November 2022
GCA Newsletter

General Membership Meeting

The next general meeting of Grand Clay Arts is Thursday, November 17, 2022, at 9:00 AM in the Hopi Room of the Chaparral Center.  Remember, doughnuts and coffee will be there to tempt you.
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Message from the President

Bruce Lucas

November is developing into a very active Grand Clay Arts month.  Membership is above pre-COVID levels.  November-December classes and seminars are filling quickly.  Also, plans are complete for the upcoming 11/19/22 Fall Fest Art Walk (FFAW).  The Art Walk will highlight The Grand's visual artists, both club affiliated and independent.  Live entertainment, food and beverages are also planned for the event.

Time remains to enter pottery in the FFAW 11/19/22 event
To participate:
  • Bring your pottery to the studio on Friday, 11/18/22.
  • Limit presentation to ten pieces per member.
  • GCA instructors will select a collection of advanced, intermediate and introductory creations from the assortment.
  • The collections will be featured on the Village Center and Studio patio sites.
  • The balance of the pottery will be displayed for sale in the GCA studio open to FFAW shoppers.
  • Event participants will help during the Saturday event.
Plan to join fellow club members and have a great time during the upcoming Fall Fest Art Walk hosted by Artisan Fusion and CAM.

Studio Life
Patience please...
Moving into the season, we all need to be accepting of tighter work spaces and minor delays in the glaze and kiln rooms.  Please note the hand building tables are divided into two individual work spaces.  The Board took this approach to help accommodate immediate space needs rather than move to a reservation system like the COVID days.  The Board is open to additional suggestions concerning in-season space allocation.  Please share your ideas during the upcoming Thursday, November 17, General Membership meeting.

Monitor Training and Refresher (MT&R)
Consider signing up for a MT&R session.  The responsibilities of the monitor have been realigned to reflect the current needs of our membership and studio.  Earn 3 hours credit by attending a MT&R session.  The next session is December 9, 9AM to 11AM.  Watch for the e-blast coming your way shortly.  Each session has a six-member participation limit.

December Party, Party, Party!
GCA sixties party!
December 8, 4-7PM
Bring your sweetheart - Bring your friends
Music and Food
Location - Palm Center and Patio
Purchase $5.00 advance admission per participant online or in the GCA studio lobby
After December 1 the price increases to $10.00 per participant

November General Membership Meeting
Look forward to your participation in the upcoming 11/17/22 GCA General Membership meeting.  Share your thoughts and ideas focused on the continued success of the club.  A selection of raffle prizes will be awarded to several lucky members.  As in the past, the studio will be closed during the monthly meeting.

I look forward to seeing you on Thursday!

Safety

Jacquie Wodach

Here are a few special reminders to keep our club and its members healthy and safe:
  1. Please immediately wipe up any spills on the floors so no one slips and falls.  This is especially a concern in the glaze room.
  2. If you are spraying your items, spray outside to avoid overflow to the floors.
  3. Clay creates a lot of dust which is damaging to our lungs.  So ensure that you spray and wipe your area when you are finished working.
  4. Keep the area and table in front of the "First Aid Station" clear so there is no problem accessing it in case of emergency.
  5. No members are allowed in the kiln room.  There is a large sign to remind you of this rule.  Only on-duty kiln committee members can enter this room.
  6. Keep all items contained within your cubby.  Items sticking way out of the cubby are difficult for others to get around and have caused injuries in the past.
  7. In case of emergency, the nearest AED (defibrillator) is located by the Grand Cafe by the Grand Learning office.  Instructions are voice prompted.

Grand Clay Arts Reunion Party

Trish McGinniss and Diane Palley

December 8, 2022 - 4 to 7 PM
Palm Center
Sixties Theme


Great Food
Music
No Host Bar

$5.00 per person - sign up in the studio or online!



Need we say more?

Let Me Out!

Mary King

LET ME OUT cries the unmade clay figures dancing in my head.  Yes, most of them have names already and pet birds and fun things in their hands.  They already know what they want to wear today and what hat or nesting bird they like today.  They are ready!  Come on and get to that studio, they cry, to make them come alive.  Today!

So, listen to that sometimes far away voice.  Get creating, let those dancing figures out into the world!  Free them!  Make them!

IT Corner

Karen LeMar

Membership Renewals
It is membership renewal time!  On or about 12/15, you will receive an invoice for your 2023 membership dues and cubby rental, if you have one.  Invoices will be sent via email and can conveniently be paid online with a credit card.  Dues remain at $36 for the year.  Cubby rental is $20 per year.  Both are a great bargain, don't you think?

New Interface
Our website host company is rolling out a new interface for our members.
  • Our homepage will not change
  • Your login/password will not change
  • However...
When you log in, the screen will look quite different.  All the existing functions that you are used to seeing will now be available on a series of dropdown menus, as shown below.  This change will take place on (or about) December 1.  I encourage you to give it a try, but do contact us (webmaster@grandclayarts.com) if you encounter issues.

What it looks like when you log in:



Here's one of the dropdowns:

Clay Arts Gallery and Classified Ads

Karen LeMar

Gallery Rotation
We recently rotated many items off the Gallery - those that had been on since summer and early fall.  Going forward, we will target a 2-month rotation.  This means that items that have been on the Gallery for more than 2 months will be removed.  Items may be brought back after one month.  The next rotation will be early January.  Note that the rotation interval may be relaxed during the summer months.

Classified Ads
Be sure to check the Classifieds from the homepage.  There is a great array of clay tools for sale!

 

Wanted!

Karen LeMar

Looking for some fun ways to earn your service hours?  Here are a couple of positions the club needs help with...
  • Service Hour Administrator - Post service hours to the member database.  Time commitment is 1-2 hours monthly.
  • Class Ad Manager - Learn and use the MyMemories software to create the class ads that run down the right side of the homepage.  Time commitment is "as needed," averaging about 1 hour monthly.

Finished!

Diane Palley has put the finishing touches on her birdhouse totem.  Her ambitious project is now complete!

Upcoming Classes and Events

Lynne Shanrock

 

Class/Event

Date

Time

Instructor

Intermediate Hand Bldg.

11/16,17,30

6-9 PM

Lynne Shanrock

Basic Glazing

11/17

3-6 PM

Connie Johnson

Fall Fest Art Walk

11/19

9-Noon

 

Foil Saggar

11/19 and 20

Var.

Diane Niehof

Underglaze This!

11/28

3-6

Mary King

Beginning Wheel – Dec.

11/30-12/21

3-6

Diane Niehof

Pickled Pigs Feet

12/1-12/9

3-6

Diane Niehof

Textural Wall Hanging

12/4-12/12

3-6

Pat O’Brien

Stamp It!

12/3, 10

3-6

Connie Johnson

Basic Clay – December

12/6-12/20

3-6

Connie Johnson

The Doctor Is In!

12/15

3-6

Diane Niehof

Sundancer Luminaria

12/15

6-10

Lynne Shanrock

Naked Raku

12/16, 17, 18

Var.

Diane Niehof

Underglaze This!

12/19

3-6

Mary King

Textured Planter

12/20

6-9

Lynne Shanrock

Basic Glazing 1222

12/11

3-6

Connie Johnson

Beginning Wheel

1/9/23-1/18/23

3-6

Pat O/Brien

Basic Clay – Jan.

1/10-1/24/23

3-6

Connie Johnson

Betwix & Betwen

1/10-1/19/23

6-9

Brian Marx

Mask Making – January

1/12-1/26/23

3-6

Diane Niehof

Textural Wall Hanging

1/23-1/20/23

3-6

Pat O’Brien

Thrown/Alteried/Carvied

1/23-2/1/23

6-9

Brian Marx

Hanging Totem – Jan.

1/24-2/8/23

6-9

Lynne Shanrock

The Doctor Is In!

1/25/23

3-6

Diane Niehof

Basic Glazing 0131

1/31/23

3-6

Connie Johnson

Please check Event Registration on our website for the most up-to-date information.

NOTE:

  • Brian Marx will be returning in January. For you wheel throwers who want to get to the next level, don’t miss this opportunity to sign up for one of his very popular classes.

 

GCA Newsletter - November 2022