The next General Membership Meeting of Grand Clay Arts will be held on September 21, 2023, at 9:00 AM in the Hopi Room of Chaparral Center.  This will be the first meeting of the Fall season and we are looking forward to seeing many smiling faces!

Grand Clay Arts Membership: 275 residents
 

Welcome back members returning in September!
 

Arizona temperatures are beginning to cool down, just as GCA is heating up for another creative season of great art, and goodwill among all members!
 

Guess who and win!
 

Take a moment to challenge your keen senses to identify a couple fellow members.  Correctly identify 1 of the 2 members pictured below and become eligible for the drawing to win:
 

Mayco Stoneware 2023 Glaze Kit

12 new color stoneware glazes.

Retail value: $25.00
 

 

 

• Drawing to be held during September General Membership meeting.

• Identify at least 1 pictured fellow member correctly to qualify for the drawing.

• Returning members not yet in residence are eligible.

• Winner to be announced during the September meeting.

• Forward your guess to brucemlucas@gmail.com

 

Good Luck to all!!

 

Highlights
 

During the summer months, several members were recognized in the newsletter for their year around service to Grand Clay Arts. With their continued support, GCA will remain functioning at its current high level. The Summer Highlights series concludes by recognizing a very special member:
 

KAREN LEMAR!!!
 

Karen is responsible for so many of the great GCA operational achievements the club currently enjoys.  Where to begin?
 

Karen has taken a basic MemberLeap system and structured it into an aggressive tool that serves GCA needs very well. Operations range from data collection to annual membership billing, registering for classes on line, the amazing homepage we all enjoy. The list is endless.
 

A few years ago when given the challenge to develop the Gallery on-line system, Karen accepted the challenge and crushed it! No club within The Grand 44 Charter Club system has ever come close to what KAREN has developed.
 

How well does the Gallery work?  Take a look at year-to-date overall results.  The total combination of MAG and Gallery is amazing!
 

Sales:
 

• Jan-Sept revenues: 2023: $37,175.00
• Jan-Sept revenues: 2022: $33,880.00
• YTD revenue increase +$3,295.00
• Average Price: $35.00 / YTD Pottery sold: 1,062 pieces

GCA board member Karen will be the first to give credit to the many IT team members who work together to provide the wonderful features her vision offers. That’s Karen, totally humble, totally team player.

Congratulations Karen!

 

Mayco Stoneware 2023 Glaze Kit has finally arrived!
 

Limited number of kits in-stock. Purchase from the Lobby Supply Cabinet. Retail price $25.00.
 

 

 

In closing it’s important to mention members’ service hour requirements will be closely adhered to this season. All “active” members must fill the required 12 hour commitment as outlined in the clubs “Policies and Procedures”. Please note our Membership Director comments in this newsletter. The board fully supports this position. Suggest checking your service hours YTD. The consequences of nonfulfillment of service hours may impact a members’ active status.

 

Have a great September,

Bruce

 

 

 

Market at Grand

All members are invited to participate in monthly Market at Grand. Email announcements are sent a month in advance for you to request to participate. Requests are submitted via a web link on our club’s homepage. It’s a Grand way to display/sell your art. Participants are required to staff the sale from 8am-2pm in our village center and/or studio patio. Markets are scheduled for the first Saturday of every month from October through May. Members who wish to sell their art must have a W-9 tax form on file.
 

Fall Fest Art Walk Presented by Artisan Fusion
 

Much like the Market at Grand sales, our club will participate in the Fall Fest Art Walk on November 11, 2023. Member sign-up will be announced via email and will be processed the same way as the Market at Grand sales. Each member can submit up to 10 pieces for display/sale. Instructors assist with arranging the displays. Participants are required to bring artwork to the studio a few days in advance and are required to staff the event. It is likely that there will be a Spring Arts and Crafts Faire as well (typically in March).
 

You are welcome to request to participate in the October Market at Grand as well as the Fall Fest Art Walk.

 

Openers
 

There is an awesome team of members who are openers for the club. They are responsible for meeting the morning monitor and assisting with prepping the studio for members and guests each day of the week except Sundays when there is no monitor and the studio is “closed” to guests.

 

New to raku this year?  Since raku is experimental by nature and embracing the surprise is what we do, our alternative fire team will be offering some new experiences this season:

• Tossed Obvara
• Paper Bag Saggar
• HH + Glaze
• 1-step Naked Raku

Get ready!  Make items from WS5 white stoneware clay.  Throw or hand build forms with welded seams.  Three items are allowed per firing and those items may be flat, curved or 3D work.  Experience is great but not required.  Bold beginners are encouraged.  Learn from everyone.

There will be an introductory lecture at my house early in the season wih lots of examples and Q and A time.

Join the fun on Sunday mornings.  We'll begin when the weather cools.

A housekeeping note to the membership: please do not attempt to use the handicap door entrance buttons when the actual studio door is locked.  Attempting to open the locked studio door with the handicap door opening buttons causes the handicap door system to trip and only CAM maintenance can reset the system. 
  We have at least two members who need entry via the handicap system (not to mention visitors), so that impedes them drastically.  Please check the front door of the studio, particularly if the CLOSED sign is displayed, to verify that it is unlocked and the handicap opening button will function properly.  Otherwise, you must enter your CAM entry code to gain access to the studio. This will help us better manage the system in our studio.

Thank you.

Now that snowbirds are returning, the studio will be getting busy. There are a few rules we must follow to keep everyone safe. Here is a review.

• Clean Floors: • Keep aisles clear next to cubbies and storage racks: • Wipe down all surfaces:

Following these rules will avoid a potential accident involving a hip, back, or head, and a possible visit to the hospital.

Thank you for your cooperation!

 

Fall is beginning and so is the return of the snowbirds to Surprise.  As you return from your summer away, please check your service hours.  When you swipe your CAM ID, your name may show up on the computer screen with a yellow box.  If this happens, it means you are not in good standing, usually because you do not have the required number of service hours.  Members not in good standing lose many of their studio privileges (i.e. you cannot buy supplies, sell, fire, or glaze your work, or take classes).

If you want to know how many service hours you have, see Karen's note below on how to check your service hours.  If you are short on service hours, the quickest way to catch up is to monitor.  If you need a refresher on monitoring, watch for emails from Bruce announcing the time and dates for the refresher.

I hope everyone had an enjoyable summer and that everyone is looking forward to getting into the clay!

There's not a lot of news from the IT area right now.  However, some members have had their thinking caps on this summer, and there are some interesting suggestions for process improvements around the club.  We will keep everyone up to date as things develop.

Meanwhile, here is what I did on my summer vacation...

 

With the fall season approaching we look forward to everyone returning with new art pieces to fill the gallery shelves.  Please submit them online, then bring to the studio to be checked in and my team will place them on the shelves.  If your pieces have been there all summer, I encourage you to consider changing them out for something new.  Remember to ‘Request to Remove’ online before removing from the gallery.  Looking forward to seeing everyone’s new clay creations this fall.

 

Class/Event	Date	Time	Instructor
Basic Glazing	9/26	3-6	Connie Johnson
Mudhead Luminaria	9/28	6-10	Lynne Shanrock
Basic Clay – October	10/3, 10, 17	3-6	Connie Johnson
Hanging Totem	10/4, 11, 11/1, 15	6-9	Lynne Shanrock
The Doctor Is In!	10/6	3-6	Diane Niehof
Beginning Wheel	10/9, 11, 16, 21	3-6	Pat O’Brien
Leapin’ Lizards	10/12, 19	3-6	Diane Niehof
Desert Landscape	10/23, 30	3-6	Pat O’Brien
Basic Glazing	10/24	3-6	Connie Johnson
Columns & Bottles	10/25, 27	3-6	Diane Niehof
Basic Clay	11/7, 14, 18	3-6	Connie Johnson
Puzzle Pots	11/9	3-6	Patti Jones
Basic Glazing	11/30	3-6	Connie Johnson

 

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

If you are interested in a specific subject or project, please send an email to Education@grandclayarts.com.