American Pottery Festival 

2009 American Pottery Festival


September 11 – 13
Galleries M and A

American Pottery Festival, Walter Ostrom, Maolica Plate
Northern Clay Center announces its annual fundraising benefit and celebration of the art of the pot: the 2009 American Pottery Festival, September 11 – 13.  If you like pots, potters, and other people who like pots, this event is for you.  The three-day Festival draws together collectors, artists, students, and clay buffs, providing everyone with an opportunity to share their love of clay, and also bringing in much needed revenue for both the participating artists and for NCC exhibition and artists’ support programs.  Think of it as your participation in a fun economic stimulus package…

American Festival, Betsy Williams, Cupism, 2007, stoneware.

As always, an outstanding roster of potters will be featured, including Minnesota’s own Warren MacKenzie.  Festival-goers will enjoy a rich variety of work—some by established potters who have achieved a high level of excellence in the ceramic arts, and some exciting, new work by emerging artists.  Participating potters include Chuck Aydlett (MN), Wayne Branum (WI), Sam Chung (AZ), Naomi Cleary (PA), Steven Colby (CO), Josh DeWeese (MT), Paul Eshelman (IL), Marty Fielding (VT), Marlene Jack (VA), Julie Johnson (NY), Gail Kendall (NE), Forrest Lesch-Middleton (CA), Warren MacKenzie (MN), Matthew Metz (NY), Sequoia Miller (WA), Joseph Pintz (OH), Kari Radasch (ME), Davie Reneau (KY), Steven C. Rolf (WI), Hide Sadohara (NY), Albion Stafford (NY), Shoko Teruyama (NC), and Betsy Williams (NM).  Walter Ostrom, who recently retired from his long-time position at the Nova Scotia College of  Art and Design, will be the special featured guest, who will deliver a lecture on Sunday morning.

Festival Highlights & Workshops

More details of this year’s Pottery Festival will be coming in the future.  Highlights as of now include a rolicking opening night reception and party on Friday, September 11, special topic workshops throughout the weekend, engaging slide talks by the artists, the Ostrom lecture and brunch on Sunday, and, of course, a rich array of pots for sale.  Ticket prices are $20 for the opening night benefit sale and party, and $5 for the benefit sale both Saturday and Sunday.  APF participating artists in attendance will present slides of their work in 20-minute sessions on Saturday and Sunday in NCC’s library.  (Slide talks are included in the $5 APF sale donation.)American Pottery Festival, Paul Eshelman Vases

The 2009 American Pottery Festival will include two Saturday demonstration workshops (artists being secured at time of press), as well as a two-day, hands-on workshop led by Betsy Williams, covering Japanese decorating techniques.  The two-day workshop will take place Friday, September 11, and Saturday, September 12.  The workshop fee is $150 ($140 for members).  Additionally, acclaimed ceramic artist and special APF guest Walter Ostrom will provide a Sunday morning lecture and slide presentation entitled, “Everything on Majolica.”  Brunch will be served; tickets are $25 ($20 for members).  See page 17 for more information or visit our Web site for full workshop descriptions.


Schedule of Events and Admission Fees

Thursday, September 10

Collectors’ Weekend Begins with APF Preview
 Friday, September 11

5 – 9 pm: APF Opening Night Benefit Sale and Party
Appetizers and cash bar
Donation: $20

7 pm: Warren MacKenzie Pot Sale
Saturday, September 12

9:30 am – 5 pm:  APF Benefit Sale and Slide Talks
Donation: $5

10 am: Warren MacKenzie Pot Sale 
Sunday, September 13

9:30 am – 2 pm: APF Benefit Sale
Donation: $5

10 am: Warren MacKenzie Pot Sale


2009 American Pottery Festival: Collectors’ Weekend Package


American Pottery Festival, Sam Chung, Teapot

2009 marks the sixth year Northern Clay Center offers a special Collectors’ Weekend Package, with exclusive tours of museums and private collections, visits to working artists’ studios, and tickets to all APF events.  The Collectors’ Weekend Package includes a Thursday night preview cocktail reception, where collectors can relax over wine and hors d’oeuvres and learn more about pottery from artists and experts.

On Friday, collectors will enjoy a private tour of the Mimbres pottery collection at the Weisman Art Museum, as well as an exclusive tour of a pottery collection at a private home in Minneapolis, and a tour of Dirt On Delight: Impulses That Form Clay, an exhibition of significant work in clay by 22 artists spanning four generations, on view at the Walker Art Center from the Institute of Contemporary Art at the University of Pennsylvania.  Friday evening brings the festive opening night reception and benefit sale, from 5 to 9 pm—a night of pots, music, food, and wine.

On Saturday, collectors can choose to attend the Festival’s benefit sale where they can experience APF artists’ workshops and slide talks.  Or collectors can choose the option of visiting working artists’ studios in and around Collegeville, Minnesota, a short drive through rolling hills and lake-dotted countryside, including the renowned St. John’s Pottery Studio and its artist-in-residence, Richard Bresnahan.  Saturday evening, collectors will join distinguished American Pottery Festival artists for dinner at a private home.  The weekend package concludes Sunday with a lecture and brunch with acclaimed artist, Walter Ostrom. And, of course, the benefit sale continues until 2 pm.

The Collectors’ Weekend Package is affordably priced at $300 per person (this price does not include hotel or transportation to/from Minneapolis).  The proceeds go to support exhibition and artists’ support programs at Northern Clay Center.  Register early, as space is limited!  For further information and to reserve your space, please contact Molly Miller at 612.339.8007 x 300.

Collectors' Weekend Schedule of Events

 Thursday, September 10

APF Preview Reception
 Friday, September 11

Curator-led tour of Weisman Art Museum's Mimbres pottery collection
Exclusive tour of a home pottery collection in the Twin Cities
Tour of Dirt On Delight: Impulses That Form Clay at the Walker Art Center
APF Opening Night Sale and Party
Saturday, September 12

Option 1
APF Sale
Workshops and slide talks                   
Dinner with APF Artists


Option 2
Tour of four Collegeville potters studios
Dinner with APF Artists
Sunday, September 13

Option 1
APF Sale


Option 2
APF Sale
Demonstration workshop by Walter Ostrom

2009 APF Workshop Schedule and Fees


More workshop and slide talk information will be available in mid-August.
APF slide talks will be presented by various participating artists in 20-minute sessions between 10 am and 4 pm on Saturday in NCC’s library.  Slide talks are included in the $5 APF sale admission donation.  The schedule will be available at the event.
Friday, September 11 & Saturday September 12

Contemporary Approaches to Traditional Japanese Decorating Techniques with Betsy Williams
      
Betsy Williams will introduce participants to and inspire all with decorating techniques used for centuries throughout Japan in this two-day, hands-on APF workshop.  You will learn to craft your own decorating tools and experiment on greenware and bisqued (tiles or pots) with various Japanese decorating techniques.

09FX1: September 11, 8:30 am – 4 pm and September 12, 9 am – 4:30 pm
Fee:  $150 (NCC members $140)
Saturday, September 12

Inventive Imagery with Forrest Lesch-Middleton

In this workshop, Forrest Lesch-Middleton will introduce the techniques he uses to integrate studio ceramics and print-making processes while creating his highly decorative functional ceramics—including his methods for transferring silk-screened images onto wheel-thrown forms.  Lesch-Middleton will also discuss the reduction cooling process he uses to fire his work and his recent exploration of the creation of volumetric three-dimensional embossment on molds and stamps.

09FX3:  Saturday, September 12, 10 am – 12 noon
Fee:  $25 (NCC members $20)
Saturday, September 12

Focus on Form: Altered Lids with Sequoia Miller

Sequoia Miller will demonstrate the creation of his lidded wares, which begin as wheel-thrown forms of stoneware clay and are later altered and faceted to produce angular and architectural vessels intended for daily use.  Watch as he makes a variety of footed jars and boxes; gain helpful studio tips for making successful covered forms.

09FX4:  Saturday, September 12, 1– 3 pm
Fee:  $25 (NCC members $20)
Sunday, September 13

Walter Ostrom: The Virtue of Necessity
...
Walter Ostrom is no stranger to devotees of majolica in Minnesota: he lectured here in conjunction with the NCC exhibition From the Garden in 2004, and returned to lead a week-long workshop in cooperation with the University of Minnesota in 2007.  Those who participated in his earlier appearances know that spending this kind of time with Walter offers exposure to an extraordinary mind and talent, whose knowledge of ceramic history verges on encyclopedic, but who wraps up that knowledge in rapid delivery and mercurial wit. 

09FX2:  Sunday, September 13, 10 am – noon
Fee:  $25(NCC members $20)
* NCC members and students with valid ID