Letter from the President

Blogging, and Facebook and Twitter... oh my! This trifecta of social media has become ubiquitous in our culture over the past 18 months, and ACGA has joined in this networking revolution with our own Facebook Fan Page, a Twitter feed, as well as a regularly updated blog. While it may seem like a lot all of the sudden, it's actually just a first small step in making the ACGA a more easily accessible resource for our members.

So what can blogging and Facebook and Twitter (oh my!) do for you? While all three portals are going to be sources of new information for our members, the ACGA Blog is a great place where you can comment on posted topics and have your voice heard. There is also regularly updated bits of new information on shows opportunities, short member profiles, and of course, the letter from the President every month. The Facebook Fan Page is a great place for our members to post bits of their own news and useful links related to clay or glass. And our Twitter postings will have a lot of overlap from what you can already find on the blog and Facebook, so it's more useful for what you can find from the people we follow, such as the Archie Bray Foundation and Craft Magazine who are posting their own "tweets" and links.

So please, take some time to get familiar with the ACGA social media presence. Your participation and feedback is vital, so let your voice be heard... people are listening!

Whitney

SoCal Report - La Quinta Arts Festival

Here are some photos of ACGA members at the 2010 La Quinta Arts Festival in La Quinta, CA. They supplement the April SoCal Report in the ACGA newsletter. For more information about the festival, or for a link to the application, go to www.lqaf.com.

Chris Bing and Jan Wax have been exhibiting at the La Quinta Arts Festival for 15 years. They find the crowd to have traditional taste in artwork, which is not necessarily what you would expect in a desert community. Many people in the area come to La Quinta from Canada for the winter.

Cheryl Costantini and Mikio Matsumoto of Nichibe Pottery were first time exhibitors. They took a double booth and were very impressed with the quality of work at the show.

This is the third time at the LQAF for Michael Hermann and Gina Lunn. Their Venetian cane technique glass really sparkled in the desert sun. They believe that the high quality of artwork at the LQAF makes it the best show in southern California. But it can also create a little competition for sales.

Michael Adcock and wife Christine have shown at the LQAF many times and feel that it is always an honor to be selected.

ACGA Clay and Glass National Juried Competition - 2011

The prospectus for the ACGA Clay and Glass National Juried Competition is now posted at www.acga.net On the homepage scroll to the right to find the link under the red announcement image of a glass blower and a potter. This competition is open to all US artists over the age of 18, with submissions being due the end of October.

The 6000 square foot City of Brea Art Gallery is the site of the exhibition. This beautiful, light filled gallery can accomodate approimately 100 artworks. Brea is located in Orange County, California, very near to Los Angeles. The show will open January 22, 2011 and will run through March 4th. All handmade clay and glass entries are welcome: sculptural, functional or decorative. Artists may enter up to three pieces.

Letter from the President

Hello all ACGA members,

A little over a month ago, the Board hammered out the new 2010 ACGA budget for 2010. You’ll be happy to know that the ACGA budget is balanced and in good health. I am continually amazed that the ACGA keeps such a solid footing when it comes to our finances, and grateful to the members who make sure it stays that way. The ACGA Treasurer, April Zilber deserves much recognition for her hard work.. She certainly goes above and beyond the call of duty in making sure our money flows in the proper direction, and always has her finger on the pulse of our bank accounts. Thank you April!

This year we allocated more money to our website budget to continue to make improvements and keep it updated and fresh. Our website, now more than ever, is the “face” of ACGA and often the first stop for people who are interested in our organization. As ACGA members, you are entitled to a page on our site, which also can link to your other web pages. My own recent perusal through our ACGA website shows me that there are many members who have not yet set up their page, and other members who have set it up, but have not updated it in over a year! May I say, with head hanging low, that I am guilty of not keeping my own page updated.

All of us have busy lives, and may already have multiple portals on the web to keep track of. For myself, the ACGA site has been an afterthought, and I have not made it a priority to keep it current. But when I look at all the ACGA members have invested to get this website up and running, and keep it running, I realize it’s time to make my member page part of my regular online routine. If you have not set up your member page yet, make it a priority to do it this week. Email Candise Flippin for a username and password, and spend 30 minutes putting up your best images, an artist statement, and all of your contact information. I’m doing it, and I challenge you to do it too!

Visiting Korean Potters in Berkeley

ACGA member Bob Pool will be hosting two Korean potters through March 28, Tae SongYong and Bang HoSik, at his home and studio as they make work for an upcoming show at Trax Gallery. Mr. Tae makes beautiful tea ware and Mr. Bang functional ware and large forms in stoneware and porcelain. Bob invites interested parties to stop by his Berkeley studio to have a cup of tea, watch these two artists work, and maybe even make some work of your own! This is a great opportunity to meet and work with internationally known potters in a casual and fun setting.

Bob Pool Pottery
547 8th St. #25, Berkeley (510) 599-7720

Jessie Cotkin: 1944-2010

ACGA member Jessie Cotkin passed away on Saturday, February 6, 2010. She struggled
with overwhelming health issues for the past 10 years including advanced
rheumatoid arthritis and cardiac complications. Jessie died at home in her
sleep.

A member of ACGA since the early eighties, Jessie was proud of her
membership, and of the fine quality of craft that we represent. She served
on the Board of Directors for several years, and coordinated the jury for
about six years. Also during the eighties, she participated in the American
Craft Council shows, and became a member of the ACCI Coop Gallery in
Berkeley, of which she was still a current, exhibiting member. Jessie was a
member of the Berkeley Potters Guild for 25 years.

Jessie's work in clay was of functional porcelain. She worked with lusters
on the high-fired surface, and also did precise carving and inlay on some
pieces. She enjoyed producing dinnerware sets from special orders and used
subtly-colored Chun glazes to rim the glossy black backgrounds of plates,
bowls, and cups.

Jessie was born in the Bronx, New York on July 24, 1944. Her family moved to
Southern California in 1957. After becoming a second grade elementary school
teacher for several years, she discovered a passion for clay. She left the
security of a tenured, pensioned teaching position to make her way as a
potter. Her technical and historical knowledge of ceramics was impeccable.

Her indomitable spirit carried her through many difficult times.

Jessie is survived by her sister, Kalya, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and her
brother, Spencer, in Minnesota.

--Margaret Grisz-Dow

ACGA Emeritus Member Nancy Yturriaga Adams

I would not be where I am today without the help of ceramic artists with more experience who like to help out younger people. One of those people is nationally known clay artist and ACGA member Nancy Yturriaga Adams. The first time I met Nancy was at the Palo Alto Festival about 10 years ago. She came marching into my booth and bought a piece. I had no idea who she was until my neighbor said, "Do you know who just bought a piece from you? That was Nancy Adams!" I was suitably impressed and flattered.

Nancy was kind enough to take me under her wing. When some of my images were rejected from a website because of the poor quality, I was furious. How dare they say my images were poor! I paid good money for those slides! This was back when everything had to be shot as slides, and they did cost a pretty penny. Nancy looked at my slides and said calmly that they were, indeed, poor. Her opinion finally penetrated my fury and made me realize I needed to step it up a notch. Nancy sent me to Hap Sakwa, and I never was rejected on the basis if poor slide quality again.

Nancy and I spent more time drinking tea and talking about life than pottery, but to know I had such a heavy contender in my corner gave me a boost early in my career. Nancy now has her dream ranch in Applegate, Oregon, so our tea drinking and chatting is a rare and special occasion. Nancy was recently featured in her local paper, the Daily Courier, and there is a short video on her at their website. Check her out there!