Seventeen of the nation’s top ceramic artists gather for a pottery show focusing on functional pottery in the heart of Washington, DC. The ticketed preview reception offers collectors and fans the first chance to see and purchase the work of these esteemed artists, as well as receive a free, collectable tasting cup made by one of the potters. The free show and sale on Saturday and Sunday offer the chance to browse works and spend time getting to know the artists. The laid back, casual environment lends itself to conversations about the art and process behind it.

Mark and Sam will bring everything they do in their studios to this dynamic collaborative experience. We will throw, carve, alter, construct, decorate, and everything in between with an eye to bouncing all of our individual approaches off one another, creating an environment that values exploration. We are seeking the next pot and the next question. After the enthusiastic response to last year’s sold-out workshop, Mark and Sam are back for more explorations.

BACK ROADS

SUMMERTIME

GREAT POTS

WOODFIRED PIZZA

Slave Ships and Fingerprints: Reflections on Stoneware Collections at the Smithsonian Museum of American History This presentation will discuss my recent Smithsonian Artist Residency Fellowship. I will look at early New Jersey and Manhattan potters, the 1818 Morgan Slave Trading Scandal, shared motifs between David Morgan/Commeraw and New Jersey potteries, with a demo-detour through some Morley double-walled mugs.

The premier pottery tour in the US. Seven pottery studios are located in the upper St. Croix River valley, in Chisago County, less than a one hour drive from Minneapolis and St. Paul. Admission to all the studios is free and open to everyone. “The Tour” is a self-supporting arts event and each year a portion of the proceeds is donated to local, regional, or national arts and educational projects.

Claytopia, NCECA’s 2019 conference in Minneapolis will feature a Make-In Studio, a pop-up workspace in the heart of the convention center where anyone can come to touch clay, make pots, meet new people, and collaborate, celebrate, and cogitate together. This pilot project is an opportunity to get involved hands-on in the conference, side by side with fellow attendees. All are welcome: those just starting out in clay, K-12 teachers, university students and professors, professional and aspirational potters. The room is a drop-in, spontaneous space for expression, sharing, and experimentation. We might be decorating, trimming, and pulling handles on each other’s pots. The studio will be stocked with wheels (including a couple of treadle wheels), tools, slips, and wild North Carolina clay.  

Although the focus will be on spontaneous making, we have scheduled two one-hour informal demos, each featuring six potters, to provoke and inspire: Pitchers (Thursday, March 28 at 1pm) and Personal and Political Pots (Friday, March 29 at 10:30am). Among our demonstrators will be Michael Kline, Simon Levin, Michael McCarthy, Candice Methe, Mariko Paterson, Sam Taylor, Nate Wilever, and others.

Everyday Ordinary: Art of the People is a display of contemporary ceramics and a collection of essays reflecting the principles and philosophies of twentieth century Mingei traditions for a new generation.  We celebrate the 45th anniversary of The Clay Studio with 45 participating artists.

Mark and Sam will bring everything they do in their studios to this dynamic collaborative experience. We will throw, carve, alter, construct, decorate, and everything in between with an eye to bouncing all of our individual approaches off one another, creating an environment that values exploration. We are seeking the next pot and the next question. 

Mark Shapiro and Sam Taylor have been working together for over thirty years, firing wood kilns, developing ideas and work, and sharing the journey. They have been increasingly focused on community-based pottery, working locally and nationally with group firings, POW! (Pots on Wheels!), and studio tours. They recently taught together at the Penland School and Anderson Ranch and exhibited their individual and collaborative work at the Lacoste Gallery in Concord, MA. Over the years they have both taught many workshops separately at Castle Hill. This is a first together.