NEXT BOARD MEETING: Tuesday, Oct 8th, 6:30pm at Victoria Shaw’s house, 4806 NE 14th Place (not 14th St or Ave, there are duplicate addresses!) in Portland. For directions call her at 503-331-0950

NEXT NEWSLETTER DEADLINE: October 10, 2000. Write information down and mail it to Janet Buskirk, 3624 SE Yamhill, Portland OR 97214

The band will be Aaron Black, jazz/blues. The caterer will be Salvador Molly’s Caribbean food. We are also planning a dinnerware exchange, and have told the caterer not to bring plates or cups. So, this means that you bring (for yourself and each of your guests) a wrapped set of dinnerware. This will be similar to the Pottery Lottery, with the wrapped items being given away in a blind lottery. Each dinnerware set should consist of at least a plate and a cup. If you do not make dinnerware, bring your own plate & cup. Silverware will be provided.

GROUP BUYS: Victoria Shaw is organizing a group buy for cobalt carb, copper carb and tin oxide. She does not yet have the prices, but last time they were about $16, $3 and $7 per pound, respectively. They usually go up a bit. Call her for more details

OPA KIOSK AT ART IN THE PEARL: Are you needing something fun to do over Labor Day weekend? Help out the OPA with a two to three hour stint at our information kiosk at Art in the Pearl in Portland! For more info, call Cynthia Spencer,

OPA STUDIO SALE GUIDE: The time has come to sign up for the annual Studio Sale Guide flier. Please see info later in the Newsletter.

EMPTY BOWLS: "The Empty Bowls sale at the Waterfront Park Blues Festival was a huge success. We contributed over $18,000 to the Oregon Food Bank, far surpassing the previous record of $13,000 and bringing our total contributions from seven years to nearly $100,000. We could not have done this without the tremendous efforts of the members of the OPA, the many artists who donated lots of time and many great pots to this annual sale. We were blessed with great music, pretty good weather, fantastic fireworks and enthusiastic customers. We sold $10,000 (last year’s total) by the end of the second day!

"Extra thanks to Marylyn Holland, the greatest co-chair I could have had, and to Christie Runyan and Stan Tonnesen at Georgies for co-ordinating the great throw-a-thon, donating all the clay and glazes and for firing all of those pots. Thanks also to Alex Farnham, Eric Lovell and Euroboris Glass for hosting the fuse-a-thon and for donating the glass and firings. Also to Julie Asbury for all of the signs, and to Mark Heimann and Victoria Littlejohn for the use of their vans to haul shelving from storage, and especially to all of the volunteers who gave freely of their time and ideas- couldn’t have done it without ya’." -Paul Bush, Empty Bowls Chair (293-2420, paulbush@sprintmail.com), Marylyn Holland, Co-Chair (360-694-8881, marylynmike@teleport.com)

MISCELLANEOUS SHOWCASE NEWS: Sumi Wu will be the Showcase Co-Chair for 2001. She will train for one or possibly two years and then take over as Chair. Thanks, Sumi!

Showcase has bought a new computer for the Publicity Committee to use. Their old computer is broken. The new computer, in addition to being able to fax information to the media, is capable of scanning photos. This will save some time and money for our advertisements. It has been important to this committee to have a fairly modern computer to present us professionally to the media.

The Showcase commission has been dropped to 15% (from 20%) and rebates will no longer be offered. This will be tried for Showcase 2001 and then assessed. We have rebated 5-6% in recent years.

Showcase 2000 was over $5600 short of money after all of the books were closed. The treasurer and the various committees which handle money have searched for discrepancies, and, while they have found some, they have not found enough to account for all of this. Mistakes in handling of credit cards have accounted for many errors (people did not enter enough zeros, making $250 sales into $2.50 sales). Theft has been discussed as a possibility, but we do have enough checks and balances that it does not seem possible that this much money could have disappeared that way. A group will be meeting later this fall to discuss how we can close bookkeeping gaps.

Participants will no longer pay for pipe and drape in advance. In the future it will be deducted from their checks after the show.

The Lobby Display at Showcase 2001 will feature teapots. Start planning now! Call Lyn Sedlak-Ford with questions.

SHOWCASE PUBLICITY: Did you know that the parking lots will be under construction during Showcase 2001? With this in mind, we must be more pro-active than ever with our publicity efforts. Let’s not be complacent about our marketing! Some suggestions from the publicity committee (remember, this not only increases Showcase’s total, it also increases your sales):

1. Send your newest slides to Linda Haworth, Publicity Chair, 128 E Main St, Hillsboro OR 97123. Most of the slides get sent out, and many prominent OPA members have empty files! We are no longer asking for black & white photos as we have a new computer/scanner to convert them ourselves and we can accent the contrast. Keep in mind that Publicity can use more than one copy of the same slide, since they may send one to a newspaper, another to a magazine, another somewhere else.

2. Get your favorite slide made into postcards now. Before Showcase, send out 100 postcards with a personal note to your best and most likely buying customers. Place postcards in your booth so that potential clients can remember your name later (business cards are nice, but a picture sure does jog their memory. Buyers say that photo handouts and personal notes are key to increased sales)

3. Take time now to spiff up your booth. Do you have a photo of yourself? Are your product cards and info up to date? Linda says that Gil Harrison and Mark Heimann get her seal of approval on "personal in-booth marketing"

CHEAP AND FREE CLAY: The School & Community Reuse Action Project (SCRAP) is a group which collects reusable items from local businesses and distributes them to art and cultural organizations. Currently they have an excess of cone 04 clay which they will sell for $3 per 35 lb bag for moist clay. Multiple bags are cheaper. Dry bags are free. Contact them at 503-294-0769

LAGUNA CLAYS: Ace and Sallie DuMond have recently sent a letter to many local potters regarding Laguna Clay purchases. They live in Boring (just east of Portland) and order Laguna Clays in large quantities. In the past they have organized clay and other materials to be shipped from Laguna Clay Co to Boring, and distributed from there to potters in the area. As our clay distributors are changing ownership, we may find different products on their shelves. If you cannot find the Laguna products you need, contact the DuMonds at 503-663-9114, Stoneplex@AOL.com

CRAFT EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND: CERF is an organization which helps professional craftspersons facing career-threatening crises. They offer no-interest loans and negotiate other services (ie booth fee waivers). Since 1985 they have arranged for loans totaling $300,000 and an equivalent amount in other services. How can you help? Ask your local gallery to participate in A Month for CERF, their annual fundraising event in September. Spread the word about CERF to other craftspeople, so they know there is help if they need it. Make an annual contribution to CERF in honor of a friend. Send them the names of friends and family members who would be interested in CERF. Make an object no bigger than 2" that would sell at shows and conferences. They also have a new program called "Lend a Hand". This is for businesses who donate $100 or more annually, and they can use the "Lend a Hand" logo for their business. Contact them at Cornelia@craftemergency.org, 802-229-2306

MAKING FIREBRICK: The last Clayfolk Newsletter had a section about making firebrick. They had a meeting where people came and made firebrick to take home. The formula they used was for J&M Insulating Brick (US pat # 2,499,229, Feb 28 1950 Rankine A.S.). Use 1 art water, 2 parts dry solids, dry and fire in oxidizing atmosphere to 2450F-2600F.

40 kaolin 33PCE (they have used Pioneer Kaolin)

10 kyanite

10 pyrophylite

20 grog (they have used 150 mesh ione grain grog)

20 sawdust (they used sawdust from cabinet shop run through 1/8" mesh screen)

Dry blend, add water, mix as you would cement. They used a ram press to mold the brick. The bricks were 11.5x5.5x3.5" and they got 12.5 per 100 lbs of formula. They fire out (after a cone 9 firing) to 10 3/4x5 1/8x3 3/8" (from Nancy Ingram of Clayfolk)

NEW TECHS AT MT HOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE: The new Ceramics Tech at Mt Hood Community College will be Rhue Bruggerman, and the swing shift tech will be Steve Wise.

REGIONAL ARTS & CULTURE COUNCIL: They have a very informative newsletter. To receive the print version, call Mary Bauer at 503-823-5426. To receive the more extensive electronic version send an email to raccnews@oaknetpub.com and type the word SUBSCRIBE into the body of the message and send.

THE ROSEN GROUP has an electronic newsletter which lists opportunities for artists, show deadlines, and other tidbits of use to us. It is called Market Insider. For more info contact them at mi@rosengrp.com

NCECA CERAMICS PROGRAMS DATABASE: This is a database of educational programs. NCECA is asking all institutions and clay programs to enter information about their programs into the database. Go to NCECA homepage at http://nceca.net and click: NCECA Ceramic Programs Database. For password to enter information on your program contact Susan Filley at 843-971-9934 or susanf@awod.com

MUSEUM OF CERAMIC ART: The New Museum of Ceramic Art in New York City will host international art from renowned traditions to the most avant garde. They are in a temporary facility at 685 West End Ave, New York NY 10025, 212-865-5099. They are also looking for further temporary exhibits.

INSULATING MATERIALS FOR SALT/SODA KILNS: An article in the Winter Global Ceramic Review mentioned research that is happening in Belfast to find an insulating material, or combination of insulating materials, that will not corrode over time in salt and soda kilns (high temperature, reduction firings). They are also researching kiln furniture. The guy to contact is Peter Meanley, Reader, School of Art & Design, University of Ulster, York Street, Belfast, BT15 1ED, United Kingdom. teapots@meanley.freeserve.co.uk

HIGH TEMP PROTECTIVE COATINGS AND EPOXIES: (from Global Ceramic Review winter 1999/2000) Aremco Products have put out two technical bulletins about corrosion-resistant high-temp protective coatings and ultra high temp epoxies. I believe this is below cone 1, but it sounds interesting. www.aremco.com, aremco@aremco.com

ARTS DONATIONS: You may be aware that artists cannot deduct the fair market value of the work which they donate to charities. They may only deduct materials. There is currently a bill which proposes to change this. Bill HR3249 will try to make it possible to deduct the market value of work donated to charity. The sample letter below can be copied, clipped & mailed, or whatever. If you need to know who your congressman is, visit http://www.house.gov.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear

We need your help! Please sign as a co-sponsor or vote for Bill HR3249 which has been introduced to congress by Amo Houghton

As artists and supporters of the arts, we feel strongly that the current law that does not allow artists to take a fair market value deduction for a charitable donation of their work is unfair. Owners of artwork not their own can take an appreciated full market value deduction, but the artist who made the work cannot. The new bill HR3249 would rectify this inequity.

It is important and helpful for charitable organizations to be able to raise money through auctions of artwork. Museums need to add to their current collections. By amending this law, artists would be willing to donate work of higher quality to these organizations, and this would benefit everyone.

Please help us to change this double standard and make it equal for both artist and patron. Vote for HR3249.

Thank you for your consideration and representation of our needs.

Sincerely,

EYE PROTECTION: The July/Aug Clay Times has an article by Monona Rossol about kiln safety glasses. Have you been baffled about whether to buy infrared or ultraviolet protection glasses for looking in your kiln? This article recommends infrared glasses to protect your eyes from future cataracts. They recommend lenses that protect you from infrared-C transmission at over 3000 nm, although many safety supply companies may only have protection for infrared-B (1400 to 3000 nm).

CERAMIC FIBER: The July/Aug Clay Times also has an article about a lung-soluble ceramic fiber. This has a silica-magnesia chemistry and is manufactured under the brand name Isofrax (it is made by Unifrax, the makers of Fiberfrax). Apparently, it dissolves in lung fluids and excreted out through your urine (if this were April, I would think this is an April fool’s day joke. -ed). This fiber’s maximum temperature is 2300 degrees F, and above that it shrinks dramatically. It is similar in cost to the usual fibers, is softer and cuts more easily than old fibers.

WOODFIRE: The June 2000 Studio Potter magazine has a series of articles from the 1999 International Woodfire Conference. There is information on flashing, different kilns, saggars, water in woodfire, Bourry boxes, and much more

LARGE EQUIPMENT PURCHASES: If you are looking for large quantities of industrial ceramic equipment, you may want to check with Pacific Ceramic Machinery & Equipment. They supply new and used equipment to companies world wide. pacceram@inreach.com, 209-462-3405

WATER QUALITY & RADON: I recently received my Portland Water Quality Report. In addition to the usual lead information, there was a section on radon gas. Radon is common in this area, and if you work in an underground studio (your basement...) you should think about radon testing. Testing is inexpensive and easy, and you should fix problems if your levels are above 4 picocuries per liter of air. Call the EPA at 800-SOS-RADON or visit http://www.epa.gov/safewater/radon.html.

HOLIDAY GIFT SHOWS: Christmas in Seattle, Nov 17-19 and Tacoma Holiday Food & Gift Festival, Oct 18-22. $675-840. Call 800-521-SHOW

AMERICAN CRAFT COUNCIL shows: deadline Sept 6, they have several shows, the ones you probably care about are Baltimore, Feb 20-25 and July 16-17 and San Francisco August 8-12, 2001. Booth fee $600-1350. Wholesale and wholesale/retail shows. Contact them at 800-836-3470, www.craftcouncil.org

ST CLARE SCHOOL’S HOLIDAY MARKET in SW Portland is looking for artists. $25+20%, you do not man your display, Nov 15-19. Call Mary McMenomey, 557-7830

CALL FOR ENTRIES: Up in Flames, juried exhibit of woodfired pots at Green Tara Gallery, 118 E Main St, Carrboro NC 27510. Send SASE. Deadline Sept 16

CALL FOR ENTRIES: Bonsai Pot Competition, sponsored by the National Bonsai Foundation and the Takagi Bonsai Museum in Tokyo. Traditional and modern (non traditional) pots must be: new; made of high-fired ceramic; appropriate to complement one or more species of bonsai or accent plants; suitable for holding and maintaining one or more living plants indefinitely and have one or more drainage hole; made by potter residing in North America. Deadline Feb 1, 2001. For prospectus contact National Bonsai Foundation, Felix Laughlin, 1775 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington DC 20006

CALL FOR ENTRY: Y2Klay at Buddy Holly Center Fine Arts Gallery, 1801 Ave G, Lubbock TX 79401, deadline Sept 18 for December show.

CALL FOR ENTRIES: Viewpoint: Ceramic 2001. Jan 22-Feb 9, deadline Oct 13, $20 for 3 slides, Grossmont College, Hyde Gallery, 619-644-7299, www.viewpointceramics.net

CALL FOR ENTRIES: Niche Awards, ceramics categories are hand-built, molded, or wheel thrown. Juried from slides, work must be produced after Aug 1, 1999. Slides not returned. $30 jury fee for 3 entries. Deadline Sept 1, call 410-889-2933

CALL FOR ENTRIES: NCECA Clay National in Charlotte, NC. Deadline Sept 25. http://nceca.net or 800-99-NCECA

POSSIBLE STORE LOCATION: Connie and David Frank, jewelers who have a shop in the John’s Landing Water Tower in Portland write to say that there are openings for new businesses in the Water Tower. They believe there is great potential for a group of artists and craftspersons to have stores in this mall and be a "crafts magnet" area. They envision stores where there would be sales, demonstrations and opportunities for the public to meet artists and have custom work made. Perhaps areas for furnaces for glass (maybe kilns?) in the courtyard. They have discussed this with the building owner and managers and have been met with enthusiasm. David and Connie are not out for personal gain, except that they would love to have their neighboring businesses be crafts businesses. Contact them if you are interested in something. dfank@hevanet.com, 503-222-2034

CERAMICS INSTRUCTOR WANTED: Hawthorne Arts Guild looking for instructor. Paid. Days or evenings. Complete pottery studio available. Leave your phone number at Hawthorne Arts Gallery, 231-7466

WORKSHOP INSTRUCTOR WANTED: $30/hr, teach youth of North/Northeast Portland (age 1-17). Contact Mariana Tres, Franciscan Enterprise, PO Box 11268, Portland OR 97211

PUBLIC ART PROJECT: For Tri Met Max Stations in Portland, deadline Sept 14, two projects, budgets $45,000 to $75,000. Contact Mary Priester, Public Art Manager, 503-962-2291

BARB CAMPBELL solo show of wood- and low-fire work, Fifth Element Gallery & Studio, 404 NW 10th, Portland, Aug 3-26

RICHEY BELLINGER in ‘Get a Grip- Pottery with Handles’ at Frog Hollow, Middlebury, VT

LINDA OWEN ‘New Works in Glass’ and Paddy McNeely at Fire’s Eye Gallery, seven miles west of McMinnville on Hwy 18, across from Lawrence Gallery, Aug 19-Sept 14

VICTORIA SHAW has photos of her work in The Extruder Book, the recent publication from the American Ceramic Society by Daryl Baird. Janet Buskirk also has photo credit for photos of an extruder made by Byron Farr.

JANET BUSKIRK, BARB CAMPBELL, MICHAEL FROMME, CINDY HOSKINSON, TERRY INOKUMA, MOTOKO HORI, MARY WALYER & KAY WOOLDRIDGE are in ‘Women’s Anagama Fire’ at Guardino Gallery, 2939 NE Alberta in Portland. Aug 31-Sept 26. Opens Aug 31, 6-9pm

VERN UYETAKE Aug 3-Sept 17, ‘Raku Works’. This is Vern’s solo show resulting from his ‘Best of Show’ award at Ceramic Showcase. Contemporary Crafts Gallery, 3934 SW Corbett, Portland

MARY LOU ZEEK & MIKE SATERN were at Bush Barn Art Center in Salem, July 11-30

LILLIAN PITT with Barbara Fujino-Lemon and Katherine Pardee at Talisman Gallery, 2808 NE MLK Blvd in Portland, Aug 3-Sept 3

CHRISTOPHER NIELSON, KIM MURTON and Jody Everts at Graystone Gallery, 3279 SE Hawthorne Blvd in Portland, July 23-Sept 3.

GYLLIAN DAVIES ‘House of Souls’ Recent Sculpture, July 18-Aug 16, Multnomah Arts Center Gallery

TRAVIS LORENZ solo show of work made while ceramic tech at MHCC, Sept 29-Oct 19, opens Sept 29, 6-8:30, Mt Hood Community College Gallery

JULIA GALLOWAY ‘Tome-An Exhibition of Utilitarian Ceramics’, Fifth Element Gallery & Studio, 404 NW 10th in Portland, Nov 2-Dec 5

STEVE SAUER, PADDY MCNEELY, LOREN LUKENS & JUNE LINDSEY at Northwest Craft Center in Seattle, Aug 5-30

MAKING BIG POTS with John Harris at Architektura, Yelm WA, $50, Sept 9, 360-894-7527

POTTERY OF MATA ORTIZ with Michael Wisner. Handbuild, burnish and fire pieces in traditional pueblo and modern techniques, Sept 15-19, $293, MT Sherman Ceramic Center, Salem. 503-581-7275

A LAYERED APPROACH with Jim Koudelka. Basic latex texture mold making as well as plaster molds for press molding and slip casting. Jim will show how to use these molds in conjunction with thrown and handbuilt parts. Oct 20-22, $110, MT Sherman Ceramic Center, Salem, 503-581-7275

GLAZE CALCULATION with Richey Bellinger. Six Saturdays, Oct 7-Nov 11. Morning or afternoon session. In depth, step by step exploration of glaze calculation & theory. Students should get greater understanding of ceramic glazes & how they work, plus learn to adjust old glazes or invent new ones. Portland. 503-286-7072

PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES. Includes Copyright (Sept 23), Forms of Doing Business and Alternative Dispute Resolution (Sept 16), Taxes for Artists (Sept 16), Contracts & Consignments (Sept 23), Oregon College of Art & Craft, Portland, 503-297-5544

TABLEWARE WITH A FLAIR with Lisa Orr, Nov 4-5, throwing & altering, making & using bisque molds, decorating with slips & sprigs. Oregon College of Art & Craft, Portland 503-297-5544

DANCING WITH FLAME with Barb Campbell, workshop and Anagama firing, dates & costs TBA. At Stephen Mickey’s in Battleground, WA, 503-491-7149

PAINTED VESSEL SERIES beginning with Craig Martell, Nov 11, bring one plate and one vertical form (bone dry porcelain) to experiment with Craig’s decorating techniques. Use slips to decorate. Send $25 to MHCC Ceramic Club, Stephen Mickey, MHCC, 26000 SE Stark, Gresham OR 97030. Patty Maly will teach a workshop there Jan 27. More info later.

FOR SALE: Olympic 2027 oval electric kiln, never used. w/ kiln sitter, c/8. Interior 20x30x27"deep, 7.9 cu ft, 47 amps of 240 volt power, with timer, pyrometer, steel dolly. $1275 (list $1705), Eugene. 800-799-0232, 541-954-0579

FOR SALE: Kiln shelves, 12x27x1" mullite, $10-15 depending on condition (all are useable). Cress 18" kiln with 4 shelves, $200. Skutt 1018 rebuilt in 1995 with new brick and elements, $400. Loren at Multnomah Art Center in Portland, 823-2787, 284-2761

FOR SALE: Small kiln, Barbara, 648-2483 (Hillsboro)

FOR SALE: 200 Idaho firebrick, new, just wet & dirty, best offer. Heavy duty tile press, call for info. Lightweight wheel, cheap. Used Skutt 1027 kiln, good condition. Geoffrey Pagen at Reed College in Portland, 771-1112 x7279, call for prices

HOUSE FOR SALE: 2 bedroom cottage in SE Portland, near Hawthorne & Trader Joes. Hardwood & fir floors, cove ceilings, updated kitchen & bath, new roof, attached one car garage used as studio, full dry basement w/ darkroom, 7500 sq ft yard, fruit trees, 4016 SE Brooklyn. Ted Vogel 234-2937 or Bob Conely 775-4699 x118

HOUSE FOR SALE: Unique craftsman bungalow in excellent condition, 2600 sq ft, 4br, 2ba, close in Hollywood in Portland, hot tub. with potter’s studio, gas kiln, 100x100’ corner lot. $449,500, Alyce Flitcraft, 503-282-1401

STUDIO FOR RENT: Equipped, Jan-May 2001. Includes electric kiln, chemicals in stock, glaze making room with sinks, throwing room with combination kick/electric wheel. $200/month includes utilities. 20 cu ft gas kiln available, $30/firing. Near SE 35th and Division in Portland. Adrienne Stacey, 232-4393

WANT TO BUY: Bisqueware. A few simple shapes using my clay, bimonthly orders. Michael Miller, 29701218 (Portland area)

HELP WANTED: Experienced potter needed for all phases of production, throwing, trimming, handles, my studio or yours. Steady work & good pay through December and possibly next year. Michael Miller, 297-1218 (Portland area)