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

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I speak with Aysha Peltz, Bruce Dehnert, and Lisa Vettoso, the organizers of the 45th annual Old Church Pottery Show. The event started in 1975 as a fundraiser for the Art School at Old Church in Demarest, NJ and quickly grew into one of the premier yearly sales of studio ceramics in the United States. In the interview we talk about the legacy of sale founders Karen Karnes and Mikhail Zakin, the curating process for choosing artists, and the genres within studio ceramics today. For more information visit www.oldchurchpotteryshow.org.

Aysha Peltz is a studio potter and faculty at Bennington College in Vermont. www.ayshapeltz.com. Bruce Dehnert is a studio potter and director of the ceramics program at Peter's Valley Craft Center in New Jersey. www.brucedehnert.blogspot.com. Lisa Vettoso is the director of the Art School at Old Church in Demarest, NJ. www.tasoc.org. Chris Gustin was not available for this interview but also serves as a co-curator for the show.

For today's AMACO Community Corkboard we have the 45th Annual Old Church Pottery Show & Sale. The nationally-renowned event is December 6-8th 2019 in Demarest, NJ and features 29 ceramic artists displaying as many as 3,000 handmade pieces–from functional mugs, dishware, servers, and casseroles to sculptural works. Visit www.oldchurchpotteryshow.org for more information. I'd like to thank Amaco/Brent for sponsoring the community corkboard. Brent Equipment is celebrating their 50th Anniversary this year and have created a Limited Edition Black CXC wheel. For more information visit www.amaco.com.

Hey Red Clay Rambler fans, the most common feedback I get from you is that this podcast helps you feel connected to other artists. We live in a divided time and many of us are working by ourselves in solitary studios. The podcast combats that feeling of isolation by fostering a sense of community, while also providing an archive of our field. At this point our Patreon sustaining membership program and our sponsors contribute less than half of our monthly budget, which goes to promotion, production costs, and labor. My wife and I kick in the rest, which we do out of love for the project, but as you can imagine we could really use your help. I care deeply about this community, and I think art and making are vital to our world, now more than ever. I'm guessing you feel the same, so if you are able please donate to the show. Recurring donations are best because it allows us to create a stable budget, but one-time donations are also very helpful. You can find out more about these two options at www.talesofaredclayrambler.com/donate. Before I go, I want to ask one more favor. After you make your donation ask a friend to match your pledge with their own. Word of mouth is the best call to action, so I ask that you help me, by encouraging your friends and studio mates to support the show. With your help I can keep producing the interviews you have come to love.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with Michael Connelly. In his Phoenixville, PA studio he makes functional pottery balancing highly engineered forms and expressive line work. In our interview we talk about creating the bones of a strong ceramic form, converting former industrial spaces into creative space in the Brewerytown neighborhood of Philadelphia, and finding work/life balance. To see examples of his work visit www.connellypottery.com.

For today's AMACO Community Corkboard we have the Tampa Tour De Clay happening December 7th and 8th. The tour features 33 potters in five locations around the greater Tampa FL area. Each location will have demos by guest artists as well as hundreds of ceramic artworks for sale. For more information visit www.tampa-tour.squarespace.com. I'd like to thank Amaco/Brent for sponsoring the community corkboard. Brent Equipment is celebrating their 50th Anniversary this year and have created a Limited Edition Black CXC wheel. For more information visit www.amaco.com.

Hey Red Clay Rambler fans, the most common feedback I get from you is that this podcast helps you feel connected to other artists. We live in a divided time and many of us are working by ourselves in solitary studios. The podcast combats that feeling of isolation by fostering a sense of community, while also providing an archive of our field. At this point our Patreon sustaining membership program and our sponsors contribute less than half of our monthly budget. My wife and I kick in the rest, which we do out of love for the project, but as you can imagine we could really use your help. The goal of our Fall Fund Drive is to raise $12,000 for the next year. I care deeply about this community, and I think art and making are vital to our world, now more than ever. I'm guessing you feel the same, so if you are able please donate to the show. Recurring donations are best because it allows us to create a stable budget, but one-time donations are also very helpful. You can find out more about these two options at www.talesofaredclayrambler.com/donate.

Before I go, I want to ask one more favor. After you make your donation ask a friend to match your pledge with their own. Word of mouth is the best call to action, so I ask that you help me, by encouraging your friends and studio mates to support the show. With your help I can keep producing the interviews you have come to love.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with ceramic artist James Whiting. After living in Japan for many years he developed a love for ceramics that guided him into his own studio practice. James makes hand built vessels that are finished with nerikomi, embossing, and other compelling surface techniques. He is also the director of the Berkeley Potter's Studio, which has grown from 25 to 425 members during his tenure. In the interview we talk about best practices for safety, staffing and member growth in a community studio. For more information on James visit www.jameswhitingceramics.com.

To start the show, we also have a new song from The Painted Horses. Their self-titled album was just released including the song All the Pines in the West, which is featured on today's show. For more information visit www.thepaintedhorsesmusic.com and listen back to episode 134 of the podcast, which features an interview and live-in-studio performance.

For today's AMACO Community Corkboard we have the Berkeley Potter's Studio Holiday Sale happening December 6-8th. The sale features work by over fifty participating artists and takes place at their location at 1221 8th Street in Berkeley, Ca. For more info visit www.berkeleypottersstudio.com. I'd like to thank Amaco/Brent for sponsoring the community corkboard. Brent Equipment is celebrating their 50th Anniversary this year and have created a Limited Edition Black CXC wheel. For more information visit www.amaco.com.

Hey Red Clay Rambler fans, the most common feedback I get from you is that this podcast helps you feel connected to other artists. We live in a divided time and many of us are working by ourselves in solitary studios. The podcast combats that feeling of isolation by fostering a sense of community, while also providing an archive of our field. At this point our Patreon sustaining membership program and our sponsors contribute less than half of our monthly budget of $2000, which goes to promotion, production costs, and labor. My wife and I kick in the rest, which we do out of love for the project, but as you can imagine we could really use your help. The goal of our Fall Fund Drive is to raise $12,000 for the next year.

I care deeply about this community, and I think art and making are vital to our world, now more than ever. I'm guessing you feel the same, so if you are able please donate to the show. Recurring donations are best because it allows us to create a stable budget, but one-time donations are also very helpful. You can find out more about these two options at www.talesofaredclayrambler.com/donate. Before I go, I want to ask one more favor. After you make your donation ask a friend to match your pledge with their own. Word of mouth is the best call to action, so I ask that you help me, by encouraging your friends and studio mates to support the show. With your help I can keep producing the interviews you have come to love.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with potter and gallery owner Sandy Simon. She was a student of Warren MacKenzie's at the University of Minnesota in the late 1960's where she developed a studio practice of making utilitarian pots that continues to this day. In 1994 Sandy opened Trax Gallery in Berkeley, CA and has used the space to champion functional pottery. In our interview we talk about balancing form and decoration to create a unified pot, best practices for approaching galleries, and how the internet has changed the way pots are sold. For more information on Sandy visit www.traxgallery.com.

Hey Red Clay Rambler fans, the most common feedback I get from you is that this podcast helps you feel connected to other artists. We live in a divided time and many of us are working by ourselves in solitary studios. The podcast combats that feeling of isolation by fostering a sense of community, while also providing an archive of our field. At this point our Patreon sustaining membership program and our sponsors contribute less than half of our monthly budget of $2000, which goes to promotion, production costs, and labor. My wife and I kick in the rest, which we do out of love for the project, but as you can imagine we could really use your help. The goal of our Fall Fund Drive is to raise $12,000 for the next year.

I care deeply about this community, and I think art and making are vital to our world, now more than ever. I'm guessing you feel the same, so if you are able please donate to the show. Recurring donations are best because it allows us to create a stable budget, but one-time donations are also very helpful. You can find out more about these two options at www.talesofaredclayrambler.com/donate. Before I go, I want to ask one more favor. After you make your donation ask a friend to match your pledge with their own. Word of mouth is the best call to action, so I ask that you help me, by encouraging your friends and studio mates to support the show. With your help I can keep producing the interviews you have come to love.

For today's AMACO Community Corkboard we have Greenwich House Pottery's annual Made In Clay holiday sale happening December 13th and 14th. The sale features work by over fifty participating artists and takes place at GHP's historic brick walk-up at 16 Jones Street in the heart of New York City's Greenwich Village. For more info about Made in Clay visit www.greenwichhouse.org/calendar. I'd like to thank Amaco/Brent for sponsoring the community corkboard. Brent Equipment is celebrating their 50th Anniversary this year and have created a Limited Edition Black CXC wheel. For more information visit www.amaco.com.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with Wayne Higby. He came to Alfred University as an associate professor of ceramics in 1973. He continues to teach there to this day, along with maintaining an active studio practice and a recent appointment as the director of the Alfred Ceramic Art Museum. In our interview we talk about the importance of what Higby calls "witnessing" in his teaching, the five lenses of critique, and the founding of the Alfred Ceramic Art Museum. For more information visit www.americanart.si.edu/exhibitions/higby where you can see images of Wayne's work from his 2013 Renwick Gallery retrospective Infinite Place: The Ceramic Art of Wayne Higby.

Hey Red Clay Rambler fans, the leaves are falling here in the U.S. so it's time for you to show your love for this podcast during our Fall fund drive. Our goal for the month of November is to raise $12,000 to support our production costs. Throughout the year I receive emails from fans who talk about how this podcast helps them connect with other artists around the world. One recent listener said, "I appreciate all the voices you give a platform to, especially amazing women like Naomi Clement." Giving voice to the many generations of ceramics artists that are working today is my mission and I need your help to accomplish it. You can get involved by making a monthly donation at www.patreon.com/redclayrambler, or you can make a one-time donation at www.talesofaredclayrambler.com/donate. After you make your donation ask a friend to match your pledge with their own. Word of mouth is the best call to action, so I ask that you help me, by encouraging your friends and studio mates to support the show. With your help I can keep producing the interviews that you have come to love.

For today's AMACO Community Corkboard we have the 43rd annual Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show taking place November 8th - 10th, 2019 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. With over a dozen categories of fine craft including ceramics, jewelry, furniture, fiber, and more, attendees will have ample opportunity to interact with the artists during the show, including "meet & greet" tours with artists, opening night gala and award ceremony, on-site artist demonstrations, and a fashion show. To learn more about the Craft Show and ticket information, please visit www.pmacraftshow.org. I'd like to thank Amaco/Brent for sponsoring the community corkboard. Brent Equipment is celebrating their 50th Anniversary this year and have created a Limited Edition Black CXC wheel. For more information visit www.amaco.com.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with Sam Chung. In his recent porcelain vessels, Chung references Korean folk-art motifs in both form and surface. In our interview we talk about the transitions in technique and content he has made in his career, his methods for altering ceramic forms, and the impact that loss has on personal identity. Chung is based in Tempe, Arizona where he is a professor at Arizona State University. Chung currently has a solo show on display at Gallery IMA in Seattle, WA. To see examples of his work visit www.galleryima.com or www.samchungceramics.com.

AMACO Community Corkboard, 10/24/19:

Hey Red Clay Rambler Fans for today's AMACO Community Corkboard we have the 12th annual San Diego Pottery Tour happening December 7th-8th. The tour has nine stops in the San Diego area with over 30 ceramic artists including Richard Burkett, Ashley Kim, Wesley Andregg, Merle Lambeth, Sam Lopez and many more. For more information about the tour visit https://sdpotterytour.com.

I'd like to thank Amaco/Brent for sponsoring the community corkboard. Brent Equipment is celebrating their 50th Anniversary this year and have created a Limited Edition Black CXC wheel. Brent equipment is made in the USA with high quality, locally sourced materials, which allows them to provide an industry leading 10-year warranty. For more information visit www.amaco.com. To have your event or comment featured on the Community Corkboard, send me an email through the contact link at www.talesofaredclayrambler.com/contact.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with Sophie Aguilera Lester. Her ceramic sculpture is autobiographical in nature with a strong reference to historical Spanish painting. In our interview we talk about being a set designer for theater, her interest in the still life, and the art scene in Barcelona, where she has lived for most of her adult life. For more information visit www.sophieaguilera.com. To start the episode, I talk with Lindsay Oesterritter about her new book Mastering Kilns and Firing, which is available now where fine books are sold. For more information visit www.loceramics.com.

AMACO Community Corkboard, 10/18/19:

Hey Red Clay Rambler Fans for today's AMACO Community Corkboard we have the Hudson Valley Pottery Tour, happening this weekend October 19th and 20th. The tour features fourteen artists spread around six sites in the beautiful Hudson Valley of New York. The artists invite you into their studios where they will be selling a variety of functional and sculptural studio ceramics. For more information visit www.hudsonvalleypotterytour.com.

I'd like to thank Amaco/Brent for sponsoring the community corkboard. Brent Equipment is celebrating their 50th Anniversary this year and have created a Limited Edition Black CXC wheel. Brent equipment is made in the USA with high quality, locally sourced materials, which allows them to provide an industry leading 10-year warranty. For more information visit www.amaco.com. To have your event or comment featured on the Community Corkboard, send me an email through the contact link at www.talesofaredclayrambler.com/contact.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with Naomi Clement. In her current body of work, she decorates functional pots with layers of abstracted text and loosely painted underglazes. The richness of her surfaces encourages the viewer to decipher the text and search for a larger narrative. In our interview we talk about the role pottery plays in daily rituals of observation and how finding her grandparents love letters spurred her interest in cursive text. To find our more on Naomi visit www.naomiclement.com.

AMACO Community Corkboard, 10/10/19:

Hey Red Clay Rambler fans, for today's Amaco Community Cork Board we have the 3rd annual National Clay Week Open Studio Tour. This nationwide celebration of clay is happening Oct.11-13 in over forty studios across the countries. To find our more information about the studios that are participating go to www.nationalclayweek.org/openstudio.

I'd like to thank Amaco/Brent for sponsoring the community corkboard. Brent Equipment is celebrating their 50th Anniversary this year and have created a Limited Edition Black CXC wheel. Brent equipment is made in the USA with high quality, locally sourced materials, which allows them to provide an industry leading 10-year warranty. For more information visit www.amaco.com. To have your event or comment featured on the Community Corkboard, send me an email through the contact link at www.talesofaredclayrambler.com/contact.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have a special mailbag episode consisting of questions sent in from listeners. My wife Melissa comes on to cohost the show and we discuss topics including historical influences, bloopers from past seasons, and thoughts about how the #MeToo movement might affect ceramic history. On this milestone I want to send a special thank you to my listeners who have supported the show along the way. I couldn't have done this without you.

AMACO Community Corkboard, 10/3/19:

Hey Red Clay Rambler fans, for today's Amaco Community Cork Board we have the 3rd annual National Clay Week Open Studio Tour. This nationwide celebration of clay is happening Oct.11-13 in over forty studios across the countries. To find our more information about the studios that are participating go to www.nationalclayweek.org/openstudio.

I'd like to thank Amaco/Brent for sponsoring the community corkboard. Brent Equipment is celebrating their 50th Anniversary this year and have created a Limited Edition Black CXC wheel. Brent equipment is made in the USA with high quality, locally sourced materials, which allows them to provide an industry leading 10-year warranty. For more information visit www.amaco.com. To have your event or comment featured on the Community Corkboard, send me an email through the contact link at www.talesofaredclayrambler.com/contact.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with Matt Ziemke. He abstracts the physical landscape to create planar structures that are covered with pattern and glaze. In our interview we talk about the effect technology has on the brain, working with the language of cartography, and building engaging surfaces through multiple firings. We also talk about his love of mountaineering and reaching higher elevations. For more information visit www.mattziemke.com.

AMACO Community Corkboard, 9/26/19:

To start the episode, I have a short interview with Doug Peltzman about today's AMACO Community Corkboard event, the Hudson Valley Pottery Tour. The tour features fourteen artists who will be selling a variety of functional and sculptural studio ceramics October 19th and 20th in the beautiful Hudson Valley of New York. For more information visit www.hudsonvalleypotterytour.com.

I'd like to thank Amaco/Brent for sponsoring the community corkboard. Brent Equipment is celebrating their 50th Anniversary this year and have created a Limited Edition Black CXC wheel. Brent equipment is made in the USA with high quality, locally sourced materials, which allows them to provide an industry leading 10-year warranty. For more information visit www.amaco.com. To have your event or comment featured on the Community Corkboard, send me an email through the contact link at www.talesofaredclayrambler.com/contact.