Letter from the President

The New Year is just a few days away, which means good-bye to 2013 and also, good-bye to my position as President of the ACGA. It's been four years, and it's time to hand off the reins to the capable hands of Forrest Lesch-Middleton. I have enjoyed being President. I like talking to you all every month through this letter, and hearing your feedback. Now, I am going to dedicate my volunteer time toward the things I feel most passionate about for the ACGA: member participation, social media and marketing, and mentoring. I put member participation at the top of the list. The ACGA is basically run by 3 or 4 dynamic people, and not only do they need more help, we just need more ideas from members on how to leverage our wide network of artists and make it a better resource for you. Actually, we need more than ideas, ideas are everywhere. We need people who like to make things happen!

A good place to start will be at our annual retreat, which we are calling our "ACGA Getaway" this year. It will be on Saturday, Jan 11, at Pedro Point Firehouse in Pacifica. If you have not already received your emailed invitation, please be sure to check the ACGA Facebook page under "events". We have an exciting agenda planned, and an after-party at ACGA member Linda Fahey's new shop, Yonder. You can RSVP by emailing me or responding to the invitation.

I hope everyone has a happy new year.

Whitney

letter from the President

I don't feel very original when I say I can't believe it's the end of the year. The holiday rush is on, in case you've been missing the signs since mid-October. I've been occupied with planning the ACGA retreat, which is happening on Saturday, January 11, 2014. Planning is required because the retreat is being tweaked a bit this year. We will still be taking care of business the way we do, but we will be leaving a lot more time for socializing, and we have a few unexpected things in store that I hope will inspire you for the coming year and get you excited to be a part of the ACGA. In honor of the changes, the retreat will be called the "The ACGA Getaway" and it will be held in the historic Pedro Point Firehouse in Pacifica, close to the beach. More details are in the newsletter, so mark you calendars and send me an RSVP that I will be seeing you there!

I wish everyone a lovely and sane holiday. Remember to breathe deeply and enjoy this exciting time of year.

Letter from the President

When a loved one dies, it starts the living on a journey of trying to understand the loss, and accepting it. At the end of August, I learned that an old friend of mine committed suicide the week before. Receiving this news was like having a psychic hole opened with a hard punch or kick, creating a sad and lonely vacuum that I imagine is akin to the feelings my friend had as she made the decision to end her life. While there are lots of messy, complicated ways to die that can make understanding and acceptance difficult, I've found this death by suicide is especially difficult to grapple with. It begs the question "why?" over and over again, and no matter how many answers one may glean, none will satisfy.

It's commonly believed that creative people suffer more from mental illness than anyone else, and while I'm not sure that is actually true, I do think our community is strongly impacted by depression and anxiety.  This can make navigating our chosen field especially difficult, as the creative life is usually one of inherent instability, with no guaranteed keys for success no matter how hard you work, no matter what your talent. My friend was a gifted singer and songwriter, and I think her difficulty in achieving a stable and rewarding career had much to do with her downward spiral.

I bring this up as a way to create a moment of awareness for anyone reading this.  We are all affected by mental illness in one way or another, and we live in a world where mental illness is often misunderstood and stigmatized.  Asking, giving, and receiving help is all any of us can do when faced with suffering. While this can be the most difficult thing in the world, it can also be the simplest, and bring us back to who we are, and why we are here. The advocacy group National Alliance on Mental Illness asks people to pledge to have a conversation about mental illness as a way to disrupt the silence. You can check out their page right here. Changing the world can be overwhelming, but it comes down to talking and listening. Pledge to do both today.

Summer is waning, and so are parts of my garden. Something is always growing, and something is always dying. It has had its moments of full glory:  sweet peas going off in all of their colors, the sunflowers still unmolested by squirrels, the sage blooming and bringing in the hummingbirds. I've mentioned before that I am relatively new to the whole gardening thing, and I am just now starting to recognize that in a garden, it's not really all about having this perfectly beautiful, perfectly growing space like you might see in a magazine. It's all about change. And death. And growth. All at the same time. When it all comes together and everything is thriving, it just doesn't last that long, and you have to enjoy it while it is there.  I'm not going to lie and day this has made me a better person who has learned how to enjoy being in the moment, because I'm still working on that. It has made me see that the garden is just another extension of life: always in flux, rarely perfect.

Letter from the President

The Palo Alto Clay and Glass Festival is around the corner, the yearly premier event for the ACGA. This is when we have a chance to highlight the work of our artists, educate the public about clay and glass, interact with our customers and fans, and continue to fund all of our work through sales. If you have time to volunteer at the show, we love to have extra help from our ACGA community. Any contribution is welcome, even an hour to help booth sitting. Please contact our volunteer coordinator, Sheila Dubin at caldubins@sbcglobal.net or call 408-395-5994.  If you are not showing your work at the Festival, I hope all of our members will try to make it to the show, and also take a moment to promote it through your social media outlets. It's a big push to make this show successful and profitable, and we need all hands on deck!

Retail shows can be a lot of fun, but they can also bring stress and anxiety. I've learned the best way to deal with this is preparation.  Make lists, pack ahead, stock up, whatever it takes. Maintaining a certain level of calm helps the transition from busy artist to salesperson, a role that many of us are not comfortable with.  There are professionals who can teach us how to be better at selling artwork, and over the years I've cherry-picked the things that work for me: greeting everyone who walks into my booth,  paying attention to customer body language, engaging with customers who are looking for a connection, keeping distractions like cell phones and visiting friends to a minimum, being helpful without being pushy. It's a lot to balance for someone who is used to spending all day alone in a studio. What about you? Do you have any killer sales tips to share with your colleagues? Post them on the blog!

Letter from the President

When my husband and I moved into our current apartment, we were amazed by the giant back yard the place came with. Yards like ours are rare in city apartment dwellings, because most landlords would simply use the land to build another house. The yard was covered in blackberry brambles, morning glory vines, bermuda grass, and mint that had gone completely rogue. It also had trees that were still producing persimmons, peaches, plums, jujubes, and apricots. We both immediately saw what the yard could be, and after several years of beating back the wild growing hordes, we've managed to create a garden retreat.

I killed many gardens before getting to the one I have now. I was really good at going to the garden center, dropping a bunch of money on plants, throwing them into the ground, and then completely forgetting that I planted some stuff until a month had passed. Over and over I did this, until I was pretty sure that I had no talent for gardening, and I would never be a gardener. But then I figured out the key: maintaining my attention on the garden, otherwise known as regular tending. With this simple activity, I have found that I can, in fact, grow things.

Making art is much the same way. Sometimes I can find myself giving up on ideas because they didn't immediately come out the way I wanted them to. I'm starting to see that this is the equivalent of throwing a plant into the ground, not watering it, then wondering why the plant is not growing. Maybe instead of assuming it was a bad idea, a regular and daily return to the process of working the idea out is the way to make it grow. What do you think?

Letter From the President

Life has a way of continually delivering doses of reality to you, until you stop resisting and accept what life is trying to tell you.  Accepting reality often means surrendering.  I've never liked the idea of surrender, or the act of surrendering, or even saying, "I surrender!" I'm in the arena, doing battle, and I will never give up. If I get sick, I keep going and pretend like I am not sick, so I can be sure to stay sick an extra two weeks. If I injure my shoulder from overuse, I keep throwing everyday for months, and then pay a physical therapist thousands of dollars to heal those muscles. If I am unhappy in the studio and not liking my work, I keep going in and putting my nose to the grindstone, because that's what I do. I work through it, I keep going, I never give up, and I NEVER SURRENDER!

I have re-examined my habit of refusing surrender.  Recently, I did something bad to my arm, and now I have tendonitis. I did not know I had tendonitis, all I knew is that my elbow hurt all the time. I ignored my elbow pain,  and I would wake up in morning with my whole arm throbbing. Finally, a doctor diagnosed tendonitis, and told me I would have to suspend my normal activities for 6 weeks. To me, this is a ridiculous prescription. I mean, who does that? Maybe if I were a idle rich person, or  a baby who had nothing to do all day, could I suspend normal activity for 6 weeks. I thought about it. I thought about living in pain for the foreseeable future, or doing major, long-term damage to my arm. I took a deep breath, bought a wrist brace, and I  suspended normal activity.

I have surrendered to the idea of rest, of giving my body a chance to heal, and of changing my concept of "surrender".  It does not mean that some other, unseen force has somehow won the game, and I have lost. Surrendering, I think, means acknowledging reality, and trying to align your actions within this new understanding of reality. I can't tell you how smart I feel having figured that out, at last. What about you? How do you feel about surrender, and when was the last time you tried it?

Letter from the President

I love my little soapbox here at the top of the ACGA newsletter, and I'm going to use it to harp on something that has been on my mind. For the past two years, I've been designing the Clay and Glass Festival postcard and poster. I get hundreds of images from ACGA members to pick from to feature on the card. It's a hard job, a really hard job. Not because I get so many great images that it's hard to choose, but because I get so few good images. And I'm not talking about the quality of work. I'm talking about the quality of the images themselves. I receive images that are poorly lit, have used a flash, or were shot in bright sunshine. Images that are blurry, images that have not been color corrected, images where the background is clearly a sheet. Last year I was getting so desperate to find three or four decent images that were not only of high quality, but also worked together on the postcard that I almost used an image of my own work. The appearance of being that self-serving I could not abide, but I make no promises this year.  I haven't yet seen the new crop of images I will be choosing from, but I will use one of my own if I have too!

We are all artists here, and the importance of having high-quality images on hand cannot be overstated. You need them. They are your calling card to the world. Hire the best photographer you can afford to take your images. Or better yet, learn how to do it yourself. It's so possible these days with digital cameras, inexpensive editing software, online tutorials and how-to's. I took some pretty bad photos before I figured it out, but I did figure it out, and you can too. I use these two images, take a year apart, to illustrate:

circa 2007

circa 2008

There will be a workshop in April on taking images of your own work, more details are below. It is free for all ACGA members, so I hope to see you there!

Part of what the ACGA does for you is publicize your work, and if we don't have the best images of your best work, then our efforts amount to a puff of smoke on the breeze.

Like everyone, I have a certain way I like to do things, like a formula for how I like to approach life. It's a headlong, sometimes heedless, in-with-both-feet, all-out, willful, impatient kind of approach. Sometimes this approach really serves me, because when I decide I'm going to do something and I start putting my energy to it, you better believe it's gonna get done. Sometimes this approach bites me in the ass, because I can make rash mistakes. As I grow older and try to refine my approach to life, I like to think of this phrase, "start where you are."  I picked it up from Pema Chodron's book of the same name, and its subtitle is, "A guide to compassionate living."  I like this phrase because it means that no matter where we are, how enlightened, or messed up, or confused, we can just  take a breath, and start from exactly where we are. We can't start from anywhere else!

I also like to think of this phrase when I'm trying to help others. For example, marketing. I know from teaching marketing and social media workshops that people feel very overwhelmed by the internet marketing landscape.  If one does not feel "tech-savvy" there is a fear you will never be able to keep up with facebook, google+, posting work on Etsy, figure out twitter, interact on Tumbr, create or update your website, have time to write a blog post about your work, or send an e-newsletter to all of your clients.  If you feel overwhelmed just reading that list, then you are someone who needs this message of "start where you are." Take a breath, and think about which one of those things you think you can manage. Do you like to write? Take pictures? Jot down pithy observations? Interact with communities of people? Whatever lights you up, there is a social media platform that you can plug into. You don't need to do them all, you can just start where you are, and pick one.

If you are not sure which one is right for you, be sure to sign up for the social media marketing salons that we are having throughout 2013. We will covering a wide array of topics and platforms in a low-key, supportive environment. I hope to see you there!

Letter from the President

After the retreat this year,  I am feeling super energized. I don't usually use the word "super" on the place of "very", but in this case, I think it is called for. We just seated 7 new board members. Seven! It makes me feel really good to have such a large group of people stepping in to help guide this organization. Our new Board members include: Christa Assad, Bonita Cohn, Julie Feld, Bill Geisinger, Amy Halko, Josie Jurczenia, and Jessica Parker. A big thank you and welcome to them!

At the retreat, we set a very ambitious vision for the year. Overall, our goal is the enhance the benefits and advantages of being an ACGA member. This means providing more opportunities to learn, to meet members of your community, to contribute,  and to engage in activities that get you revved up about participating in the ACGA. Because that's what it's all about people, getting involved! Some items on our short list include:

• regular marketing salons covering topics such as writing a newsletter for your customers, using facebook as a way to boost your business, and learning how to connect with designers and architects as a way to sell your work.
• creating a Library Party Committee to dismantle the ACGA library and find our books a new home. And yes, a party will be involved!
• hosting a workshop on photographing your own work so you no longer have to pay someone else to do it.

How do you stay abreast of all these exciting activities? Make sure you read through the newsletter, where new events will always be announced.  You can also sign up for the acga group email list and check facebook for latest event postings. Do you have an idea for an event you think would be a fun? Let me know and we will make it happen!

onward and upward,
Whitney

Letter From the President

Ready for 2013? I think I am. The upcoming year will be my last year as your president, and if you think I just started and it's not time for me to go yet, I can assure you it's been 3 years already and my time is going to up before we all know it. I still have a lot on my agenda that I want to accomplish. Out of everything on my list, the most important thing to me is bringing you in, hearing your voice, your feedback, and making the ACGA a better organization for all of our members. If I could wave a magic wand and make that happen, I would. But the magic is not in my wand, it's in you. For me to know how best to guide this cruise liner of an organization, you have to speak up, write an email, make a phone call, attend some board meetings. If you're on the cruise deck, checking out the view and enjoying the ride, that's great! But that doesn't mean I don't need your participation and feedback. Maybe you're not so impressed with the ride, and you think we could be doing better. Your feedback and participation is needed also. The ACGA is an almost all-volunteer organization, and we are freaking amazing, the stuff that we do. And we do it on a shoestring budget with a very small group of dedicated people. Are you ready to put a bit of your heart into the ACGA? I want to hear from you.

That's a great lead-in to inviting you to our annual retreat, which will be in Oakland on January 13, 2013. It's a lively day with a lot happening, so the day goes by fast and is a great way to get to know your fellow members, brainstorm ideas, address problems, and get a free lunch to boot. Who gives you free lunch? We do. An official invite will go out in early January, so please consider spending the day with us.

I hope everyone had a relaxing holiday. Happy new year!

--Whitney

Letter From the President

I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving with plenty of turkey or turkey substitute, and lots of pie. There is no substitute for pie. My sister made a pumpkin strudel pie that instantly made me sorry I wasted the real estate in my stomach with turkey and the rest of the usual suspects found near a Thanksgiving turkey. The holiday season can be a very challenging time for people with our cultural emphasis on peaceful, happy families and material abundance. I hope you are navigating the holiday wave in a way that is feeding your soul and transcending your own personal challenges.

I want to make sure absolutely everyone in the ACGA is aware of two things: the ACGA Holiday Open Studio self-guided tour map is live. If you are on the map, please promote it by linking it to your website, facebook, email blasts, twitter, and whatever else you do to connect to your customers. If you are not on the map, I ask that you promote it anyway, in whatever way you can. The more we can tell people about the work of our ACGA members, the better off we all are.

The second thing I want you to be aware of is that the time for our annual retreat is coming up on January 13. If you have the urge to do more as an ACGA member, have ideas on ways to improve our organization, or just want to get to know some of your colleagues, the retreat is the place to be. Stay tuned for more details and mark your calendars in the meantime. Hope to see you there!

The holidays are coming. I usually visualize this time of year as a block of time that is separate from the rest of my life. It's an ordeal to get through, a mountain that must be climbed. Yes, there is money to be made from the holiday shopping, and that truly is the compensation for the extra work and stress. I can never truly get myself in gear and "stock up" for the holidays. I just can't do it. For one thing, I never have any idea what people are going to be buying. I've learned I do not have the gift of knowing what is going to be the hot seller, and if I try to predict, my buyers inevitably outsmart me. I don't make holiday themed items, so I can't crank those out. I just make what I make, eyeballing the gathering tidal wave just offshore, and hope that it will be enough. Of course, it never is!

Every year I step out of the madness a little more. I'm not doing any shows this holiday season for the first time ever, except for Open Studio. I know I will not make as much money, but I figure I'll save some of my sanity, and I still think that's worth something. What about you? Does your studio become a mini factory around the holidays? Do you burn it at all ends trying to make the most of the season? Let us know what your coping strategies are!

I love the expression, "the monkey mind." It is a Buddhist term referring to our unsettled and restless minds, unable to focus on the present moment and just "be." Instead of being present, we are off in our heads, swinging from tree to tree, thought to thought, building an imaginary future, re-working the past, less and less aware of what is right in front of us, right now.  I was first introduced to Buddhist thought in high school, and I thought it was fascinating, this concept that there were people out there who were truly dedicated to living in the present moment, even just sitting and being there with themselves and meditating. I longed to be someone like that, but it seemed like work better suited to other people.  Not someone like me who spent most of the day in school, wishing to be somewhere else and escaping the present reality through daydreaming.

I finally started meditating in my mid-30's when I had a very troublesome order that came complete with the worst client I had ever dealt with. It was a huge order, and a lot of money was at stake. I was losing my mind, tying to get this glaze green enough to match the shower curtains of a very pricey hotel. The test tiles had come out perfectly, but now in this big batch, the glaze was turning a rather unattractive shade of what can only be described as baby-puke yellow. The client was losing their mind, calling me daily to download their stress onto me as the opening day of the hotel drew closer. I could not relax enough at night to sleep, and at one point the stress was so intense I actually felt like I had left my body, which is a very strange feeling. I felt like my world was ending.

It was an colleague of mine who was helping me deal with this order who suggested I meditate to help me with the stress. He told me to just sit down somewhere comfortable, close my eyes, and put my attention on my breathing.  Every time when I noticed  that I was thinking again, all I had to do was go back to paying attention to my breathing. Over and over for like 10 minutes a day is what he suggested.  Desperate for any kind of relief, I tried it. And it helped me so much with my short term anxiety that I have stuck with it ever since.

I like bringing other people to meditation because most people have the same resistance to it that I did: there is no way they can settle their minds long enough to meditate, they are too hyper, too busy, too easily distracted, blah blah blah. But none of that matters. We ALL have a monkey mind. The only question is, do you want to train that monkey to let go of the swinging vine so you can have some peace every once in a while?

While you think about that question I'm going to swing over to another topic, which is HOLIDAY OPEN STUDIO. Are you having one this year? If so, please be sure to read the submission form contained within this months newsletter and meet the deadline with your dates and info. I am very excited about the online map that I've been feverishly working with and I want to see you on it!

Letter From the President

August can be a challenging month for me, work-wise. It's still summer, so I have this internal feeling, molded by 12 years of attending public school, that I should be soaking up the last of summer by being as lazy as possible. Fortunately, this is not difficult for me. But then there is an opposing force, the inevitable onset of September, that makes me feel like I should stop goofing around and get serious about something. I find myself getting confused in the morning: should I go to the studio like a good potter or should I post up on my chaise lounge in the garden and watch the persimmons ripen?

August is a good time to start thinking about how the rest of the year is going to go and take the time to do some planning while we do have some leisure hours.  This can easily be done on the chaise lounge. The thing I want ACGA members to think about is what kind of plans they have for Open Studios this holiday season.  The ACGA is going to be promoting an Open Studio tour of all of its members to our email list this year, complete with an online map and links to your websites. So give some thought to your dates, think about hosting another ACGA member if you have room, and be ready to submit your information. Next month's newsletter will have more information and directions on how to submit and deadlines, so be ready!

Letter From the President

I'm home again after a 6 week residency in the South of France. I cannot think of a softer landing from 6 weeks in la belle France than the Bay Area, we live in such a beautiful country right here. However, certain adjustments have to be made, and I can't say I've been totally happy making them. Two weeks back home, and I am still bothered that I have to pay more than a couple of dollars for a bottle of wine, to say nothing of what I have to pay for un verre du vin. I miss my daily baguette slathered with butter. I long for the salty Mediterranean and its clear blue waters.  I walked past a display of cheese at my local Whole Foods, and winced at the way they were all packaged in clear plastic, killing off any smell, possible ooze, and sensual pleasure. Forget foie gras, it's just wrong, the way we treat cheese in this country. And more than anything, I miss my fellow residents and the people I met in France.  All of them.

This is the second residency I've done in my ceramic career, and I've decided that residencies are crucial for my creativity, and I'm going to start making them a priority and try to do one every two years or so.  I've learned the most profound lessons by totally checking out of my studio and making stuff in a completely foreign place.

This last residency in Vallauris I approached very casually and with zero expectations artistically. I only wanted to go to France, eat the food, drink the wine, go to the beach, then perhaps make some pottery. And that is pretty much what I did. But then, unexpectedly, I met Limoge porcelain, and I fell in love. And I realized that the clay body I've been working with for almost 20 years no longer fulfills my needs. Whoa. Big change. Then, I made a couple of things that I like a lot, different things, so now I have something to look forward to making in the studio. As soon as I can find a decent substitute for Limoge porcelain, that is.  Know of anything? Email me here!

Maybe it's time for you to do a residency. Have you ever done one? If so, post a comment here and let the rest of us know where you went, and if you are not too shy, a few words about what you learned. Also, two links that may help you find your residency:
http://www.transartists.org/
http://www.resartis.org/en/

And another successful show in Rinconada Park, I'm so proud of all of us for showing up with so much incredible work. It was great to see all of your shining faces at the Palo Alto Clay and Glass Festival, and to once again experience the appreciation of the people who go to the show and support the artists who are exhibiting. A big extra thank you to Mary Lou Atkins, our show producer who really is the one who makes it happen and her support staff at the Palo Alto Art Center; our show publicist Kathy Bentaieb who really got the word out in a big way this year, and our peeps at Pro Event who sheperd the day along and look after everyone.

Enjoy the rest of the summer, everyone!

Letter from the President

 I really do not like rushing around.  It is a deep offense to my intrinsically lazy nature, which likes to take lots of breaks, stare off into space, run a little bit late, and basically take it easy.  Since it's April,  I've been hammered with deadlines, which challenges me.  There was the tax thing, and designing the Clay and Glass Festival postcard and poster, then writing this very letter.  Somehow I managed to bunch it all up so I had to finish all of these things on the same day.  It reminded me of those times when I was in high school, and I was such a procrastinator that I would go on homework and project sprees that would keep me up all night.  Fortunately now, no one can fail me, or send me to detention. They can only look at me very disapprovingly while I run late.  I don't get panicked about it, I just very methodically do what I can, and somehow --eventually-- it all gets done.

I think the idea of just doing what you can is important, because that's all any of us can do, and there's no point in feeling bad about what you can't do, or won't do anyway.  It's very easy to look around and feel that our efforts are inadequate, and the message often blasted by the culture is that we are inadequate, in a multitude of ways. The only way to get through it without being driven insane by the push to strive is to repeatedly commit to only doing what you can.  Over and over again, you just do what you can, knowing that is your best effort, and resisting the other storyline that you should be doing just a little more.  Really, there isn't time to do a little more, there's only time to do what we can.

Letter From the President

As I write this, we are experiencing an abrupt shift from 58 degree days to 70+ degree days.  This is what living in the Bay Area is really all about, wild fluctuations in weather and temperature.  While today I'm wearing shorts for the first time in several months, I have no doubt that it's too early to be thinking about packing away the merino wool sweaters and scarves.  It's still early in the year.  And this makes me feel optimistic and hopeful that not only is the best weather still ahead of me, so is the best of what the rest of the year has to offer.

I have one main reason to feel optimistic, and that is an upcoming ceramic residency I'll be doing in France.  That would be the South of France.  In June.  Let's just say that the pottery-making part of this residency is quickly becoming a side note in my mind.  Plotting all the things I plan to eat, see, and eat while I'm in France has completely taken over my life right now.  I've never been to France and so I've immersed myself in books about the contemporary French way of life and re-learning all the years of high school French I took 25 years ago.  It's difficult not to admire the French way of life, with its emphasis on every day pleasures, and taking the time to enjoy these pleasures with focus and a sense of well-being.  As an American who indulges in many American habits, like being "busy" all the time, eating on the run, and multi-tasking, I look forward to having some of my routines changed as I participate in French life, and perhaps bring some French attitude back with me to the States

I hope others are feeling inspired as Spring emerges, breathing new life and giving us yet another opportunity to grow and change ourselves.

--Whitney

Letter From the President

A new year, a new day.  My resolution this year is easy, cause I had the same resolution last year: less thinking, more doing.  While less thinking may sound like a bad thing, especially when you're doing something like talking or driving, less thinking is actually doing your mind a favor.  My thinking is mostly about two things: what I should have done in the past, and what I want to do in the future.  Focusing on being in the moment and what I can do right now is my new year resolution.

This dovetails nicely with my goals for the ACGA. Just in case you didn't know, I was overwhelmingly voted in as your president for another 2-year term.  It's true no one ran against me, so a landslide was the forgone conclusion.  Victory is sweet, let me tell you.  With two more years to go, I want to do a better job helping guide the ACGA, and that means more of the "doing" thing.  My goal, in a nutshell, is to make ACGA membership something recognizably and tangibly beneficial to all its members, such as creating more access to resources like marketing support and networking with peers.  Also, I notice whenever ACGA members get together, they just love talking shop, hanging out, and brainstorming together.  I want to create more opportunities for member events that are free, fun, and provide occasions to get together and... do something!

At the recent annual retreat we made a list of ideas to help achieve this goal, and you can read my report below to get more details.  The next day I thought of a fun event the help our members with Facebook networking, called "Liking Me, Liking You"  which Erin McGuiness and I are going to host on  Thursday, March 1.  Again, please read details below to participate in person or virtually.

Finally, we have a new member to welcome the Board of Directors, Kathy Pallie.  I want to extend a warm welcome to Kathy, and encourage our members to check out her work right here.

I hope everyone has a healthy and happy 2012.

Whitney

Report from the Annual Retreat

This is a brief summary of the goals and ideas outlined during our retreat.

• Putting up videos of members on the ACGA website and Facebook page.  The videos could be demonstrations, studio tours, interviews, etc.  
• Set aside and area at the Clay and Glass Festival for showing the work of brand-new ACGA members.
• Working on outreach through schools and education. Being a mentor. Legitimizing art making as a real job.
• Hiring a professional for ACGA's social media and membership development.
• Promote member Open Studios during the holiday months with an email blast to customers.
• Develop the ACGA customer email list, especially during the Clay and Glass Festival and other exhibitions.
• Developing partnerships with clay and glass related businesses.
• Get together more often! 

Do any of these ideas get you excited?  Have an idea of your own that you think could enhance your experience with being a member of the ACGA?  Post your comments here.