempe March 6—8 Lecture and work­ shop with Richard Shaw. Lecture is free. Work­ shop fee: $100; Tempe Arts Center members, $60; ASU students, $30. For further informa­ tion, telephone the Tempe Arts Center, (602) 968-0888. California, Rancho Palos Verdes February 7Lec­ ture and demonstration with Mario Bartels. Fee per session: $40; members, $35. For further infor­ mation, contact the Palos Verdes Art Center, (310) 541-2479. California, San Diego February 21 Demonstra­ tion of soft-slab handbuilding techniques with Lana Wilson. Fee: $25; members, $20. For fur­ ther information, contact Ceramic Artists of San Diego, do 4259 Feather Ave., San Diego 92117; or telephone John Conrad at Mesa College, (619) 627-2610. California, Santa Ana March 14 Demonstration of large platters and double-walled vessels with James Watkins, plus a discussion on surface deco­ ration and choice of firing methods. Fee: $30. Contact Patrick Crabb, Fine Arts Dept., Santa Ana College, 1530W. 17th St., Santa Ana 92706; or telephone (714) 564-5613. California, Ukiah March 20-29 A session with Svend Bayer, coiling and throwing large pots, loading and firing an anagama. Fee: $450, in­ cludes materials, firing and camping facilities.

February 1998 89 Calendar $165. April 1 “Raku—From Zen Tradition to Modern Innovation,” lecture with Patrick Timo­ thy Caughy.April 4 “Eastern and Western Tech­ Florida, DeLand February 25 Lecture/workshop niques in Trimming,” lecture/demonstration with with Susan Z. Vey. Location: Stetson University. Richard Lafean; fee: $60. April 25 and May 9 For further information, contact Artists and Lec­ “Playing with Words—Painting with Fire,” pro­ turers Committee, (904) 822-7266. ducing ware (April 25) and raku firing (May 9 in Florida, Saint Petersburg February 23 “Booth Baltimore); fee: $145, includes 25 pounds of raku Design and Construction” and “Marketing and clay and firing. April 26 “Tin-Glazed Earthen­ Sales Techniques.” February 24 “Slides and the ware: Who, What, Why, Where, When and How,” Jury Process.” Instructor: Bruce Baker. Fee per lecture with Louana Lackey.May 1-2 “Ceramic day: $50; members, $40; includes lunch. Regis­ Restoration,” lecture and workshop with Colin tration deadline: February 10. Contact Florida Knight-Griffin; participants can bring a piece for Craftsmen, (813) 821-7391. appraisal. Workshop fee: $65. Lecture fee: $5; or Florida, West Palm Beach February 2-6 $22 for series of 6. For further information, con­ “Handbuilding Ceramic Sculpture” with Tony tact Hood College Ceramics Program, 401 Hepburn. March 2—6 “Exploring Form through Rosemont Ave., Frederick 21701; or telephone Functional Pottery” with Ellen Shankin. March (301) 696-3456 or (301) 698-0929. 30-April3 “Ceramic Surface Design and Decora­ Massachusetts, Plymouth April 10-11 Demon­ tive Processes” with Robin Hopper. Contact the stration and slide lecture with Svend Bayer. Con­ Robert and Mary Montgomery Armory Art Cen­ tact the Plimoth Plantation, (508) 746-1622, ext. ter, 1703 S. Lake Ave., West Palm Beach 33401; 356, or (781) 837-4263. telephone (888) 276-6791 or (561) 832-1776, or Massachusetts, Somerville February 6 Slide pre­ website www.armoryart.org sentation on Nicaraguan potters with Debra Georgia, Atlanta February 6-7 Lecture and dem­ Askanase. March 8 and 22 “Zen, Yoga and the onstration with Cynthia Bringle. February 21-22 Physics of Clay” with David LaPierre. Fee: $100; Lecture and demonstration with Michael Simon. members, $50. March 14-15 Demonstration and For further information, contact Glenn Dair, critiques with Michael Kline and Mark Shapiro. Callanwolde Fine Arts Center, 980 Briarcliff Rd., Fee: $100; members, $50. Contact Mudflat Stu­ Atlanta 30306; telephone (404) 874-9351 or e- dio, 149 Broadway, Somerville 02145; or tele­ mail [email protected] phone (617) 628-0589. Hawaii, Honolulu March 19-23 “Aha Hana Lima Massachusetts, Williamsburg April 25-27 (A Gathering of Crafts),” workshops and slide “Working with Colored Clays: A Japanese Ap­ lectures with three artists, including ceramist proach to the Vessel” with Debbie Freed.May 9- Stephen De Staebler. Contact Hawaii Craftsmen, 11 “Get Hot! Alternative Firing and Decorating (808) 596-8128. Techniques” with Bob Green. Contact Horizons, Hawaii, Makawao April 4—5 “Clay Pots: An Ex­ 108 N. Main St., Sunderland, MA 01375; tele­ perience of Intimacy, Delight, Uncertainty and phone (413) 665-0300, fax (413) 665-4141, e- Revelation” with Randy Johnston. Contact Hui mail [email protected] or website No’eau Visual Arts Center, 2841 Baldwin Ave., www.Horizons-art.org Makawao 96768; telephone (808) 572-6560 or Massachusetts, Worcester March 7—8 A session fax (808) 572-2750. with Malcolm Davis. April 4-5 A session with Kentucky, Frankfort March 20-21 “Craft By Karen Karnes. Contact Worcester Center for Design: A Hands-on Workshop Weekend” will Crafts, 25 Sagamore Rd., Worcester 01605; tele­ include keynote speech by James Wallace, direc­ phone (508) 753-8183. tor of the National Ornametnal Metal Museum, Michigan, Berrien Springs February 28—March 1 Memphis, Tennessee; plus demonstration by clay Slide lecture (February 28) and workshop with artist Wayne Ferguson. Fee: $50/two days, $35/ Linda Christianson. Workshop fee: $25. For fur­ one day; students, $30/two days, $ 15/one day. ther information, contact Steve Hansen, (616) Out-of-state residents: $75/two days, $50/one 471-3281. day. Registration deadline: March 13. For further Minnesota, Minneapolis Monthly “Regis Masters information, contact the Craft Marketing Pro­ Series” lectures: February 14 with Karen Karnes. gram, (888) 592-7238 or (502) 564-8076; or the March21 with William Daley. April 18wi\h Ruth Kentucky Art and Craft Foundation, (800) 446- Duckworth. Free. Location: Minneapolis Insti­ 0102 or (502) 589-0102. tute of Arts. Contact the Northern Clay Center, Maine, Portland February 10 “Teapots” with (612) 339-8007. Paul Heroux; fee: $35. February 16 “Mask Mak­ Montana, Helena March 19-22“Salt Glaze Fir­ ing” with Amy Schusser; fee: $35. February 25 ing Workshop” with Rick Pope. April 30-May 3 “Glazed Surfaces, Application and Aesthetic “Cone 6 Soda Glaze Firing Workshop” with Julia Choices” with Paul Heroux; fee: $35. April21 or Galloway. Contact Archie Bray Foundation, (406) May 23 “Raku Workshop,” participants should 443-3502, e-mail [email protected] or bring up to four medium-sized pots; fee: $35. For website www.archiebray.org further information, contact Portland Pottery, New Mexico, Albuquerqueto Santa Fe April 18— 118 Washington Ave., Portland 04101; or tele­ 25 “Clay into Spirit” with Anita Griffith. Contact phone (207) 772-4334. Horizons, 108 N. Main St., Sunderland, MA Maryland, Baltimore February 2-6 Hands-on 01375; telephone (413) 665-0300, fax (413) 665- workshop with Brad Schwieger. Contact Balti­ 4141, e-mail [email protected] or website more Clayworks, (410) 578-1919. www.Horizons-art.org Maryland, FrederickFebruary 6— 7 “Eastern Coil New Mexico, Roswell April23—^Demonstration Workshop” with Joyce Michaud; fee: $95.Febru­ of throwing large double-walled vessels with J ames ary 19 Lecture with Antonio Tobias Mendez on Watkins. Fee: $50. Contact the Roswell Museum his work. Free. February 21 “Ceramic Tool-mak­ and Art Center, (505) 624-6744, ext. 16. ing Workshop” with Colin Knight-Griffin; fee: New Mexico, Santa Fe March 16-20 “Raku $60. February 22 “Bookkeeping and Taxes for the Workshop” with Liz Anderson. Contact Art and Artist” lecture with Colin Knight-Griffin. March Clay Studio, 851 W. San Mateo Rd. #4, Santa Fe 6-8 “Spiritual Journeys,” slide lecture and work­ 87505; or telephone (505) 989-4278. shop with Susan Greenleaf. Workshop fee: $110. New York, New York February 6and 13 “Studio March 20-22 “Wood-fired Pottery,” slide lecture Ergonomics and Yoga Techniques for the Ceram­ and workshop with Svend Bayer. Workshop fee: ics Artist” with Ellen Saltonstall. Fee: $90; mem-

90 CERAMICS MONTHLY bers, $75. February 21-22 “Gas Firing Work­ shop” with Alan Davidson. Fee: $140; members, $125. March 21 “Beyond T radition” with Makoto Yabe, traditional and contemporary approaches to Japanese pottery. Fee: $90; members, $75. Contact the Craft Students League,YWCA/NYC, 610 Lexington Ave., New York 10022; or tele­ phone (212) 735-9731. New York, Port Chester March 6 “Decorating Technique” with Debbie Bedwell. April 18-19 “Two Approaches to Wheel Work” with Polly Ann and Frank Martin. Contact the Clay Art Center, (914) 937-2047. North Carolina, Asheville April 4 “A Day with Chris Staley,” demonstration of throwing tech­ niques. Fee: $50, includes lunch. Contact Odys­ sey Center for the Ceramic Arts, 236 Clingman Ave., Asheville 28801; or telephone (704) 285- 0210, website [email protected] North Carolina, Brasstown February 8-14 “Pot­ tery Basics: Handbuilding and Wheel” with Marcia Bugg. February 15-20“ Whistle While You Work” with Mary Dashiell. February 22-28 “Wheel Throwing” with Lee Davis. March 22-28 “Func­ tional Design: Wheel and Hand” with Lucy Hamilton. March 29—April 4 “The Art of Raku” with Lynn Jenkins. April 5—11 “Handbuilding with Coils” with Julie Larson. April 12—18 “Por­ celain: On the Wheel and under the Brush” with David Voorhees. Contact John C. Campbell Folk School, (800) FOLK-SCH. Ohio, Wooster April 15—18 “Functional Ceram­ ics Workshop” with Cynthia Bringle, Pete Pinnell and Patty Wouters. Fee: $180; three days, $140; includes lunches, 1 dinner and catalog of “Func­ tional Ceramics” exhibition. Contact Phyllis Blair Clark, 102 Oakmont Ct., Wooster 44691. Oregon, Gresham February 28—March 1 Making pots, discussing glazing and the wood-fire aes­ thetic with Jack Troy. Participants can send 2 small (teabowl-size) pots for firing. Fee: $80; OPA members and students, $60. March 14 Hand­ building with porcelain, throwing miniatures, decoration and glazing with Barb Campbell and Terry Inokuma. Fee: $20; OPA members, $15. Contact Stephen Mickey, Mt. Hood Community College, 26000 S.E. Stark St., Gresham 97030. Pennsylvania, Philadelphia February 13 Lecture with Janet Koplos. March 13 Lecture with Victor Babu. Location: Moore College of Art and De­ sign. Contact the Clay Studio, 139 N. Second St., Philadelphia 19106; or telephone (215) 925-3453. Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh February 20—22 Lec­ ture (February 20) and workshop with David MacDonald. Contact Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild, 1815 Metropolitan St., Pittsburgh 15233; or telephone (412) 322-1773. Tennessee, Gatlinburg March 2-6“Ti\c: Techni­ cal Details and Experimentation” with Gloria Kosco. March 9-13 “Tradition and Innovation” with Mark Johnson. March 16-20 “Handbuilding” with Kathy Triplett. March 23-27 “Majolica: A Glaze for Painters” with Terry Siebert. Fee per week: $275. Contact Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, PO Box 567, Gatlinburg 37738; tele­ phone (423) 436-5860, fax (423) 430-4101 or e-mail [email protected] Texas, Lancaster February 6A lecture with Mar­ garet Bohls. Telephone the Cedar Valley College Ceramics Gallery, (972) 860-8046. Texas, San Antonio March 14—15 “Decorative and Functional,” slide lecture and workshop with David MacDonald. Workshop fee: $125; slide lecture is free. Contact the Southwest Craft Cen­ ter, 300 Augusta, San Antonio 78205-1296; or telephone (210) 224-1848, fax (210) 224-9337. Vermont, Montpelier February 20 Demonstra­ tion of making clay whistles with Mary Stone. Fee: $4; members, $3. Contact the Vermont Clay

February 1998 91 to Leach”; at the Crafts Council Gallery Shop, 44a Calendar Pentonville Rd., Islington. February 8 “Potters Responding to Leach” series, Studio, 24 Main St., Montpelier 05602; or tele­ a lecture with Ruthanne Tudball. February 28 phone (802) 223-4220. “Leach and His World,” a conference including Virginia, Alexandria February 20—21 “Paper Clay speakers Emmanuel Cooper, Yuko Kikuchi, Fiona Sculpture” with Robert Devers. Fee: $65; lecture MacCarthy, Michael Tooby and Edmund de Waal. only, $20. Contact George Brown, Creative Clay Location: Victoria and Albert Museum. March 8 Studios, 5704D General Washington Dr., Alex­ “Potters Responding to Leach” series, a lecture andria 22312; or telephone (703) 750-9480. with Joanna Constantinidis. March 27 A work­ March 14—15 Demonstration of tool making and shop with Takeshi Yasuda. Contact the Crafts Oriental throwing techniques, plus slide lecture Council, Education Section, (0171) 806 2528. on building and firing a Mashiko-style kiln and England, Oxford through February 11 “Big Break­ processing clay and glaze materials from nature, fast,” exhibition including works in clay; at Ox­ with Willi Singleton. Fee: $80. Contact the Art ford Gallery, 23 High St. League School (Pottery Dept.), 105 N. Union St., France, Mulhouse through February 28 “Masses Alexandria 22314; or telephone (703) 683-2323, de Scenes,” installation by Obi Oberwallner. fax (703) 683-5786. “Offrez Vous les Terres”; at Maison de la Ce- ramique, 25, rue Josue Hofer. International Events France, Sevres February 3“La collection ceramique de l’lmperatrice Josephine,” lecture with Bernard Canada, Montreal, Quebec through February 7 Chevallier. March 3“ Potiers et fainciers de l’Egypte Leopold L. Foulem, “Abstractions Monochromes”; ancienne, 5000 ans d’art et d’artisanat,” lecture at Galerie Lieu Ouest, 372, Sainte-Catherine with Claire Derriks. ylprz/7“Franz Anton Bustelli Ouest, #523. et la porcelaine de Nymphenburg,” lecture with China May 20-July 4 “China Ceramic Summer” Katarina Hantschmann. Contact the Societe des with Wayne Higby, professor of ceramic art, Alfred Amis du Musee National de Ceramique, Place de University; Chen Guang Hui, assistant professor la Manufacture, Sevres 92310; or telephone (41) of ceramic art, Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute; and 14 04 20. Jianshen Li, professor of ceramic art/director, Italy, TuscanyApril 18—25 “Mosaics: An Ancient Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute. Will include “In­ Italian Tradition Made Contemporary” with Eliza­ ternational Ceramic Conference” in Yixing, work­ beth MacDonald. For further information, con­ shops and lectures in Jingdezhen, and trips to tact Horizons, 108 N. Main St., Sunderland, MA other cities/sites. Fee: US$4375, includes lodg­ 01375; telephone (413) 665-0300, fax (413) 665- ing, studio fees, Yixing conference fee, round-trip 4141, website www.horizons-art.org or e-mail airfare, and in-country travel. Registration dead­ [email protected] line: March 14. Include 10-20 slides of current Jamaica, Montego Bay April 16-25 “Making work plus SASE. Contact Marlene Wightman/ Pottery in Jamaica” with David Pinto and Jeff China Ceramic Summer, New York State College Shapiro. Contact Anderson Ranch Arts Center, of Ceramics, Alfred University, Alfred, New York PO Box 5598, Snowmass Village, CO 81615; 14802-1296; or telephone (607) 871-2425. telephone (976) 923-3181 or fax (976) 923-3871. June 20-July 7 “The Arts in China: A Travel Mexico, Belize A/arc/;27-2#“Maya Pottery Work­ Workshop” with Coeleen Kiebert, traveling shop,” working with potters in Maya village. Fee: throughout China and working with masters of $895, includes living accommodations, field traditional Chinese arts, with an emphasis on trips. Contact Brenda Cordova Silva, 1344 Rio ceramics and landscape painting; plus studio work­ Grande, Los Lunas, NM 87031; telephone (505) shops with Coeleen Kiebert. Contact the Univer­ 865-0840, or Charlotte Potok, (802) 454-7849. sity of California Santa Cruz Extension, 740 Front Mexico, near Todos Santos February 9-13 and/or St., Ste. 155, Santa Cruz, CA 95060; or telephone 76-20“Traditional Baja Ranchware” with Lorena (408) 427-6695. Hankins, finding and preparing clay, making tra­ England, Chichester February 8—11A workshop ditional cooking pots, firing. Location: Rancho on surface decoration, with an emphasis on ma­ Pilar. Fee/session: US$250, includes tools, some jolica for plates and tiles, with John Hinchcliffe clay, firing, lunch, snacks. Contact Cuco Moyron, and Wendy Barber. February 20—22 A workshop Apto. 58, Todos Santos, B. C. S., Mexico 23300. on musical earthenware instruments with Neil Netherlands, Delft through February 28 Porcelain Ions. March 1—6 Handbuilding and throwing objects by Pauline Wiertz; at Terra Keramiek, workshop with Alison Sandeman. March 15—20K Nieuwstraat 7. workshop on sculptural ceramics, experimenting Netherlands, Deventer through February 21 Ce­ with human and animal forms, with Tessa Fuchs. ramics by Siegfried Gorinskat, Renee Reichenbach March 20—22 Throwing and turning workshop and Frank Steyaert. March 7-Apri14Ceramics by with Alison Sandeman. A/arc^25?-/lpnl3 A work­ Felicity Aylieff; at Loes and Reinier, Korte shop on sculptural pots for plants with Gordon Assenstraat 15. Cooke. April 12—17 Handbuilding and throwing Netherlands, Leeuwarden through March #“Raku: workshop with Alison Sandeman. Contact the A Dynasty of Japanese Potters”; at Keramiek- College Office, West Dean College, West Dean, musuem het Princessehof, Grote Kerkstraat 11. Chichester, West Sussex P018 0QZ; or tele­ Netherlands, Oosterbeek March 15-April 12 phone (243) 811301. Exhibition of collaborative works by ceramist Resi England, London through February 13 “Gallery Arts and painters Ad Gerritsen and Klaas Gubbels; Pots.” March 26—May 1 Exhibition of new work at Galerie Amphora, van Oudenallenstraat 3. by Claudi Casanovas; at Galerie Besson, 15 Royal Arcade, 28 Old Bond St. For a free listing, submit announcements of through February 14 “Gifts for Valentines.” Febru­ conferences, exhibitions, workshops and ju­ ary 4-April5“Japanese Influences”; at Crafts Coun­ ried fairs at least two months before the cil Shop at the Victoria &C Albert Museum, S. month of opening. Add one month for list­ Kensington. ings in July; two months for those in August. through February 23“ Bernard Leach’s Contempo­ Mail to Calendar, Ceramics Monthly, PO Box raries.” “Janet Leach 1918—1997.”through March 6102, Westerville, OH 43086-6102, e-mail to 29 Exhibition of ceramics by Bernard Leach. [email protected] or fax to February 25—March 22 “Present-Day Responses (614)891-8960.

92 CERAMICS MONTHLY February 1998 93 Questions Answered by the CM Technical Staff

Q I recently fired a honey-colored glaze that ma­ tures between 1040° C (1904°F) and 1060°C (1940°F) in a gas kiln that measures 56x45x45 centimeters (approximately 22x 18x18inches) and has four burners. I only had small Orton Cones 04 and 06. It was the first time I had used that glaze and the small cones. After almost nine hours, the pyrometer read 1020°C (1868°F),but before the kiln had reached 990°C (1814°F),I could no longer see the cones, so I went only by thepyrometer. I had read that you need to soak the kiln just before reaching the temperature you are aiming at in order to allow the glaze to mature properly, so I decreased the gaspressure to be sure the temperature wouldn’t keep rising. Half an hour later, when I looked back at the pyrometer, the temperature had gone down to 980° C (1796°F). It took an hour and 50 minutes to raise it back to 1010° C (1850°F). Then I shut the kiln down. Later, I realized the temperature had gone much higher than what I needed. The cones were well bent. Most of thepots came out with the glaze in big bubbles and blisters;on some pots with white slip lines, the glaze peeled off, even peeling the slip. This glaze was used only on the outsides. Inside, I used a clear transparent commercial glaze, which crazed even three weeks after thefiring. On the inside of the walls of the kiln were signs that reduction might have occurred even though the chimney was left open all the time. The recipe for the glaze I used was attributed to Clive Bowen: Honey Glaze (Cone 06-04) Lead Bisilicate...... 69% Bentonite...... 1 Clay...... 27 Flint...... 3 100% Add: Red Iron Oxide...... 1 % So, I wonder, is it that you can only fire in electric kilns when you want to use a glaze containing lead bisilicate? Or were the glazefaults mainly due to the overfiring?—M.R. I read your question with some interest. It seems you have a series of related problems that might be solved through a variety of responses. My first suggestion is to trust your cones over your pyrometer in every circumstance.If you typically use the pyrometer to estimate the tem­ perature of the kiln, and you are relatively certain

Have a problem? Subscribers’ questions are welcome, and those of interest to the ceramics community in general will be an­ swered in this column. Due to volume, letters may not be answered personally. Mail to Ceramics Monthly, PO Box 6102, Westerville, Ohio 43086-6102, e-mail to [email protected] or fax to (614) 891-8960.

94 CERAMICS MONTHLY February 1998 95 Questions

of its accuracy, then you might trust it to let you know approximately where you are in the firing. A thermocouple generates a minute amount of electricity when the two disparate metals that are tightly wound together and fused at the end are heated. The higher the heat, the more elec­ tricity is generated. The dial or pyrometer that is calibrated as temperature is simply a volt meter measuring electrical current. Any resistance in the wires or a fault in the connections can drastically affect the reading. Pyrometers are great when they work, but should only be con­ sidered an approximation of the temperature. The cone, on the other hand, is a mixture of ceramic materials that reacts in the kiln much like your clay and glaze mixtures. Cones respond to the temperature, as well as to the rate of heat gain. Cones rarely give inaccurate readings and should be relied upon to tell you the effect of heat and time on your ware. Gas kilns often fire slightly unevenly due to the nature of a flame. Placing several cones throughout the kiln will give you an accurate understanding of each firing, and help you de­ cide where to load glazes for optimum results. Trusting the pyrometer over the cones caused you to overfire the ware. The peeling and bub­ bling you have described were caused by overfiring, not specifically by the reducing atmo­ sphere in the kiln. Historically, lead glazes have been fired in fuel-burning kilns with beautiful results. While it is true that lead glazes react poorly to higher-temperature reduction firing, they usually work well in a light-reducing atmo­ sphere at temperature ranges below Cone 1 or 2. I see two real cautions, which I must offer. The first is to be very careful with lead-bearing materials and the second is to trust your cones over all other temperature-judging devices. W. Lowell Baker University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Q Ilove to handbuild with micaceous clay and am looking for new sources for it. I also love raku, and am working hard to set up my own kiln andfirepit. But I live at an altitude of5700feet. How should I adjust for the altitude difference?—-J. C. You can prepare your own micaceous clay body by wedging vermiculite (available from lumberyards and greenhouses) into your exist­ ing clay body. There are also a few commercial sources; check the advertisements in CM and with the larger ceramic-supply companies. Firing at higher altitudes might result in a longer firing time since the air is thinner. I would depend on the visual indication of bending witness cones for proper temperature. Proper combustion might not be at correct stoichio­ metric ratios at higher altitudes, but should not pose a significant problem at 5700 feet. Jonathan Kaplan Ceramic Design Group Steamboat Springs, Colorado

96 CERAMICS MONTHLY February 1998 97 98 CERAMICS MONTHLY February 1998 99 1UU CERAMICS MONTHLY February 1998 101 is obsolete, and I believe him. No, an The raising of the two-dimensional Comment artisan is something less than an artist; at painter to star status happened in the I Am Not an Artisan best, a second-rate artist. Let’s take a look Renaissance when the wealthy and pow­ by Derek Marshall at Webster’s definition: erful Florentine Medici family, great pa­ Artist: “One who professes and practices trons all, realized that it would augment in art in which conception and execution their status to have their portraits painted, Artisan: “One trained to manual dexter­ are governed by imagination and taste.” especially in the imagined presence of ity or skill in a trade.” Do you see what I’m getting at? The Biblical persona. This simplistic explana­ This definition is from my Webster’s moral high ground has been captured by tion is probably as near to the truth as we dictionary. It is no comfort that this is the painters and sculptors who work in (in can get. Wealthy and powerful merchants second definition, the first being “one descending order of importance) bronze, used the painters of their day for self- who practices an art.” I can accept that, stone, wood and clay. How did such an aggrandizement, and the painters in turn but Webster tells me this first definition unfortunate turn of events come about? were endowed with laudatory status (and money) in return. So why are artists in other media rel­ egated to the “artisan” role today? This is a position we have foisted on ourselves, I fear. Too many times I run into the word in the context of craftspeople. How many retail operations do you know who have the word artisan in their name? This gets carried along with the rustic, folksy “crafts from the village” theme. It is supposed to be good for sales, I guess. It says “we work cheap,” unlike those painter people. Not a good image for craft artists. Let me be plain. I think anyone who gets an idea and, with his or her own hands, brings it to fruition, is an artist. There are many, many artists in the world. The problem is, we always use this term in a complimentary manner, just as the term artisan is used pejoratively. The term artist should denote nothing more than a person who conceives and executes an idea. Therefore, we necessarily have both good artists and bad ones. The difference relates to the imagination and taste that Webster refers to. Good imagination and taste, good artist. No imagination, no taste, bad artist. An artisan, then, is someone who builds from kits, for instance. The idea, the concept, is not original—only the skill in execution. Yes, there are good artisans, and we need them. The cathe­ drals of Europe were built by great arti­ sans. They could take the ideas presented to them by the architects and realize the potential of those ideas. Bad artisans abound, however. The summer roads of New Hampshire (where I live) erupt in gaggles of “lawn craft,” plywood cutouts in gaudy colors to decorate the yards— by the tasteless for the tasteless. Anyone can buy plans for the making of such items. But what if there are indi­ viduals out there designing and making their own lawn craft? Then they are art-

102 CERAMICS MONTHLY February 1998 103 Comment I try not to hand out advice, especially must never, never apologize for it or for unsolicited, but the temptation is always anything that you have created. Never strong. Artists are a strange lot. So many say anything that suggests to your public ists. Are they good artists? I don’t know, of them don’t even realize that they are that they should lower their expectations since I don’t stop to look. But I allow artists. Craftspeople accept their second- of your talent. In the first place, you are that, in the midst of this great gathering class status as artisans all too meekly. I am asking to be denigrated. In the second, of apparent mediocrity, there may be some telling you, don’t be meek! But neither you are not the final arbiter of your work. works of art that might be good, possibly assume that just because you are an artist, If others see virtue where you see none, great. If I fail to see it, that is my loss. you are necessarily a good one. That de­ there is no benefit to suggest that their So now that I have established myself cision is to be made by others and per­ opinion is irrelevant. as a snob, I offer no apologies. Skill and haps at a later date. Don’t forget that Van Finally, while I strongly suggest that taste in conception and execution are very Gogh sold but one painting in his life­ you never belittle your art, you must be subjective matters, and I have careful of the work you re­ no problem defending my lease into the world. If you position, realizing with relief So if you are an artist, then say you are one, loudly and feel truly embarrassed by that it carries no weight of often. Make no apologies for what you do or for whatever something that you have authority. And similarly, the a made (and we all have that authority of others has only medium you work in, even if it is only clay ” experience at some point), as much weight as I am will­ then destroy it. For while ing to allow. So why are so many people time. His brother believed in him, and you must never suggest to others that cowed by art, dominated by critics and that was enough for Van Gogh to pro­ their opinion of your work is too high, unwilling to think for themselves? duce a body of work that leaves the world similarly, you must not let others see those It is a sad fact that most people have breathless today. works about which you have doubts. All been instructed from an early age that So if you are an artist, then say you are of this implies discipline, discipline, dis­ they have neither talent nor taste, and one, loudly and often. Make no apolo­ cipline. It is this discipline that will pre­ that it would be far safer for them never gies for what you do or for whatever vent you from personal embarrassment. to attempt to be creative, since with no medium you work in, even if it is “only That will make you an artist, perhaps a attempt there will be no failure. All credit clay.” It may be unwise, or at least impo­ great one. to those who attempt, even if they fail. lite, to promote your artistic virtues with Success is elusive, but persistence is the excessive vigor. However, having com­ The author Derek Marshall maintains a cutting edge of success. mitted yourself to being an artist, you studio in Sandwich, New Hampshire.

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