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 Mike Helke and Steve Rolf.  Both are established potters that work in the Western Wisconsin/ Southern Minnesota area. In the interview we talk about successful models for selling pottery, taking ownership of your life through creative action and balancing studio with family priorities. For more information on Mike please visit www.mikehelke.com. For more information on Steve please visit www.scrolfpotter.com.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with Robert Briscoe.  A potter for nearly five decades, Briscoe utilizes colored slips and ash glazes to create rich stoneware surfaces. He is the cofounder of the St. Croix Valley Pottery tour, which has grown into the largest tour and sale of its kind in the United States.

In the interview we talk about the effect Vietnam had on his moral foundation, cultivating a philosophy of abundance, and the history of the St. Croix Valley Tour. For more information on his work please visit www.robertbriscoe.com. For more information on the St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour please visit www.minnesotapotters.com.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with one of the most influential members of the American studio pottery movement, Warren Mackenzie. After an early apprenticeship at the Leach Pottery in St. Ives, Cornwall (1949-1952), Mackenzie became a ceramic professor at the University of Minnesota (1953-1990). During his nearly four-decade tenure at the school, he influenced generations of students including Michael Simon, Randy Johnston, Mark Pharis and many more. At 91 he continues to make pots in his studio in Stillwater, MN.

In the interview we talk about his time at the Leach Pottery, pricing for domestic wares, and his thoughts on what makes a good pot. To see images of his work please visit the episode guide at http://www.talesofaredclayrambler.com.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with Sarah Millfelt. As director of the Northern Clay Center, Sarah has been instrumental in the development of new programs like MN NICE, as well as ongoing projects like the American Pottery Festival. NCC is a full service ceramic institution serving the greater Minneapolis, MN area with weekly classes, national exhibitions, and one of America’s best ceramic sales galleries. In the interview we talk about building new programs, developing an active board, and successful management of a nonprofit organization. For more information on Sarah please visit www.northernclaycenter.org.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with Amy Santoferraro. Her colorful mixed media sculptures spring from a lifelong desire to collect and rearrange groups of objects. She says of her collections, “I love that any silly lil' ole object can become charged with meaning, history, sentiment, and the authority to tell stories.,,I relentlessly tinker with objects ceramicly until they fit and work in a way that is very mine.“

In the interview we talk about collecting, keeping work fresh, and seeking wonder in everyday life. In addition to her studio practice Amy is an Assistant Professor at Kansas State University. For more information on Amy’s work please visit www.mysanto.com.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have a panel discussion with Eileen Cohen, Julianne Shibata, and Samuel Johnson. In our broad ranging conversation we discuss their personal histories, Minnesota clay culture, and understanding the impact of new technologies. This episode was taped in front of a live studio audience at the Northern Clay Center in Minneapolis, MN.

Eileen Cohen is a sculptor, arts educator and exhibitions coordinator at Silverwood Park in St. Anthony, MN. For more information on her work please visit www.eileendalecohen.com. Julianne Shibata is an installation artist and art educator based in Minneapolis MN. In 2014 she was a recipient of an Artist Initiative grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. For more information on her work please visit www.julianeshibata.com. Samuel Johnson is a potter and Associate Professor of Art at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University. For more information on his work please visit www.samuel-johnson.com.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have a panel discussion on ceramic education with Ursula Hargens and Dustin Yager. Hargens is a ceramic artist, educator, and founder of the Minnesota New Institute for Ceramic Education. This nine-month studio intensive offers advanced students an in-depth study of ceramic history, professional practices and critical thinking. Dustin Yager is the Head of Educational at the Northern Clay Center, which hosts MN NICE in their studios in Minneapolis, MN. For the second part of the interview Dawn Malcolm and Juss Heinsalu join us to discuss their participation in the pilot year of the program.

For more information on Ursula Hargens please visit www.ursulahargens.com. For more information or to register for MN NICE please contact Dustin through www.northernclaycenter.org.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with Aaron Nelson. Throughout a multifaceted career Aaron has mixed new digital technologies with a ceramic practice to create both sculpture and vessels. His recent interactive ceramic chandelier, Chain(ge), shifts color on command when texted from any location in the world. In addition to his studio practice Aaron is the artistic director of Medalta in Medicine Hat, Alberta. In the interview we talk about embracing the cultural economy, the value of creative problem solving, and the history of Medalta.  For more information please visit www.aaronnelson.ca. For more information on Medalta and the ceramic programming they have to offer please visit www.medalta.org.

Today’s episode is the final installment of Canada week, a series of five episodes featuring Canadian Clay artists from Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. For more information about Canada week please visit the episode guide at www.talesofaredclayrambler.com.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with Clint Neufeld. Based in Osler, Saskatchewan, Clint utilizes large-scale slip casting to construct sculptural hybrids that reference the tools of heavy industry. Often presenting the objects resting peacefully on Victorian furniture his work humanizes the machine, while simultaneously championing the work ethic of blue-collar labor. In the interview we talk about large scale slip casting, the Canadian grant system, and developing discipline in an art practice. For more information on Clint please visit www.clintneufeld.com.

Today’s episode is part of Canada week, a series of five episodes featuring Canadian Clay artists from Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. For more information about Canada week please visit the episode guide at www.talesofaredclayrambler.com.

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with Walter Ostrom. One of the early adopters of earthenware Majolica pottery, Walter has been a major influence on generations of North America ceramic artists. Through his almost forty year teaching career at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design he upheld functional ceramics as a conceptually rich medium that deserved equal footing in academia. To see images of Walters work please visit the episode guide at www.talesofaredclayrambler.com.

Today’s episode is part of Canada week, a series of five episodes featuring Canadian Clay artists from Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. For more information about Canada week please visit the episode guide at www.talesofaredclayrambler.com.