Spring 2008 News

The big event of the winter quarter was the guest artist residency of Josh DeWeese. Under the auspices of the Jean Griffith Fellowship, Josh worked in our studio (in full view, not hidden) for five weeks. The time was very productive for Josh and concluded with a slide talk and show in our gallery of work made and fired during his stay. It was perhaps the largest turnout we've had for a slide talk with the exception of the Fortieth Anniversary. And the show was wonderful. Josh and his predecessor Beth Cavener Stichter have both been shining examples of the role of the fellowship artist. They both brought a tremendous work ethic and an openness to all who were interested in what they were doing at any time. While we announced this at the slide talk it is certainly time to share that the next Griffith Fellowship artist will be Richard Notkin. If you are familiar with American ceramics over the last thirty years, or if you just watched the PBS special on craft in America, you know who Richard Notkin is. If you do not, then look forward to meeting Richard during his stay at Pottery Northwest in 2009. I assure you he will bring the same sense of purpose and dedication to his work that Josh and Beth did so well, and he is a good person to spend time with. Again I would ask you to support this program at any level. It has been good for the studio, good for the community and good for the artists involved.

But spring is the news now! We have a tremendous lineup of classes this quarter and our curriculum continues to grow. In large part this is possible because of the diverse and exciting work that the resident artists pursue in the studio. The residents are not our only teacher pool but they are the largest and I would say the deepest. I applaud them for their excellent teaching which was reflected in the quality of the student show this past year. The shows in our gallery put up by the residents also reflect the energy and variety that inhabits the studio right now. Julie Lindell's installation is the most recent example and will soon be followed by "…something completely different" with the exit/farewell show of Julie Milazzo and Liz Duarte. Look for Tammie Rubin's work in the Clayspeak exhibition at Bellevue Community College as well as Clay II? At the Kirkland Arts Center. If you wish to travel you can see Jen Mills' work in Kansas at the Clayton Staples Gallery in Wichita. Perhaps on the way you will see a selection of work from the PNW residents installed at the SEATAC airport along with other local clay studios in a show called Connected by Clay. We will also bid farewell to Saly Lee with her exit show in mid May. Saly has been a link to the Seattle Art Museum as a member of the education team and we will miss her. She will be moving to San Francisco to take a position at the Asian Art Museum. We wish her the very best. In the meantime we will be attending NCECA in Pittsburgh scouting for new residents and comparing notes with other clay centers around the country. Deadline for residency applications this year is May 1st.

The list of people to thank is always long. That is the sign of a healthy organization. So thank you to the people who have donated funds, volunteered time and materials and have maintained the good sense of community that thrives here. You are appreciated and treasured for your many gifts . The Rick and Peg Young Foundation has been one of our staunchest supporters for a number of years now, and they continue to be so. We have also receive new support this year from the Washington State Arts Commission . Along with continued support from the Mayor's Civic Partners program these organizations have made a significant impact on our activities. Individuals like Tom Stephens for donation of a computer, Hodge Jones monumental bookkeeping efforts in setting up a new accounting system, Donna Sparks continuing to look after the web site, Nana Kuo and Carol Tompkins for continued design work, Justin Farmer and Sandy for work on the resident promotional materials, Mike Peck for everything from Christmas decorations to hammering nails are so important to us. Thank you to the Board of Directors of course. Their resolution in pursuing the endowment of the Jean Griffith Fellowship is superb. This certainly isn't everyone but it is a good example of the cross section of people who make it work. Thanks to all … don't stop!!

Winter 2008 News

We will greet the new year with great anticipation as Josh DeWeese joins us as a studio mate during his Jean Griffith Fellowship Residency. Josh will be working in the studio in January and culminating his stay with a show of his work and that of his wife, Rosalie Wynkoop, in the PNW Gallery opening January 26!! We are grateful to the many people who helped to make this fellowship a reality, and we are intent on keeping it rolling. So, to that end, join us for The Big Burn, a fundraiser for the Jean Griffith Fellowship, in the studio on December 15, 2007. With your help, we’ll be firing sets of raku tile panels to grace portions of the new entryway. They will be a complement to the mosaic project installed years ago under the guidance of Anne Gardner. I am pleased and excited to announce that this is the beginning of a campaign by our board of directors to permanently endow the Jean Griffith Fellowship! An endowment is a commitment that does not usually come in the early stages of an organization’s lifetime. I imagine the number of non-profits that do not last ten years, or certainly twenty, is significant. We have passed those markers and are well down the road. An endowment at this stage speaks to longevity. But rather than looking backward, it is a view forward. I applaud the board of directors for taking this on, and I want to urge our many friends and patrons to support it in any way you can. The next 41 years are going to be marvelous!

We are not quite done with arranging the workshop series for 2008, but we are close. Close enough to tantalize a bit. The series includes:

Allan Winkler, from the Kansas City dynasty, a student of Ken Ferguson and a protégé of Akio Takamori and Kurt Weiser, among others, has somehow managed to hold onto his child’s touch in handling clay (in a way we all wish we could). Along with a hands-on session in clay, we will throw in some time devoted to stencil cut-outs. An accomplished visual artist and film-maker, Allan retains a freshness in his work that is great pleasure to behold. Allan will join us in August.

Mark Pharis, the brilliant potter and educator from the University of Minnesota, will be here in September. Mark’s work is a lesson in how one may be a potter for the 21st century with a strong link to the vessels and sensibility of the past. To maintain a continuum means moving forward and Mark’s work does that. His innovative use of patterns in construction and his unusual palette are elements of distinction in his work.

From Los Angeles, Andrew Martin has taken industry techniques in slip casting and mold making and turned them to beautiful “pots”. Andrew has the answers to all those questions you may have regarding the lid with the perfect fit and how to make the mold for it along with many other solutions. His book on mold making and slip casting has recently been re-published by Lark, and you can get your personal copy signed at this workshop. His presentation at NCECA in Louisville was sublime. He, too, will join us in September.

With the new year we will also see new faces in the studio. With the addition of Alya Khan as assistant to the director, the PNW staff has doubled. Now we are two. Sha’n Watson and Larry Naylor will begin residencies and we will toast Liz duarte, Dong Wan Kim and Julie Milazzo farewell. We also saw Tom Stephens and Doug Jeck retire from the board of directors. I will be grateful for the riches that these people have brought to the studio for a long while. Thank you. I look forward to their lasting relationship with Pottery Northwest as part of the growing family.

Opportunity
If you are affiliated with a school, community center, senior group or just a bunch of people interested in a clay experience contact us. The Claymobile is available for hands on activities at your location. Clay, instructors, tools, even raku firings can come to you... and we want to. Qualifying organizations may receive matching funds. Call us (206) 285-4421.

Fall 2007 News

The summer at PNW started in a rather relaxed fashion but picked up momentum quickly! With the tremendous support of the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, 4CULTURE, and you, our patrons, we have converted the north street-front room to new studio space. We purchased new clay processing equipment, and moved our clay facility to a newly enclosed corner of the kilnyard. In terms of health, artists’ space, and frankly, our face to the public, this is a major accomplishment. It is already the case that the pugmill alleviates many issues of trying to keep up with reclaim for over 100 students each quarter. The mixer provides a valuable tool for mixing custom clay bodies for the residents and classes. Thank you all!

Speaking of accomplishments------long time former director of PNW, Jean Griffith, is a recipient of one of the Mayor’s Awards for the Arts. In a ceremony at Bumbershoot, August 31st, Jean will be presented with the award honoring her service to the arts. Congratulations, Jean, and thank you for those many years here. Jean’s time at Pottery Northwest included the move from the upper levels of Center House to our current location. Keep an eye on the Seattle Channel for an interview with Jean. We intend to also toast Jean at a PNW event. In conjunction with guest artist Gail Nichol’s slide lecture, we will say our own congratulations. We will be joined by poet Tom Crawford and have a showing of work fired in the workshop Gail is conducting. All are welcome!

This is then a good time to announce the next Jean Griffith Fellowship Artist. Josh DeWeese will join us in early January to work in our studio. While it will be his choice, most likely he will work in the new studio space. Josh is the former resident-director of the Archie Bray Foundation. His work is full of the vitality and vibrancy of someone who loves the material and knows how to express that joy. Josh is especially known for his voluptuous soda-fired work. He’ll fit in well here. Thank you to all the people who have helped make this and the many other projects at Pottery Northwest possible. That includes, of course, the kiln building that took place in a class this summer. We’ll be firing up a new “experimental” soda kiln this year. Building the kiln was a great experience with a tremendous group of students. I learned a great deal and it is such pleasure to work with the people that make up the PNW community. While there is much to test out, the experience is already a success.

I do need to single out a few of those remarkable people. Valentina Barei once again organized the Salad Bowl kitchen. John Ellefson directed the steel work on the new soda kiln including the hinged door. Mike Peck, our board president, has been everywhere and done everything: donating palette racks, hauling refuse, and providing flowers for an event are apparently all part of being on the board. Thank you.

Steve Johnson, Nana Kuo and Stephen Sullivan have all moved on from resident roles at the studio. They have been stalwart contributors to the well being of this place during their time here. From overseeing the lighting, furnishing architectural drawings and in Nana’s case putting a professional look and edge on our graphic output they have been valuable studio mates...and they make good pots! Thank you. We have been joined this summer by new artist residents Jen Mills, Tammie Rubin, Kevin Erhard and J.J. McCracken. Welcome to them. The diversity and quality of their work will contribute much to the dynamic of the studio. Tammie is an accomplished artist in the Seattle community. J.J. has stirred the waters in her short time here with a “performance “approach to her work that engaged many others. Jen’s work infuses the ritual with a contemporary sensibility and Kevin brings a completely different way of constructing and destructing his pieces. A stroll through Pottery Northwest on any given day will give you a glimpse of the medium’s ever evolving ability to serve as a vehicle of expression. Social satire, geologically-inspired form, a really fine cup. They are all there. Come and see for yourself.

Summer 2007 News

If you missed the guest potters from Oaxaca, perhaps it was because you were at the SAM Family Day reopening seeing us give demos with the Claymobile. Or -perhaps it is because you were in Cour d’Alene, Idaho at the Art Spirit Gallery for the Clay Invitational with five of the residents from PNW in the show. The Spring season was full for all of us. If you have not been to the studio recently, you have not seen the new glass entryway. It has brightened the foyer and picked up foot traffic considerably. Now people have a better idea of what goes on “in there”. The entryway is part of a larger vision of transformation. The clay mixing room will shortly be new studio space and a flex classroom/workshop. This is happening with support from the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation and 4Culture. The clay mixing facility is something very important for a professional studio. We will not be eliminating it, but rather upgrading the equipment and moving it to a new enclosure in the kiln yard. The funding that has made this possible is a tremendous boost and will serve to make the studio cleaner, safer and provide more space for the resident artists. We’re not done. Watch for a redesign of the gallery space among other possible projects.

The future is by no means focused entirely on facilities. A number of activities in the next year will take aim at the dynamic that happens when you get artists together. It happens every day in the studio. We see it amplified when you bring a number of artists into a situation like the Gang of Eight at the 40th Celebration. Imagine ten guest potters from all over the country working in our studio for two weeks in December. Imagine a painter, a videographer, a figure sculptor and a comic book artist being given a ton of a clay and an assistant. Make something, make anything you want, teach and you will learn and you will teach.

Along those lines I am pleased to share that the residency program continues to mature. We will soon welcome a new group of artists in residence. Of course, when people come to work at the studio as new residents, it generally means that someone is leaving that position to make room for them. In short order we will say farewell to Ben Waterman, Stephen Sullivan, Damian Grava and Nana Kuo. Every one of these people has been a pleasure to work with and I hope the relationship our studio has begun with them will continue to flourish. The quality of the applications for residency in May was exciting, and they came from across the country. The enthusiasm and interest in working at PNW is itself inspiring. I look forward to the stimulation and exchange of ideas among peers that the new residents will bring to this space. I have been constantly renewed through my own association with others in the field over the years. Serving as a locus for creative growth and inquiry is one of the most vital aspects of our mission.

And before you blink, note that our summer calendar is full. Tara Wilson, one of the most accomplished wood fire potters in the country joins us for a workshop in June. July will see the Salad Bowl and wood-fired pizza. This is becoming one of our most fun events and the food is excellent, even exquisite. Margaret Boozer’s workshop, cosponsored with the WPA will be in July as well. Gail Nichols returns in August for a ten day intensive in soda firing. Richard Swanson joins us as guest artist to lead a group of young people through the process of creating, building and installing a site-specific sculpture on the grounds of the Seattle Center. We’ll be posting glimpses of the project as it happens on the PNW web site. Jump in!

Spring 2007 News

What's Happening!

Winter has broken and Spring is in the air. The energy that comes with Spring’s ascension is at Pottery Northwest as well.In the next year,I believe you will see a more expansive interpretation of our mission. This will be evident in the direction we take as an organization with a deeper level of commitment to providing opportunities in the field.

The Winter Session saw a record class enrollment, we re-piped the kiln yard gas line, and the board of directors held a retreat and planning session for our next 40 years. Long term planning, board development, and security for the pottery were important topics at the retreat. Without a doubt, the organization is looking ahead. Expect a continued emphasis on quality and diversity in the work that happens here.

The residency program has grown into an exciting mix of people, some with advanced degrees, some from within our own classes, all with a sense of dedication to their work.

The curriculum will continue to develop and evolve in ways that will surprise you. We are intent on meeting the role of a destination place for serious work in ceramics on the West Coast, and providing an excellent facility for students at any level. We look forward to your support in making these goals a reality.

We are also pleased to report that while energy prices continue to climb, our energy consumption has dropped due to our facility improvements. Credit goes to the patrons and supporters whose contributions made those improvements possible. Thank you. More is on the way, including a new soda kiln this summer!

A View of the News

Our paper newsletter is now streamlined, more compact, with more information per square inch. We have also unveiled a new web site design, and it will eventually do many things we cannot do with paper mailings. Our objective is to keep mailing and maintenance costs in check, and inform you in the way you find most efficient. We will be pruning the paper newsletter mailing list and we need to hear from you. Send us an email to let us know if we can take you off the paper list. By all means, bookmark our web site! We have many projects yet to unveil this year.

Comings and Goings

This spring Katharina Maloof will complete her role of studio potter, then resident. Always one of PNW’s best advocates, Katharina also served on the board of directors this past year as the residents’ representative. She has been someone to count on and the best travel companion one could hope for on our trip to Italy. We look forward to her continued presence in the studio in classes and workshops. We welcome Jamie Kirkpatrick as a new resident. Jamie received his MFA from East Carolina University and has considerable experience in atmospheric firing.

Thank You!

Thank you Josephine Harris, Julie Milazzo, Dong Wan Kim, Valentina Barei, Tom Stephens, Mike Peck, Geo Lastomirsky, Martha Fulton, Monica Miller, Hodge Jones, Donna Sparks. From library books, to gardening, to truffles ... Thank You All. Special thanks to Nana Kuo for wringing color out of white paper and now on our web site too.