General Membership Meeting
The next General Membership Meeting of Grand Clay Arts will be held on March 16, 2023, at 9:00 AM in the Hopi Room of Chaparral Center. We look forward to seeing you there! Yes, there will be coffee and donuts!
Message from the President
Bruce Lucas Congratulations to Bob Piper, 2022 Bob Mohr Award winner!
Bob is the unanimous Board of Directors' choice for the prestigious annual award. His can-do approach to all things club related has set a high level of consistent achievement benefiting the entire club.
March Market at Grand
What a terrific Saturday morning! The weather was perfect. The Grand community turned out in force to support the Market. Once again, GCA presented an outstanding selection of pottery for residents and friends to enjoy. One hundred ninety-two clay art creations were purchased during the four-hour market.
Congratulations to the entire March 4th artist team for the smooth handling of the event. The relaxed and inviting atmosphere created a perfect opportunity for market goers to appreciate the fine GCA offerings.
Very special thanks to Cathy Rick for leading the team. The level of organization Cathy brings to the monthly Market events is first rate. The GCA display area was ready for business a full hour before the market's 9:00 AM opening. Plus, the new black table covers really looked snappy! Thank you Cathy!
 
 
 
Studio Life
The studio currently is operating at maximum capacity. At times, the space is tight. By all of us equally sharing the hand-building tables and potters' wheels, the work area may comfortably accommodate members' needs. Thank you all for the continued spirit of cooperation in sharing the studio space and equipment.
Drying Racks
The sheer volume of pottery resting on the drying racks causes a congested situation. Please be aware Directors are repositioning our pottery on the racks to maximize space. So should you find your work resting in a different space than originally placed, please be understanding. The goal is to accommodate all members' needs equally.
GCA 24/7 Cameras
The club has expanded cameras to now include the following three areas: studio lobby, studio workroom, kiln room. The units operate 24 hours, 7 days a week for everyone's benefit.
Once again, thanks for supporting our club with a smile, goodwill, and a spirit of sharing toward all members!
See you at the upcoming April General Membership meeting.
IT Corner
Karen LeMar, IT Director Service Hour News!
- Remember that those who sign up for Monitoring, Kiln and Glaze will receive their hours automatically. Please do not also log hours online!
- To cancel a session that you've signed up for, go to the Volunteer Calendar and follow the "Cancel" instructions at the top of the page.
- Initially we had two ways to log service hours for activities like opening, cleaning, shelving, etc. - online ("Log Service Hours" link) or the "White Box" in the studio. We are finding that using the online logging is much more beneficial to the club; it allows for more accurate recording and for easy verification in case of issues. Therefore...
- We are retiring the White Box!
Going forward, service hours (other than monitor, kiln, glaze) must be logged online.
At the last General Meeting, I was surprised to win the door prize! I chose the book, Alternative Kilns and Firing Techniques, by James C. Watkins and Paul Andrew Wandless. I found the techniques fascinating and learned a lot about Alternative Firing. The book is now part of the GCA library for others to enjoy!
Safety
Jacqueline Wodach, Safety Director I am providing this information in response to several inquiries received recently.
- Sprinklers - 18-inch Rule: What is the basic premise behind the "18-inch rule for fire sprinkler head clearance?" The 18-inch clearance applies only to areas that have sprinklers installed. Picture a horizontal plane parallel to the ceiling that is 18 inches below the sprinkler heads. Nothing should be in that area between the bottom of the sprinkler heads and the imaginary horizontal plane parallel to the ceiling that is 18 inches below. This is done to allow an even and unobstructed spray pattern from the sprinklers when triggered to extinguish the fire.
- Air Filter Cleaners - Inspection - Air cleaners are checked monthly and replaced as necessary by CAM. I have a call in to CAM to check on the last replacement.
Membership
Pat Conlen, Membership Director It is a good idea to periodically log in to your GCA profile and review your personal information to make sure it is correct. If you have moved, changed email or phone numbers you should update your profile in case we need to contact you. The address in your profile should be your Grand address. Also, make sure your CAM ID number in your profile matches the number on your CAM ID card. If you get a new CAM ID card, it may have a different number. If the number on your CAM ID card does not match what you have in your profile, you won't be recognized as a member when logging in.
If you forgot your password, go to grandclayarts.com, click on Log In, then scroll down where you will find an option to reset your password. You will also be able to see your username. If you have problems with resetting your password, or getting your username, contact me at pjconlen@yahoo.com, Karen LeMar at karen.lemar@gmail.com or membership@grandclayarts.com.
Plates of Plenty
Laura Abraham Mark your calendar! On Saturday, March 25, a Plates of Plenty booth will be on site at the Spring Arts and Crafts Faire. From 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM POP volunteers will be selling plates created by Grand Clay Arts members. ALL proceeds will go to the West Valley Community Food Bank.
Please encourage your friends and neighbors to stop by and take a look at the amazing pieces we have to sell.
Buy pottery - help others - feel good
Thank you for your support!
Gallery
Karen LeMar, IT Director The Gallery staff is comprised of two components:
In-studio management and Website management.
The In-studio team, led by Sherri Singer and including Renee Silberman and Susan Cover, manage the inventory and create an interesting and inviting presentation in the studio lobby. Their hard work is evidenced by the Gallery sales numbers reported by our Treasurer!
A team of four members comprise the Website Management team - Terry Cullen, Carly Shortz, Chris Mead, and Karen LeMar. The team generally trades off duties on a weekly basis to ensure the Gallery page is current and sales are processed in a timely manner.
Questions or issues should be directed to: gallerymanager@grandclayarts.com.
Supplies
Theresa Fritz, Supply Director A new clay body is now in stock at the club. Diane Niehof and a few others have been working with Aardvark Charcoal for a few months. We now have it in stock for $20 per bag, a very good price compared to retail. Try it out or, if you are not sure, share a bag with a friend.
Special orders continue to arrive every week and it is appreciated that you pick up these items as soon as possible so we can clear the space in our small storage room quickly.
A huge thank you to Brian Marx, Cliff, Erik, Larry, Denis and Bob for again pitching in this week to unload, move and stack a 2,000-pound delivery of clay. Well done guys!
Marjon's is working out a few of their "kinks" with some supply issues which are still affecting our orders but overall I think things are improving.
We are looking ahead to Artisan Fusion Spring Art Faire March 25 with 22 artists registered so far to sell during the event. Things are definitely busy at the club as everyone works hard to prepare. Let's hope the beautiful spring weather is just ahead.
Have a fabulous March everyone!
Cubbies
Sharon Choquette, Cubby Coordinator Currently we have a few cubbies available for rent ($20 annually). If you want a cubby, please go to the homepage and click on "Request a Cubby" in the middle of the page. Cubbies are assigned on a first come, first served basis. After I receive your request, I will contact you to discuss cubby locations. Part-time members (those residing in Grand less than 90 days a year) are not allowed to rent cubbies because of the limited number of cubbies available.
Oops!
Theresa Fritz It was a very fun day in the club one morning last week. A large group gathered to watch and we laughed until our cheeks hurt! At Brian's expense, of course.
Brian's comeback: I was trying to show Walt Fuller and Bob Piper what will happen if the potters wheel is going too fast or if the clay is to dry or you haven't cleaned your hands. Unfortunately that demo was over their heads. I do want to thank Janet Wear because she saw what I was trying to show the above mentioned members. She was able to point out the problems to Walt and Bob. LOL
Upcoming Classes and Events
Lynne Shanrock
|
Class/Event
|
Date
|
Time
|
Instructor
|
|
Ombre with Lines or Words
|
3/16
|
3-6
|
Diane Niehof
|
|
Slip Trailing
|
3/16
|
6-9
|
Lynne Shanrock
|
|
Outdoor Flowers
|
3/21
|
6-9
|
Anita Britton
|
|
The Doctor Is In!
|
3/22
|
3-6
|
Diane Niehof
|
|
Puff Pot
|
3/22
|
6-9
|
Lynne Shanrock
|
|
Puzzle Pots 0324
|
3/24
|
6-9
|
Patti Jones
|
|
Bucket Purse
|
3/27,4/3
|
3-6
|
Pat O’Brien
|
|
Basic Glazing
|
3/28
|
3-6
|
Connie Johnson
|
|
Desert Landscape
|
3-30, 4/6
|
3-6
|
Pat O’Brien
|
|
The Doctor Is In!
|
3/31
|
3-6
|
Diane Niehof
|
|
Basic Clay – April
|
4/4, 11, 18
|
3-6
|
Connie Johnson
|
|
The Doctor Is In! 0405
|
4/5
|
3-6
|
Diane Niehof
|
|
Puzzle Pots 0405
|
4/5
|
6-9
|
Patti Jones
|
|
Pickled Pigs Feet
|
4/7,13,14,21
|
3-6
|
Diane Niehof
|
|
Beginning Wheel – April
|
4/10,12,17,24
|
3-6
|
Pat O’Brien
|
|
Go Fish!
|
4/12
|
6-9
|
Lynne Shanrock
|
|
Outdoor Flowers 0420
|
4/20
|
6-9
|
Anita Britton
|
|
Basic Glazing
|
0425
|
3-6
|
Connie Johnson
|
|
Columns and Bottles
|
4/26, 28
|
3-6
|
Diane Niehof
|
|
Basic Clay - May
|
5/2, 9, 26*
|
3-6
|
Connie Johnson
|
|
Beginning Wheel – May
|
5/8, 10, 15, 17*
|
3-6
|
Pat O’Brien
|
|
Slip Trailing
|
5/10*
|
6-9
|
Lynne Shanrock
|
|
Underglaze This!
|
5/11*
|
3-6
|
Mary King
|
|
Basic Glazing
|
5/23*
|
3-6
|
Connie Johnson
|
Please check Event Registration on our website for the most up-to-date information.
*May classes will be available for registration soon.
Jeff Rottman educated and entertained a group of our members in February when he demonstrated his GR Pottery Forms. He also generously shared his technique for rolling appropriate sized slabs on our slab roller. That alone was worth the price!
|
