top of page

2023
Meeting Minutes

Archived Minutes

4th Quarter Member Meeting November 9, 2023

Held at Hickory Flat Masonic Lodge,  2907 E Cherokee Dr., Canton 30115

 

11:30 a.m. A little time to meet, mingle, and catch up with clay friends. Tables were available for a pottery tool, equipment, or studio gear swap, sale, or freebies. Some fun finds were available. The next Studio Stuff Swap & Sale will be the 2nd Quarter Member Meeting in May 2024. Just in time for Spring cleaning!  

 

Empty Bowls donations were collected! Another 38 bowls were added to the stash bringing our total to 85!! Kathryn updated our bowl-ometer to show progress towards our goal.

One of the contributors was The Art Place in Cobb County. Renee Speenburg, the clay studio manager, donated 12 bowls from their bowl sale inventory - they have since switched to a mug sale. We’re grateful for the lovely variety of bowls that were donated! 

We know several members have more bowls in process - we’re looking forward to seeing them. Bring them to the next meeting and let’s crush the goal of 50 bowls in February! 

Remember, if you have bowls to donate but can’t make it to the meeting, let us know and we’ll set up a way to collect them. Thank you Susan Blanchard for housing the bowls until our Empty Bowls event. 

 

12:08 p.m. – Potluck began and a call to order was given by Megan Baker. 

 

Julie Nunn was excused from the meeting. She has recently moved and is currently no longer working in clay. She has stepped down from the board and we extend a grateful thank you for all she has done this year to help the GCC.  

 

4th Quarter Board Voting

The original plan for this meeting was to sustain the board positions, barring any new volunteers stepping forward. This 4th quarter meeting is typically our voting meeting. Due to the opening in the board and no new volunteers, the new board was proposed as Megan Baker, president and part-secretary; Barbara Murphy vice-president and assistant secretary; Kathryn Somers, treasurer.   

  • A motion for voting was made and seconded. All present voted in favor, unanimously.

 

A note for those unable to attend: If you would like to volunteer as secretary or an assistant secretary, please let the board know. We can tailor the job to the tasks you’re comfortable with.   

 

Financial:

 

Treasurer Report by Kathryn Somers.

Current Balance: $6057.76.

Recent Expenses: No new real expenses occurred in this past quarter. One expense came from the refunds of the workshop fees for the rescheduling of the Lynnette Hesser and Steve Loucks Workshop. While Square will refund the full amount the participants paid for the workshop to the participant, Square keeps their fees creating a loss for us. We paid $12.08 in fees for the 2 registrations currently refunded, with possibly more if the remaining 2 registrants choose a refund rather than apply their payment to the rescheduled workshop.

During our last meeting we discussed the possibility of changing our PO box to a smaller unit to save money. It was noted that we don’t receive much mail anymore since most of our business mail has changed to digital.  We did save approximately $50 in fees by switching to the smaller box. The website has the new P.O. Box number updated.     

Upcoming Expenses: No expenses expected for the remainder of the year.  

Current Membership: 45 members + 1 new member (Terry Gill - Welcome!!!) bringing our total to 46 members.

 

Membership Dues: The topic of our dues was raised by Megan Baker. The board has been discussing the reality of inflation versus our membership dues. Many things that the GCC was able to find for free or at very low cost have become more expensive. Other things, like the yearly cost of the P.O. box and website, have risen to become significant operating costs in relationship to the dues we bring in. While we are always searching for low cost ways of doing business, things just keep rising. 

Fred Ellis remarked that as far back as he can remember, the dues have been $35. He and Laura joined the year after the GCC was formed, but the dues were either $35 or close to that then. It’s not unreasonable that the dues need to rise. Tracy Cullen was surprised when she joined that the fee was so low. 

The board proposed some changes to the membership fees to reflect the volunteer aspect of being a member of a non-profit. Those that volunteer some time to the organization will receive a discount to their membership.

Two categories: Member and Volunteer Member. Both available as single or studio/couple (2 person) memberships. 

  • $55 Artist Membership

  • $40 Volunteer Artist Membership

  • $70 Studio Couple Membership

  • $50 Volunteer Studio Couple Membership

Members who commit to volunteering as a member are not signing up for a volunteer position. They are agreeing to be willing to help and assist in specific events. For example, at our quarterly meetings the volunteer may help set up or clean up. At a workshop they may coordinate items that need to be brought to the workshop, set up, clean up, or assist the artist presenter. At an event they may help the person running a raku kiln, or give a mini lesson to the art teachers. We, the board or someone in a volunteer position, may reach out to the volunteers looking for someone to help for that specific need. Volunteer Studio Couple memberships will only need one person to volunteer during the year. We will hold volunteers accountable and if you haven’t been able to help for the year, you will get a bill for the cost difference. No judgment, just being fair. 

In the past, non-members signing up for our workshops have just paid for a membership along with the workshop fee. As Kathryn noted, people attending our workshops didn’t always realize they were becoming members to attend. During our membership renewal drive, they were often confused as to why we were sending them invoices to renew their membership!

Now we will have an attendee price and a member price. The attendee price includes the $55 membership amount plus a $5 premium. If a non-member wants to attend at the member price, they will need to choose their membership before registering. If they choose the volunteer membership to go with the workshop, they will volunteer at the workshop. It will save them about $20 for our average workshop. 

  • A motion was made and seconded to vote on the proposal for the membership fee raise and passed unanimously.  

​

Shows and Exhibits: 

​

Show Report - The Harris Arts Center in Calhoun - August 25 - October 12, 2023 

Thank you everyone for your submissions. A total of 139 pieces were entered: 49 2D’s (wall pieces) & 90 3D’s (pedestal). We are waiting on a full report of sales and the impressions from the gallery. Overall it appeared to be a very robust show, with great representation of our artists and their varied work. Several pieces were sold. Mary reported that checks may be delayed due to some turnover and role changes in the staff. The volunteer that was in charge of sending the checks out has also had an accident far from home resulting in an unexpected surgery and hardship. We hope she recovers well and will wait to hear from her or another Harris staff member. Mary will try to get us a tally of sales.

 

Shows In the Works:

 

Creative Arts Guild, in Dalton. June 2024 

We are officially on the calendar for June 2024. Exact dates will be coming in the new year. Once the schedule is finalized we will post it and add it to our calendar on the website so you can schedule it into your calendar. 

 

Bowen Art Center in Dawsonville. August 2024 

We are on the calendar for August of 2024, but again, exact dates for drop off, reception, and pick up are not yet finalized. When we know…you’ll know… 

We would like to see this show highlight how our members do more with their clay… So, what do you incorporate with your clay? Clay and metal? Clay with fiber? Wood? Pastels, oil paints, glass, found objects? Maybe the upcoming leather and clay workshop will inspire you to create something new and exciting. 

 

A new idea in the coming year…. Kathryn proposed and the board discussed the possibility of creating a Pottery Festival (PotFest?) or Pottery Show; for the members to sell their work and promote clay and ceramic art in the community. This could be an annual event and open to non-member potters too. It was discussed with the members and some great ideas were shared. 

Fred Ellis shared that past GCC events included a holiday sale that was held in downtown Canton in the old pharmacy (it burned down shortly after the event). This sale was set up in the pharmacy and included holiday music too. 

Other events organized by the GCC included the North Georgia Art Ramble which was a trail of artist studios open for sales, not just clay artists. Fred was very involved in organizing the past event and cautioned about the amount of time and volunteer effort it takes to host an event like this. But it is well worth it and he would like to see it come back. 

Other thoughts included that this new pottery show could be an annual event that could eventually revive the Art Ramble as part of it. Other suggestions included looking for a venue now so we can start planning the type of event it would be. An indoor event would provide shelter and allow us to set up without the hassle of tents. Also with an indoor facility it is easier to lock a door and run it for a 2 day event without worry about the wares left overnight in tents. 

 

  • It was heartily agreed that this was a great idea that we should move forward with.

 

Next step includes looking for a venue and deciding on a Spring Show or a Fall Holiday Sale. Both could have certain advantages, but would need to take into account the needs and schedules of our members. Some begin their own show schedules in Spring, and Fall is often a busy time for many.

 

Workshops :

 

Tentative: January or February 2024: Pots with Personality: Sculpting with Rebecca Zeimer; monster figurines with an emphasis on expression and character development,” Rebecca is available on the following weekends in January and February of 2024.

01/12/24 - 01/14/24

01/19/24 - 01/21/24

01/26/24 - 01/28/24

02/09/24 - 02/11/24

02/23/24 - 02/25/24

To see her work… https://www.beckyzee.com/about  https://www.facebook.com/BeckyZee38104/  https://www.instagram.com/beckyzee38104/?hl=en 

Learn how to sculpt your own whimsical characters in clay and pick up a boatload of tips on how to bring any humanoid, beast, or monster to life from the CritterMaker herself, Becky Zee! Class participants will be taken on an in-depth tour of her process in which they will learn to create at least three of their own original critters. Along the journey, they will receive technical pointers on the basics of human anatomy, with special attention being given to the face, the hands, and the feet. Those building blocks will then be used to learn about the art of caricature and how to go about crafting believable fictions from a base of reality. The only limit is your imagination! Does your critter have scales? What about a huge spiky tail? Curly swirly horns? Three eyes? Shaggy hair? If you can dream it, Becky Zee will help you do it! Beginners and advanced students are welcome. The focus will be on handbuilding techniques. Wheel throwing skills are not necessary, but can certainly be used if students choose that route to build their critter bodies.

 

Megan Baker is working out details, such as location and pricing. Look for an email with more information soon.  

 

March 23-24, 2024: Leather and Clay with Tom Slavicek http://www.blackeagleleather.com we’re going to explore creative ways to use leather with our clay work.

 

Tom is going to show us several ways to work with leather so that we can incorporate it into our own clay work. Molding, ways of attaching, working with cording, staining, painting, and decorating are all on the agenda. Julie and Barbara have provided him with several clay pieces to work with so he can get our creativity going. 

 

Mark your calendar. Registration will be opening soon, so watch for the emails and announcements. This is going to be a fun, new, creative way to use mixed media with your clay work. We’re looking forward to seeing some new ideas and work reflecting what we learn in The Bowen show!

 

April 13 & 14, 2024: “On and Off the Wheel: Into and Out-of-Round” Demonstration with Lynnette Hesser https://www.lynnettehesserceramics.com/   & Steve Loucks https://www.stevelouckspottery.com/ 

Yay! It’s been rescheduled! We’re so excited. We’re looking forward to a fun weekend with them.

Friday, April 12th - Meet the Artist dinner. Open to all participants and GCC members. Come meet Steve and Lynnette. Hear them talk about their journey as artists and get to know them better. Dinner provided by the GCC. Please bring a dessert and/or drinks to share. 

Saturday & Sunday, April 13 & 14th - workshop to be held at the Hickory Flat Masonic Lodge,  2907 E Cherokee Dr., Canton 30115. 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. both days. Lunch and snacks provided. 

Cost for workshop: $200 General Attendee; $140 GCC Member Attendee 

Half can be paid to save your spot with the other half due a month before the workshop.  

Lynnette Hesser and Steve Loucks will demonstrate simultaneously for twice the opportunity for the attendee to learn how to alter and embellish pottery with their techniques and see their aesthetics and artistic processes at work.

Steve will demonstrate his throwing techniques making a mug, tumbler, and a bowl. He will show how to alter and embellish simple thrown forms to give them gesture and personality. He will make a variety of bowls: wavy-rim, cut-rim, split-rim, and thrown-rim. He will also show how to make a serving dish from a thrown ring placed on a slab or thrown-out bottom. Steve will then demonstrate how to take simple thrown pieces and assemble them to make complex vase and jar forms. He will make a stacked jar, a sgraffito vase using black slip, and one of his elaborate floral vessels.

At the same time, Lynnette will first demonstrate how to make a number of different styles of bowls which will be manipulated or carved. She will show how to measure and add geometric and naturalistic patterns to thrown pieces and then how to carve them with a three-dimensional quality. Lynnette will teach how to measure exactly to have a perfectly fitting lid for a jar and how to add clay additions and sprigs to the pieces for more decoration and detail. She will show how to press mold clay slabs over plaster and wooden forms, how to add feet, and a thrown foot on pieces both connected and separate. She will also demonstrate making an undulated edge tray from a slab of clay.

​

 (Date TBD) Finishing and Glazing Techniques Weekend – 2 days to play! Come learn all about finishing your pieces. From mixing your own glazes, exciting options in commercial glazes, and unconventional finishes - we want to learn it all! 

Barb is collecting info from the presenters and will have an outline and date worked out soon. 

A rough outline is below:  

Debbie Macknight - stains and oxides

Valerie Diamond - spraying glazes

Kathryn Somers - mixing your own glazes

Fred Ellis & Ann Wallin - Raku glazes and glazing techniques for alternative firings

 

Fall 2024 - Microwave Raku Workshop Kathryn is in discussion with Clay Artist. Cooler weather works best for an outside raku event. 

Learn how to use a microwave oven to raku fire small pottery pieces.   Equipment and glazes will be provided to fire your own pieces with the option to purchase and take home your own full kit after the workshop.   More details will be provided as we move closer to the event. 

Current Outreach and Educational Projects - 

 

Empty Bowl Event: Spring 2024! 

We’re going strong on our Empty Bowls collection! Let’s keep it going so we can have a great event in the Spring. 

  • If you are making bowls for the event, we ask that each bowl should hold at least 2 cups, but all bowls are welcome.

Want to know more about the event…  https://emptybowls.com/ The charity we’re focusing on is Backpacks of Love. This organization's goal is to eliminate hunger in school-age children by providing food for their weekends. If you’d like to help out with the event, please reach out to Jenna Samples (jennarsamples@gmail.com).

 

Building our Network

Alignable - A community online network. We’ve shared our last show and plan to keep reaching out to the community through Alignable. 

 

If anyone has suggestions on how to share our workshops, meetings, and shows, please feel free to let us know. We’re always looking for ways to spread the word!

 

NEW GCC Member Area and Benefits: 

We’re working on a new area of the website that will be for current members only. This area will house a member directory, the Art Shows and Festivals Database, Member Profiles - including social media so we can follow each other, and …….More. 

  • New Art Shows and Festival Database Spreadsheet:  

  • Some members expressed an interest in learning more about how to attend Art Shows, Fairs, and Festivals. We know that some members have had lots of experience in that venue. We’d love to provide a way for our members to learn from each other.  

  • The survey is still available on the website (see below) if you haven’t filled one out yet.

 

Education and Outreach:

 

Annual Scholarship:

A motion was made to revamp the parameters of the annual scholarship. When it was set up, board members excluded themselves from applying for the scholarship to avoid any conflicts of interest. Since board positions were originally intended to last for only a year or two, it seemed reasonable. Nothing ever continues how it was intended, and the board realizes they are probably in here for a little longer than a year or two… so a solution was proposed to include board members in the application process. All applications will be anonymous and presented to the members for a vote. If there is a clear winner for the scholarship, it will be awarded to one person. If two applicants tie, or are within a very close vote, the board will divide the money based on the costs of the course.

  • A motion was made and seconded for a vote. The vote was unanimous in favor of allowing the board to apply for the scholarship too. (Thank you…)

​

REMEMBER: 

Applications are due at the end of November so start exploring workshops and courses you may want to attend in 2024. See the website for more details.

 

Bylaws

They’re still on our mind… the board will begin to re-evaluate them based on the focus of the GCC as it is currently in contrast to when it was formed over 20 years ago. The main focus of the GCC, artist education, support, and promoting clay in the community, has not changed, but how we function has. The bylaws should reflect how the positions and terms of service are carried out and how that will help the GCC flourish in the years to come. 

Any thoughts or suggestions from the members are encouraged and welcomed as we pursue these changes. 

 

Google Calendar on website: 

As part of our expenses this past quarter, we added a Google calendar to the website. It is displayed on the front page. It shows all our upcoming events and dates to note. 

A small demo of how to add a GCC event to your personal calendar was presented. The instructions will be added to the website. As events are added to the calendar, we will try to have all available information included so you will have that information in your calendar when you need it.

 

Communication in the GCC:

Remind 101 Instructions are below for this service that sends text reminders to the group. It sends a simple text message with reminders and notices about things like email drops, meetings coming up, show drop off dates, pick-up dates, deadlines, etc. Since it only sends one-way reminders, it won’t become a long text trail of responses and questions. 

  • Send a text to 81010 with the message:@gaclayc

  • Respond to the questions to provide your name.   

  • done!

 

Next Meeting: Day-time Meeting. February 8, 2024 

11:30 Meet & Greet

Photo Booth - Bring your pieces to photograph. We’ll have lights and backgrounds available for you to take photos - or we can too. We’d love to use some to update the website and for our show promotional material. 

12:00 Potluck & Meeting

Location TBD.

 

In attendance:

Mary DeFoor, Dan DeFoor, Susan Blanchard, Kathryn Somers, Lynna Gron, Megan Baker, Barbara Murphy, Valerie Diamond, Nancy Mancini, Tracy Cullen, Laura Ellis, and Fred Ellis. 

 

GCC Board

President: Megan Baker

Vice President: Barbara Murphy

Treasurer: Kathryn Somers

Secretary: Looking for a volunteer

 

If you have not yet done so, please like/follow/join the GCC on the following social media platforms.  We’ll do our best to promote member shows, as well as group events.   Feel free to tag us in your own marketing efforts or email us with your event information so that we can add it to our feeds:

 

Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/groups/737121216769743  This is a private FB group where members can communicate and ask questions about upcoming events.

 

Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/georgiaclaycouncil  This is a public page where anyone can see and post about group events.


Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/gaclaycouncil/  This is a place where the group or members can post images from events  or of their work.   The group can be tagged @gaclaycouncil,  #gaclaycouncil or #georgiaclaycouncil

Georgia Clay Council Festival Survey

We are developing a resource for our membership regarding selling at art shows, festivals, and fairs. We would love your feedback. Please take a few minutes to answer the following:

Do you have experience with art/craft fairs and festivals?
For those with experience, would you be willing to assist or mentor members, or share tips and tricks for success?

Thank you for doing the survey!

3rd Quarter Member Meeting August 10, 2023

Held at Hickory Flat Masonic Lodge,  2907 E Cherokee Dr., Canton 30115

 

5:30 p.m. A little time to meet, mingle, and catch up with clay friends. Potluck was set up and begun.  

Also, the beginning of the Empty Bowls collections!

 

Meeting 6:00 p.m. – Called to order by Julie Nunn. 

 

The meeting began with an Empty Bowls donation count. Members brought or sent 53 bowls to our first collection! We met our goal for this meeting. As a reminder, our goal is to collect 50 - 75 bowls at each meeting. Yay us!!!

Julie Nunn created a beautiful thermometer goal to show our progress. Debbie Macknight did the honors and colored us in.

Start making and gathering bowls for our next meeting in November. 

 

Financial:

 

Treasurer Report by Kathryn Somers.

Current Balance: $6030.03

Recent Expenses: In May we renewed the Wix and GoDaddy’s subscriptions for 2 years ($388.43) In June, several reimbursements for the Raku Kiln workshop cleared and we received payment for 2 new members. We also spent $47.88 on a website upgrade to be able to share our group calendar on our website. (More information below about the Google calendar) There was no banking activity in July.

Upcoming Expenses: We received a renewal notice for our P.O. box this morning. $226.00 is due by 08/31/2023 to renew our box. 

Current Membership: 45 members

 

A discussion about the P.O. box  began. Over the past few years the amount of mail received in our box has been reduced to only a few pieces a month. Most of that mail is junk mail. Since most communication and billing is online now, the need for a post office box has diminished. We currently have a good sized box, maybe a medium, that is larger than our needs. We still probably need to maintain a box to have a dedicated Georgia Clay Council address for some business. In particular, a few places require it like registration with the state and banking. Some members still prefer to send a check for dues. It was proposed that we look into changing to a smaller box to reduce the fee. Barbara Murphy will check at the post office on her next visit. 

 

Shows and Exhibits: 

 

The Harris Arts Center in Calhoun - August 25 - October 12, 2023 

Thank you everyone for your submissions. We have a total of 139 pieces: 49 2D’s (wall pieces) & 90 3D’s (pedestal). If we need more we have several members who said they could enter more pieces. It will be a great show!

Drop off dates are coming up!

Thursday, 17th: 2-4 p.m.

Friday, 18th: 4-6 p.m.

Saturday, 19th: 10 a.m. - 12 noon

To schedule a drop off date or time, contact Dan DeFoor at 678-524-4499

Exhibit Opens - Friday, August 25th. 

Reception - Sunday August 27th, 3:00-4:30 p.m.

Pick-up - October 13: 4-6 p.m. and the 14th: 10 a.m. - 12 noon 

 

Things to note:

  • There is an Artist Agreement on our website that needs to be filled out, signed and dropped off with your pieces.  https://www.gaclaycouncil.com/upcoming-events  Forms will be available at drop off also. 

  • Note that there are 5 spots on the form. If you have more pieces, please fill out a second sheet. 

  • Before drop off, tag each piece with the artist name, title, and price $ or NFS (not for sale). 

  • Wall pieces must be wired for hanging.

  • Table pieces can weigh up to 75 lbs.

  • The Harris Arts Center is insured for $65,000.

  • The Harris Arts Center takes a commission of 30% for non-member sales, or 20% for members.

 

Kathryn asked Mary Defoor about the cost of becoming a member at the Harris. It may be beneficial for a GCC artist that has high sales to join to save the extra 10% commission as a member. Mary reported that memberships are: $40 for a 60+ senior, $50 individual, $75 couple, $100 family. Some of these memberships include free event passes and discounts on classes. More information can be found on their website at https://harrisartscenter.com/memberships/ 

 

Shows In the Works:

 

Creative Arts Guild, in Dalton. June 2024 

Kathryn, Dan, or Mary will touch base with David George, the gallery director, and pass on the schedule when it is finalized.

 

Bowen Art Center in Dawsonville. July /August 2024 

Julie Nunn will provide full details when the schedule is finalized. 


 

Workshops :

On a side note here… 

For our workshops we are always looking for volunteer studio space, homes to host the Meet the Artist, and members to host the presenters for our workshops.  

 

If your studio can accommodate about 15 or more people, and you’re willing to host a workshop, we’d love to hear from you. Some workshops require very little space for each person - such as the Lynette and Steve demo coming up. They will work on wheels and require workspace, but the attendees just need to be able to comfortably watch and ask questions. One bonus of providing your space is free attendance to the workshop! 

 

The Friday night Meet the Artist needs a home to meet in. We love a place where the artist and members can be comfortable while they get to know each other. A place to gather while the artist talks about their journey and experiences is ideal. 

 

If you’re willing to host a visiting artist you can attend the workshop for free too! The artist usually arrives Friday and often leaves after the workshop on Sunday. Friday night is the “Meet the Artist” dinner. Lunch is provided by the GCC at the workshop Saturday and Sunday. Breakfast items are also provided, but the artist may want to eat before the workshop. Saturday night dinner is possibly a group event at a nearby restaurant, or the artist might be responsible for their own meal that night.

 

November 4 & 5, 2023: “On and Off the Wheel: Into and Out-of-Round” Demonstration with Lynnette Hesser https://www.lynnettehesserceramics.com/   & Steve Loucks https://www.stevelouckspottery.com/ 

Last time Lynette and Steve were here, it was a great experience for everyone. Not only are they engaging, entertaining, and educational, the inspiration alone is worth the cost of the workshop. We’re looking forward to another fun weekend with them. 

Location of the workshop is TBD. Julie Nunn will be working out the details, such as cost, and will share those when they are ready. Look for an email update on this workshop soon but go ahead and put it on your calendar!  

​

January or February 2024: Pots with Personality: Sculpting with Rebecca Zeimer; monster figurines with an emphasis on expression and character development,” Rebecca is available on the following weekends in January and February of 2024.

01/12/24 - 01/14/24    01/19/24 - 01/21/24    01/26/24 - 01/28/24

02/09/24 - 02/11/24     02/23/24 - 02/25/24

​

To see her work… https://www.beckyzee.com/about  https://www.facebook.com/BeckyZee38104/  https://www.instagram.com/beckyzee38104/?hl=en 

Learn how to sculpt your own whimsical characters in clay and pick up a boatload of tips on how to bring any humanoid, beast, or monster to life from the CritterMaker herself, Becky Zee! Class participants will be taken on an in-depth tour of her process in which they will learn to create at least three of their own original critters. Along the journey, they will receive technical pointers on the basics of human anatomy, with special attention being given to the face, the hands, and the feet. Those building blocks will then be used to learn about the art of caricature and how to go about crafting believable fictions from a base of reality. The only limit is your imagination! Does your critter have scales? What about a huge spiky tail? Curly swirly horns? Three eyes? Shaggy hair? If you can dream it, Becky Zee will help you do it! Beginners and advanced students are welcome. The focus will be on handbuilding techniques. Wheel throwing skills are not necessary, but can certainly be used if students choose that route to build their critter bodies.

 

Megan Baker is working out details, such as location and pricing. Look for an email with more information soon.  

 

March 2024: Leather and Clay with Tom Slavicek http://www.blackeagleleather.com we’re going to explore creative ways to use leather with our clay work.

 

Tom is going to show us several ways to work with leather so that we can incorporate it into our own clay work. Molding, ways of attaching, working with cording, staining, painting, and decorating are all on the agenda. Julie and Barbara have provided him with several clay pieces to work with so he can get our creativity going. 

 

More details to come!

 

(Date TBD) Finishing and Glazing Techniques Weekend – 2 days to play! Come learn all about finishing your pieces. From mixing your own glazes, exciting options in commercial glazes, and unconventional finishes - we want to learn it all! 

 

Discussion included the next steps in planning. A weekend for the 4 or so presenters needs to be decided. Barbara Murphy will help coordinate the presenters to choose a weekend and rough outline of their segments of the event.  

Debbie Macknight - stains and oxides

Valerie Diamond - spraying glazes

Kathryn Somers - mixing your own glazes

Fred Ellis & Ann Wallin - Raku glazes and glazing techniques for alternative firings

 

More discussion about other finishes included using cold finishes, such as latex paint, spray paints, and acrylics. Possibilities of making this an ongoing event were also discussed. 

 

Microwave Raku Workshop is in discussion with Clay Artist.

 

Current Outreach and Educational Projects - 

 

Empty Bowl Event: Spring 2024! 

We had a great start to our Empty Bowls collection! Let’s keep it going so we can have a great event in the Spring. 

  • If you are making bowls for the event, we ask that each bowl should hold at least 2 cups, but all bowls are welcome.

​

Do you know what Empty Bowls is? You can learn more about Empty Bowls and how it began here  https://emptybowls.com/ The charity we’re focusing on is Backpacks of Love. This organization's goal is to eliminate hunger in school-age children by providing food for their weekends. If you’d like to help out with the event, please reach out to Jenna Samples (jennarsamples@gmail.com).

 

Building our Network

  • Alignable - A community online network. Julie is in the process of setting up a free account.

  • New Art Shows and Festival Database (Spreadsheet) is in the works thanks to a new volunteer, Susan Blanchard. 

    • Some members expressed an interest in learning more about how to attend Art Shows, Fairs, and Festivals. We know that some members have had lots of experience in that venue. We’d love to provide a way for our members to learn from each other.  

    • A survey was passed around to gauge the interest and member experience with Art Shows, Fairs, and Festivals. It’s available below for all members to fill out. Please take a moment and let us know what you think. 

 

Education and Outreach:

 

Annual Scholarship:

Start exploring workshops and courses you may want to attend in 2024. Applications are due at the end of November. See the website for more details.

 

Voting Next Meeting: Do you want to serve? Want to be more involved? Have we got a job for you…. 

 

Discussion began about the volunteer positions on the GCC board. Many thanks were expressed for the work done and all those who have given their time and talents over the years - some for many years at a time. One issue brought up about the positions is that the bylaws should be changed to reflect how the GCC runs now as compared to how it was originally set up. Positions in the bylaws are limited to terms and we do not always have enough members with the time and desire to volunteer to fill new openings every year. The GCC members and board follow the bylaws to the best of their ability, but the bylaws should be updated to reflect the need for board members to serve multiple years. This isn’t an issue except that the bylaws are filed with the state and used by financial institutions for legal purposes, so they should be correct. 

 

Google Calendar on website: 

As part of our expenses this past quarter, we added a Google calendar to the website. It is displayed on the front page. It shows all our upcoming events and dates to note. If you’re comfortable using Google calendars, you should be able to link it to your calendar so you can see all the upcoming events. We hope that it will help everyone keep track of the important dates and be an easy way to access detailed information when you need it. 

​

Communication in the GCC:

More discussion occurred about how the members appreciate the emails, facebook and instagram reminders. Kathryn suggested the Remind 101 service that would send text reminders to the group. This service is often used by many businesses for appointment reminders, by schools and teachers for important events or assignments, and team sports reminders. It’s ideal for those who don’t monitor their social media or email messages carefully. It would send a simple text message with reminders about things like meetings coming up, show drop off dates, pick-up dates, deadlines, etc. Since it only sends one-way reminders, it won’t become a long text trail of responses and questions. A motion was made and passed that it should be looked into. Kathryn will gather the details for us. 

 

Field trips:

Discussion began about renting a van or caravaning to go to fun places. Some of the places and events talked about were:

  • Perspectives:

Georgia Pottery Invitational

Aug. 25- Sept. 10, 2023- Watkinsville, GA 

48 artists showing. 10 am to 5 pm each day. Opening night - Friday - special price for reception and first chance to buy items.   https://ocaf.com/perspectives/ 

  • Seagrove, pottery festival

Seagrove Fall Festival November 18 & 19. 5-6 hour drive there and back - overnight stay?

  • Texas Pottery Festival

  • North Georgia Potters

 

Motion by Debbie Macknight to rent a van and let’s organize some field trips! Commotion followed - so it must have passed…

 

Do you like organizing events? We have a new volunteer opportunity just for you! 

Contact any member of the board to volunteer to start organizing future field trips. 

 

Next Meeting: Day-time Meeting. November 9, 2023 

11:30 Meet & Greet

12:00 Potluck & Meeting

Location TBD.

 

In attendance:

Phoebe Maze, Mary DeFoor, Dan DeFoor, Jalen Austin, Linda Zlotnik, Susan Blanchard, Kathryn Somers, Charlotte Barron, Lynna Gron, Debbie Macknight, Julie Nunn, Megan Baker, Barbara Murphy. 

 

GCC Board

President: Julie Nunn

Vice President: Barbara Murphy

Treasurer: Kathryn Somers

Secretary: Megan Baker

2nd Quarter Member Meeting May 18, 2023

Held at Harris Arts Center, Calhoun, GA

 

5:30 p.m. A little time to meet, mingle, and catch up with clay friends!

 

Meeting 6:00 p.m. – First order of business was a tour of the gallery. The space is large and will be a wonderful space to display our work. Lots of wall space and pedestals are available too. 

 

Great eats began as everyone served themselves from the potluck and made their way to the tables for the meeting.

 

6:20 p.m. The meeting was called to order by Julie Nunn.

 

Financial:

 

Treasurer Report by Julie Nunn, our treasurer Kathryn Somers was excused due to illness – Current balance is $5,996.34

Recent Expenses - Since the last member meeting there were a few reimbursements for 1st Quarter Member Meeting expenses and Raku Building Workshop.  

Upcoming Expenses -  Post Office renewal may come due this quarter.

 

Shows and Exhibits: 

 

The Harris Arts Center in Calhoun - August 25 - October 12, 2023 

Dates to note:

Submission Deadline to GCC (see below for more info) - July 27th

Drop off - August 17-19th

  • Thursday, 17th: 2-4 p.m.

  • Friday, 18th: 4-6 p.m.

  • Saturday, 19th: 10 a.m. - 12 noon

  • To schedule a drop off date or time, contact Dan DeFoor at 678-524-4499

Exhibit Opens - Friday, August 25th

Reception - Sunday August 27th, 3:00-4:30 p.m.

Pick-up - October 13: 4-6 p.m. and the 14th: 10 a.m. - 12 noon 

 

Things to note:

  • GCC members will submit descriptions of their pieces online to the GCC by July 27th. There is a form at the bottom of the page at https://www.gaclaycouncil.com/upcoming-events Note that there are 5 spots on the form. If you have more pieces you can submit the form again to have a total of up to 10 pieces in the show.

  • Wall pieces must be wired for hanging.

  • Table pieces can weigh up to 75 lbs.

  • Before drop off, tag each piece with the artist name, title, and price $ or NFS. 

  • The Harris Arts Center is insured for $65,000.

  • The Harris Arts Center takes a commission of 30% for non-member sales, or 20% for members.

 

In the Works:

Creative Arts Guild (Dalton) May/June 2024. 

Kathryn, Dan, or Mary will touch base on the schedule when it is finalized.

 

Workshops :

 

Raku Building Workshop with Fred - Was a GREAT experience for all who attended. They laughed, they learned, and they played with fire - what more could anyone want?! 

 

Workshops in process: 

 

March 2024: Leather and Clay with Tom Slavicek http://www.blackeagleleather.com we’re going to explore creative ways to use leather with our clay work. Photos and examples of possible projects were passed around.   

 

Glazing Techniques Weekend – 2 days to play! Come learn all about finishing your pieces. From mixing your own glazes, exciting options in commercial glazes, and unconventional finishes - we want to learn it all! Look for details coming soon. 4 presenters have been lined up. Next stage - scheduling.

 

A vote passed to move forward with scheduling “On and Off the Wheel: Into and Out-of-Round” with Lynnette Hesser https://www.lynnettehesserceramics.com/   & Steve Loucks https://www.stevelouckspottery.com/  

​

A date was established to host “Pots with Personality: Sculpting with Rebecca Zeimer; monster figurines with an emphasis on expression and character development,” but soon we realized both weekends were a conflict with the Harris Arts Center Show. It was a conflict with drop off and opening reception. We will check back with Rebecca and see about other dates available. To see her work… https://www.beckyzee.com/about  https://www.facebook.com/BeckyZee38104/  https://www.instagram.com/beckyzee38104/?hl=en 

 

Current Outreach and Educational Projects - 

 

Empty Bowl Event: Spring 2024! Jenna Samples has been working hard to research and begin planning a GCC sponsored Empty Bowls Event! We will need lots of bowls….  

So, on that note - Please bring bowls with you to every member meeting! Put them in your car so you don’t forget them, give them to your friends to bring, call us to pick them up, any way you can - get them to the meetings! We have a goal of collecting at least 50-75 bowls at each member meeting until the event. Ambitious? Yes! 

  • Julie is going to make a large thermometer to show our progress as we reach our goal of 200 bowls!

  • If you are making bowls for the event, we ask that each bowl should hold at least 2 cups, but all bowls are welcome.

Volunteers are needed! Valerie Diamond and Tracy Cullen volunteered to assist Jenna at the meeting - and you can join in on the fun too! (Thank you Valerie and Tracy!)

You can learn more about Empty Bowls and how it began here  https://emptybowls.com/ The charity we’re focusing on is Backpacks of Love. This organization's goal is to eliminate hunger in school-age children by providing food for their weekends. If you’d like to help out with the event, please reach out to Jenna (jennarsamples@gmail.com).

 

Building our Network - Business cards and an updated brochure are in the works for members to share with other artists you meet.

 

Education and Outreach:

​

Annual Scholarship:

Start exploring workshops and courses you may want to attend in 2024. Applications are due at the end of November. See the website for more details.

 

Next Meeting: Night Meeting. August 10, 2023 @ 6:00 pm 

Location TBD.

 

In attendance:

Julie Nunn, Tracy Cullen, Megan Baker, Jalen Austin, Valerie Diamond, Tisa Barton, Lilly Vicens, Mary DeFoor, Dan DeFoor, Fred Ellis, Laura Ellis, and Ree Lambert.

Several members sent their regrets, since they were off globe-trotting! Hope everyone had happy travels.

​

If you have not yet done so, please like/follow/join the GCC on the following social media platforms.  We’ll do our best to promote member shows, as well as group events.   Feel free to tag us in your own marketing efforts or email us with your event information so that we can add it to our feeds:

 

Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/groups/737121216769743  This is a private FB group where members can communicate and ask questions about upcoming events.

 

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/georgiaclaycouncil  This is a public page where anyone can see and post about group events.


Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/gaclaycouncil/  This is a place where the group or members can post images from events  or of their work.   The group can be tagged @gaclaycouncil,  #gaclaycouncil or #georgiaclaycouncil.

1st Quarter Member Meeting February 16, 2023

20th Anniversary Celebration

 

Masonic Lodge in Hickory Flat, GA

 

11:00 am A little time to meet, mingle, and catch up with long-time friends. Party games were enjoyed by all with a few prizes to boot!

 

Lunch: 11:30-12:00 Taco Bar opened & cake for everyone!

 

Meeting: 12:00 p.m. – The meeting was called to order by Julie Nunn.

Meet the New Board:

- President: Julie Nunn

- Vice President: Barb Murphy

- Treasurer: Kathryn Somers

- Secretary: Megan Baker

 

Financial:

Treasurer Report by Kathryn Somers – Current balance is $6,586.63

 

Recent Expenses - Yearly payment for the Secretary of State has been made this past quarter.  

 

Upcoming Expenses - Expenses for this meeting, but no other significant bills coming due now. 

 

Current Membership - Invoices have been sent out for 2023 membership to all past members of 2022 and 2021. Several are outstanding. We’ve had notices that 6 members will not be renewing, most have moved away and one passed away last fall. 

If you haven’t paid for 2023, please look for an invoice from the GCC through Square and pay it online. If you’d like to send a check, make it payable to GCC and mail to P.O. Box 4905 Canton, GA 30114

 

Shows and Exhibits: 

 

Blue Ridge Mountains Arts Association / Art Center - January 14 - February 24, 2023 

Update from Caroline: The traffic is good, interest is good, but sales are low.  

Dates to note: PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE

February 25, 2023 - Pick-up Artwork 11am-4pm ***As of the writing of the minutes, BRMAA sent an email asking artists to pick up on Friday, February 24th or Sunday, February 26th

Conversation about the lack of work for this show commenced. In the past the members of the GCC have filled the large gallery with enough work to make a strong show. This time there wasn’t enough work and the gallery moved in another collection to fill the space. The GCC show was moved to the small gallery (located behind the kitchen). This was not a show that reflected the strengths of the GCC. There were many small pieces but larger work was needed for the large gallery space. A distinct lack of enough wall pieces was crucial to filling the large gallery and resulted in the move to the small gallery. 


 

The Harris Arts Center in Calhoun - August 25 - October 12, 2023 

Dates to note:

Drop off - August 17-19th

Exhibit Opens - August 25th

Reception - Sunday August 27th, 3:00-4:30 p.m.

Pick-up - October 13 - 18th

 

Discussion about the Harris Gallery and the work we need to bring included:

  • The gallery looks best when it’s full.

  • The gallery has many places for hanging work, not only in the gallery, but in the entry and hall leading to the gallery. These are great areas to showcase your wall pieces.

  • Dan & Mary DeFoor’s last show there included 30+ large sculptures.

  • An estimate of 100 pieces from our group, including small 3D to wall pieces, sounds good for filling the space.

  • Expect a commitment call prior to finalizing your submissions; estimate your number of wall pieces and 3D work so we can plan to have enough for a full show.

 

A few remarks about the focus of GCC shows stemmed from these conversations:

  • Participation is important.

  • Variety makes our shows unique. All skill levels combine to create a show that has something for everyone to enjoy. 

  • No one is too new to clay to show. The most humble beginner piece next to an advanced piece from an experienced artist shows the capacity of clay to reach every artist and level. We want to showcase the breadth and depth of clay and all the artists that use it.

  • This is the venue for emerging artists to emerge. No matter the skill level, people want to see the work and there are few, if any, restrictions to showing with the group.

 

In the Works:

Creative Arts Guild (Dalton) May/June 2024. 

Kathryn, Dan, or Mary will touch base on the schedule when it is finalized.

 

Workshops :

Glazing Techniques Weekend – 2 days to play! Come learn all about finishing your pieces. From mixing your own glazes, exciting options in commercial glazes, and unconventional finishes - we want to learn it all! Look for details coming soon. 

  • Some highlights will be:

    • Oxides for dramatic or subtle effect

    • Mixing your own glaze recipes

    • Spray your glaze!

    • How to finish your raku and alternate fired pieces

    • Cold finishes - what does that mean and what can I use?

 

Raku Workshop - Look for an upcoming Raku Kiln Building Workshop with Fred soon! We’ll be learning how to make a raku kiln and how to test fire it. 

At a later date we’ll have a raku night with time for everyone to fire a piece or two. 

 

Possible Workshops:

Three possible workshops were presented to the members and all were voted on as good to proceed with details:

1. Microwave Raku Workshop with Denise Muckleroy Young. Use a kiln insert in a microwave for small raku pieces or test pieces. https://www.facebook.com/happyturtlekilnarts/  https://www.instagram.com/happyturtlekilnarts/?hl=en 

2. Throwing and altering forms with Lynnette Hesser https://www.lynnettehesserceramics.com/   & Steve Loucks https://www.stevelouckspottery.com/  

3. Pots with Personality: Sculpting with Rebecca Zeimer; monster figurines with an emphasis on expression and character development. https://www.beckyzee.com/about  https://www.facebook.com/BeckyZee38104/  https://www.instagram.com/beckyzee38104/?hl=en 

 

Alabama Clay Conference Report - 

The conference was so much fun! It was a weekend of inspiration, learning, and socializing. We had the opportunity to watch 4 artists work for several hours each day and ask questions. Lectures were available in the evenings. Gallery exhibits were close enough to walk to. Other fun events included a mug exchange, attendee show, presenters sale, clay vendor market, Auburn University student show, and raffle. 

 

Current Projects - 

We are collecting and updating our member mailing addresses for a future Pin Map of Members and Resources. We’d like to be able to see where our members are located so we can work on connecting members and having events that are as convenient as possible. 

 

Member Page Updates on the website - it’s time to renew the images and artist profiles. Everyone gets a page! You can have as little or as much on your page as you want. Please email images and info to gaclaycouncil@gmail.com  Subject: Member Page info, Attn: Megan. 

 

Empty Bowl Event this Fall! Jenna Samples has been working hard to research and begin planning a GCC sponsored Empty Bowls Event! We will need lots of bowls….  You can learn more about Empty Bowls and how it began here  https://emptybowls.com/ The charity we’re focusing on is Backpacks of Love. This organizations’ goal is to eliminate hunger in school-age children by providing food for their weekends. If you’d like to help out with the event, please reach out to us (gaclaycouncil@gmail.com) or Jenna (jennarsamples@gmail.com).

 

Building our Network - Business cards and an updated brochure are in the works for members to share with other artists you meet.

 

Education and Outreach:

 

Annual Scholarship:

Start exploring workshops and courses you may want to attend in 2024. Applications are due at the end of November. See the website for more details.

 

Next Meeting: Night Meeting. May 11, 2023 @ 6:00 pm 

This meeting will likely be held at the Harris Art Center in Calhoun so the members can see the space for the upcoming show. Stay tuned for confirmation.

 

In attendance:

Barbara Murphy, Julie Nunn, Patricia Reeves, Sue Chisholm, Lynna Gron, Charlotte Barron, Janet Smith, Deborah Macknight, Susan Blanchard, Laura Ellis, Fred Ellis, Megan Baker, Kathryn Somers, Valerie Diamond, Triny Cline, Mary DeFoor, Dan DeFoor, Phoebe Maze, Cathay Meincer.

bottom of page