The Kiln Sitters

We are back and happy to bring you a live recording that happened at the 2023 NCECA conference in Richmond, VA. Today’s episode features a conversation with Carole Epp, Naomi Clement, Diana Adams, and Sarah Pike about their approach to making a living as a potter in the digital age. Each of these four trailblazing artists has figured out how to make a living as a full-time potter on their own terms. From sold-out online shop updates to setting up a virtual school and membership platform and working on major brand collaborations, they discuss the process of running a creative business. Special thanks to NCECA for co-producing this episode and supporting podcasting in the ceramic community.   Today’s episode is brought to you by the following sponsors: Bray Clay www.archiebrayclay.com

We are back from our hiatus to bring you a live recording that happened at the 2023 New Clay Conference in Ottawa, ON. Carole and Marianne talk with presenters Martina Lantin, Zoe Pinnell, Marina Lespérance Lopez, and our co-host Ben Carter (Tales of a Red Clay Rambler). We discuss the high-risk high-reward nature of ceramics, finding work/life balance as a parent, and the vibrant state of the Canadian ceramic community. A big thanks to Kaitlyn Brennan for organizing the conference and to the Richcraft Theatre tech crew for recording this evening.   Today’s episode is brought to you by the following sponsors: Bray Clay www.archiebrayclay.com

To wrap up season 2, Brendan Tang talks with Toronto based artist Natalie Waddell. They make functional work and describe themselves as a maker of things. In the interview they talk about working across mediums and developing their signature darted and folded forms. Today’s Kaolin Crushes are Elissa Barber, Goyer Bonneau, and Natania Nurenburg.   Today’s episode is brought to you by:   For the past 100 years, AMACO Brent has been creating ceramic supplies for our community ranging from underglazes to Electric kilns, ...and they have no plans of slowing down. www.amaco.com   The Bray is actively committed to promoting, celebrating, and sustaining the ceramic arts through its residency program, education center, and gallery. www.archiebray.org

This week on the Kiln Sitters Marianne sits down with Cilia Sawadogo, a renowned animation and film artist who is taking on the medium of ceramics. Cilia shares her path to learning the complexity of clay through her collaborations with several ceramic artists and residencies. She also discusses her participation in the local ceramic community, as well as the influence of popular culture in her art making. Cilia is an Associate Professor in Film Animation at Concordia University. Today’s Kaolin Crushes are Rice Evans, Pansy Ass Ceramics, and Hannah Johnson.   Today’s episode is brought to you by:   For the past 100 years, AMACO Brent has been creating ceramic supplies for our community ranging from underglazes to Electric kilns, ...and they have no plans of slowing down. www.amaco.com   The Bray is actively committed to promoting, celebrating, and sustaining the ceramic arts through its residency program, education center, and gallery. www.archiebray.org  

Our host Carole Epp didn’t travel far for today’s episode where she sits down with Chad Berg of Saskatoon Clayworks. The two chat about the health of the local ceramic community, its steady growth even during Covid, and the space that Chad has provided for makers to hone their craft. Saskatchewan has a long vibrant history of ceramics deserving of international recognition; from historical influence of the California Funk movement brought here by David Gilhooly, to modern makers such as Jeannie Mah, Sandra Ledingham, Anita Rocamora, Janet Ng, Martin Tagseth, and Clint Neufeld. In this episode we learn how Clayworks has expanded and grown to accommodate a growing community of new makers and ceramic enthusiasts in the province. Today’s kaolin crushes are Joelle Déry, Paula Cooley, and Vera Vicente.   Today’s episode is brought to you by:   For the past 100 years, AMACO Brent has been creating ceramic supplies for our community ranging from underglazes to Electric kilns, ...and they have no plans of slowing down. www.amaco.com   The Bray is actively committed to promoting, celebrating, and sustaining the ceramic arts through its residency program, education center, and gallery. www.archiebray.org

Today we open up The Kiln Sitters mail bag for a special episode on education. The gang talk about being an international student, studio options after leaving school, and strategies for paying for your education. A big thank you to the listeners who submitted their questions. If you have questions or comments shoot us an email us at kilnsitters@gmail.com.   Today’s episode is brought to you by:   For the past 100 years, AMACO Brent has been creating ceramic supplies for our community ranging from underglazes to Electric kilns, ...and they have no plans of slowing down. www.amaco.com   The Bray is actively committed to promoting, celebrating, and sustaining the ceramic arts through its residency program, education center, and gallery. www.archiebray.org

On this episode Brendan sits down with Heidi McKenzie, a Toronto-based mixed media artist. In their conversation they talk about Mckenzie’s ceramic practice, the inclusion of photography, augmented reality, and Modernism. They also talked about Mckenzie’s scholarly and EDI work in the ceramic community. McKenzie has an active exhibition schedule, including RECLAIMED: Indo-Caribbean HerStories now on display until August 27th, 2023 at the Gardiner Museum. Before this chat the group sits down and talks about how their own practices might have been influenced by school… for better or for worse…   Today’s Kaolin Crushes are: Shary Boyle, Marie Serreau, and Jeannie Mah.   Today’s episode is brought to you by:   For the past 100 years, AMACO Brent has been creating ceramic supplies for our community ranging from underglazes to Electric kilns, ...and they have no plans of slowing down. www.amaco.com   The Bray is actively committed to promoting, celebrating, and sustaining the ceramic arts through its residency program, education center, and gallery. www.archiebray.org

On today’s episode Marianne talks with Wai-Yant Li, a professional ceramist living in Montreal QC, about many aspects of being a full-time ceramic artist, including the realities of participating in large craft sales and how to sustain a potter business over time. Wai-Yant shares their path to being a potter, their investment in their community, and ways in which they create inclusive spaces within their practice and studio. Join us for this amiable interview. Today’s Kaolin Crushes are: Richard Mund, Louise Bousquet, and Juliet Promnitz.   Today’s episode is brought to you by:   For the past 100 years, AMACO Brent has been creating ceramic supplies for our community ranging from underglazes to Electric kilns, ...and they have no plans of slowing down. www.amaco.com   The Bray is actively committed to promoting, celebrating, and sustaining the ceramic arts through its residency program, education center, and gallery. www.archiebray.org    

On this week’s episode Brendan sits down with Toni Losey, a ceramic artist based on the east coast of Canada. They chat about the not so straight forward path to being an artist, as well as creating space for one’s practice. Before the interview, the Kiln Sitters themselves talk about their own “sliding door” moments in their lives. Today’s Kaolin Crushes are: Maria Moldovan, Mel Arsenault, Michael Flaherty Today’s episode is brought to you by:   For the past 100 years, AMACO Brent has been creating ceramic supplies for our community ranging from underglazes to Electric kilns, ...and they have no plans of slowing down. www.amaco.com   The Bray is actively committed to promoting, celebrating, and sustaining the ceramic arts through its residency program, education center, and gallery. www.archiebray.org

This week on the Kiln Sitters, Carole sits down with Julie Mackinnon to discuss the incredible work she does as a master maker for over 20 years, and also how she has transformed the lives of so many in her community through the Hey Julie School of Clay. From humble beginnings bringing clay to the locals on Salt Spring Island, to fundraising and building the school/studio of her dreams, we find out more about the endless energy of this passionate and inspirational Canadian ceramic artist.    Today’s Kaolin Crushes are: Eiko Maeda, Stéphanie Goyer , and Dawn Candy.   Today’s episode is brought to you by:   For the past 100 years, AMACO Brent has been creating ceramic supplies for our community ranging from underglazes to Electric kilns, ...and they have no plans of slowing down. www.amaco.com   The Bray is actively committed to promoting, celebrating, and sustaining the ceramic arts through its residency program, education center, and gallery. www.archiebray.org  

This week on the kiln sitters, Marianne sits down with Montreal based artist Paul Guidera to talk about his practice, his current residency experience at Medalta and his career path from France to Canada. Join them for this hybrid French - English interview as they get honest about the process of making, the importance of stepping away from our comfort zone, and their residency experiences. Before the interview the gang talk about their experience as a resident at Medalta. Today’s Kaolin Crushes are: Tomo Ingalls, Ella Valge-Saar, Mitra Mahmoodi    Today’s episode is brought to you by: For the past 100 years, AMACO Brent has been creating ceramic supplies for our community ranging from underglazes to Electric kilns, ...and they have no plans of slowing down. www.amaco.com The Bray is actively committed to promoting, celebrating, and sustaining the ceramic arts through its residency program, education center, and gallery. www.archiebray.org

Brendan sits down with visual artist KC Adams, during the Canadian Clay Symposium held at the Shadbolt Centre in Burnaby British Columbia. In their conversation they talk about traditional ways of knowing and contemporary art practices. Before the chat, the gang got together to unpack how they are looking at decolonizing their own practices in the studio and in the class. Today’s Kaolin Crushes are: Joël Brodovsky-Adams, Karine Giboulo, and Sarah Leckie. Robin Wall Kimmer and her book Braiding Sweetgrass are also mentioned in the episode. We are collecting questions for a future episode about making a life and career in the arts. Please send us a voice memo of your question about professional practices before June 1st and we will gladly feature you on the podcast. You can email your questions to kilnsitters@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you.   Today’s episode is brought to you by: For the past 100 years, AMACO Brent has been creating ceramic supplies for our community ranging from underglazes to Electric kilns, ...and they have no plans of slowing down. www.amaco.com The Bray is actively committed to promoting, celebrating, and sustaining the ceramic arts through its residency program, education center, and gallery. www.archiebray.org

On this week’s episode Carole sits down with Susannah Montague, to discuss her incredible career as a sculptor utilizing the clay medium to visually travel through time to associate historical vanitas with contemporary themes of life and death through a strong pop surrealism lens. Confronting as well as inviting, her work explores the depths of the human condition or as she states, “a frenetic celebration of the divine comedy of existence”. From her studio on Bowen Island, she shares the stories behind the symbolism found in her work. For any lover of ornamentation and the macabre this episode will be right up your alley.    Today’s Kaolin Crushes are: Cybel B. Pilon, Borum Kim, Andrew Tarrant.   Today’s episode is brought to you by: For the past 100 years, AMACO Brent has been creating ceramic supplies for our community ranging from underglazes to Electric kilns, ...and they have no plans of slowing down. www.amaco.com The Bray is actively committed to promoting, celebrating, and sustaining the ceramic arts through its residency program, education center, and gallery. www.archiebray.org

On today’s show Brendan co-hosts a panel with Virgil Ortiz and Justin Paik Reese (The Shot Callers), and special guest P. J. Anderson on the influence of Sci-Fi, game play, and world-building in art. They talk about inclusive landmarks in Sci-Fi and how they have been influenced by the genre. The discussion was recorded live in Cincinnati as part of this year’s NCECA conference.   Today’s episode is brought to you by: For the past 100 years, AMACO Brent has been creating ceramic supplies for our community ranging from underglazes to Electric kilns, ...and they have no plans of slowing down. www.amaco.com The Bray is actively committed to promoting, celebrating, and sustaining the ceramic arts through its residency program, education center, and gallery. www.archiebray.org

On today’s show Marianne co-hosts a panel with Ben Carter (Tales of a Red Clay Rambler), and special guests Julia Galloway and Ché R. Ochtli on taking an environmental approach to making. We talk about practical sustainability and the ways you can lessen your studio’s environmental impact. Julia and Ché are members of NCECA’s Green Task Force, which has many resources on this topic posted on their website www.ncecagtf.com. The discussion was recorded live in Cincinnati as part of this year’s NCECA conference.   Today’s episode is brought to you by:   For the past 100 years, AMACO Brent has been creating ceramic supplies for our community ranging from underglazes to Electric kilns, ...and they have no plans of slowing down. www.amaco.com

On this week’s episode, Marianne talks with the multidisciplinary artist Ito Laila LeFrançois. They discuss how their relationship with natural spaces inform their practices, and their shared love and influence from the artist Ana Mendieta. Ito also talks about her creative process and how motherhood has influenced her work. For this week’s Kaolin Crush the gang talk about Léopold L. Foulem, an icon of Canadian ceramics, who recently passed away.   Just a heads up that most of today’s episode is in French. Marianne thanks all of you for giving this inclusive space to connect with French listeners. This episode honors all the French speaking people across Canada and abroad.    Today’s episode is brought to you by:   For the past 100 years, AMACO Brent has been creating ceramic supplies for our community ranging from underglazes to Electric kilns, ...and they have no plans of slowing down. www.amaco.com

Brendan and Clint sit down next to Clint’s two cubic foot wood fired test kiln to chat about his path in the world of ceramics. They cover topics ranging from Ford flat tops, being introduced to the extended family of ceramics, working with the amazing Rebecca Belmore, and his time in the military. Before the interview the gang chats about the pros and cons of working in a rural versus urban setting, and its effects on their art practice.  Today’s Kaolin Crushes are: Christopher Reid Flock, Behnaz Fatemi, and Makiko Hicher Nakamura.   Today’s episode is brought to you by: For the past 100 years, AMACO Brent has been creating ceramic supplies for our community ranging from underglazes to Electric kilns, ...and they have no plans of slowing down. www.amaco.com

Carole sits down this week with Toluwalope to chat about his contribution to the field of ceramic art and his extensive research of materials. His impressive large-scale throwing skills pull together age old African and Asian pottery techniques with contemporary themes and references in particular to African textiles. Today’s Kaolin crushes are: Jen Wicks, Roger Akasadjuak and Atelier Make.   Today’s episode is brought to you by:   For the past 100 years, AMACO Brent has been creating ceramic supplies for our community ranging from underglazes to Electric kilns, ...and they have no plans of slowing down. www.amaco.com

This week on the Kiln sitters, Marianne sits down with the amazing Québec city artist Amélie Proulx. They dive into material transformation and Amélie's relationship with the medium of porcelain. She also shares her experience working on large scale projects within Québec’s Integration of Art in Public Spaces program and her new research into local raw ceramic material. To learn more visit www.amelieproulx.com.    Today’s Kaolin Crushes are Bad MOOD design, Rebecca Ramsey, and Patrick Leblond.

Brendan sits down with a former student of his Shaun Mallonga, to catch up on all of his artistic endeavors. They cover conversations around education, artist residencies, functional works as a vehicle to talk about identity, the monster and the “Bawdy”. Topics covered and folks mentioned are: Emma Canning, Amelia Butcher, A Blue Fire by James Hillman, Deformed Discourse: The Function of the Monster in Medieval Thought and Literature by David Williams, A Sense of Order: A study in the psychology of decorative arts by E.H. Gombrich and Enya Only Time. Before they chat the gang gets together to talk about limits and work life balance.   This week’s Kaolin Crush’s are Amy Chang, Jeannie Pappas, and Eddy Firmin.   Today’s episode is brought to you by:   For the past 100 years, AMACO Brent has been creating ceramic supplies for our community ranging from underglazes to Electric kilns, ...and they have no plans of slowing down. www.amaco.com