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Gallery, 150 pots will be displayed: two created by each of the
50 potters participating and one favorite from each of their
personal collections. Over in the Members Gallery will be a spe
cial display of works by master potter Jose Luis Yamunaque and
his former student Kate Tremel. Michael Pitts, a well-known
local potter, will lead “Gallery Talks" on Thursday, Sept. 4 & 11
at 1 p.m.—a tour through both exhibition galleries complete
with a general discussion on pottery styles, clays, glazes and
firing techniques.
Every Saturday from 1-4 p.m. during "Perspectives'" tenure
at OCAF, an experienced potter will give free demonstrations
on wheel-throwing and hand-building techniques in the Rocket
Hall Courtyard. This year's lineup includes Annette Gates (Aug.
27), Ted Saupe (Sept. 3), Jorie Berman and Rob Sutherland
(Sept. 10), all of whom will gladly answer questions and give
tips on developing and refining techniques.
Anyone with a strong interest in learning directly from
a master potter is invited to participate in a workshop on
Peruvian hand and feet-building, being held Aug. 27 & 28,
from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., for $135, with Jose Luis Yamunaque
and Kate Tremel. Yamunaque, who got his start growing up in
a family of potters who made terra cotta vessels for a locally
brewed corn beer called "chicha" in northern Peru, went on to
earn international recognition for his research of pre-Colum
bian traditions and was one of the first ceramists ever to be
considered an authentic Peruvian potter. Tremel, who studied
under his direction during a student exchange program in the
1980s, says, "I think the larger cultural project felt by the art
ists in the community was to create work that was both con
temporary and meaningful, yet that drew from the rich history
of Peruvian ceramics in an attempt to assert a Peruvian voice
in contemporary ceramics." The workshop will demonstrate
various methods of pottery-making, including the "paddle and
anvil" technique.
Three local studios, each offering a unique view into art
ists' working environments, will be open to the public for
free, self-guided tours on Sunday, Sept. 11 from 1-5 p.m.
Over on the University of Georgia campus, the newly con
structed, 15,000-square-foot state-of-the-art ceramics studio
(190 River Rd.), which the department moved into this past
November, houses around two dozen kilns as well as a glaze
room and computer lab. Another ceramics-centric spot on the
map is Good Dirt (510 N. Thomas St.), a local studio and gal
lery space that offers daily classes to both skilled and novice
potters. For visitors arriving before 2 p.m., hand-building and
wheel workshops will be offered for $20, and at 3 p.m., a free
Raku workshop to decorate bisque-ware with glazes will take
place. Rob Sutherland, owner of Good Dirt, emphasizes that
the wide range of available education opportunities "creates
a community of learning that dissolves boundaries of age and
ability... There is so much activity going on in our studio all
the time, and the open house will give visitors a taste of that
energy and camaraderie." The final destination will take visi
tors to the Chase Park warehouses (160 Tracy St., Studio 2B) to
view the personal studio of local potter Jorie Berman, offering
an opportunity to see both finished sculptural pieces and in
progress works.
The majority of this year's lineup has participated before,
making "Perspectives" a venue at which many potters are able
to reconnect with past acquaintances and, over time, watch
each other develop as artists. "I very much look forward to
seeing my pottery brothers and sisters come together for
such a focused event as 'Perspectives.' We have a deep his
tory of pottery making in Georgia and I feel that this coming
together and camaraderie is very meaningful to us all," says
Rick Berman, who has actively been making pottery for over 40
years. Pat McCaffrey, who holds 30 years of experience under
her belt, similarly says, "I always look forward to 'Perspectives'
as a time to see so much good and diverse work from all over
Georgia and to see other potters that I do not run into any
other time of the year."
Many potters attend the show in order to exchange
ideas and network with other artists. "Perspectives"
Planning Committee member Nancy Green says, "I hope that
'Perspectives' is a key part of the passage of information from
one potter to another in order to increase the potters' knowl
edge about their craft. So many different facets must come
together for a person to find their way in ceramics."
Ted Saupe, associate professor of art in ceramics at UGA,
elaborates, "There are millions of challenges facing ceramic
students and aspiring potters. The bar is high. There are pot
ters in our community with years of experience (working,
teaching, traveling, exhibiting all over the world) to com
pete with. But it is actually a great advantage and benefit to
these young artists to be surrounded by these old fellows and
women. That's how we learn and are inspired to work hard and
strengthen our craft." The opportunity to learn from seasoned
potters is one of the most invaluable experiences for many
attendees, especially for those wishing to refine their own
skills.
One of the primary objectives many potters keep in mind
when shaping their work is to transform an otherwise ordinary
and utilitarian vessel into a creative and inspired piece of
art. Potter Lora Rust says, "I like to think that I am bringing
some elegance and lushness to otherwise mundane objects
that we use everyday." And for many, the chance to share
and incorporate their works into the daily lives of others is
the biggest reward of all. Rust continues, "(I am] most of all
excited to make someone's coffee taste better in the morning
because it is in one of my mugs or to make their dinner guests
swoon because the serving bowl with matching utensils is so
elegant!" Mark Knott, another participating potter, describes
his favorite part of making pottery as "the humbling feeling of
knowing that somebody has chosen my pots to interact with
daily—that these pots will cause a smile in someone's life.
That's a great feeling indeed!"
Jessica Smith
To read more and see examples of the pottery that will be included this
year, please visit www.myocaf.com.
AMICI
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