This month has held a lot of firsts for me, so it seemed like it was only right to record my first blog post before the month was out as a way to commit to history all that has taken place since the Ides of March.
I attended my first NCECA conference nearly two weeks ago. It seems a lifetime has passed, and yet only yesterday. I'm not certain final numbers are in yet, but nearly 6,000 people attended Liz Lerman's keynote session, Making Our Work and Making or Worlds: How generative critique can help. But, before then, who did I see that first morning? Troy Bungart, Zach Tate, Sunshine Cobb, Judi Tavill, Roberto Lupo, and a LOT of incredibly nice people.
My conference experience began with a quick walk through the the NCECA Gallery Expo and Projects Space and the Resource Hall where I touched work by Sunshine Cobb, Birdie Boone, Ayumi Horie and so many others I lost count before departing on the North Shuttle Bus Tour. My goal destination - Belger Crane Yard Studios to see work by Beth Cavener and Zemer Peled.
I first departed the bus at Haw Contemporary to view work by Ken Ferguson and work by eight artists who have worked closely with him. I was struck by Ben Bates (incredible), Steven Godfrey (sugar jar magnificence), and Michael Fujita (what precision!).
Next stop was the American Jazz Museum for 50 Women: A Celebration of Women's Contribution to Ceramics. I'll confess, before the NCECA conference was even a gleam in my eye, I set the goal to be included in a future NCECA exhibit of women artists celebrating NCECA's 75th year. Mark your calendars....I'll see you in 25 years! I think my favorite piece here was Ashwini Bhat's Into the Mouths of Volcanoes. The contribution of art by Deborah Schwartzkopf, Beth Lo, Bonilyn Parker,Jae Won Lee, Erin Furimsky, Brenda Lichman, and Sibel Sevim, not to mention the 42 other women who made up this exhibit was incredible. While waiting on the next bus to arrive, I received some very sage advice from an 80 year old potter from New Mexico - Do what makes your heart sing; don't take classes, forget form versus function. If it interests you, pursue it.
And with that, I leave this first blog in anticipation of Belger Crane Yard Studios and my further adventures at NCECA 2016.