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

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with Kane Smego. We met at the 2018 Arrowmont Pentaculum where he was a writer-in-residence working on a forthcoming one-man show titled Temples of Lung and Air. Smego is a spoken word and hip-hop artist, a National Poetry Slam finalist, and co-founder of the youth arts nonprofit Sacrificial Poets. In our interview we talk about poetry slams, his time teaching with Next Level – a diplomacy program administered by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Cultural Affairs, and the development of his one man show Temples of Lung and Air. For more information visit www.kanesmego.com. To hear Smego’s spoken word performance at Arrowmont listen to episode 209 of the podcast.

This episode of the podcast is sponsored by Cherrico Pottery. Cherrico is teaming up with the American Craft Council to give out the 2018 Emerging Pottery Business Awards. Artists whose work and business embodies talent, passion, and a focus on promoting diversity and equity in the field will be considered for three $500 awards. The deadline to apply is March 30, 2018. For more information visit www.cherricopottery.com/awards.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have a special live episode taped at the Michigan Mud Clay Conference. This week’s storytellers talk about how working with ceramics has given their lives purpose and meaning. Don’t miss this special recording taped live at Albion College in Albion, MI. For more information on the Michigan Mud conference visit www.michclay.com.

This episode of Tales of a Red Clay Rambler is sponsored by Sonoma Ceramics, one of the North Bay’s leading ceramics studios, offering clay experiences for all ages, levels, and financial means. The center is honored to host a dynamic two-day workshop March 30th and 31st with potter and tea master Shin Young Taek and contemporary Raku artist Kim Young Soo. The two will be demonstrating their innovative techniques for making teapots, building large scale forms from slabs and atmospheric firing. For more information or to sign up for the workshop visit www.SonomaCeramics.com.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with Dawn Soltysiak. Among her many areas of entrepreneurship, Dawn runs a farm, two galleries and a café in the Fennville, MI area. The goals of each businesses converge on teaching visitors to value hand made goods and local sourced food. In addition, her farm and studio are run on green energy harvested from solar and geothermal power. In our interview we talk about the tools she learned from being a realtor, balancing multiple businesses while being a full-time potter, and methods for using green energy to power your studio. For more on the gallery visit www.fernwood1891.com or the restaurant www.rootfennville.com.

This episode of Tales of a Red Clay Rambler is sponsored by Sonoma Ceramics, one of the North Bay’s leading ceramics studios, offering clay experiences for all ages, levels, and financial means. The center is honored to host a dynamic two day workshop  March 30th and 31st with potter and tea master Shin Young Taek and contemporary Raku artist Kim Young Soo. The two will be demonstrating their innovative techniques for making teapots, building large scale forms from slabs and atmospheric firing. For more information or to sign up for the workshop visit www.SonomaCeramics.com.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with Ken Shenstone. A skilled potter and wood worker, Shenstone fires one of the largest Anagama kilns in the United States. His one thousand cubic foot kiln is fired once a year for ten days in addition to a smaller catenary arch kiln that is fired about every six weeks. To facilitate the labor of cutting wood, firing the kiln and maintaining his property Ken has encouraged a community of young potters and wood fire enthusiasts to develop around his Albion, Michigan studio. In our interview, we talk about kiln innovations that came from industrial steel furnace designs, the making and firing cycles of large scale kilns and learning organizational principles from the Grateful Dead. To see examples of Shenstone’s work and kilns please visit www.kenshenstone.com.

Hey Red Clay Rambler fans, I need your help to keep this show on the air. We need 25 new patrons to reach our monthly fundraising goal. Visit www.patreon.com/redclayrambler to pledge your support and become a sustaining member. We have a batch of rewards to offer including the new Vintage Radio shirt, handmade pots, posters and much more. Visit www.patreon.com/redclayrambler to sign up today.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have a panel discussion on the history and mission of Pewabic Pottery with Steve McBride, Annie Dennis, and Alex Thullen. The pottery was started in 1903 by Mary Chase Perry Stratton in Detroit, MI. Over the years Pewabic has expanded to include a tile works, educational center, gallery and ceramic outreach program for the greater Detroit area. In the interview, we talk about the legacy of Stratton, the growth of Pewabic’s mission and how they meet the artistic needs of their local community. For more information please visit www.pewabic.org.

Hey Red Clay Rambler fans, I need your help to keep this show on the air. We need 25 new patrons to reach our monthly fundraising goal. Visit www.patreon.com/redclayrambler to pledge your support and become a sustaining member. We have a batch of rewards to offer including the new Vintage Radio shirt, handmade pots, posters and much more. Visit www.patreon.com/redclayrambler to sign up today.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have a double interview featuring Sunshine Cobb and Anthony Schaller/Brittany Stecker Mason. In the first segment, I talk with Sunshine about her new book Mastering Hand Building. The book features practical techniques for hand building objects in clay, as well as, artists interviews and a section on finding your voice through making. To find out more visit www.sunshinecobb.com/book.

In the second segment, I talk with gallery directors Anthony Schaller and Brittany Stecker Mason. They run the Schaller Gallery located in St. Joseph, MI. The gallery carries contemporary ceramics with a focus on functional pots for daily use. Their roster of artists includes a selection of the best potters working today including Matt Metz, Julia Galloway, Randy Johnston and many more. In our interview, we talk about building a collector base, pricing work, and planning for the future. To see the exhibitions that are currently on display in the gallery visit www.schallergallery.com.

Hey Red Clay Rambler fans, I need your help to keep this show on the air. We need 25 new patrons to reach our monthly fundraising goal. Visit www.patreon.com/redclayrambler to pledge your support and become a sustaining member. We have a batch of rewards to offer including the new Vintage Radio shirt, handmade pots, posters and much more. Visit www.patreon.com/redclayrambler to sign up today.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with four ceramic artists that live in the Goshen, IN area; Justin Rothshank, Dick Lehman, Marvin Bartel, and Mark Goertzen. They share an educational lineage that starts with Marvin Bartel, who started teaching at Goshen College in 1970. Lehman and Rothshank were students of Bartel’s decades apart, but both talk fondly of his experimental teaching techniques. Goertzen worked for Lehman for many years in his studio before later purchasing the business at the Old Bag Factory in Goshen.

In our interview, we talk about the influence of the Mennonite faith on their work ethic, the development of a ceramics community in Goshen, and the founding of the Michiana Pottery Tour. To find out more about Justin visit www.rothshank.com. For more on Dick visit www.dicklehman.com. For more on Marvin visit www.bartelart.com. For more on Mark visit www.goertzenpottery.com. To find out more about the Michiana Pottery Tour, which happens in September of every year visit www.michianapotterytour.com.

Hey Red Clay Rambler fans, I need your help to keep this show on the air. We need 25 new patrons to reach our monthly fundraising goal. Visit patreon.com/redclayrambler to pledge your support and become a sustaining member. We have a batch of rewards to offer including the new Vintage Radio shirt, handmade pots, posters and much more. Visit patreon.com/redclayrambler to sign up today.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with Bill Kremer and Zach Tate. Kremer has been the professor of ceramics at Notre Dame since 1973 helping to develop the undergraduate and graduate programs at Notre Dame. Tate came on as Ceramic Research Associate/Visiting Professor in 2014 and shares teaching and administrative duties. In our interview, we talk about the history of Notre Dame summer school, which hosted many of the nation’s premier ceramic artists of the 1970’s, Kremer’s teaching philosophy and the development of the MFA program at Notre Dame. For more information on Bill Kremer and Notre Dame ceramics visit artdept.nd.edu. For more information on Zach Tate visit www.zachtateceramics.com.

Hey Red Clay Rambler fans, I need your help to keep this show on the air. We need 25 new patrons to reach our monthly fundraising goal. Visit patreon.com/redclayrambler to pledge your support and become a sustaining member. We have a batch of rewards to offer including the new Vintage Radio shirt, handmade pots, posters and much more. Visit patreon.com/redclayrambler to sign up today.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with Justin Rothshank. Justin applies floral patterned custom laser, luster and commercial decals over wood fired functional pottery forms to create a unique depth of surface. In addition to that body of work he produces politically themed tableware that features portraits of past presidents and historic figures. In our interview, we talk about his role in cofounding the Union Project in Pittsburgh, PA, his Mennonite faith as it applies to social responsibility, and the growth of his online business from his home base in rural Indiana. To find out more about Justin visit www.rothshank.com. Justin is also a founding member of the Michiana Pottery Tour, which happens in September of every year. Visit www.michianapotterytour.com for more info.

Hey Red Clay Rambler fans, I need your help. We need 25 new patrons to reach our December fundraising goal. Visit patreon.com/redclayrambler to pledge your support and become a sustaining member. We have a batch of rewards to offer including the new Vintage Radio shirt, handmade pots, posters and much more. Visit patreon.com/redclayrambler to sign up today.

I want to send a special thank you to Joel Cherrico Pottery for sponsoring the podcast through our Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Patreon fundraiser. Joel Cherrico's art is currently on display at the American Craft Council Headquarters in Minneapolis. You can view his art in person by visiting the American Craft Council and their public craft library, or by visiting his website cherricopottery.com/acc.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with Brooke Rothshank. Her vibrant watercolor compositions of people, objects, and scenery are rendered as small as a 1-by-1 inch scale. The expert skill of her paintings draws you into the subject matter creating a precious emotional quality that her patrons seek in the portraits she paints of their loved ones. In our interview, we talk about transitioning to miniature painting, her Painting-a-Day and Gratitude projects, and the system of commissions that she has created to help maintain her work/life balance. To find out more about Brooke visit www.rothshank.com.

Hey Red Clay Rambler fans, I need your help. We need 25 new patrons to reach our December fundraising goal. Visit patreon.com/redclayrambler to pledge your support and become a sustaining member. We have a batch of rewards to offer including the new Vintage Radio shirt, handmade pots, posters and much more. Visit patreon.com/redclayrambler to sign up today.

This episode of the podcast is sponsored by AMACO, your one-stop-shop for all your ceramic needs. To find out more visit www.AMACO.com.