September 9 – 11, 2011
Minneapolis, Minnesota
For the past 12 years, Northern Clay Center has produced the American Pottery Festival, an invitational exhibition and sale of pots from some of America’s top functional ceramic artists. Whether a student of ceramics or a teacher, a serious collector or a serious potter, an admirer of the arts or merely art-curious, or all of these; whether young, old, or somewhere in between, and no matter what level of experience with clay, the Pottery Festival offers a fun, fascinating, and enriching experience for all.
Northern Clay Center is delighted to bring you this year’s American Pottery Festival on September 9, 10, and 11. The weekend starts with the Friday Opening Night Benefit Sale and Party, from 5 to 9 pm, with tables festooned with food and flowers, a cash bar, and heaps of pots to see, touch, admire, and purchase. The Warren MacKenzie Pot Sale takes place that evening at 7 pm; all who arrive before 6 pm will be entered into a two-tiered drawing for a possible place in line to buy a MacKenzie pot. In addition, several MacKenzie pots will be available through silent auction. Tickets to Friday’s Benefit Sale and Party are $25; all proceeds of the weekend go to support NCC exhibition, education, and artist service programs.
The Benefit Sale continues Saturday, September 10 from 9:30 am to 5 pm, and Sunday, September 11 from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm. Entry to the sale each day is $5. The Warren MacKenzie Pot Sale begins both Saturday and Sunday mornings at 10 am. All who arrive to the Benefit Sale before 10 am are eligible to draw for a place in line to buy a MacKenzie pot; several MacKenzie pots will also be available for purchase each day through silent auction.
Saturday’s activities also include slide talks, workshops on both form and surface by six visiting APF artists, and a panel discussion that navigates the benefits and challenges of various sales outlets: Etsy, artists’ websites, and galleries.
Sunday offers a morning lecture about how to source local clay materials, and the annual Sunday Special Closing Lecture and demonstration by Linda Arbuckle.
In addition to a $5 donation at the door for each day’s sale, separate fees apply to workshops and demonstrations (for details and ticket prices on artist demonstrations & panel discussions, please see the APF Schedule Fees below).
Demonstrations
We are thrilled to have so many artists new to Northern Clay Center and the region this year. Two panel-style demonstrations, scheduled for Saturday, will give you a chance to see the artists at work. The first panel showcases three artists whose work demonstrates exceptional and interesting treatment to the SURFACE of their pottery. The second panel brings together three artists with exceptional FORM. Participating artists will take turns introducing themselves and their work, explain the history of the evolution of their surfaces and forms, while simultaneously demonstrating their practice. Ample time for questions from the audience, as well as conversation and questioning among the artists, should make for lively and engaging demonstrations.
Panel Conversation
Saturday at 1 pm, a panel of artists will speak about the benefits and challenges of “Promoting Pots.” We will hear from people who currently navigate the myriad sales outlets available online, in their local community, and in galleries with and without a brick and mortar shop.
Slide Talks
Shoppers and clay artists are invited to watch slide talks by some American Pottery Festival artists attending the festival. Located in the library on Saturday (11 am and 2, 3, and 4 pm) and on Sunday (10:30 and 11:30 am), each talk will run for 20-30 minutes. A schedule will be posted at the Festival and online.
Lecture and Slide Talk
David Peters will draw from his recently published Ceramics Monthly article about using local materials. His Sunday morning slide talk will highlight his process for finding, harvesting, and processing his own clay. He will also provide samples of natural clays, answer questions, and troubleshoot some common concerns associated with using local clays. For those of us with bad backs, or limited time, he will reveal some tricks and tips for introducing local materials into our studio practice.
SUNDAY SPECIAL LECTURE
On Sunday afternoon, 12 – 2 pm, we are pleased to have artist and educator Linda Arbuckle speak on Pottery: Foreground and Background for Makers and Users. She will talk about what pottery means for artists and patrons in our contemporary cultural context. As she speaks about how some of these issues influence her own practice, she will also demonstrate her majolica techniques.
Individual Critiques: Individual artists can meet with an APF artist to talk one-on-one about work, get feedback, and have the chance to ask questions about the artist’s experiences. APF artists available for individual critiques are posted online. Call 612-339-8007 x 300 or e-mail salesgallery@northernclaycenter.org to register ($20 fee for a 20-minute critique, includes a pass to the Saturday or Sunday APF benefit sale).
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