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

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler I talk with Alix Brodeur, Adam Helenske, and Isaac Howard. All three have been resident ceramic artists at Pottery Northwest within the last five years. In our conversation we talk about the creative benefit of working in an urban environment, developing a personal voice through atmospheric firing and making a living in Seattle. For more information on Alix Brodeur please visit www.alixalix.com. For more information on Adam Helenske please visit www.circleofartstudios.com. For more information on Isaac Howard please visit www.iehoward.com. For more information on Pottery Northwest please visit www.potterynorthwest.org.

This episode of podcast is sponsored by the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, TN -- Enriching lives through art since 1945 by providing life-changing, inspiring, and invigorating opportunities for people of all skill levels. Explore your creativity immersed in Arrowmont's multi-discipline craft workshops ranging between fiber arts, woodworking, metals, ceramics and much more. What will you create in 2017? A sneak peek of Arrowmont workshops is now online at arrowmont.org. Browse topics and instructors to start planning your workshop with early registration opening November 1. You can register by phone at 865-436-5860 or visit arrowmont.org.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler I talk with James Lobb and Wally Bivins. Both artists have long time ties to Pottery Northwest, having transitioned from artist-in-residence to staff members to executive directors. Wally was executive director from 2004-2015, when James took over the organization, which recently celebrated its 50-year anniversary. In our conversation we talk about creating a sense of ownership in a community art center, taking creative risks as an administrator and the history of the Seattle-based organization. For more information on James and Wally please visit www.potterynorthwest.org.

This episode of podcast is sponsored by the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, TN -- Enriching lives through art since 1945 by providing life-changing, inspiring, and invigorating opportunities for people of all skill levels. Explore your creativity immersed in Arrowmont's multi-discipline craft workshops ranging between fiber arts, woodworking, metals, ceramics and much more. What will you create in 2017? A sneak peek of Arrowmont workshops is now online at arrowmont.org. Browse topics and instructors to start planning your workshop with early registration opening November 1. You can register by phone at 865-436-5860 or visit arrowmont.org.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler I talk with author and gallerist Mark Del Vecchio. In partnership with Garth Clark, he opened the Garth Clark Gallery in Los Angeles in 1981, before moving to New York in 1983 to direct their iconic West 57th Street location. For almost three decades he managed the gallery helping to promote and shape a generation of American ceramic artists. Del Vecchio has written numerous articles and published Postmodern Ceramic, a widely used ceramic text in art schools. Mark now lives in Santa Fe, NM where he is the curator of ceramics for Peter’s Projects.

In the interview we talk about the NY gallery scene in the 80’s and 90’s, the rise of the Vessel Oriented Ceramic Object and building a collector base for a gallery. For more information please visit www.garthclark.com.

This episode of the podcast is sponsored by the Democratic Cup project. Dismayed by the toxic rhetoric of the 2016 presidential campaign artists Ayumi Horie and Nick Moen joined together to bridge the gap between the polarized sides of our current political spectrum. The Democratic Cup is a fundraising campaign that supports progressive causes through the sale of limited-edition handmade cups designed by a passionate team of renowned illustrators and potters. Icons, heroes, and conversation-starters like Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Bell Hooks, Sojourner Truth, and Bernie Sanders adorn each cup. To find out more or to purchase a cup please visit www.thedemocraticup.com.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler podcast I talk with multimedia artist Virgil Ortiz. Raised in Cochiti Pueblo, Ortiz learned to make traditional ceramic forms by watching older members of his family. As a teen his interest in sci-fi helped him branch out from pottery into figurative sculpture and narrative story telling. As his career in ceramics matured he has ventured in many other directions including writing movie scripts, designing contemporary fashion, and making multimedia installations. His most recent exhibition, Revolt 1680-2180, is on display at the Albuquerque Museum and utilizes ceramic figures, video and photography to tell the reinterpreted story of the 1680 Pueblo Revolt against the Spanish.

In the interview we talk about dealing with the history of Native American oppression through making art, designing for Donna Karan, and developing a major motion picture. For more information please visit www.virgilortiz.com.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have a discussion with Christine McHorse. Over her nearly fifty-year career she has transitioned from making traditional Pueblo pottery to a body of complex sculptural vessels that are technical and aesthetic frontrunners. Made from local micaceous clay, her vessels have a midnight black appearance resulting from a post-firing reduction process. In the interview we talk about her introduction to traditional Pueblo clay methods by her mother-in-law, her time selling at the Santa Fe Native American market, and her transition into the fine art world.

The success and critical acclaim of her recent traveling exhibition DARK LIGHT: The Micaceous Ceramics of Christine Nofchissey McHorse demonstrates the importance of her role in the field of ceramics. She is currently having her first solo gallery exhibition at Peters Projects, Santa Fe. For more information visit www.petersprojects.com.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have a discussion with Adam Field, Neil Celani and Joe Taylor. Field and Celani are members of Clayscope, a collective that uses Periscope, and other social media platforms, to build ceramic community online. Taylor is a software engineer at Periscope, who also has a passion for making ceramics. In the interview we talk about the nuts and bolts of the live streaming app, the qualities that make a Periscope broadcast successful and how digital communities enhance relationships and learning. For more information please visit www.clayscope.com.

Adam Field is a studio potter and workshop instructor based in Helena, Montana. He created the “HIDE-N-SEEKAH”, social media event, in 2013 and has been instrumental in the creation of the online community Clayscope. www.adamfieldpottery.com

Neil Celani is a full time studio potter working in Greeley, CO. Neil was selected as a 2016 Ceramics Monthly Emerging Artist and is currently the Resident Artist at the Clay Center of Northern Colorado where he also manages the studio. www.neilcelaniceramics.com

Joe Taylor is a software engineer based in San Francisco, CA. He works on web development for Periscope and also works in clay from his home studio. www.periscope.tv. The other founding members of Clayscope are Michael Kline (www.klinepottery.com) and Virgil Ortiz (www.virgilortiz.com).

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have a discussion with Garth Clark & Justin Crowe. The two are core staff members of CFile, an online ceramic journal covering “a global community of cutting-edge educators, ceramics creatives, critics, curators, collectors, dealers, and brilliant young techies.” Along with their role of championing avante-garde ceramics they are one of the few journalistic organizations that investigates the field of ceramics from a global multidisciplinary perspective. In the interview we talk about the trends sweeping through the field of ceramics including fractal fascination, extreme glazing, and the rise of 3D printing. For more information on Cfile visit www.cfileonline.org.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have a discussion with Justin Crowe. His current creative practice is split between designing functional ceramic wares and producing digital projects that exist solely online. In our interview we discuss his role in creating “The Selfie Arm”, a humorous critique of contemporary narcissism, which took on new meaning as it went viral on major media outlets CNN, MTV News, and The Huffington Post. For more information on Justin’s work visit www.justincrowestudio.com. Crowe is also the Director of Operations for the online ceramic publication CFILE. You can find out more about CFILE at www.cfileonline.org.

This episode of Tales of the Red Clay Rambler is sponsored by the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, TN -- Enriching lives through art since 1945 by providing life-changing, inspiring, and invigorating opportunities for people of all skill levels. There’s still time to register for the year’s Legacy weekend happening September 8-11. This unique workshop experience celebrates the craft, culture and heritage of the region during one of the most beautiful times of the year. Appalachian history, culture and economic life are explored in workshops featuring local artists, musicians and storytellers. Register today at Arrowmont.org.

This week on the podcast I have a panel discussion about the ceramic figure and story telling. Panelists Carole Epp, Magda Gluszek, Jill Foote-Hutton and Tammy Marinuzzi discuss character development, mining their personal history to create a story arc, and methods for drawing viewers into serious content through humorous or nostalgic subject matter. This episode was taped live at Floriopolis as part of the Gulf Coast State College Ceramic Symposium in Panama City, FL.

Carole Epp is a studio artist based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. In addition to her studio work she is the editor of the popular ceramic blog Musing about Mud. For more information visit www.caroleepp.com. Magda Gluszek is a sculptor based in Show Low, Arizona. She is a faculty member and gallery director at Northland Pioneer College. For more information visit www.missmagdag.com. Jill Foote-Hutton is an artist and community arts educator based in Minneapolis, MN. She is the Head of Education and Artist Services Programs at the Northern Clay Center. For more information please visit www.whistlepigtales.com. Tammy Marinuzzi is a studio artist based in Panama City, FL. She is a Professor of Art at Gulf Coast State College. For more information please visit www.tammymarinuzzi.com.

This episode of Tales of the Red Clay Rambler is sponsored by Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, TN -- Enriching lives through art since 1945 by providing life-changing, inspiring, and invigorating opportunities for people of all skill levels. Experience fall in the Smoky Mountains immersed in Arrowmont's multi-discipline craft workshops ranging between fiber arts, woodworking, metals, ceramics and much more. Combine wheel-thrown and hand built forms with Shadow May, fire in Arrowmont’s manibigama wood kiln with Josh Copus, or join Justin Rothshank for a workshop on image transfer on ceramics. Take this opportunity to “experience the unexpected”, and join this unique educational environment. Learn more about Arrowmont scholarship opportunities and their fall workshop sessions at www.Arrowmont.org.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have a discussion with Kathy Erteman. Her ceramic vessels and architectural wall pieces read as modernist paintings that have been stretched into three-dimensional form. They have been shown internationally and are included in public collections such as the Renwick Gallery/Smithsonian Institute, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Taipei Museum of Fine Arts and SC Johnson Collection. In addition to her fine art work she has designed a variety of ceramic wares for Tiffany, Dansk and Crate & Barrel.

In the interview we talk about modernism, her experience designing for industry and her ongoing relationship with Nixi Potters from the remote mountains of Yunnan, China. For more information about Kathy please visit www.kathyerteman.com.

This episode of Tales of the Red Clay Rambler is sponsored by Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, TN -- Enriching lives through art since 1945 by providing life-changing, inspiring, and invigorating opportunities for people of all skill levels. Experience fall in the Smoky Mountains immersed in Arrowmont’s multi-discipline craft workshops ranging between fiber arts, woodworking, metals, ceramics and much more. Explore wheel-thrown forms with Bryce Brisco, challenge the concept of atmospheric fired pottery with James Tingey, or join Randy Johnston for a one-week workshop on various handbuilding techniques. Take this opportunity to “experience the unexpected”, and join this unique educational environment. Learn more about Arrowmont scholarship opportunities and their fall workshop sessions at Arrowmont.org