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

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have a discussion with Jeni and Forrest Gard. Founding members of the Socially Engaged Craft Collective both create ceramic objects that are used in performance based art that engages community. In the interview we talk about their history as makers, the core framework of socially engaged art, and the founding of the collective. For more information on their work please visit jenihansengard.com or forrestgard.com. You can find more information on the collective at sociallyengagedcraftcollective.org.

This episode of the podcast is sponsored by Sierra Nevada College. Come be inspired by the gorgeous, natural setting of Lake Tahoe, while studying with nationally known artists in a variety of art mediums. This summer continues a tradition of excellence in art education that has been going strong for 32 years. This year’s line up includes Adam Field, Ronan Kyle Peterson, John Toki, Nancy Servis, and many more. I’m also excited to announce that I will be teaching a hands on workshop on Perfect Pouring Pots July 23rd and 24th. To see SNC Tahoe’s full summer schedule please visit www.sierranevada.edu and search for summer workshops.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have a discussion on wood firing with Linda Christianson, Elisa Helland-Hansen, Jan McKeachie-Johnston, and Lindsay Oesteritter. We talk about how each artist came to wood firing, how they developed a personal aesthetic within the process, and how they critique their work after a firing.

Linda Christianson is based in Lindstrom, MN. www.christiansonpottery.com. Elisa Helland-Hansen is based in Seimsfoss, Norway. www.elisahh.no. Jan McKeachie Johnston lives in River Falls, WI. www.mckeachiejohnstonstudios.com. Lindsay Oesteritter is based in Manassas, VA. www.loceramics.com. This interview was recorded at Trax Gallery in Berkeley, CA. www.traxgallery.com.

This episode of the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler is sponsored by Potters For Pulse. This fundraising event supports the victims and families of those affected by the recent Pulse tragedy in Orlando Florida. Over 50 ceramic artists have donated work that will be available for purchase at Pottersforpulse.bigcartel.com. On June 24th at 8pm EST the sale will go live with all proceeds going to the Equality Florida's Pulse Victim Fund. Please consider making a purchase or make a donation to your local LGBTQ organization. For more information on the event please visit Pottersforpulse.bigcartel.com

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have a discussion with the founding members of the Kansas City Urban Potters. The group of seven artists banded together in Kansas City, MO in 2014 with the purpose of expanding “visibility of contemporary studio pottery to local and regional audiences through invitational exhibitions, public lectures and community-based events.” The group includes Chandra Debuse, Jana Evans, Meredith Host, Alex Watson, Erica Iman, Rain Harris and Paul Donnelly. In the interview we talk about the history of KCUP, developing a consensus based decision-making model, and expanding from an annual pop-up shop to a brick and mortar gallery. For more information on KCUP please visit www.kcurbanpotters.com.

This episode of the podcast is sponsored by Sierra Nevada College. Come be inspired by the gorgeous, natural setting of Lake Tahoe, while studying with nationally known artists in a variety of art mediums. This summer continues a tradition of excellence in art education that has been going strong for 32 years. This year’s line up includes Adam Field, Ronan Kyle Peterson, John Toki, Nancy Servis, and many more. I’m also excited to announce that I will be teaching a hands on workshop on Perfect Pouring Pots July 23rd and 24th. To see SNC Tahoe’s full summer schedule please visit www.sierranevada.edu and search for summer workshops.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have a discussion with art dealer Jayson Lawfer. Trained as a potter, Jayson brings a maker’s touch to his role as gallery director of The Nevica Project. Under his direction the Chicago-based gallery focuses on primary and secondary market sales for fine art and craft, including the work of Michael Lucero, Richard Serra, Shoji Hamada, and many more. In the interview we talk about his transition into the gallery world, how to value an object on the secondary market, and balancing a gallery portfolio that includes both fine and contemporary craft artists. For more information on Jayson please visit www.thenevicaproject.com.

This episode of Tales of the Red Clay Rambler is sponsored by FLM Studio in Petaluma, CA. This multipurpose studio offers workshops for Bay Area ceramic artists while also serving as the studio for Forrest Lesch Middelton. On June 4th and 5th I will be teaching a two day hands-on workshop titled from Flat to Functional. Join me for this exciting weekend to learn more about using foam molds to create hand built tableware. To register for this event visit www.flmceramics.com.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have a discussion with Namita Wiggers and Michael Strand. I talk with the duo of curators about their project for the recent 50th anniversary of NCECA- Across the Table, Across the Land. Taking place over the better part of the year the project encouraged the public to submit both object and event-based works around the idea of ceramics, food and community. The project culminated with an exhibition at the Charlotte Street Foundation in Kansas City. In the interview we talk about how ceramics can be a catalyst for communal gatherings, the role of emotion in exhibition design, and the documentation/analysis of social practice. For more information on the Across the Table please visit www.ncecaacrossthetable.com.

Namita Wiggers is a writer, curator, and educator based in Portland, OR. She is the Director and Co-Founder of Critical Craft Forum. Wiggers teaches in the MFA Applied Craft + Design, co-administered by Oregon College of Art + Craft and Pacific Northwest College of Art. For more information please visit www.criticalcraftforum.com.

Michael J. Strand is an Associate Professor and Head of Visual Arts at North Dakota State University in Fargo, ND. With a background as a functional potter, Michael’s work has moved seamlessly into social practice and community engagement, while remaining dedicated to the traditional object, as he investigates the potential of craft as a catalyst for social change. For more information please visit www.michaeljstrand.com.

This episode of Tales of the Red Clay Rambler is sponsored by FLM Studio in Petaluma, CA. This multipurpose studio offers workshops for Bay Area ceramic artists while also serving as the studio for Forrest Lesch Middelton. On June 4th and 5th I will be teaching a two day hands-on workshop titled from Flat to Functional. Join me for this exciting weekend to learn more about using foam molds to create hand built tableware. To register for this event visit www.flmceramics.com.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have a discussion with figurative sculptor Wesley Anderegg. Based in the Santa Rita Hills of northern Santa Barbara County, Anderegg uses ceramic figures to weaves narratives that are both primal and complex in their approach to emotion. His simplified ceramic forms are placed in tableaus that range from the mythical to the mundane in order to show the full range of the human experience. In the interview we talk about using humor to address the dark side of life, being creative in lean financial times, and the art of making wine. To see examples of his work please visit http://www.wesleyanderegg.com.

This episode of the podcast is sponsored by Sierra Nevada College. Come be inspired by the gorgeous, natural setting of Lake Tahoe, while studying with nationally known artists in a variety of art mediums. This summer continues a tradition of excellence in art education that has been going strong for 32 years. This year’s line up includes Adam Field, Ronan Kyle Peterson, John Toki, Nancy Servis, and many more. I’m also excited to announce that I will be teaching a hands on workshop on Perfect Pouring Pots July 23rd and 24th. To see SNC Tahoe’s full summer schedule please visit www.sierranevada.edu and search for summer workshops.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have a discussion with multimedia artist Roberto Lugo. His current body of ceramic vessels uses portraiture, graffiti inspired patterns, and hip hop aesthetics to investigate notions of personal identity and belonging. He currently has an exhibition at the Wexler Gallery titled Defacing Adversity: The life and times of Roberto Lugo. The show listing perfectly describes the intent of Roberto’s work. “By combining graffiti, hip hop, history, pop culture and porcelain, Lugo is bringing new conversations to the table of contemporary art.” For more information on the exhibition visit www.wexlergallery.com.

Potter, painter, rapper, husband, father, and educator are just a few of the hats Roberto wears in the course of his daily life. He currently lives with his family in Marlboro, VT where he teaches at Marlboro College. In the interview we talk about race, white privilege and guilt in the ceramics world, and transitioning to life in rural Vermont. For more information about Roberto please visit www.robertolugostudio.com.

This episode of Tales of the Red Clay Rambler is sponsored by FLM Studio in Petaluma, CA. This multipurpose studio offers workshops for Bay Area ceramic artists while also serving as the studio for Forrest Lesch Middelton. On June 4th and 5th I will be teaching a two day hands-on workshop titled from Flat to Functional. Join me for this exciting weekend to learn more about using foam molds to create hand built tableware. To register for this event visit www.flmceramics.com.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay

Guest host Holly Hanessian is an artist and Professor of

This episode of Tales of the Red Clay Rambler is sponsored by

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have a panel discussion with Jen Allen, Deb Schwartzkopf, and Steve Godfrey. The trio’s ceramic roots go back to Alaska, where Jen and Deb were students of Steve’s at the University of Alaska Anchorage in the early 2000’s. In the interview we talk about how the student teacher relationship evolves, harnessing the inner critic, and the emergence of the “online pot”. For more information on Steve please visit www.uaa.alaska.edu. For more information on Deb please visit www.debspottery.com. For more information on Jen please visit www.jenniferallenceramics.com. Jen and Deb are members of Objective Clay. You can find out more information about their organization at www.objectiveclay.com.

This episode of the podcast is sponsored by Sierra Nevada College. Come be inspired by the gorgeous, natural setting of Lake Tahoe, while studying with nationally known artists in a variety of art mediums. This summer continues a tradition of excellence in art education that has been going strong for 32 years. This year’s line up includes Adam Field, Ronan Kyle Peterson, John Toki, Nancy Servis, and many more. I’m also excited to announce that I will be teaching a hands on workshop on Perfect Pouring Pots July 23rd and 24th. To see SNC Tahoe’s full summer schedule please visit www.sierranevada.edu and search for summer workshops.

This week on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with Joel Magen. His recent passing was a huge shock to the clay community in Northern California. One of the few potters in the area to offer an apprenticeship, Joel helped educate dozens of potters at his Dark Horse Pottery in Davenport, CA. In our 2014 interview we talked about Marguerite Wildenhain's influence on California studio pottery, how ceramics fit into the back-to-the-land movement of the 1960's, and the evolution of Dark Horse Pottery. To see more examples of Joel's work please visit www.darkhorsepottery.com. 

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.