PHOENIX: K - 12 at NCECA in SEATTLE

Friday, April 6, 2012

K - 12 at NCECA in SEATTLE

FRIDAY, APRIL 6TH, 2012

NATIONAL COUNCIL ON EDUCATION IN THE CERAMIC ARTS AND

THE NATIONAL K - 12 CERAMIC EXHIBITION

SEATTLE , WASHINGTON

MARCH 28 - MARCH 30, 2012

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MALLORY QUAGLIATO - GRADE 11 -
"Marble Cake With Pink Icing, Whipped Cream, Cherries and Sprinkles"

I WENT TO MY FIRST NCECA CONFERENCE IN TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, ON THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF ITS FOUNDING. NCECA WAS THE EDUCATIONAL WING OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY. I HAD BEEN TEACHING IN ONTARIO SINCE ARRIVING FROM ENGLAND IN 1968. I FIRST TAUGHT AT TORONTO'S CENTRAL TECHNICAL SCHOOL FOR TWO YEARS, FOLLOWED BY THREE MORE YEARS SETTING UP A NEW PROGRAM IN CERAMICS AND GLASS AND TEACHING AT GEORGIAN COLLEGE JUST NORTH OF TORONTO IN THE TOWN OF BARRIE. THROUGHOUT THE FIVE YEARS I WAS TEACHING FULL TIME, I WAS ALSO RUNNING A FULL TIME STUDIO OPERATION AND SELLING MY WORK IN GALLERIES FROM COAST TO COAST. I LOVED TEACHING, BUT QUIT MY TEACHING JOB BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF ADMINISTRIVIA THAT WAS DRIVING ME NUTS. I WAS COERCED INTO ATTENDING NCECA FOR EXPOSURE TO WHAT WAS HAPPENING THROUGHOUT NORTH AMERICA AND AROUND THE WORLD.

BEFORE LEAVING ENGLAND IN 1968, I MADE A POINT OF TOURING THROUGH THE COUNTRY, VISITING THE TOP ECHELON OF BRITISH POTTERS WHO HAD HAD A PROFOUND INFLUENCE IN MY DIRECTION FOR LIFE. WITHOUT EXCEPTION, THEY WERE ALL QUIET AND INTENSELY INVOLVED IN THEIR WORK, WHICH AT THE TIME WAS PRIMARILY IN THE FUNCTIONAL OR VESSEL FORMAT. HOW DIFFERENT FROM THE LOUD, BRASH, MACHO-MUDPUSHERS THAT I RAN INTO AT MY FIRST NCECA. ALL THE MOST IMPORTANT U.S. CERAMIC ARTISTS OF THE TIME WERE THERE.

PETER VOULKOS, PAUL SOLDNER, ERIK GRONBERG, DON REITZ, THE CALIFORNIA FUNK MOVEMENT, AND THE FOLK FROM ALFRED UNIVERSITY, ALL SEEMINGLY ON A COLLISION COURSE OF WHO COULD OUT-MACHO AND OUT-BRAVADO EACH OTHER. I HATED THE WHOLE THING AND DIDN'T GO TO ANOTHER NCECA CONFERENCE FOR TWELVE YEARS. I ONLY WENT THEN BECAUSE MY FIRST BOOK "THE CERAMIC SPECTRUM" WAS JUST COMING OUT AND THE CONFERENCE WAS TO BE IN BOSTON, HOME TO ONE OF THE FINEST CERAMIC COLLECTIONS IN THE BOSTON MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS. SO I AGREED TO GO, SIGN BOOKS AND MEET PEOPLE. BY THIS TIME. I HAD BECOME MORE ACCLIMATED TO THE U.S. CLAY MOVEMENT AND THE WORK THAT WAS BEING MADE SOUTH OF OUR BORDER. SINCE THE BOSTON NCECA AND THE SUBSEQUENT REALIZATION THAT THERE WAS MORE THAN SUPER-MACHO TO NCECA I HAVE PROBABLY BEEN TO 25 OF THEM, LEARNED A LOT, PRESENTED SEVERAL TIMES, INCLUDING LAST YEAR AS CLOSING KEYNOTE IN TAMPA ALONG WITH A VERY LARGE CHOIR OF ANGELS AND SOME BACTERIAL BUG THAT HAS LAID ME OUT FOR OVER A YEAR NOW. I'M FIGHTING IT, BUT SINCE WE DON'T YET KNOW WHAT IT IS, IT IS DIFFICULT TO MAKE PROGRESS. THIS YEAR'S CONFERENCE IN SEATTLE WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITES EVER, EVEN THOUGH I SAW A LOT LESS THAN USUAL. ONE OF THE GREAT REGULAR ANNUAL PLUSSES IS THE K - 12 EXHIBIT THAT STARTED FIFTEEN YEARS AGO.

BEN GROSS - GRADE 12

"RAKU BOWL ICON SERIES"

I WAS PLANNING TO DO A STORY ON THIS YEAR'S EXHIBIT BUT I DON'T HAVE MUCH ENERGY TODAY SO I WILL JUST ADD A FEW MORE OF MY FAVORITE IMAGES FROM THE SHOW HERE AND ADD THE STORY NEXT WEEK.

HAPPY EASTER FOR THOSE WHO CELEBRATE IT. BEST WISHES, ROBIN