Northern Clay Center Spring 2021 Newsletter

SPRING

2021

EXHIBITIONS | EVENTS | EDUCATION | ARTIST SERVICES

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Northern Clay Center

CHAIR'S REPORT

Announcing NCC's New Leadership Team

we had the making of an executive team possessing strong experience in the ceramic arts and long institutional history with NCC. Tippy, Kyle, and the Transition Committee, though, felt it important to have a point person, one Executive Director, for NCC. Respecting the future plans and desires of both Kyle and Tippy made the final recommendation easy.

Left to right: Kyle Rudy-Kohlhepp, Tippy Maurant, and Craig Bishop at an exhibition opening in the pre-COVID era of February 2020.

I think we can all agree that 2020 has been a year of challenges, and while it has been one we are looking to put behind us, it will have left long-lasting marks on many parts of our daily lives.

How we view these challenges will determine future outcomes, and I for one will consider them as presenting us with opportunities.

On March 1, faced with a vacancy in the Executive Director position, the Board of Directors made an openended commitment to new leadership by naming Kyle Rudy-Kohlhepp and Tippy Maurant as Interim Co-Executive Directors. Kyle was previously Deputy Director of Operations and Director of Learning & Artist Services and Tippy had been Director of Galleries & Events.

In June, the decision was made to have the Interim Co-ED role sunset on October 31 as the Board’s Transition Committee began to consider its options for the future. One option of course would have been to begin a

search process for a new Executive Director but, in the midst of COVIDrelated challenges, the Transition Committee began to consider another route.

On March 1, we could just begin to see the tip of the COVID-19 iceberg. Little did NCC realize how drastically things would change. However, from the moment Kyle and Tippy assumed the Interim Co-ED position amidst myriad challenges posed

by COVID and civil unrest in the Twin Cities, they were unflinching. In fact, they made many difficult decisions to stabilize and protect all that we know NCC to be. Furthermore, their decisions set the stage for future growth as things begin to normalize through 2021. As such, the Transition Committee began to see either or both of them as the future Executive Director(s) of Northern Clay Center.

The Transition Committee began serious discussions with Tippy and Kyle in October about transition possibilities and it became clear with both that

On October 26, the Transition Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that effective November 1, 2020 Kyle Rudy-Kohlhepp become Executive Director and Tippy Maurant become Deputy Director/Director of Galleries & Exhibitions at Northern Clay Center. The Board vote to approve this recommendation was unanimous.

Please join me in congratulating Kyle and Tippy and wishing them much success in their new leadership roles.

Very best regards, Craig Bishop Chair (2020), Northern Clay Center Board of Directors

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Northern Clay Center

EXHIBITIONS

The Secret Life of Objects March 5 – April 18 Main Gallery Curated by Pattie Chalmers and Jill Foote-Hutton

Left to right: Natalia Arbelaez, Leslie Macklin.

In this exhibition, our curators bring together artists who imagine the life of a ceramic object beyond the pedestal through drawing, collage, and film. The Secret Life of Objects will share the most compelling clay work crossing material boundaries and will draw in new audiences to engage in the role of voyeuristic observer.

The life of an object explored within the context of its engagement with the literal or imagined world proves just as bewitching as the consideration of the private story of an object’s gestation.

The representational object, presented in a frozen moment, will be re-presented through various narrative devices—a non-traditional approach to interrupt our process of perception.

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Northern Clay Center

EXHIBITIONS

earned his BA in Fine Art at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, Dundee, Scotland in 1987, his Post Graduate at Cyprus College of Art, Lemba, Paphos, in 1988, and a Higher National Certificate in Ceramics at Angus College of Further Eucation, Dundee, Scotland in 1998.

This page, left to right: Stephen Bird, Anu-LauraTuttleberg. Opposite page: Arthur Gonzalez.

Artists in this exhibition include: Natalia Arbelaez, Stephen Bird, Arthur Gonzalez, Valerie Ling, Leslie Macklin, and Anu-Laura Tuttelberg.

Natalia Arbelaez approaches her work as a story teller through her multiple lenses of self, as a “Mestizo, Colombian, and American hybrid.” Through craft, and thoroughly-researched historical evolution of material, she enlivens and keeps relevant the critical conversations surrounding the importance of culture, communities, and tradition. Arbelaez earned her BFA at Florida International University, Miami, in 2011 and her MFA from The Ohio State University,

Columbus, in 2015. She is a Co-Founder of The Color Network and is currently an adjunct professor at Ceramic Advanced Studio and Clay Studio at Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Boston.

Stephen Bird utilizes his formal training as a painter to bring narrative to life within his ceramic sculptural works. He explores the darkly human themes of “cruelty, war, and unnatural affections” through subtle portrayal in the context of old myths and comforting English pottery visual references. The cloaked, mutinous works employ scale, color, form, and “random inclusions” to seduce viewers into a deeper interaction. Bird

Arthur Gonzalez investigates and encourages consideration of the dynamic relationship between world events and personal experiences.

The conscious result is uneasy and coarse while simultaneously familiar and validating. His sculptures, while inanimate, pulse with emotion and understanding that portends imminently coming to life. Gonzalez earned his BA (1977) and MA (1979) from California State University, Sacramento and his MFA at University of California, Davis (1981). His extensive career in ceramics encompasses exhibitions, both national and international, permanent collections, residencies, awards, and lectures. He is currently a full, tenured, professor at California College of the Arts, Oakland.

Valerie Ling explores the divide between how reality is viewed and experienced through a child’s perception and the evolution of experience as one moves into adulthood. That journey sees the ebb of imagination and innocence and the introduction of pragmatism and societal influence. Her work projects the realism of adult issues through a lens of pure and lighthearted childlike insight. Ling earned her BFA at New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University in 2015.

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EXHIBITIONS

explore the longer narrative of a maker's imagination. This remote discussion panel featuring Natalia Arbeleaz, Arthur Gonzalez, and Valerie Ling, led by Jill Foote-Hutton will focus on individual approaches to narrative and storytelling within and around ceramic objects.

Engage with methods that can aid in the evolution of developing stories within the objects you create. A lesson plan will be produced as a byproduct of this workshop for educators to employ in their remote or hybrid classrooms.

XV1 : Remote login, Thursday, March 11, 6 pm CT FREE

Leslie Macklin roots her work in the role of place in the human experience.

The definition of place, and the impact of place on our identity, are connected to deeper historical roles of landscapes and surroundings. Her inclusion of hand-dug clay bodies imbues a literal component of origin and is formed to recall impressions and sensations of specific locations. Macklin earned her BFA at Webster University, St. Louis, Missouri in 2009 and her MFA from University of Massachusetts Dartmouth in 2014. She is currently an Assistant Professor at Adams State University, Alamosa, Colorado.

Anu-Laura Tuttelberg brings her porcelain sculptures to life as characters in her stop-motion films. Her roles as filmmaker and artist align to bring the

visual language necessary to interpret the often-unbearable heft of events and offer guidance and buoyancy. Rather than view the sculpture or finished film as objectives, they are components in the larger experience of art making within a greater community that contributes to, and experiences, the process. Tuttleberg earned a BA (2009) and MA (2013) at Estonian Academy of Art, Tallinn.

Related Events Panel Discussion: Storytelling for Artists and Educators We approach a bowl as a familiar object, and understand a bowl based on its intended use of delivering bounty, holding sustenance, or being an object over which humans engage in dialogue.

The Secret Life of Objects takes this storytelling concept a step further to

Artist Talk: Valerie Ling Join Valerie Ling for an artist talk to discover more about the world her objects live in and how this world, that she also invites viewers into, is shaped by stylization and recurring themes.

XV2: Tuesday March 16, 6 pm CT FREE Artist Talk: Stephen Bird Join Stephen Bird as he presents an image lecture on the development of his ceramic practice, including details about his 2010 digital stop-frame animation project and how his work has been shaped and influenced by this project.

XV3: Tuesday, March 23, 6 pm CT FREE

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Northern Clay Center

EXHIBITIONS

Hidari-uma: Riding the Horse Backwards, Embracing the Unknown March 5 – April 18 Emily Galusha Gallery Curated by Amanda Dobbratz

Mike Norman’s work is part allegory, alchemy, poetry, and Minge-sota.

Norman grew up in Duluth, near the shore of Lake Superior, with his artist parents about whom the neighbors would whisper, “They are Bohemians.”

He and his sister spent their childhood reading, painting, building forts, and creating imagined adventures in the wilderness. At his grandparents’ farm, he developed a deep love of animals and a particular affinity for the big black and brown floppy-eared dog named Rip. You can see Rip, and other animals Norman has loved, over and over again in the illustrations on his pots and the figures in his sculpture. These animals have become part of his lexicon, his personal taxonomy of stand-ins for nostalgic adventure and poetic iconography.

This retrospective of Norman’s work will celebrate his career of over 50 years and will feature new sculptures made specifically for the exhibition.

Left to right: Mike Norman, Face Vase, Moonrise.

"Hidari-uma is a Japanese word meaning left-hand or dark-side horse. It refers to when a potter gets or builds a new kiln. The tradition is, a horse is brought to the pottery, standing in front of and facing away from the kiln. The potter climbs on the horse’s back facing the back of the horse. The horse begins to walk away ‘into the future.’ The potter sees only his old work and is yet to know what he and his new kiln will make. I see myself as the rabbit on my horse sculpture. I am riding forward in time with my love of life and clay."

—Mike Norman

Related Event Artist Demonstration: Mike Norman Join Mike Norman on his 82nd birthday as he shares a demonstration live from his studio, including a casual conversation about his life and the development of his body of work.

XV5: Saturday, April 10, 12 – 2 pm

Northern Clay Center

CALENDAR

EXHIBITIONS

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NCC and NCECA 2021

FEBRUARY 9 Spring class registration opens, 10 am MARCH 2 March Featured Artists opens 5 Exhibitions open: Secret Life of Objects, Hidari-uma 11 Panel discussion: Storytelling for Artists, 6 pm 16 Artist talk: Valerie Ling, 6 pm 17 – 20 NCECA annual conference, virtual 23 Artist talk: Stephen Bird, 6 pm

NCC staff members Kyle Rudy-Kohlhepp, Tippy Maurant, and Stephanie Lenertz at NCC's Gallery Expo at the 2019 NCECA Conference in Minneapolis.

NCC’s Sales Gallery, Exhibition, and Education departments will participate in the 55th annual conference held virtually by the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) from March 17 – 20.

During the four-day Rivers, Reflections, Reinventions conference, NCC will offer the work of local, sales gallery, and 2021 American Pottery Festival artists through our online gallery. In our second year of embracing a virtual NCECA event, we look forward to celebrating the relationships and artists that help keep NCC possible as well as expand our community.

During the week, we will also promote our artist services such as grants and residencies for current

students, emerging artists, and midcareer artists. It’s the time to ask questions, interact with staff, and receive valuable information about opportunities for artists.

If you are attending the 55th annual NCECA conference online this year, please stop by the NCC website and social media profiles to say hello, enjoy new work, learn about opportunities, and maybe even add to your collection!

APRIL 3 March Featured Artists closes 6 April Featured Artists opens

AAH workshop: Garden Plant Markers, 6 pm 9 Applications due: Emerging Artist Residencies and

Warren MacKenzie Advancement Award, 5 pm 10 Artist demo: Mike Norman, 12 – 2 pm 18 Exhibitions close: Secret Life of Objects, Hidari-uma 22 MN NICE information session, 6 pm 27 Artist talk: Ashwini Bhat, 6 pm 28 AAH Looking & Learning, 6:30 pm

MAY 2 April Featured Artists closes 4 May Featured Artists opens 15 AAH workshop: Creatures for Your Garden, 12 pm 21 Applications due: McKnight Residency &

McKnight Fellowship, 5 pm 30 May Featured Artists closes

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Northern Clay Center

SALES GALLERY

March Featured Artists: Kasten, Lang, Petrie, Shaman March 2 – April 3 Sales Gallery & Online

Each of March’s featured artists offers a snapshot, sometimes literally, of a life. These explorations can be highly personal, but also familiar within the context of shared human experience.

Ani Kasten’s work captures nature, and sometimes grief, through relatable abstraction. Jamie Lang creates adobe bricks small enough to hold in your hand with images and designs that evoke sentimentality. Ian Petrie’s original comic drawings get to the core of our vulnerability, frustration, and self-deprecation. And Laurie Shaman’s expressive imagery on elegant, contemporary pots details the typically unobserved life found in nature and our neighborhoods.

Clockwise from top left: Ani Kasten, Ian Petrie, Laurie Shaman, Jamie Lang.

Northern Clay Center

SALES GALLERY

April Featured Artists: Bren, Dobbratz, Pechacek, Schmidt, Shaughnessy, Jewelry Focus April 6 – May 2 Sales Gallery & Online

April brings the opportunity to celebrate five local artists with a collective experience spanning over a century and 1000s of students. There is a strength in artistic voice in each of their bodies of work matched only by their ongoing generosity in service to the community of clay. This month, we’ll also highlight their ceramic jewelry offerings, as well as those of several other gallery artists, that offer personal adornment ranging from delicate to brazen to sensible.

Clockwise from top left: Tricia Schmidt, Heather Nameth Bren, Liz Pechacek, Bernadette Torres, Melissa Mencini, Amanda Dobbratz, Sandra Daulton Shaughnessy.

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SALES GALLERY

May Featured Artists: APF Preview May 4 – 30 Sales Gallery & Online

The American Pottery Festival Preview is your ONLY chance to see and buy work by our visiting APF artists in person until APF Opening Night on Friday, September 3. Join us for this special opportunity— while we may not know what autumn will hold for our in-person APF event, we do know that May is your month to visit the gallery and enjoy a sneak peek!

Clockwise from top left: Peter Jadoonath, Justin Donofrio, Ashley Bevington, Bianka Groves, Guillermo Guardia, Sandra Torres.

Northern Clay Center

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Northern Clay Center

SALES GALLERY

Save the Date!

American Pottery Festival September 3 – 5 All Galleries & Online

Join us for the 23nd Annual American Pottery Festival, September 3 – 5. Our annual fundraiser will once again gather national ceramic artists representing the best in their fields, and offer a diverse array of ideations, processes, forms, and surfaces. This year, we hope to kick off our annual event with our Opening Night Party on Friday, September 3, 2021. We’ll keep you informed!

and ages, and some local gems. The richness of experience, knowledge, and generosity represented by 2021’s guest artists will provide learning opportunities for everyone, from student to collector to fellow maker. The weekend is always filled with the chance to engage directly with artists during image presentations, workshops, lectures, panel discussions, and casual gallery chats.

The American Pottery Festival is an annual three-day event that serves as our largest fundraising event each year. It serves as a mindfully-forged platform to bring together makers, clay lovers, learners, collectors, and the simply curious, to play and be inspired.

The APF Preview Show in May is your first chance to see a sampling of work from each 2021 artist. It is on view in the Sales Gallery and online from May 4 – 30.

Each year, the event includes artists from large and small markets around the country, artists from all career stages

Please visit www.northernclaycenter. org for updates on APF events, artist rosters, ticket prices, volunteer needs, virtual workshops and lectures, and opportunities to purchase work online.

Left to right: a display at APF 2020 of the work of Forrest LeschMiddelton and Arash Shirinbab. Virtual workshop by Ashley Bevington and Tricia Schmidt. Executive director, Kyle Rudy-Kohlhepp holds down the fort with a masked cut-out of director of galleries and exhibitions, Tippy Maurant.

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Northern Clay Center

ARTIST SERVICES

McKnight Artist Residency for Ceramic Artists: Ashwini Bhat

MA), Cavin-Morris Gallery (New York, NY), Cohen Gallery at Brown University (Providence, RI), the American Jazz Museum (Kansas City, MO), the Newport Art Museum (Newport, RI), Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park (Japan), India Art Fair (India), FuLe International Ceramic Art Museum (China), and Woodfire Tasmania (Australia). Her sculpture also has been widely reviewed and featured in Brooklyn Rail (USA), Lana Turner: A Journal of Poetry and Opinion (USA), Riot Material (USA), Ceramics: Art + Perception (USA/Australia), Ceramics Ireland (Ireland), New Ceramics (Germany), Caliban (USA), Craft Arts International (Australia), Studio Potter (USA), Logbook (Ireland), and Ceramics Monthly (USA).

Bhat is the guest curator for the 77th Scripps College Annual, Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery, Claremont, CA.

Ashwini Bhat.

Exploring the deep relationship between the human and non-human, between the constructed and the inherited, Ashwini Bhat (Petaluma, CA) creates sculptures inviting viewers to interact with the revealed and the hidden. Trained in wheel-throwing methods, Bhat transitioned to hand-building in order to expand and better articulate her passion for form. She often introduces radical but somehow familiar shapes that suggest the complex interplay between landscape and body. Bhat’s work addresses concerns that are decidedly international. She notes, “If I speak several languages, if I can call on my background in literature and dance, perhaps I can apply my distinctive

experience to my work in order to cross some of the borders that keep empathy, feeling, and even beauty bound.”

Bhat studied with American expatriate Ray Meeker at Golden Bridge Pottery in Pondicherry, India. Prior to her career as a visual artist, she studied and performed Indian classical dance, Bharatanatyam, and traveled extensively with the Padmini Chettur Dance Company. She received her MA in Literature & Translation Studies from Bangalore University.

Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally at locations including Shoshana Wayne Gallery (Los Angeles, CA), Lucy Lacoste Gallery (Concord,

Related Event Artist Talk: Ashwini Bhat Please join us in welcoming Bhat as part of the NCC community from April through June. She will present an artist talk via Zoom on Tuesday, April 27, 2021, at 6 pm CT. This presentation is free to the public but early registration is appreciated.

Northern Clay Center

Grant Deadlines

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EDUCATION

NCC Seeks Clay Camp Teachers and Assistants

Northern Clay Center manages several grant programs that provide monetary awards or studio residencies to individual artists.

Deadlines are quickly approaching! If you are an emerging or mid-career ceramic maker, visit our website for details about opportunities that you may be eligible for. Applications for all programs will be available on our website.

Deadlines: Warren MacKenzie Advancement Award (WMAA) The application deadline for the Warren Mackenzie Advancement Award is Friday, April 9, 2021, by 5 pm CT. Emerging Artist Residencies (EAR) Comprised of both the Fogelberg and Anonymous Artist Studio Fellowships, the deadline to apply for these Emerging Artist Residencies is Friday, April 9, 2021, by 5 pm CT. 2020 Clay Campers decorating their work with engobes.

McKnight Artist Residency for Ceramic Artists The deadline to apply for the McKnight Residency is Friday, May 21, 2021, by 5 pm CT. McKnight Artist Fellowships for Ceramic Artists The deadline for the McKnight Fellowship application is Friday, May 21, 2021, by 5 pm CT.

Northern Clay Center seeks college students and recent graduates, ages 18 and up, for our summer camp positions.

Each summer, NCC hosts dozens of weeklong, half- and full-day clay camps for youth ages 6 – 17.

Clay Camp instructors create and lead projects through myriad themed camps for up to 14 students in each camp. Instructors work with a Clay Camp assistant to provide guidance to students and maintain studio cleanliness.

Instructors are paid positions.

Clay Camp assistants work closely with NCC's Education Coordinator and Clay Camp instructors to provide classroom support for weekly summer clay camps.

Assistants are valued volunteers who can earn credit toward NCC's adult education classes based on hours worked.

If you are interested in learning more, contact us at education@ northernclaycenter.org.

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2020 Word of the Year: Resilience

Jean Witson, another Clay-Along student, was also a little hesitant to embrace a new way of making initially, but was taken by surprise when she found a remodeled way to do clay community. “I was grateful for the ability to be creative and interact with other creative people in my virtual class while I was isolated at home. Surprisingly, we created a community among the participants as we learned together, discussed our ideas, shared our challenges and watched each other’s progress. This has been particularly satisfying to me in a time when my personal interactions are more limited than usual.”

The at-home set-up of a Clay-Along student.

Creating with clay is an inherently resilient process; it requires our patience and persistence until we deliver it into the fire where it withstands and eventually resolves to be transfigured by immense heat. Clay echoes and reminds us of the innate resilience of human beings—that we are capable of adapting and persevering through great stresses.

Making with clay has also served many as more than just a metaphor during these difficult times, it has supported some as an absorber of stress, and has prompted many others to recall and cling to another essential facet of our humanity: creating.

We asked some of NCC’s students about their journey with clay this year,

and if and how it has changed since the pandemic began. Long-time student Amy Boland has not returned to inperson learning, but has taken up the opportunity and challenge to start a practice from home with Clay-Along Virtual Classes. She says of her transition to handbuilding, “Pre-COVID, I'd not been very interested in handbuilding; now the joke is on me—I've grown to enjoy the physicality of handbuilding techniques, to appreciate the variations in thickness and texture that aren't achievable on the wheel, and to like the handbuilt pots I'm making. I've lately found that it's possible to integrate favorite techniques I learned in the studio with the new things I'm learning over Zoom.”

Both Amy and Jean concluded their comments by dwelling on the unexpected and prevailing benefits of their Clay-Along experience. Amy shared that, “Clay-Along has made it possible for me to use this isolated time to keep growing and changing as a craftsperson.” Jean shared, “Learning the [new] techniques to do so became an enjoyable means to an end. It has been a very freeing experience and I’ve loved every minute of it.”

As Clay-Along classes continued to open new doors, NCC also re-opened its physical doors, welcoming students back into the studios beginning in July.

These students encountered changes of their own, not only because of a much more regulated setting, but in the role that clay evolved to serve. Handbuilding student, Marty Rehkamp reflected on her journey with clay this year, “The feel of clay—being able to put my hands

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Studio Artists

in it was anxiety reducing. I definitely felt it had a more therapeutic quality than usual, rather than pure creation or recreation. To focus on an idea and to try and execute it was a wonderful diversion from the outside world. To have conversations with friends that were driven about creating art has buoyed my spirits and sustained me this year.”

Veronica Torres recently began taking classes at NCC and attested to a similar experience about the supportive effect of working with clay, “[It] is a meditative practice that teaches patience and mitigates expectation—an important skill during these uncertain times. It is a reflective and solitary work that molds my character as much as I try to mold the clay into a shape. I am grateful to be able to focus my energy and divert my attention from all the uncertainty this year has brought into developing my skills and craft.”

Another NCC student commented optimistically about their experience jumping back into clay during the pandemic, “This year was actually my first year back since college—over 10 years ago. I was searching for a distraction and something to challenge me. I've actually had more time to work on my skill set. This last class I created my first teapot and I look forward to continuing to challenge myself to create.”

The events of this year have also weighed heavily on creative prowess for many and changed the way we approach making. Marty Rehkamp felt this impact, yet inspiringly, worked to

transform her experience, embracing an adjusted process that made creating during hard times more approachable.

Marty says, “I am dealing with low levels of anxiety from the daily news and national events and this has put a damper on my bigger creative self, [but] I could not let this crazy, depressing time we are living through take away one of the most meaningful things I do.

I worked on smaller forms I could repeat well and tinkered with bigger ideas that I tucked into the back of mind for later.”

BISQUE Resident, Donna Ray, in her studio at NCC.

To say this year has been far from simple is a gross understatement. Despite the mass changes, it has been a comforting sight to see human resilience flourishing in the form of pots rotating through the kilns in our studios, reminding us that creativity and making new things is a beautiful and crucial distinction of humanity, the thing that moves us forward. An NCC student of seven years, Mike Monsor, expresses the cornerstone of his approach to clay, and an eloquent summary of a medium that is enduring as the people who create with it. He writes, “The search for the perfect curve and proportion is timeless… The feeling of clay forming in my hands is timeless…”

Clarice Allgood, Fogelberg Fellow Marion Angelica Maggie Archbold, MN NICE Ashwini Bhat, McKnight Resident Pam Bonzelet Evelyn Weil Browne Lynda Buscis Alex Chinn Logan Chyla Elizabeth Coleman Peter D’Ascoli Joel Edinger-Willson Katharine Eksuzian Sara Fenlason Gabby Gawreluk, Anonymous Artist Fellow Carol Hanson Kim Hamilton, MN NICE Audrey Jellison Alex Lange, MN NICE Rob Lieder Keather Lindman Marta Matray Kate Maury

Matt McLeod Jacob Meer, Anonymous Artist Fellow Sheila Murray, MN NICE Ari Nahum Robyn Peterson Marjorie Pitz Donna Ray Debbie Schumer Sue Schweitzer Audra Smith Kate Smith Phil Smith Mic Stowell Roy Stube Olivia Tani Joe Tashjian, MN NICE Jacob Thill Beth Thompson Zach Van Dorn Kathryn Van Duvnhoven Lynn Wadsworth Mary Ann Wark

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Spring Classes & Workshops

As we begin to emerge from a time of prolonged and challenging adjustments, we push forward with a practice that has always been a teacher of resiliency— ceramics. Our offerings may continue to evolve as new public health guidelines are made available. Class sizes will continue to be limited and appropriate safety initiatives will remain in place. We encourage you to register early as our in-person classes will fill up quickly. We will also continue to offer Clay-Along online classes. Please visit our website for the most up-to-date information.

As the weather warms and our surroundings come back to life, spring back into your favorite practice or swing with something new altogether in the studios at Northern Clay Center.

A talented, well-rounded cast of new and returning teaching artists are ready to guide the next steps in your clay experience with a wide variety of foundational offerings, beginner and intermediate classes, and a number of Special Topics classes and workshops. Imagine all the skills that will blossom from our lineup of classes and workshops—a veritable bouquet of techniques to further cultivate your ceramic mastery.

We continue to offer students more open studio time than many other clay studios in the Twin Cities, leaving plenty of time to digest demonstrations and practice your craft independently.

Adult students generally have access to our studios between 9 am and 9 pm Wednesday through Sunday, 4:30 to 9 pm on Mondays, and 9 am to midnight on Tuesday and Thursday evenings (subject to other NCC events and programming). To ensure safety in our

studios as much as possible, students may need to sign up for open studio in advance via an online sign-up system.

Browse our open studio schedule online to check the most up-to-date listing of available times.

Check out page 24 for more information about ART@HAND Programs. Classes @ marked in this section with a are designed for and easily accessible to older adults.

CLAY-ALONG VIRTUAL CLASSES Stay connected to your creativity from home and Clay-Along with NCC through virtual classes and materials kits designed to fulfill your clay longings at a social distance.

Virtual classes will meet online for two hours once a week for five weeks with an NCC teaching artist who will guide you through quality at-home digital experiences with clay. We are also pleased to offer self-guided clay kits with lesson plans for home for an independent clay experience. Both offerings have the option to include lowfire clay and a set of engobes (colored slips), bisque and clear glaze firings at NCC, and a guide to setting up a space for clay in your home.

No clay-specific tools? No problem!

All classes and lessons can be accomplished with everyday utensils and objects.

You can also select an optional materials kit that includes a guide to setting up an at-home clay space, 25 or 50 pounds

of low-fire clay depending on class length (choice of low-fire red: a smooth terracotta body; or Raku: a grittier, offwhite body), a set of engobes (colored slips) and firings at NCC. If you have everything you need already, just select the content-only version. We can’t wait for you to Clay-Along with us!

Three Graces – Handbuilding 101 Virtual Edition Learn basic skills for ceramic sculpture and handbuilt pottery through a series of projects and demonstrations. Come with your own project ideas or let your instructor lead the way with a series of prompts to start you on your handbuilding journey. This class will introduce the three basic methods of handbuilding—coiling, pinching, and slab-building—to provide the foundation for any project you might imagine.

Twenty-five pounds of clay, a set of engobes, and all firings, as well as a clear coat of glaze are included when you select the materials kit option. All skill levels welcome.

V1: Mondays, 6:30 – 8:30 pm Instructor: Amanda Dobbratz March 29 – April 26 Fee with Kit: $140 (members receive 5% discount) Fee, Content Only: $90 (members receive 5% discount) V2: Mondays, 6:30 – 8:30 pm Instructor: Amanda Dobbratz May 3 – June 7 (Class will not meet on Memorial Day) Fee with Kit: $140 (members receive 5% discount) Fee, Content Only: $90 (members receive 5% discount) Vases, Pots, and Planters for Spring Get ready to grow your handbuilding skills to prepare for the coming growth of spring and summer. Warm up like the returning sun and refine your building

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techniques as you use a variety of handbuilding methods, from coiling to pinching to slab-building. Make vases, planters, and pots of all shapes and sizes to serve as practical and beautiful homes for anything from new sprouts to bountiful bouquets. Use clay scraps to make plant markers and other garden guardians. Learn new techniques for decorating with colorful slips to tailor your pots to your liking. Fifty pounds of clay, a set of engobes, and all firings, as well as a clear coat of glaze are included when you select the materials kit option.

This class is designed for those with some previous handbuilding experience and knowledge of basic construction methods, and levels beyond.

V3: Tuesdays, 10 am – 12 pm Instructor: Marion Angelica March 30 – June 1 Fee with Kit: $280 (members receive 5% discount) Fee, Content Only: $180 (members receive 5% discount) Coil Concentration During this ten-week virtual class, devote your attention to your technical and artistic development in coil building.

As an optimally versatile and dynamic way to handbuild, the sky's the limit with achievable uniqueness and endlessly diverse possibilities of form. Practice multiple coil construction techniques as you work through a variety of project prompts. Build a historical form with specific and planned dimensions over multiple weeks, create functional tableware, and learn to stylize your work with personality and decorative flair!

Fifty pounds of clay, a set of engobes, and all firings, as well as a clear coat of glaze are included when you select the materials kit option. This class is best suited to those who have had a

fair amount of handbuilding experience or have an intermediate knowledge of building methods.

V4: Wednesdays, 6:30 – 8:30 pm Instructor: Heather Barr March 31 – June 2 Fee with Kit: $280 (members receive 5% discount) Fee, Content Only: $180 (members receive 5% discount) Handbuilding Complex Forms Ready to take your handbuilding to the next level? This course will have an emphasis on building with coils and pinching, along with new, specialized techniques including lids and galleries, carving and cutting, altering, and working at different stages of dryness.

Students will be guided and supported to make technically and visually complex forms—such as candelabras, lanterns, and lidded boxes—that challenge skill, develop construction control, and evolve a sense of form. Twenty-five pounds of clay, a set of engobes, and all firings, as well as a clear coat of glaze are included when you select the materials kit option.

This class is suited best to those who have had a fair amount of handbuilding experience or an intermediate knowledge of building methods.

V5: Thursdays, 6:30 – 8:30 pm Instructor: Chris Salas April 1 – April 29 Fee with Kit: $140 (members receive 5% discount) Fee, Content Only: $90 (members receive 5% discount) Pinch Pot Meditations Using lessons inspired by Paulus Berensohn’s book, Finding One’s Way with Clay, focus on methods of making pinch pots—simple to complex—to grow your connection between making and intuition. As you build a variety

of forms starting with a single piece of clay, learn to better control the shape, the thickness, and the height of pinched functional, or abstracted forms.

Apply these skills to create pinch pot responses as you reflect on generated prompts or ideas. Strengthen the foundation of your handbuilding skills and awareness of the material as you intentionally cultivate a calming practice with clay. Twenty-five pounds of clay, a set of engobes, and all firings, as well as a clear coat of glaze are included when you select the materials kit option.

This class is designed for those with some previous handbuilding experience and knowledge of basic construction methods, and levels beyond.

V6: Thursdays, 6:30 – 8:30 pm Instructor: Chris Salas May 6 – June 3 Fee with Kit: $140 (members receive 5% discount) Fee, Content Only: $90 (members receive 5% discount)

CLAY-ALONG VIRTUAL WORKSHOPS Get a taste of virtual instruction and explore the possibilities of working with clay at home with these oneday workshop options. All workshop offerings can be accomplished with a simple home set up of a flat porous surface, kitchen utensil tools, plus water and a sponge for clean-up. From casual workshops for beginners, to special topic workshops, get connected virtually so you can stay connected to clay! If you choose a material kit option, pick up your kit from NCC the week before your workshop, and drop off work for firing the following week.

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Clay-Along Workshop Feeling isolation frustration? Grab a house-mate or neighbor and enjoy a creative clay-filled evening from the convenience of home. Pick up a materials kit from NCC including a couple pounds of low-fire clay and some slips for decorating, then tune in for live virtual instruction to ClayAlong with an NCC teaching artist as they guide you through a handbuilt clay project. This workshop is a great place to start if you're interested in or just getting started with clay, or gives you a chance to test your skills and get creative in a new setting. Once you've completed making, drop off your work at NCC for firings and a coat of clear glaze. Instructions for pick up and joining the live workshop will be sent to you upon registration.

XV7: Spring Planters: Friday April 9, 6:30 – 8:30 pm Ceramic Jewelry Making Join ceramic jewelry aficionados Tricia Schmidt and Judith Yourman for three Saturdays to design and create ceramic jewelry. Schmidt and Yourman have designed and made a variety of unique ceramic jewelry for years, and are joining forces for this three-part workshop.

They will walk you through the jewelry making process focusing on the design and construction of the clay pieces.

Learn how to shape individual pieces and create a cohesive composition, how to decorate with slip and glaze, and how to make a “bead box” to properly fire your pieces. Schmidt and Yourman will also discuss other finishing techniques including a demonstration on sawdust firing that could take place in your own backyard!

Jewelry assembly with findings and other metal parts will be demonstrated,

participants will complete this work independently after the workshop. Five pounds of Raku clay, a set of engobes, and a length of nichrome wire are included when you select the materials kit option. Basic understanding of handbuilding methods and stages of clay are recommended for this workshop.

XV8: Saturdays, April 17, 24, & May 8, 1 – 3 pm Fee with Kit: $140 (members receive 5% discount) Fee, Content Only: $90 (members receive 5% discount) The Hot Seat—Kiln Firing 101 Virtual Edition Great for art educators!

So, you’ve read your kiln's manual but still have questions about firing?

Worry no more! In this one-day virtual workshop, you will learn the basics of firing and maintaining your own electric kiln. Tune in over Zoom to learn basic information about kiln styles, firing speeds, kiln requirements and firing temperatures, and problem-solving methods. You’ll come away with more confidence in your abilities to fire your kiln consistently. This workshop does not authorize NCC students to fire our kilns independently, but is helpful for educators and anyone aspiring to become an NCC studio artist. Basic clay knowledge is preferred.

Electric kiln only Instructor: NCC Teaching Artist XV9: Saturday, April 24, 1 – 3 pm Instructor: Heather Barr Fee: $55 (members receive 5% discount) Vessels for Ritual Ceramic artist Andrew Rivera thoughtfully crafts objects that elevate ritual by designing pieces that serve a tradition, particular food, or function.

His pieces are inspired by and reference design and traditions from his Mexican heritage. Whether leaving clues about

function in the shape of the form or on the surface, Rivera guides and invites users to connect to time-honored traditions and to contemplate them in the present moment.

During this workshop, students will design a vessel around a family or personal ritual—anything from a small tea cup to a large coil pot. Rivera will guide you through the nuances of the vessel’s particular function, and help you consider questions such as, how can this plate optimally serve and feature food or drink? How does it reflect and connect to my culture or tradition?

Where will it be used and how?

Come with food, drink, or ritual in mind and tune in live over Zoom to learn, reflect, and make. Six pounds of low-fire red clay and a set of engobes (colored slips) as well as all firings and a clear coat of glaze are included when you select the materials kit option. This class is designed for those with some previous handbuilding experience and knowledge of basic construction methods, and levels beyond.

XV10: Saturday, May 1, 1 – 4 pm Instructor: Andrew Rivera Fee with Kit: $55 (members receive 5% discount) Fee, Content Only: $45 Self-Guided Kit Clay-Along Self-Guided Kits balance the independence of self-guided clay exploration with the support of instructions that guide you step-by-step through a variety of projects at a range of levels; kid-friendly lessons included!

These kits are sure to satisfy your clay cravings, keep you creative, and increase your knowledge of forms and techniques. It’s also a great opportunity to explore clay, whether you’re brandnew or very experienced.

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No clay specific tools? No problem! All classes and lessons are designed to be accomplished with everyday utensils and objects or tool kits are available from NCC. Each kit includes 12 pounds of clay, a set of engobes (colored slips), a packet of Clay-Along lessons, a guide to setting up a space for clay at home and firings at NCC including a clear coat of glaze. You have the option to choose from low-fire red (smooth terracotta body) or Raku (grittier offwhite body) clay.

VKit: Fee: $45

INTRODUCTORY Want to learn the basics of making clay art? Get hands-on during five weeks of instruction and practice in these introductory classes that focus on the basics of building and glazing techniques. These classes will have plenty of guidance for beginners, making them ideal if you have little or no experience with clay and want to test your interest. We recommend that you take this class two or more times (within one quarter, or over consecutive quarters) to build your skills and prepare for Wheel and Handbuilding 201 classes and beyond. Wear old clothes and bring an old towel, a bucket no larger than one gallon, and a beginner’s set of tools to the first class.

Tool kits are available for purchase at NCC. Lab fee includes one bag of clay (25 pounds), all glazing materials, firings, and open studio access.

Land of Round Pots— Wheel Throwing 101 I1: Mondays, 6:30 – 9:30 pm Instructor: Jacob Meer March 29 – April 26 Fee: $170 + $20 lab fee (members receive 5% discount)

I2: Mondays, 6:30 – 9:30 pm Instructor: Jacob Meer May 3 – May 24 (Classes will not meet on Memorial Day. There will be no make-up session) Fee: $140 + $20 lab fee (members receive 5% discount) I3: Tuesdays, 6:30 – 9:30 pm Instructor: Clarice Allgood March 30 – April 27 Fee: $170 + $20 lab fee (members receive 5% discount) I4: Tuesdays, 6:30 – 9:30 pm Instructor: Clarice Allgood May 4 – June 1 Fee: $170 + $20 lab fee (members receive 5% discount) I5: Wednesdays, 10 am – 1 pm Instructor: Claire O’Connor March 31 – April 28 Fee: $170 + $20 lab fee (members receive 5% discount) I6: Fridays, 6:30 – 9:30 pm Instructor: Zach Van Dorn April 2 – April 30 Fee: $170 + $20 lab fee (members receive 5% discount) I7: Fridays, 6:30 – 9:30 pm Instructor: Zach Van Dorn May 7 – June 4 Fee: $170 + $20 lab fee (members receive 5% discount) Also check out our series of one-day workshops listed on pages 22 – 23—ideal for makers with little or no previous experience.

Three Graces—Handbuilding 101 Learn the basic skills for creating ceramic sculpture and handbuilt pottery through a series of projects and demonstrations. This class will introduce the three foundational methods of handbuilding—coiling, pinching, and slab-building—to provide the base for any project you might imagine.

I8: Wednesdays, 6:30 – 9:30 pm Instructor: Olivia Tani March 31 – April 28 Fee: $170 + $20 lab fee (members receive 5% discount)

Veronica Torres centering clay on the potter's wheel.

I9: Wednesdays, 6:30 – 9:30 pm Instructor: Olivia Tani May 5 – June 2 Fee: $170 + $20 lab fee (members receive 5% discount)

WHEEL We recommend that students begin their study at NCC with an introductory experience in clay, such as our Project Workshops or five-week classes (above).

Beginner Throwing 201 will take your skill set to the next level and deepen your understanding of clay to prepare you for Wheel 301 and advanced special topics classes. Our education staff will happily assist you in finding the appropriate class, via phone or email: 612.339.8007 x314 or samanthalongley@ northernclaycenter.org.

Beginner Throwing—Wheel 201 Discover the secrets of making great pots on the potter’s wheel while you build on your foundations. Improve your skills and learn new techniques for throwing such forms as cylinders, bowls, vases, and more using the

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pottery wheel as a tool. You will learn surface treatments such as glazing, staining, and slipping, and be introduced to firing procedures.

Dress for mess, bring an old towel, a bucket no larger than one gallon, and a beginner’s set of pottery tools to the first class. Tool kits are available for purchase at NCC. These classes are designed for those with some previous wheel-throwing experience, who have taken one or two LORP sessions, or equivalent, and feel comfortable navigating basic forms on the wheel.

W1: Tuesdays, 10 am – 1 pm Instructor: Lisa Himmelstrup March 30 – June 1 Fee: $340+ $40 lab fee (members receive 5% discount) W2: Wednesdays, 6:30 – 9:30 pm Instructor: Jennica Kruse March 31 – June 2 Fee: $340 + $40 lab fee (members receive 5% discount) W3:Saturdays, 10 am – 1 pm Instructor: Risa Nishiguchi April 3 – June 5 Fee: $340 + $40 lab fee (members receive 5% discount) Intermediate Throwing—Wheel 301 Take your skills to the next level as you learn additional techniques for throwing more complicated forms. Each section has a specific focus, but leaves room for personal interests and development.

Each course will also include more information about surface decoration, firing procedures, and the differences between low- and high-temperature clay bodies and glazes. Designed for those who have taken several Wheel 201 classes or equivalent.

W4: Mondays, 6:30 – 9:30 pm Instructor: Erin Holt, Focus on Function March 29 – May 24 Fee: $310 + $40 lab fee (members receive 5% discount) (Classes will not meet on Memorial Day. There will be no make-up session) W5: Tuesdays, 6:30 – 9:30 pm Instructor: David Swenson, Focus on Consistency March 30 – June 1 Fee: $340 + $40 lab fee (members receive 5% discount) W6: Wednesdays, 1 – 4 pm Instructor: Leila Denecke, Focus on Form March 31 – June 2 Fee: $340 + $40 lab fee (members receive 5% discount) W7: Thursdays, 10 am – 1 pm Instructor: Lucy Yogerst, Focus on Handbuilt Additions April 1 – June 3 Fee: $340+ $40 lab fee (members receive 5% discount)

HANDBUILDING Embrace a whole new pace and endless variations of working with clay. Follow your curiosity across the hall to Studio C to explore and include the practice of s-l-o-w and deliberate making into your ceramic vocabulary. Whether you are committing fully to your sculptural side, testing the waters with handbuilt counterparts to your wheel-thrown vessels, or anything in between, explore and embrace how handbuilding can inform your touch to clay in new ways.

Beyond Grace If you’ve taken The Three Graces of Handbuilding a few times and are ready to take your next steps in handbuilding, Beyond Grace is the class for you.

Demonstrations will focus on tilemaking, working with leatherhard slabs,

Masked students working in a throwing studio.

and using and creating sprig, drape, and press molds out of clay or plaster.

Other topics covered at student request include: scaling up your vessels or sculptures; using the extruder; internal and external armatures; slip and glaze application techniques; and alternative firing methods. Students should be competent in basic handbuilding methods such as coiling, pinching, and building with soft slabs. Students may bring their own project ideas and receive guidance, or may choose from a variety of intermediate project-prompts, provided by the instructor. Intermediate to advanced level.

H1: Thursdays, 6:30 – 9:30 pm Instructor: Elizabeth Coleman April 1 – June 3 Fee: $340 + $40 lab fee (members receive 5% discount) Guided Study in Handbuilding Expand your handbuilding fundamentals to explore figural,

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architectural, animal, decorative, and other non-functional applications of clay. Students are encouraged to bring projects and ideas to work on with low- or high-temperature clays, with guidance from the instructor.

Learn to think like clay as you anticipate technical challenges and plan to achieve your sculptural vision; investigate critical thinking as it pertains to the evolution of your work.

Intermediate to advanced level.

H2: Fridays, 10 am – 1 pm Instructor: Franny Hyde April 2 – June 4 Fee: $340 + $40 lab fee (members receive 5% discount)

SPECIAL TOPICS Put a Lid on It Don’t flip your lid over lids! Instead, learn to control your approach and create the perfect fit in a variety of styles. From insert, to overhanging, to caps and lids cut from closed forms, practice and fine tune your lid-making skills. You'll learn to create heightened, synergistic, and more practically functioning containers.

Explore making a variety of purposeful jar forms—from crocks and casseroles, to teapots and butter jars—while learning how to refine your forms to make them mesh with different types of lids. Smooth fitting lids and refined jars and containers are awaiting you!

T1: Wednesdays 10 am – 1 pm Instructor: Claire O’Connor May 5 – June 2 Fee: $170 + $20 lab fee (members receive 5% discount)

Clay on Repeat: Mold Making and Slip Casting 101 This ten week class will expand your creative process through exploration of the repeated form or vessel and will give you the opportunity to create your own molds and practice using them. Gain a better understanding of mold mechanics and learn how to examine or make objects intended for repetition. This is a great opportunity for those adept at the wheel to experiment with a favorite form. You will then dive into the process of making plaster molds for a majority of the class sessions. You will learn to create two-part molds and the principles of making molds of more complex forms. Slip-cast and make multiples from your newly made molds and learn how to refine the resulting pieces through a variety of hand-building techniques.

Twenty-five pounds of plaster, one bag of reclaim clay and access to casting slip is included in the lab fee. No mold making or casting experience is required, but students should have an intermediate level knowledge of clay and ceramic techniques.

T2: Wednesdays, 6:30 – 9:30 pm Instructor: Chloe Rizzo March 31 – June 2 Fee: $340 + $60 lab fee (members receive 5% discount) Shino, What Do You Know?

What is the deal with Shino? See for yourself what the obsession is all about in this class that explores the ins and outs of Shino glaze and makes this ancient, variable method more approachable. Answer all your questions about color, carbon trapping, and finding the right viscosity to complement and add texture and interest to your ceramic wares. Learn

Long-time student Robin Polencheck working on a sculpture in the handbuilding studio.

about the history and variations of this glaze, and even mix a couple batches for experimenting with as a class. With the wheel as your first tool, practice and make wares that will be a showcase for Shino. Become Shino-savvy and carry on the time-honored tradition—it will be your new go-to for rich, atmospheric surfaces. Intermediate to advanced levels recommended.

T3: Thursdays, 1 – 4 pm Instructor: Chris Singewald April 1 – June 3 Fee: $340 + $40 lab fee (members receive 5% discount) Atmospheric Explorations Delve into eight weeks of making with an emphasis on form, design, and materials suited best for an atmospheric kiln. Participants will explore form and surface treatments to further develop their work and take better advantage of varied surfaces that the kiln provides.

Through explorations applicable to both

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soda- and reduction-firings, students will take part in the loading and firing of two soda kilns and group critiques to better understand the fired results. This class is designed for makers of intermediate to advanced levels of construction with interest in exploring and learning about alternative atmospheric firing techniques.

Tentative firing schedule: Kiln loadings: May 6 & May 27 Firing and unloading schedule will be discussed during class.

Studio meetings all other weeks.

T4: Thursdays, 6:30 – 9:30 pm Instructor: Joel Edinger-Willson April 15 – June 3 Fee: $290 + $60 lab fee (members receive 5% discount)

SPECIAL TOPICS WORKSHOPS Surface Design and Alteration for Porcelain Want to begin or progress your adventure with porcelain? Welcome Bianka Groves back to NCC’s studios as she joins us from Santa Fe, NM for a weekend to demonstrate and teach her forming and decorating techniques. Tap into her deep well of knowledge and experience with techniques for throwing and altering porcelain and soak in her process of delicate and precise inlay. After Groves’s demonstrations, throw and alter a porcelain form with her guidance and practice her inlay technique on prepared porcelain tiles.

You will leave this workshop with new insight and inspiration for working with this refined material, and gain confidence in decorating silky surfaces.

Previous experience in wheel throwing is recommended.

X1: Saturday, April 10, 12 – 4 pm X2: Sunday, April 11, 12 – 4 pm Instructor: Bianka Groves Fee: $60 (members receive 5% discount)

PROJECT WORKSHOPS

Forming for Fire Get your surforms out and get ready to develop your skillset to make the most of your surface results for your next gas, wood, or soda firing. Join 2020 Jerome Ceramic Artist Project Grant recipient, Casey Beck for a weekend exploring his tried-and-true techniques for fire and surface synergy. Fight your urge to throw the thinnest walls possible and experiment with reductive methods to create planes and edges that bring new dimension to your work.

Crafternoon & Crafterdark Pottery Workshops Bring your creative friends and make a few new ones as you learn the secrets of throwing pottery on the wheel. This three-hour workshop is a fun and messy introduction to clay. The $40 fee includes instruction and materials for one adult.

Students can expect to make 3 – 5 pots and decorate them using colored slips and textures. Your pots will be ready to pick up after approximately two weeks.

Spend day one learning new ways to approach throwing and alteration before shaving away at some work of your own. Beck will help you to gain a better understanding of how to promote the interaction of fire and surface on your forms. Day two will focus on the attachments and finishing processes to unify a freshly faceted, carved, or rasped work in clay. Northern Clay Center will provide all the materials for this workshop.

Pieces created in this workshop will only be bisque fired and made available for pickup after approximately two weeks.

Participants do not have access to open studio hours or glaze firing unless enrolled in an eligible spring class.

X3: Saturday and Sunday, May 15 & 16 10 am – 1 pm each day Instructor: Casey Beck Fee: $105 (members receive 5% discount)

No previous experience required! NCC will provide all materials and tools for these workshops.

X4: Saturday, April 10, 6:30 – 9:30 pm X5: Friday, April 30, 6:30 – 9:30 pm X6: Saturday, May 22, 1 – 4 pm Instructor: NCC Teaching Artist Fee: $40 per person, per session Clay for Couples Pottery Workshop Looking for a unique date night activity that is sure to impress your mate?

Look no further than this NCC original, Clay for Couples. Sign up with your significant other and learn the secrets of throwing pottery on the wheel in a fun and relaxed environment. Already attended a session? Sign up again and take your skills to the next level. The $80 fee includes instruction and materials for two adults. Pots will be ready to pick up after approximately two weeks.

X7: Saturday, April 3, 6:30 – 9:30 pm X8: Saturday, May 8, 6:30 – 9:30 pm X9: Friday, May 28, 6:30 – 9:30 pm Instructor: NCC Teaching Artist Fee: $80 per couple, per session

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CLASSES & WORKSHOPS FOR FAMILIES For all family classes, children must be accompanied by an adult. Neither children nor adults will have access to open studio time during the quarter. Weekend workshops are open to all skill levels, ages 6 and up for handbuilding workshops and 9 and up for wheel-throwing.

Throwing Together Parents and kids (ages 9 and up)— spend a little Q.T. together learning a new skill. Learn to make basic cylinders, bowls, vases, and more, using the potter’s wheel. High-temperature clay and glazes will be used. Wear old clothes, bring a towel and a onegallon bucket for each participant.

Class sessions are designed to allow adults and children to work side-byside in a collaborative environment.

The registration fee for this class covers instruction, materials, and firing for two individuals, one adult and one child.

F1: Sundays, 1:30 – 3:30 pm Instructor: Elizabeth Coleman April 11 – May 30 Member Fee: $295 ($315 non-members) Rooting for Spring Get out your green thumb as you celebrate the coming of spring! Create containers and trays for your little sprouts to build your own greenscape. Learn basic slab building and decorating techniques.

Ages 6+ and all skill levels welcome.

Instructor: Eileen Cohen Saturday, April 3 F2: 10 am – 1 pm F3: 2 pm – 5 pm Fee: $60 for two people, $25 for each additional participant

Family Wheel Get behind a potter’s wheel and dig into some clay. Learn basic skills like centering, opening, and pulling the clay to make bowls and cylinders. Decorate your projects with colored slip. Ages 9+ and all skill levels welcome.

Instructor: Eileen Cohen Saturday, April 17 F4: 10 am – 1 pm F5: 2 pm – 5 pm Fee: $60 for two people, $25 for each additional participant Made It! How satisfying is it to use something you made? Very! In this class, you can design and create a mug, plate, or dish and then share the story of how you made it. Learn basic handbuilding skills and decorating techniques. Ages 6+ and all skill levels welcome.

Instructor: Eileen Cohen Saturday, May 15 F6: 10 am – 1 pm F7: 2 pm – 5 pm Fee: $60 for two people, $25 for each additional participant

CLAY FOR YOUTH Pottery Punch Card for Teens Teens may purchase eight, 2-hour classes, to be used on any Saturday, 10 am – 12 pm*. Classes will cover the fundamental techniques of throwing basic forms on the potter's wheel and creating surface decoration using glazes, slips, and applied elements, with varied demonstrations and projects for advanced students. Create a series of functional pots with high-temperature clay bodies. Previous experience is not required. Students may attend on a drop-in basis** and the complexity

Two young artists working on sculptures.

of projects will depend on multiple consecutive classes. Great for students and families with busy schedules. Wear clothes that you don't mind getting dirty; NCC will provide the tools and the clay. Students do not have access to open studio time. For ages 13 to 17.

Y1: Saturdays, 10 am – 12 pm Instructor: Erin Holt Classes will meet every Saturday unless otherwise posted*. Students may begin as soon as they register.

Student Fee: $265 (members receive 5% discount) Add multiples of 4 additional sessions at a time ($135, students who are members receive 5% discount) *Some Saturdays are not available due to holidays or NCC events. **Due to NCC's COVID-19 protocols, there is a strict capacity in the studios. In order to be guaranteed a place on any given Saturday, teens/parents must notify NCC. Your eight class sessions expire six months after the date of purchase.

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ART@HAND CLAY FOR OLDER ADULTS ART@HAND is NCC’s series of accessible programs for enjoyment of the ceramic arts. Intended for individuals 55 years old or greater (and their families), ART@HAND offers lectures, tours, workshops, and handson activities. ART@HAND specializes at meeting people where they are at, this year in their homes, and we are offering distance led workshops.

Garden Plant Markers Get ready for your annual spring planting with handmade plant markers.

Create clay tiles for your flora that will last year after year. Whether it’s herbs, fruits, vegetables, shrubs, or flowers that make you smile, clearly label your leafed friends with a ceramic marker created with an NCC teaching artist over Zoom.

by a penguin, your onions have an ogre guardian, or your ginkgo tree has a gecko playing hide and seek—your garden can become a place of wonder. This all-ages activity is led by an NCC teaching artist over Zoom. Let’s get creative with clay!

21AAH9: Saturday May 15, 12 – 1:30 pm FREE MATERIALS PICK-UP AND DROP-OFF INFORMATION: Distance led clay workshops require individuals to pickup materials at NCC ahead of the workshop, bring back projects for firing after the workshop, and pick-up their fired projects. Materials will be available on a cart during business hours on weekdays the week preceding the event and project should be dropped off at NCC for firing within the week following the event.

21AAH7: Wednesday, April 28, 6:30 – 8:30 pm FREE Creatures for Your Garden Add an extra layer of fun to your garden by decorating with clay creatures!

Whether your petunias are protected

XV1 : Remote login, Thursday, March 11, 6 pm CT FREE Artist Talk: Valerie Ling Join Valerie Ling for an artist talk to discover more about the world her objects live in and how this world, that she also invites viewers into, is shaped by stylization and recurring themes.

XV2: Tuesday March 16, 6 pm CT FREE

FIRING INFORMATION: Any projects made during these workshops will be fired and ready for pick up approximately two weeks after they are brought back to NCC for firing. Pots with clear glaze are food safe and can be used in a microwave and dishwasher.

Artist Talk: Stephen Bird Join Stephen Bird as he presents an image lecture on the development of his ceramic practice, including details about his 2010 digital stop-frame animation project and how his work has been shaped and influenced by this project.

VISITING ARTIST WORKSHOPS & LECTURES

XV3: Tuesday, March 23, 6 pm CT FREE

Storytelling for Artists and Educators Panel Discussion We approach a bowl as a familiar object, and understand a bowl based on its intended use of delivering bounty, holding sustenance, or being an object over which humans engage in dialogue.

The Secret Life of Objects takes this storytelling concept a step further to explore the longer narrative of a maker's imagination. This remote discussion panel featuring Natalia Arbeleaz, Arthur Gonzalez, and Valerie Ling, led by Jill Foote-Hutton will focus on individual approaches to narrative and storytelling within and around ceramic objects.

Engage with methods that can aid in the evolution of developing stories within

Artist Demonstration: Mike Norman Join Mike Norman on his 82nd birthday as he shares a demonstration live from his studio, including a casual conversation about his life and the development of his body of work.

21AAH6: Tuesday, April 6, 6 – 7 pm FREE Looking & Learning Join us via Zoom for the 16th installment of this "show-and-tell” series, featuring Ashwini Bhat, McKnight artist visiting from California, and Ani Kasten, a studio potter working in the St. Croix Valley.

The presenters will share and discuss objects that have inspired and influenced their making from each of their personal collections. This event will provide a glimpse into the lives and stories of each artist. You don’t want to miss it!

the objects you create. A lesson plan will be produced as a byproduct of this workshop for educators to employ in their remote or hybrid classrooms.

V5R: Saturday, April 10, 12 – 2 pm FREE Artist Talk: Ashwini Bhat Please join us in welcoming Bhat as part of the NCC community from April through June.

VR6: Tuesday, April 27, 6 pm FREE

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Spring Class Registration Opens Tuesday, February 9, 10 am To Register: Register with cash, check, or all major credit cards. NCC accepts registrations online at www.northernclaycenter.org, in the gallery, or by telephone at 612.339.8007. Download a paper registration form online, or call the gallery for more information. Member discounts are available online.

via an online sign up system. Browse our open studio schedule online to check the most up-to-date listing of available studios. NCC reserves the right to close studios for special classes or workshops.

Due to the high demand for classes, we require full payment with your registration to reserve your seat in class.

Continuing Education Credits: If you are a teacher in need of CEUs, contact the education department to learn how NCC’s classes and workshops can be taken for continuing education credit.

NCC will send confirmation of registration. If there is insufficient enrollment, we will cancel class, notify registered students, and refund all payments without penalty. Decisions are made approximately one week before classes begin.

Please register early or you might find that your favorite class is full, or canceled because of low enrollment.

Policies: Tools: Standard tool kits for introductory classes are available in NCC’s Sales Gallery for $25 + tax. Other specialty tools are available as well.

Open Studio: The tuition for regular adult classes includes access to open studio time. On average, adult students enrolled in a qualifying class will have access to our studios between 9 am and 9 pm Wednesday through Sunday, 4:30 to 9 pm on Mondays, and 9 am to midnight on Tuesday and Thursday evenings (subject to other NCC events and programming). To regulate our studios as much as possible out of concerns for safety this term, students will sign up for open studio in advance

Minimum Age Restrictions: Only students ages 18 and up are eligible to register for NCC’s adult classes and workshops.

Weather: As a general rule, NCC will remain open during inclement weather.

We take our cues from local colleges and universities for canceling or rescheduling classes during particularly hazardous conditions. When in doubt, feel free to call us at 612.339.8007, and please be safe!

Tuition, Fees, & Refunds: Please refer to class listings for tuition and fees. Unless otherwise noted, fees for adult classes include instruction, open studio time, 25 pounds of clay, basic glaze materials, and a firing allowance. Tuition may not be prorated.

Some students may incur additional expenses if they choose unusual glaze materials or if their work occupies a large volume of kiln space.

COVID-19 Cancellations: Given the uncertain nature of what lies ahead of us, NCC will remain flexible when it comes to cancellations as they relate to the current environment and recommendations by both local and national health authorities. In the event of an NCC-initiated cancellation,

students will be issued a full refund without penalty. Cancellations initiated by the student will be handled on a case-by-case basis with individual and community well-being maintained as a top priority. If you are sick or have COVID-19-related symptoms, we ask that you contact us before coming to or entering NCC for any reason.

Classes: 100% of tuition (less a $15 processing fee) will be refunded if a student elects to drop or transfer a class no later than one week (7 days) before the day of the first class meeting. 50% of tuition (less a $15 processing fee) will be refunded if a student drops or transfers a class within the seven days prior to the first class meeting or within the first two business days after the first meeting.

After this period, if a student elects to drop a class, tuition and fees will NOT be refunded for any reason except documented medical emergencies. There are no other exceptions to this policy.

Workshops: 100% of tuition (less a $15 processing fee) will be refunded if a student elects to drop or transfer a workshop for any reason at least one week (seven days) prior to the workshop. No refunds will be given with less than one week’s notice.

If you find you need to cancel your enrollment, please contact Samantha Longley at samanthalongley@ northernclaycenter.org or call 612.339.8007 x309.

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Northern Clay Center

EDUCATION

MN NICE: Year Seven

Last November, we celebrated our sixth graduating class of Minnesota New Institute for Ceramic Education (MN NICE). The program is currently in its seventh year with another diverse and devoted student body, with the unique obstacle of beginning their journey during a pandemic year. Despite some in-person challenges, the group has melded, grown and is thriving in their ceramic strides through this special program. Students enrolled in the 20202021 program include: Maggie Archbold, Kim Hamilton, Shawn Kelly, Alex Lange, Sheila Murray, Mel North, and Joseph Tashjian. Samantha Longley, Education Coordinator at NCC interviewed select students who recently completed the program’s first trimester to gather insight on their experience so far.

What was compelling to you about the MN NICE program and why did you choose to apply?

Mel: I started MN NICE to further my development as an artist. After encouragement from past participants, I felt I was ready for a more definitive and immersive experience. I wanted to learn how to construct and conceive work that would be at a more professional level. Most of all, I wanted to discover the underlying philosophy of form and function, keeping in mind the ideals of potters like Bernard Leach, Warren Mackenzie, Jeff Oestreich and Randy Johnston, among others.

What experience have you found most motivational, and why?

Sheila: That would definitely be the

Mel North, Bowl.

Joe Tashjian.

critiques and meeting the Affiliate Artists, what a huge wealth of knowledge at our disposal! Sharing my work and getting critiqued by others is so important, and these experiences have allowed me to look at and question my work more intentionally.

Shawn: Above all else, finding my people has been inspirational and motivational.

In short, it’s been great to collaborate.

I like hearing different points of view, learning different techniques, being exposed to a diversity of work. In addition, having access to a tremendous number of resources (kilns, library, materials room, etc.) has been great— I’m like a kid in a candy store.

How has MN NICE changed the way you approach your ideas or process?

Joe: MN NICE has been very helpful in opening our work to critique that allows us to consider what we are doing, why we are doing it, and what outcome we are looking for. The critique has come

from our group, our mentors, outside consultants, and ourselves. We have been encouraged to think about how we want to go forward and what we can do to make our work not only fit our intentions, but consider what else it could become.

How does your interaction with the other members of your cohort influence or support your development?

Mel: The students, although diverse in age and life experiences, try to help further each other’s goals through a style similar to the British Bake Off. Pleasantries and questioning are at the forefront of the feedback during critiquing, in a supportive environment.

Joe: By viewing other people’s work, I have learned there are many ways of expressing the same thought. Everyone has been very helpful and willing to give advice and support as necessary.

We have even formed our own Zoom meeting group to continue through the fall break to keep encouraging ourselves to develop during this time off.

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Northern Clay Center

EDUCATION

Is MN NICE right for you?

MN NICE supports the development of studio work and provides high-level training in ceramic materials, history and theory, and professional practices.

Through instruction and individual mentorship, students build skills, knowledge, and insight necessary to create a personal and cohesive body of work. The program is led by ceramics artist and educator, Ursula Hargens, and is supported by a dedicated group of Affiliate Artists, who are professional studio artists and educators in the greater Twin Cities community.

Shawn Kelly.

Sheila Murray.

In your experience, what has been most advantageous about the MN NICE class model and dynamic?

Mel: This program puts you at the heart of discovery. Learning is built around self-discovery through historical observation, with the freedom to test and experiment. Ursula seems to understand each of her student’s goals and provides the questioning and motivation to help keep you on track.

She is skilled in listening and observing, often picking up on what isn’t being said, such as any anxieties a student may have, and can then help the student build their skills and confidence. Her love for ceramics and education is a gift to her students, by making a positive, lasting impression that can totally change the trajectory of their lives.

approaches or styles than me, but our class readings and exercises pull on different techniques and understandings. The program has also given me experience in studio work especially by creating my own glaze recipes and firing my own kilns. There is also an abundance of talented, friendly ceramists at NCC who have offered me feedback on my work, which is much appreciated.

Kim: The program has helped me look at ceramics from many different viewpoints, not only because the other cohort members have different

What objectives has this program helped you to articulate and what are you hoping to accomplish in blocks two and three?

Joe: I hope to obtain a better understanding of the technical aspects of glazing and firing that will guide my skills in throwing and handbuilding. I look forward to the use of underglazes and atmospheric firing, as well as becoming technically competent to allow me to continue after my year with MN NICE has finished.

Hargens explains, "Many individuals are eager to further their ceramic education and seek a professional credential, but family, employment, financial, and time constraints limit their ability to do so within a traditional academic structure. This certificate program is designed to fill this gap, providing a flexible, yet challenging, environment that responds to the needs of non-traditional students, giving them quality information, academic rigor, critical dialogue, and critique as they develop their artistic practice and strengthen their work.”

Find more information on our website, or to request detailed information contact Samantha Longley at samanthalongley@northernclaycenter.org or 612.339.8007 x309.

Program Info Sessions: Join us for a program information session, where we will discuss the program’s many components before opening the floor to questions.

Thursday, April 22, 6 pm, remote login only.

Please email Samantha Longley at samanthalongley@northernclaycenter.org if you wish to attend this session.

Applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis but are expected by June 1 for September 2021 enrollment.

2424 Franklin Avenue East Minneapolis, MN 55406

Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Twin Cities, MN Permit No. 28375

612.339.8007 nccinfo@northernclaycenter.org www.northernclaycenter.org

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund, and a grant from the Wells Fargo Foundation Minnesota.

NCC Shop/Gallery Hours Open 10 am – 5 pm, 7 days a week.

Special Needs Exhibition Group Tours: Available for visitors with mental or physical disabilities and the hearing-impaired. Monday – Friday, 9 am – 4 pm. Please call at least three weeks in advance of the event.

Signed Interpretation: Available for any NCC public event. Please call the Center to request an interpreter at least three weeks in advance.

Wheelchair Seating for classes or other accommodations: Please call the Center at least two weeks in advance of the event. NCC’s building is wheelchair accessible and includes a wheelchair accessible potter’s wheel.

The information in this newsletter is available in large-print format upon request.

Mission: Northern Clay Center advances the ceramic arts for artists, learners, and the community, through education, exhibitions, and artist services. Ongoing programs include exhibitions by contemporary regional, national, and international ceramic artists, as well as historical and architectural ceramics; classes and workshops for children and adults at all skill levels; studio space and grants for artists; and a sales gallery representing many top ceramic artists from the region and elsewhere.

Front cover: Mike Norman, Bird Candle Holder, 2015.

NCC Seeks Interns and Assistants Join NCC for a fabulous and fun summertime clay adventure!

Each summer, NCC offers over 15 teaching assistantships and one paid internship for college students and recent high school graduates, ages 18 and older. Our 40+ weeklong camps that focus on either handbuilding or wheel-throwing are designed for all ability levels and for ages 6 and up.

See a world-class ceramics education program from the inside out. Assistants and interns gain experience in preparing materials, assisting with class demonstrations, and, most importantly, working directly with students ages 6 – 17.

These are volunteer positions for 15 – 20 hours per week, with commitments from one to ten weeks. Experience working with clay, and interest and experience in working with young people is essential.

There are also several volunteer intern positions in administration and in the galleries programs.

See our website for full details on camps and volunteer applications! www.northernclaycenter.org