(this is not a permanent change- the July meeting will be back at Multnomah Art Center)

NEXT MEETING: Friday, May 11th at Portland Community College Rock Creek Campus, 17705 NW Springville Rd, Portland, Building #3 in the Forum (from Portland take Highway 26 west, exit at 185th, turn right on 185th and follow the signs). Our meeting will follow a series of workshops by Steven Hill, a potter well know for his single-fired, high temperature function work. The workshops are free. He will be at PCC Cascade on Wed, May 9, 11am-3pm. PCC Sylvania on Thurs, May 10, 11am-3pm. PCC Rock Creek on Fri, May 11, with the following schedule:

noon-4pm: Steven Hill Workshop, admission free

5-6pm: potluck dinner

6-7pm: OPA meeting All of these are at PCC Rock Creek!!!

7-8pm: Slide lecture with Steven Hill

Wally Schwab has coordinated this, and he asks that people RSVP if they plan to attend on Friday so that he can plan how many tables, chairs, etc. Contact him at Ceramics Dept, Rock Creek Campus, 17705 NW Springville Rd, Portland OR 97229

NEXT BOARD MEETING: Monday, June 4th, 6:30pm at Ginger Steele’s nursery/studio (arrive at 6pm for a nursery tour), 3285 NW Susbauer Rd, Cornelius. From Portland, take Hwy 26 west, take Glencoe/North Plains exit, go left over freeway, go 1 mile to stop light, go right on Zion Church Rd, go 1-1/2 miles to flashing yellow light, turn left and go 2 miles to New Leaf Greenhouse (just past Hornecker Rd intersection on right, there is a picket fence around the retail yard in the front). The meeting will be in the green building behind the greenhouse, pizza will be ordered (we will all chip in $), bring a salad. From the south: take scenic Hwy 47 to Forest Grove, turn rt on Hwy 8, go about 3 miles to 19th St in Cornelius, at BP Station at 19th turn left, go 1.6 miles on 19th St which becomes Susbauer Rd. The nursery is on the left just after you cross Dairy Creek. Future board meetings will be the first Monday of August, Oct, & Dec.

NEXT NEWSLETTER DEADLINE: June 10. Write info down and mail to Janet Buskirk, 3624 SE Yamhill, Portland OR 97214

THE OPA PICNIC will be Sept 16 at George & Pearl Wright’s in Manning. Mark your calendars!

JURIED OPA SHOW: Victoria Christen and Ted Vogel are researching a possible juried regional ceramic show for spring 2002. It may occur at Contemporary Crafts or at the Lewis & Clark College gallery. More info as this progresses.

RECENT MAIL SENT TO THE PO BOX: Unfortunately, several envelopes which were recently mailed to the PO box have been lost. Among them were probably some membership checks and newsletter submissions. I am very sorry for any inconvenience this may cause, but am unable to do anything about this since we do not know who these envelopes were from. If you think you might have mailed something to the PO Box in late March or early April, please call Janet Buskirk, 503-231-2810

1. small, regular cones (for your kiln sitter), 50 cones per box, $2.99 (normally $4.60)

2. small bar cones, 50 cones per box, $2.99 (normally $4.60)

3. large, regular cones, 50 per box, $4.45 (normally $6.85)

4. large, self supporting cones, 25 per box, $3.25 (normally $5)

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Please send me the following cones:

quantity: temperature (cone): type of cone: price per box: total:

________ _____________ _______________ ____________ ______

________ _____________ _______________ ____________ ______

________ _____________ _______________ ____________ ______

use a separate sheet if you are buying more! total of enclosed check: ______

COBALT CARBONATE: There is one 5# bag left. It is $15.40 per pound. If you want it, contact Victoria Shaw, 503-331-0950

EMPTY BOWLS IN PORTLAND will be July 4 to 8 (Wed-Sun, set up July 3) at the Waterfront Blues Festival. It is not too late or too early to sign up for Empty Bowls! We are still looking for donations, and remember that the Oregon Food Bank has offices all over the state. If you would like to donate work, you can box it up (extra carefully, they are used to dealing with cans of tomato sauce), prominently mark them EMPTY BOWLS and drop them off at your local Food Bank.

If you want to offer your work for sale during the latter part of the Blues Festival, the Food Bank will take a 25% commission and you must sign up for a workshift as well as help with set up or tear down.

Georgies in Portland will have a throw-a-trim-a-glaze-a-thon at the end of May. All potters who wish to make a donation of their time and skill are cordially invited. It’s rare opportunity to socialize at the wheel (as if we all worked in a big studio). Come for one day if you can’t make all three.

THROW-A-THON: May 22, 10-4. TRIM-A-THON: May 24, 10-4. GLAZE-A-THON: June 5, 10-4

Mount Hood Community College will have an Empty Bowlerama, Fri & Sat, May 11 & 12. Georgies has donated 1500 lbs Santiam and ZigZag clays, so come and help make pots for people who need a hand up. 9am-4pm each day. Bring your tools & lunch.

A big thanks to Georgies, MHCC, and all of the potters who donate their work! If you have questions, call Tony Hackenbruck 503-235-4417 or Jeanne Charles 503-233-2317

Clayfest will be Oct 13-14 at Lane County Fairgrounds in Eugene. Applications will be mailed April 12 with booths awarded on a first come, first served basis, using the postmark date on your envelope. For an application, contact Merry Newcomer, 541-485-6696 or claycat@efn.org, for other information contact the Chairperson, Don Clarke, 541-683-6330, ddclarke@efn.org

LOBBY DISPLAY: This year we will have a teapot exhibit. Every OPA member is encouraged to display. You will need to provide your own pedestal, cardboard is fine. We will need your piece by noon on Thursday of set up. Contact Lyn Sedlak-Ford, 360-834-9366

SECURITY: OPA security committee members will be on shift during Wednesday and Thursday set up of Showcase. They will be observing who is going in and out, however booth participants are ultimately responsible for the safety of their work and unattended belongings during set up.

OPA members may restock beginning at 8am Friday, Saturday and Sunday with entry through the back doors. If door is not open, bang on it to get the committee member’s attention.

REBATE CHECK: There was an error in your Showcase packet (pg 5, letter O). There will be no rebate this year since we lowered the commission.

BALLOTS: Your Showcase ballots are enclosed in this newsletter. Every OPA member is welcome to vote for their favorite gallery piece (vote Thursday evening and Friday before 9:30am) and favorite booth (vote before 11am Friday). If you do need another ballot, Deborah Shapiro will have some at the show. She promises that, unlike some elections, every vote will be counted.

BOOKKEEPING ROOM: We will not have our usual upstairs room for this. We will instead use a room across the hall, and we ask that no one who is not directly involved in bookkeeping be in the room.

FLOORPLAN: The last newsletter included the Showcase floorplan. However, we have since discovered that we can use a few feet of the next exhibit hall. Those of you who came to the March meeting saw the new improved floor plan. The Building Committee has found space to squeeze in a few more booths. Thanks, Sam & Farshad! (Space did not allow new plan in this newsletter)

BEND SUMMER FESTIVAL: July 14-15, deadline April 27. Also Bend Fall Festival Oct 6-7, deadline April 27 or June 8, $20 jury fee for both, booths $70-120, 3 slides, 1293 NW Wall St #1402, Bend OR 97701, 541-408-6802, Susan Ludi

BEAVERTON FINE ART & WINE FESTIVAL: Sept 14-16, 503-644-0123, jean@beaverton.org

Gallery Relationships: When looking for galleries to represent your work, show one consistent body of work. Several different types of work will make them think you do not know what you are doing. For wholesaling, put together a small catalogue and easy to use order sheet, perhaps include shards with glaze color samples. Do not ask the gallery to look at your website, they will not get around to it. You must create a partnership with yourself and a gallery. Supply them with slides and promotional information, and include some promotional info with every shipment.

Promotional Information: This should include where you studied & with whom, a picture of you at work, an explanation of how labor intensive the work is (how many times was it fired? How many times was it put on the wheel?). Do not include your address, the gallery wants to put this info next to your piece and does not want the customer to think they can get it cheaper from you!

Pricing: You must charge what the market will bear, and you must charge what you need. If your piece is not selling for the price it should, could you add a small touch that would increase it’s perceived value to the customer? An added bit of information? A recipe included with a baking dish? It is good to have a variety of prices, from the day-to-day $20 pieces to the sell-only-a-few $500 pieces. Remember also that your "production" work must cover the costs of your work you make for your soul, which may not make any money. Never, ever undercut your gallery’s prices. If you are retailing your work, retail it for the same price your gallery does (remember, if you are retailing it your are working more hours on that one piece).

Techniques for selling: Learn to adapt to change. Talk to your customers. Remember they are looking for a "story" to go with their piece. They may serve dinner on your plates and will value them more if they can tell their dinner guests part of your story, of the adventure they had in meeting the artist and getting to know you. Women are our usual customers, but it will help the sale to draw in a bored

husband. He might respond to a description of your equipment (this was thrown on a one and a half horsepower wheel and fired to 2350 degrees in a huge gas-powered kiln).

Your customers are mostly 35-54 years old, female, educated, living in a $300,000 home, and "individualists" who go to art related events as a hobby. They probably studied some design in college, and they want to buy a part of your interesting lifestyle.

A few more points: Do not undercut other potters’ prices. This hurts everyone in the long run. Also, remember that creating name recognition for yourself will increase the value of your work. For this, you will need professional photos (slides, not prints or digital) and written information. You should approach marketing with the same discipline as you approach making the work, and you may need to take classes in PR, advertising, business, and writing.

STABLE GLAZES FOR FOOD CONTAINERS was the subject of a talk by John Hesselberth at NCECA. He has tested many glazes, from his own formulas to commercially sold, pre-mixed glaze. While many glazes were quite stable, a surprising number did not hold up. He did a "home test" by putting a slice of lemon on a glazed plate, and by leaving a piece half submersed in vinegar for 3 days. A stable glaze will probably have no change in sheen or color. Sometimes, stable glazes may have a change in sheen, but they should never show color change. All home testing should be backed up with lab tests, especially if there was a noticeable change of sheen. He gave ratios for silica:flux (2.5:1 to above 3:1 at cone 6 using limit formulas) and for alumina:flux (.25:1 to above .35:1). You should not raise the silica or alumina levels high enough to impede the glaze melt, though. He also recommended never using excess colorants, especially copper (it is extremely prone to leaching, keep it under 5%). "Metallic effects" glazes are probably not food safe. The only laws governing this are for lead and cadmium, but there are plenty of other chemicals which we use that should not leach into anyone’s food. You can have glazes tested quite inexpensively ($20-30) at Alfred Analytical Lab, 4964 Kenyon Rd, Alfred Station NY 14803, 607-478-8074, ats@infoblvd.net or Brandywine Science Center Inc, 204 Line Rd, Kennett Square PA 19348, 610-444-9850, bsclab@brandywine.net. He will be publishing a book with Ron Roy early next year about stable glazes, in the meantime more details from him at www.frogpondpottery.com.

GILLESPIE BORATE: I received a sheet from Hammill & Gillespie with the chemical analysis of their new Gerstley Borate substitute:

SiO2 11.7% Al2O3 1.7%

B2O3 25.3% (Ca,Mg)O 25.0%

(Na,K)2O 4.2%

Loss on ignition: 30.9%

Trace constituents: SrO, Fe2O3, TiO2

This is Ulexite with clay, alkaline earth carbonates, and silicates. www.hamgil.com, 800-454-8846

CLAY AND EQUIPMENT FROM CLAY ART CENTER: Clay Art Center in Tacoma has 15% off Brent Wheels (with a free splash pan) through April 30. Skutt Kilns are 20% off, and shelves & vent are $280 through April 30. They also have new clays: a refractory body (make your own kiln furniture, posts & saggars), $10 for 25#. Also Southern Ice, new translucent c/ 10 filter pressed porcelain from Australia, sample bag $20 for 20#, this clay supposedly throws better than B-Mix. 2636 Pioneer Way East, Tacoma WA 98404, 253-922-5342, www.clayartcenter.com

GEORGIES has consolidated its operations and has closed the Salem and Beaverton stores. They will continue to have their stores in Portland and Eugene. They will continue to sell some of their retail supplies through Fireworks in Salem, and they will be open until 7pm in the Portland store. They now have a toll free line to the Eugene store, 866-234-CLAY. They deliver from Longview to Eugene for $35 for up to 6,000 lbs.

ART CLAY SILVER is a product that appears to be similar to precious metal clay. It calls itself a pliable, aqueous clay which is made of silver and organic particles, and when fired, the organic particles burn out leaving a 99.9% silver item. The shrinkage is less than precious metal clay, and it comes both as a paintable paste and as a pliable clay. There is also Art Clay Gold, available only as a clay. Art Clay, USA, 2377 Crenshaw Blvd, suite 130, Torrance CA 90501, 310-381-0100, www.artclayworld.com

NEW HANDBOOKS FROM CERAMICS MONTHLY: Creative Ideas for Clay Artists, a "best of" collection of articles from Ceramics Monthly, and Barrel, Pit and Saggar Firing, also a collection of articles. They are also compiling a book of articles about woodfire, to be available soon. $20-25 each, www.ceramics.org, 614-794-5890

POTTERS COUNCIL is a new group sponsored by the American Ceramic Society. The goal as I understand it is to provide a nation-wide guild potters’ guild. There is a quarterly newsletter, 20% discount on American Ceramic Society products (books, Ceramics Monthly and Pottery Making Illustrated), some medical insurance, merchant credit card processing services, car rental discounts and more. $35 per year, American Ceramic Society, dept 866, Columbus OH 43265-0866, www.potterscouncil.org.

"CRITICAL CERAMICS" is the name of new online discussion group which has articles, reviews, bulletin board, lists of opportunities, etc. www.criticalceramics.org, contact Forrest Snyder, editor@criticalceramics.org

POSTERS FOR TEACHERS: There is a great set of 14 posters, each featuring an aspect of pottery making. For instance, a step-by-step instruction on wedging, another on centering clay, etc. These looked really good, and the ones I saw were laminated for durability. They were $50 from Carolina Clay Connection, 704-376-7221. AMACO also sells them.

TOZAN KILN FESTIVAL: There was a typo in the last newsletter for this. The real phone is 250-245-4867, the address is 900 5th St, Nanaimo BC, Canada V9R 5S5

POTTERY PRODUCTION PRACTICES is a free publication from Ceramic Industry. Check www.ceramicindustry.com

ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE ARTS: Non-profit art agencies contributed $100 million in direct spending and over $262 million in overall impact to Oregon’s economy in fiscal 2000, according to an article in the Oregon Art Commission Newsletter, State of the Art. $55 million was paid by non-profit art group to employees, $28 million in goods were purchased by these groups. Although Oregon ranks 46th in per-capita state spending on art, over 26,000 art events were available in Oregon in the 2000 fiscal year. The creative services industry (I guess that is the for-profit sector, maybe even many of us) includes 800 firms employing 13,500 workers with an annual payroll of $600 million. Download the whole thing from http://www.racc.org. And people say art education is not vocational education!

CHINESE CLAYART is a newsletter emailed monthly to professional artists, curators, educators, etc who want to know more about Ceramic art in China. Check their last two at http://www.chineseclayart.com/news.html or subscribe at pozhou@email.msn.com

LUSTERS AND OTHER GLAZES are featured in the March-April Ceramic Review. The luster section includes making your own paste-luster. There is also an interesting article on 3-D crackled and bubbly glazes

GUIDE TO FESTIVALS: Drake Publications has a guide for Oregon, one for Washington, in addition to some other western states. $29.50 each, 888-287-1090, www.fairsfestivals.00books.com

STUDIO POTTER NETWORK has a collection of videos about clay which they rent for $5 each. The OPA is a member, so our members may use their services. Contact them at 619-298-1333, ClayforDay@aol.com, www.studiopotter.org/network/videoapplicationform.htm

CRAFT EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND wrote to say that if you experienced earthquake damage, they may be able to help. They help with: loans up to $5000; booth fee waivers at craft shows; discounts on materials & equipment from suppliers; assistance in marketing & promotion. 802-229-2306

SCHOLARSHIP AVAILABLE: Ellice T Johnson Scholarship for Ceramic Arts, for upper division study in ceramics, workshops through accredited institutions & study abroad through accredited institutions. $1000 awards for residents of OR/northern CA, deadline 6/15, Clayfolk Scholarship Committee, PO Box 274, Talent OR 97540

CALL FOR ENTRIES: Sydney Teapot Show, deadline July 2, Show Aug-Sept, 3 slides + resume, no entry fee, Inner City Clayworkers Gallery, corner St Johns Rd/Darghan St, Glebe, Sydney 2037, Australia, www.clayworkers.com.au

CALL FOR ENTRY: Ashes to Art, for urns and vessels for keeping or dispersing funerary ashes, $25/3 slides, July 27 deadline, show Nov/Dec, SASE to Box 221, Graton CA 95444, show at Fort Mason, San Francisco Firehouse, www.funeria.com

CALL FOR ENTRIES: Northwest Biennial, 2001, deadline 4/27, show July-Sept, for artists in Or, WA, ID & MT, open to 2-D & sculpture, Tacoma Art Museum, 1123 Pacific Ave, Tacoma WA 98402, 253-272-4258 x3051, cwood@tacomaartmuseum.org

OPEN STUDIO TOUR: Looking for artists for Portland Studio Tour, Oct 13-14 (east side), Oct 20-21 (west side), deadline 4/23, $145 + 4 hrs volunteer work, www.PortlandOpenStudios.com, PO Box 42509, Portland OR 97242-0509

RAKU FESTIVAL with Don Adamaitis, Skye Etessami, Teresa Kowalski, Katy McFadden, Nan Niiranen, Susan Roden & Dan Sheridan, Newport OR, http://gallery.passion4art.com/members/skyeraku/index.html

KILN BUILDING with Stephen Mickey, April 28-29, build a rammed earth kiln. Includes making & plumbing gas burners, building frame & assembly, planning frame for the form, etc. Also, on May 19-20 build a forced air sprung arch soda kiln. Take down old kiln, plan the arch, build arch form, assemble iron framework, plumb the burners. $125 for all four days, limited to 16 people and filling quickly. For more info send SASE to Lynn Horn, MHCC, 26000 SE Stark, Portland OR 97030, send check made out to MHCC Ceramics Club to same address.

STEVEN HILL, well know for his single-fired, high temperature function work, will give a series of free workshops at PCC. He will be at PCC Cascade on Wed, May 9, 11am-3pm. PCC Sylvania on Thurs, May 10, 11am-3pm. PCC Rock Creek on Fri, May 11, with the workshop noon-4pm, plus an OPA meeting after (see beginning of newsletter)

IAN CURRIE: Glaze Making, Testing & Troubleshooting, Sept 29-30, Clay Art Center in Tacoma, 253-922-5342, www.clayartcenter.com

GIL HARRISON, "Dances with Clay", throwing, assembling, pulling handles for decoration and clay basketry. April 20-22, Marjorie Sherman Ceramic Center in Salem, 503-581-7275, 1220 12th St, Salem OR 97302, $104, Fri slide show, Sat/Sun workshop

BUSINESS & MARKETING SKILLS FOR ARTISTS: April 21, 28 or May 5, in Clackamas, Portland or Beaverton, $15 each day, Bonnie Meltzer & Jan Rimerman, Regional Arts & Culture Council, 620 SW Main St, suite 420, Portland OR 97205, 503-657-6958 x2666

NCECA 2002, KANSAS CITY, CALL FOR PROPOSALS: Theme: Riffs, Rhythm, Regeneration. Topics include Aesthetics/Criticism/Philosophy, Art History, Education, Professionalism, Technology. Lectures are one hour, panel discussions are 1-1/2 hrs and include audience questions. May 1, 2001 deadline, conference is March 13-16, 2002. Janet Buskirk (503-231-2810) has a copy of their 6 page "Proposal Development" information. OPA member Ted Vogel is a NCECA board member and could also answer questions.

STUDIO SPACE AVAILABLE: NW Portland, shared, 220 volt/50 amp electricity avail, glass artist already in place, commercially zoned, 503-291-7456

STUDIO SPACE AVAILABLE: N Portland, shared, $110/mo, Beth Mills, 503-331-1676

FOR RENT: New, small furnished apartment in park-like setting on Sauvie Island, 25 minutes from Portland, generous sized ceramic studio adjacent to apartment, $600+utilities, W&D included, Shirley 503-621-3770

WANTED: Bruised & battered electric kiln, will haul, cheap or free, does not need to be functional, will be used for experimental gas firing. Michael, 503-648-4140 (Hillsboro)

FOR SALE: Skutt kiln, model 181, 2 rings, 18x18", w/ kiln sitter, good condition, $200. AIC Oxygen probe, $400 (new $605). H Platt, 503-292-1297, h2pla@involved.com (Portland)

LILLIAN PITT & JOE FEDDERSEN: Kindred Spirits Gallery in April, 1468 NE Alberta in Portland

DULCIE LINDSOE-JOHANSEN is in a group show "Structures" at Gresham City Hall through April 19

SAM SLOAN will have a cup in the National Juried Cup Show at Kent State University

DON SPRAGUE is one of 87 clay artists in USA Clay at the Renwick Gallery at the Smithsonian, March 9-July 15

SUSAN RODEN & JAN RENTENAAR have had pieces accepted for the National Bonsai Foundation Pot Competition, www.bonsai-nbf.com (Susan’s piece is on the left in the photo on website)

The April Ceramics Monthly magazine had an article on JIM KOUDELKA, as well as one written by JANET BUSKIRK about HIROSHI OGAWA’S kiln, with photos of work by TERRY INOKUMA, BARB CAMPBELL, CYNTHIA SPENCER. There is also a photo in the Up-Front section of work by VICTORIA CHRISTEN.

JIM KOUDELKA had a piece in the Bourbon Bottle show at Kentucky Art & Craft Gallery in Louisville KY

KIM MURTON "Balancing Act" at Bainbridge Arts & Crafts in March

CORRECTIONS TO THE MEMBERSHIP LIST: Shirl Lipkin’s correct email is cedarrowstudio@ados.com. Larry & Debi Nelson’s address is 19438 Neugebauer Rd, Hillsboro OR 97123

ALEXIS CAMPBELL: Does anyone know her real address? Her last newsletter was returned to us. Please call Mary Orcutt, 509-365-2784

MEMBERSHIP IN OPA is open to any serious studio potter currently living in Oregon or SW Washington. There is no jurying for membership. It is $40 per calendar year. Membership is not pro-rated, it is Jan-Dec calendar year but you may join nay time. Membership benefits include 6 newsletters per year, 6 meetings per year and the opportunity to apply for Ceramic Showcase. If you live over 100 miles form Portland and do not plan to use other membership benefits, you may subscribe to the newsletter for $10 per year. Send your name, address, email, phone number(s) and a check to Mary Orcutt, 131 Schilling Rd, Lyle WA 98635

DATES TO REMEMBER:

May 4-6, Ceramic Showcase

May 9-11, Steven Hill Workshops

May 11, OPA Meeting

May 11-12, MHCC Empty Bowl Making

May 22,24, June 5, Georgies Empty Bowl Making

June 4, OPA Board Meeting

June 10, Newsletter Deadline

July 4-8, Portland Empty Bowls