Tales of a Red Clay Rambler: A pottery and ceramic art podcast

This week we continue our series More than a Maker with an interview featuring Bakersville, NC artist Will Baker. He is known for his beautiful atmospheric fired pottery, along with his kiln building skills which have taken him all over the eastern U.S. In our interview we talk about dealing with burn out through a variety of mindfulness practices, as well as the theory of flow states. To see examples of his work, visit www.williambakerpottery.com.

More than a Maker is made possible by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana, proud sponsors of wellness for makers. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana is focused on building healthier communities through strategic investments to improve population health, increase access to care, and to make healthcare more affordable for all. For more information please visit www.bcbsmt.com.

This week on the podcast we start our series More than a Maker, which focuses on the intersection of mental health and creativity. In the first episode we have Mac McCusker, a ceramic artist based in Pittsburgh, PA. They make sculpture and vessels that provide social commentary on the rise of Bathroom Bills and other issues surrounding the LBGTQ community. In the interview we talk about addiction and art making as activism. To find out more visit www.macmccuskerceramics.com.

More than a Maker is made possible by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana, proud sponsors of wellness for makers. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana is focused on building healthier communities through strategic investments to improve population health, increase access to care, and to make healthcare more affordable for all. For more information please visit www.bcbsmt.com.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I talk with Mark Warren. He is one of the cofounders of Haand, a porcelain tableware manufacturer in Burlington, NC. In our interview we talk about his path from the studio to the factory, the importance of paying a living wage, and how Haand shifted towards direct sales during the pandemic. For more information visit www.haand.us.

Today's episode is brought to you by the following sponsors:

The Tales of the Red Clay Rambler is made possible in part by Studio Potter. Their Grants for Apprenticeships Program is now open for applications. The program offers five $10,000 grants to support year-long apprenticeships in studio pottery. Applications are due June 1st and more information can be found at studiopotter.org/apprenticeship-grants.

For the past 100 years, AMACO Brent has been creating ceramic supplies for our community ranging from underglazes to electric kilns, and they have no plans of slowing down. www.amaco.com

Skutt Ceramic Products has been manufacturing equipment for potters since 1953. Their KilnMaster Touchscreen controller offers a sleek, smartphone-like interface that is intuitive and packed with powerful tools that allow potters to easily program, diagnose, and remotely monitor their kilns. www.skutt.com.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I talk with Russell Wrankle. He uses animal and human references to engage the existential tension between life and death. In our interview we talk about developing animals as poetic visual symbols, and the founding of Shape Theory Collective. He started the collective and online gallery to generate funds for criminal justice reform, specifically the Last Prisoner Project, which works to free individuals jailed for non-violent drug crimes. For more information visit www.russellwrankle.com www.shapetheorycollective.com

The Tales of the Red Clay Rambler is made possible by the support of Women Working With Clay Symposium, AMACO Brent, and Skutt Ceramic Products. For more information on sponsoring an episode of the podcast visit www.brickyardnetwork.org.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I talk with Portland-based potters Chris Baskin and Dwayne Nii-Teiko Sackey. We talk about choosing a firing that fits your aesthetic, the benefits of apprenticeship, and how Sackey's time with Baskin shifted forms during Covid. We also discuss the Studio Potter's Grants for Apprenticeship, which helped fund and structure their yearlong apprenticeship. For more info visit www.chrisbaskin.com, www.dwaynesackey.com, and www.studiopotter.org/apprenticeship-grants.

Today's episode is brought to you by the following sponsors:

The Tales of the Red Clay Rambler is made possible in part by STARworks, host of the 2022 WoodFire NC International Conference. The conference will kick off May 21st with two pre-conference events happening simultaneously in Asheville and Seagrove, where visiting artists will load and fire a variety of wood firing kilns. The main conference runs from May 26th to May 29th, 2022 at STARworks in Star, NC and features artists from around the world discussing the future of wood fired ceramics. For more information, please visit www.woodfirenc.com.

For the past 100 years, AMACO Brent has been creating ceramic supplies for our community ranging from underglazes to electric kilns, and they have no plans of slowing down. www.amaco.com

Skutt Ceramic Products has been manufacturing equipment for potters since 1953. Their KilnMaster Touchscreen controller offers a sleek, smartphone-like interface that is intuitive and packed with powerful tools that allow potters to easily program, diagnose, and remotely monitor their kilns. www.skutt.com.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I talk with Donna Polseno and Dara Hartman. Polseno is the founding director of the Women Working with Clay Symposium and Hartman now co-directs the yearly gathering. In our interview we talk about equity across different eras and how storytelling can empower and unify a group. We also discuss their relationship through apprenticeship and studio practices. To register for this year's symposium happening June 13th -15th visit www.hollins.edu or follow them on Instagram.

Today's episode is brought to you by the following sponsors:

The Tales of the Red Clay Rambler is made possible in part by STARworks, host of the 2022 WoodFire NC International Conference. The conference will kick off May 21st with two pre-conference events happening simultaneously in Asheville and Seagrove, where visiting artists will load and fire a variety of wood firing kilns. The main conference runs from May 26th to May 29th, 2022 at STARworks in Star, NC and features artists from around the world discussing the future of wood fired ceramics. For more information, please visit www.woodfirenc.com.

For the past 100 years, AMACO Brent has been creating ceramic supplies for our community ranging from underglazes to electric kilns, and they have no plans of slowing down. www.amaco.com

Skutt Ceramic Products has been manufacturing equipment for potters since 1953. Their KilnMaster Touchscreen controller offers a sleek, smartphone-like interface that is intuitive and packed with powerful tools that allow potters to easily program, diagnose, and remotely monitor their kilns. www.skutt.com.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I talk with Sunshine Cobb about her new book, The Beginner's Guide to Hand Building. We discuss redefining creativity to be more inclusive, creating a studio environment that fits your personality, and the variety of skills and projects she teaches in the book. The book is available now for preorder and will be released in September 2022. For more information visit www.sunshinecobb.com.

Today's episode is brought to you by the following sponsors:

At The Bray, our Bailey Gas Kilns are the preferred choice among artists who create large work because they are easy to fire and very reliable. If you want to go big, go Bailey. For more information visit www.baileypottery.com.

For the past 100 years, AMACO Brent has been creating ceramic supplies for our community ranging from underglazes to electric kilns, and they have no plans of slowing down. www.amaco.com

Skutt Ceramic Products has been manufacturing equipment for potters since 1953. Their KilnMaster Touchscreen controller offers a sleek, smartphone-like interface that is intuitive and packed with powerful tools that allow potters to easily program, diagnose, and remotely monitor their kilns. www.skutt.com.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I talk with sculptor Alessandro Gallo. He uses idioms and humor as a foundation for his human-animal hybrids. In our interview, we talk about transitioning characters from his two-dimensional work into three dimensions, working with friends as models, and the role realism plays in drawing audiences into the world of his sculptures. To see examples of his work, visit www.alessandrogallo.net.

Today's episode is brought to you by the following sponsors:

At The Bray, our Bailey Gas Kilns are the preferred choice among artists who create large work because they are easy to fire and very reliable. If you want to go big, go Bailey. For more information visit www.baileypottery.com.

For the past 100 years, AMACO Brent has been creating ceramic supplies for our community ranging from underglazes to electric kilns, and they have no plans of slowing down. www.amaco.com

Skutt Ceramic Products has been manufacturing equipment for potters since 1953. Their KilnMaster Touchscreen controller offers a sleek, smartphone-like interface that is intuitive and packed with powerful tools that allow potters to easily program, diagnose, and remotely monitor their kilns. www.skutt.com.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I talk with Lynn Duryea. Her minimalist sculptures are made from bent clay slabs, and are surfaced with layers of sprayed glaze giving them the appearance of aged metal. In our interview we talk about how the seaside architecture of her childhood hometown influences her ceramics, her role as a founding trustee of the Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts, and the workshop for people living with HIV/Aids that she cofacilitated for thirteen years. She recently partnered with Franklin Brooks to publish a book on the importance of the workshop, chronicling its impact on participants and the community thirty years after its first session. For more information visit www.lynnduryea.com.

Today's episode is brought to you by the following sponsors:

At The Bray, our Bailey Gas Kilns are the preferred choice among artists who create large work because they are easy to fire and very reliable. If you want to go big, go Bailey. For more information visit www.baileypottery.com.

For the past 100 years, AMACO Brent has been creating ceramic supplies for our community ranging from underglazes to electric kilns, and they have no plans of slowing down. www.amaco.com

Skutt Ceramic Products has been manufacturing equipment for potters since 1953. Their KilnMaster Touchscreen controller offers a sleek, smartphone-like interface that is intuitive and packed with powerful tools that allow potters to easily program, diagnose, and remotely monitor their kilns. www.skutt.com.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I talk with director Katia McGuirk and curator Vance Koehler about the Moravian Tile Works. The institution has gone through many iterations in its long history, which started in the late 19th century with Henry Chapman Mercer, and is now home to a living history museum and working tile studio. In our interview we talk about Mercer's aesthetics and legacy as a tile maker, the history of earthenware production in the region, and the recent revival of the facility under the not-for-profit Tile Works of Bucks County. For information visit www.thetileworks.org.

Today's episode is brought to you by the following sponsors:

At The Bray, our Bailey Gas Kilns are the preferred choice among artists who create large work because they are easy to fire and very reliable. If you want to go big, go Bailey. For more information visit www.baileypottery.com.

For the past 100 years, AMACO Brent has been creating ceramic supplies for our community ranging from underglazes to electric kilns, and they have no plans of slowing down. www.amaco.com

Skutt Ceramic Products has been manufacturing equipment for potters since 1953. Their KilnMaster Touchscreen controller offers a sleek, smartphone-like interface that is intuitive and packed with powerful tools that allow potters to easily program, diagnose, and remotely monitor their kilns. www.skutt.com.