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Are you registered and ready to go?
"Summer break" has been great, but fall classes start soon and it's almost time for you to get your hands back in clay. If you haven't enrolled yet, be sure to reserve your place in classes now. You can sign up online here anytime.
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No matter your level of experience, we have a class on our fall schedule that's sure to meet your needs.
Coffee and Clay: Yes, you can make beautiful and useful ceramic vessels off the wheel. Let teacher Nancy Bulkley show you how in this 6-week Saturday morning hand building class for everyone from beginner to advanced student. Starts September 16.
Introductory and Continuing Wheel: A friendly 6-week introduction to wheel throwing with teachers Nancy Bulkley, Kevan O. Wilson, and Kay Yourist. Choose a Monday evening,Thursday afternoon, or Thursday evening class to get started on the wheel or develop your skills. Monday class begins on September 18, Thursday classes on September 14.
New! Introductory and Continuing Wheel Sundays
: To give you more scheduling options, we've added a Sunday afternoon Introductory and Continuing Wheel class with Kevan O. Wilson. Class begins October 8.
Advanced and Intermediate Clay
:
This 14-week Tuesday evening class with master potter Alex Pratt will present fun and challenging skill building projects for both intermediate and advanced wheel throwers and hand builders. Class begins September 12.
Advanced / Intermediate Independent Study: Are you a skilled wheel thrower or hand builder who's ready to work independently? Realize your own artistic vision in clay under the guidance of Kay Yourist in this 14-week Wednesday evening class. Class begins September 13.
Try It Once on the Wheel: Intrigued by the art of throwing pottery on the wheel? Join us on the second Saturday of the month at 1:00 pm to give it a try. Our first Try It Once class of the fall is on September 16. This is your opportunity to sit down at the pottery wheel and see what it feels like to throw a pot. We give you a demonstration, then help to guide you through this fun hands-on experience.
Register today.
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We've got you covered. From bats to wooden paddles, Yourist Studio Gallery offers a generous selection of indispensable tools for ceramic artists. And we've recently added a variety of the latest tools from Xiem, MKM, and other respected suppliers.
We're located right here in the heart of Ann Arbor, and our convenient hours give you ample opportunity to drop by and pick up that essential tool you've got to have
right now. So come check out our collection of pottery tools today.
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After creativity, the cleanup
On August 31, a dedicated group of studio members cleaned and scrubbed the studio from top to bottom in preparation for fall classes. Now it's up to the rest of us to keep the studio clean.
We'd like to remind students and studio users alike that a thorough cleanup is an integral part of the practice of making ceramic art. Keeping the studio clean is essential to a healthy, welcoming studio environment.
Aww, it's a dirty job . . .
. . . but we all have to do it!
The primary goal of studio cleanup is to avoid letting clay or glaze dry on any surface in the studio.
Of course the wheels, the hand-building tables, and the areas surrounding them must be cleaned and mopped thoroughly after use, but let's take a look at some of the more neglected areas of cleanup, where clay or glaze might linger and dry:
- Sponges: Cleanup requires plenty of water, sponges, and elbow grease. Be sure to rinse those sponges well after use to remove all traces of clay or glaze.
- Sinks: Remove clumps of clay from the sink, then wipe down the sink and the area around it.
- Ware boards and bats: Dried clay easily accumulates on these items. Wipe them down well with a wet sponge before you put them away.
- Water containers and other studio tools: Rinse off all the clay on these items, including things like rolling pins, yardsticks, spray bottles, and hand-building molds.
- Slab roller and slab mats: Dried clay left on these items can contaminate other users' slabs, so remove your clay residue before it dries.
- Wedging table and clay scales: Did you use the wedging table or the clay scale? Clean up your clay residue and don't let it dry.
- Glaze splashes and spills: Wipe away all glaze splashed or spilled on the glazing table, glaze containers, floor, and other equipment.
After you finish your own cleanup, look around for anything else that might need attention and give it a wipe down, too. The kiln gods are sure to look kindly upon you. Let's all work together to defeat the dust and keep the studio a clean and healthy place to make art.
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Studio calendar
Leftover pottery going, going . . .
Still have pieces at the studio that you made before August 5? Be sure to come in to collect them beginning September 5 through September 19. After that date we will clear the shelves for our fall semester classes.
Ready, load, fire: cone 10
H
ere is the tentative schedule for the September gas kiln firing so start getting your pieces ready:
Loading: Thursday, September 28
Firing: Friday, September 29
Unloading: Monday, October 2
Be aware that this schedule
could change depending on the amount of work that's ready for firing.
Tool time: surface decoration with stamps
The Yourist Studio Gallery tool shop offers a wide selection of intricately carved wooden pottery stamps. On Sunday, September 10, at 4:30 pm, Kay will show you how to use these stamps to best advantage to decorate the surfaces of your clay pieces.
No registration is necessary. Just drop by the studio at demo time.
Got an idea for a demo you'd like to see Kay present? Let us know. We're interested in hearing from you.
Upcoming classes for fall term
Tick. Tick. Tick. Fall classes start the week of September 11.
Sign up now.
Coffee and Clay
Saturdays, Sep 16 through Oct 21, 9:30-11:30 am, with Nancy Bulkley.
Introductory and Continuing Wheel
Mondays, Sep 18 through Oct 23, 7:00-9:00 pm, with Kevan O. Wilson.
Thursdays, Sep 14 through Oct 19, 12:30 to 2:30 pm, with Nancy Bulkley.
Thursdays, Sep 14 through Oct 19, 6:30 to 8:30 pm, with Kay Yourist.
Note: These classes are designed for adult participation. Please call before registering students 13 and under.
New! Introductory and Continuing Wheel Sundays
Sundays, Oct 8 through Nov 12, 1:30 to 3:30 pm, with Kevan O. Wilson.
Advanced and Intermediate Clay
Tuesday, Sep 12 through Dec 12, 7:00-9:30 pm, with Alex Pratt.
Advanced / Intermediate Independent Study
Wednesday, Sep 13 through Dec 13, 6:30-9:00 pm, with Kay Yourist.
Try It Once on the Wheel
Saturday, Sep 16, 1:00-2:30 pm with Nancy Bulkley.
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Potter's quick tip
Adding distinctive details to a pot
Q.
I'm looking for some simple ways I can make my thrown pieces stand out more. Any suggestions?
A.
How about adding interest to the feet and rims on your pieces? Let potter Mark Peters inspire you with Two Slick Ways to Make Distinctive Rims and Feet on Pottery, a Ceramic Arts Daily video. Then, as John Britt would say, go make 100 new pieces with imaginative feet and rims.
Learn more about Mark Peters and his work here.
Readers, if you have a burning pottery question for Kay,
ask away
. We'd like to know what you want to know.
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Brief notices
Clay community digest
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Finland 100:
The Cranbrook Connection
This exhibition examines the "profound influence" Finland "has had on the development of the arts in America." Of particular interest to potters are the works of Maija Grotell, former visiting artist and head of ceramics at Cranbrook.
Visitors to this exhibition will also see treasures by Eliel Saarinen, his wife Loja, and his children, Eero and Pipsan, as well as other Finnish artists associated with Cranbrook. Get more information about the exhibition here.
Dates:
Now-January 14, 2018
Cranbrook Art Museum
deSalle Gallery
39221 Woodward Ave Box 801
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48303
248-645-3323
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Ending soon. A beautiful collection of intricately detailed and carefully constructed houses by
Olga Stowers is showcased
in this exhibition. You may have marveled at some of Olga's houses as they were under construction here at the studio.
Although Olga, who was born in Siberia and raised in Moscow, has a degree in finance, she says that she has always been drawn to art. Olga took up ceramics a mere three years ago here in Ann Arbor. As shown in this collection, she especially enjoys making houses and buildings.
Dates: Now-September 10, 2017
Gifts of Art Gallery, Taubman Health Center
North Lobby, Floor 1
1500 E. Medical Center Drive
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
734-936-4000
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The Shifting Circus: Drawing & Sculpture by Thom Bohnert
Ending soon. Thom Bohnert, an award winning artist from Michigan,
is showing drawings and sculptures that "range from lyrical to poetic, playing with tension and balance in a kind of whimsical theatrical arena." Bohnert's work is included in the collections of the Minneapolis Art Institute and Detroit Institute of the Arts.
Dates: Now-September 10, 2017
Gifts of Art Gallery, University Hospital
Main Corridor, Floor 2
1500 E. Medical Center Drive
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
734-936-4000
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Creating With Clay: Clay-Art Friends
This third exhibition by the Clay-Art Friends at Ann Arbor's downtown library is designed to inform visitors about the materials and processes involved in making ceramic art and perhaps interest them in giving clay a try themselves. Clay-art friends exhibiting this year include Nancy Bulkley, Jeanine Center, Jessica Krivan, Betty Locey, Caron Valentine-Marsh, and Lineke Zuiderweg.
Box by Lineke Zuiderweg
Dates: Now-October 12, 2017
Ann Arbor District Library
Downtown Library: Lower Level Display Cases
343 South Fifth Avenue
Ann Arbor, MI
734-327-4200
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Textures: Works by Linda Colman and Joan Rosenblum
If you've visited Yourist Studio Gallery lately, you've probably seen ceramic artist Linda Colman's large wall pieces hanging in the gallery or in process in the studio.
Linda is displaying her recently constructed wall pieces in a two-person exhibition at the
Kerrytown Concert House with painter Joan Rosenblum.
In her artist statement Linda explains that she "decided a year ago to limit my forms to a large platter shape." She adds that "The last few pieces I've made feel as though one is peering through a pond or puddle of water, where small creatures and detritus are seen floating mid way down or are trapped in the compressing sediment at the bottom."
The exhibition, entitled "Textures," runs from September 8 through October 7, with a public artist reception on Saturday, September 16, from 4 to 6 pm. You'll find details about the exhibition
here.
Dates:
September 8-October 7, 2017
Artist reception:
September 16, 2017, 4-6 pm
Kerrytown Concert House
415 N. 4th Avenue
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
734-769-2999
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Beyond Consequence: Works by Russ Orlando
From September 8 through October 13, the
Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center is presenting an exhibition of the challenging, unconventional works of ceramic, mixed media, and performance artist Russ Orlando.
Orlando earned his MFA in ceramics from Cranbrook Academy of Art and has shown his work at exhibitions and museums around the world. Orlando says of his pieces that " . . . much of my work is a response to a situation or event, or even material itself. I often see the work as a fragmented perception of reality." Read more about Orlando and his art
here.
You'll find details about the Orlando exhibition
here.
Dates: September 8-October 13, 2017
Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center
1516 S. Cranbrook Rd.
Birmingham, MI 48009
248-644-0866
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The Business of Being an Artist: Free Speaker Series
If you want to make a living as an artist, here's your chance to learn the secrets of success from artists that already do.
From September 19, 2017, through May 16, 2018,
The Entrepreneur Center at Washtenaw Community College is presenting a
free speaker series featuring successful artists on the business of being an artist.
Tim Gralewski, printmaker and instructor, kicks off the series on Tuesday, September 19, from 6 to 8 pm. In
Connecting With the Customer Gralewski will tell you how he has succeeded with
an "entrepreneurial, multi-pronged approach to finding customers and selling art." Upcoming entries in the series include
The Art of Marketing Art and
Pricing Your Work for Profit.
Register free for Gralewski's presentation
here.
Date: September 19, 2017, 6-8 pm
Great Lakes Regional Training Center,
Room GL202
Washtenaw Community College
4800 E. Huron River Drive
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
734-249-5880
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The Cracked Pot Clay Studio Tour
Can't get enough of viewing and admiring ceramic art? Then the Cracked Pot Clay Studio Tour, featuring
forty Michigan ceramic artists, will be a real treat for you.
The tour, which takes place on
September 23-24, presents twelve area potteries in
Bath, Haslett, Williamston, and Mason, Michigan. These potteries have opened their studios and invited additional Michigan ceramic artists to join them in showing and demonstrating their work. Over 40 artists are participating in the tour.
The public is invited to experience the studios, observe potters in action, and watch multiple live demonstrations. Admission is free.
Visit the
Tour web page or the
Tour Facebook page for more information and a tour map. You can also pick up a brochure from area businesses to begin the tour.
Dates:
Saturday, September 23, 2017, from 10 am to 7 pm
Sunday, September 24, 2017, from 12 pm to 5 pm
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Stop, look, listen . . . and learn
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Potter J. T. Abernathy: in since the beginning
Watch this video to see Abernathy at work and read Berry's interview with Abernathy
here.
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Want to set up to recycle your clay? Two area potters are looking for new homes for their pugmills.
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New Wave pugmill for sale
This New Wave de-airing pugmill comes with a rolling cart and all paperwork and instructions. Seller is asking $1200.00. If you are interested, call 517-857-3110 to arrange for purchase and pick up.
Manufacturer's photo shown here.
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Bluebird pugmill for sale
This model 440 de-airing Bluebird pugmill has only been used twice. The seller is asking $1800.00. If you are interested, call 734-429-0594 to arrange for purchase and pick up.
Manufacturer's photo shown here.
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It's baaaaack!
The Great Pottery Throw Down
, that is. Join us for season 2 of this hit program, which features 10 new contestants facing 24 daunting challenges dreamed up by potters Keith Brymer Jones and Kate Malone.
First challenge for the aspiring top potters: just throw a 16-piece dinner service in 4-1/2 hours. Oh, and make sure the pieces in the service are consistent with each other, lightweight, and beautifully decorated.
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Yourist Studio Gallery | 1133 Broadway, Ann Arbor, MI 48105
734-662-4914 |
www.youristpottery.com
Inspiring classes and workshops for new and experienced students | Bright, modern, fully equipped community studio workspace | Comprehensive selection of pottery tools for sale | Gallery exhibiting the works of celebrated artists |
Online gallery shop for the purchase of ceramic art
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