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VCPG September 2025 NL

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Ruty Levy

9/15/2025 9:31 AM

VCPG September 2025 Newsletter

Program Meeting • No meeting this month • Early Annual meeting in October

For Your Calendar:

September 2nd ……...........Board Meeting @ 4:30pm

September 13th&14th ……The marvelous Mug Event

September 22nd……..........No Meeting

October 7th ……................Board Meeting @ 4:30pm

October 13th ……..............Gallery Committee meeting @ 7pm

October 20th ……..............Gallery Artists meeting @ 7:00pm

October 27th……...............Program Meeting @ 7pm

November 4th……..............Board Meeting @ 4:30pm

November 8th&9th……......Bowl of Thanks & Ventura Pottery Market

November 24th……............Program Meeting @ 7pm

December 2nd ……............Board Meeting @ 4:30pm

December 8th …..…...........Gallery Committee meeting @ 7pm

You will find the link to all Zoom meetings/events on the VCPG.ORG Home Page.

Just click on the meeting/event in the Guild Calendar for the Zoom link.

A Message from Your VCPG Board President • September 2025

Greetings VCPG Members –

The 2025 Bowl of Thanks and Ventura Pottery Market is scheduled for November 8th – 9th at the Ventura Harbor Village. Last year we raised over $16,000 to support Ventura Food Share – providing much needed food support to our Ventura neighbors. Sixteen Guild artists sold an additional $16,000 in pottery at the outdoor market over the two days.

This year, we are working with the Ventura Harbor staff to increase the number of Guild artists that can participate in the Ventura Pottery Market.

We are still making the final arrangements with the Harbor, but we anticipate posting the show details and application in the next week or so. Look for an Announcement email in your inbox. We invite all juried Plus members to participate.

Last year’s artists who participated in the outdoor market had plenty to say about the experience. Come join the fun and sell some work:

Wendi Butler -The Ventura Pottery Market was my first experience showing my work to

the public. I found the experience to be very rewarding as I not only had many people stop by my booth, but also many purchases as a result. The feedback from people was so positive, several asked if the event could happen again, or more regularly. It was a beautiful setting for a meaningful collaboration with Ventura Food Share, Ventura Harbor businesses and our local ceramic artists. I appreciate the opportunity and will definitely participate again if the opportunity arises.

Julie Warner - I am new to the Guild, and the Ventura Pottery Market was my first participation in one of the shows. It was a lovely experience - very well organized and the weather was extremely cooperative! It was really heartwarming to hear so many positive comments from the customers about The Bowl of Thanks fundraiser.

Genie Thomsen - I had not planned to sell at the Pottery Market as I could only participate one day. Glad I changed my mind. Sold as much on Sunday as I do in a month of gallery sales. I’m looking forward to next year's event.

Maureen Schultz - I was a little hesitant to participate in this year's Ventura Pottery Market, not sure if there would be enough traffic and shoppers to make it worth going through all the stuff needed to set-up and staff my booth for the weekend. It looked like the Guild planned to invest in advertisement and social media, but still I wasn't sure - but am I glad I took the chance! There was so much traffic all weekend long -- and I had a great sale! The location was spectacular - all the shoppers were so friendly, as were the other artists, so it really was a fun time, too. I will ABSOLUTELY participate next year!!!

Member Connect is full of recent posts with people showing off the bowls they are making to donate to the Bowl of Thanks. Sign in to vcpg.org and go to Talk – Forums

and post your bowls in process!

For those of you who may be unfamiliar, the Guild accepts quality bowls (about 2 lbs or so) donated by our members, local potters, pottery studios, and local schools and colleges. These bowls are sold for $25, which is then donated to our partner non-profit, Food Share. In addition to a bowl, customers receive a punch card to take to harbor restaurants to receive free tastings. It’s really a lot of fun and we have customers that come every year. Bowls can be dropped off now at the Gallery (please label them as for the Bowl of Thanks) or at Brenda Burgess’ home (thank you Brenda). Please call ahead to arrange delivery with Brenda – 805-612-1607. It’s also helpful for us to know in advance how many bowls we’ll have on hand, so email events@vcpg.org when you have your estimate.

Team Service Sign Up for the Bowl of Thanks/Ventura Pottery Market. Thank you to everyone who has signed up to help with the event. In particular, we are looking for people to help Saturday and Sunday mornings from 8:30 to 10:00am and afternoons from 5:00 to 6:30pm to help artists set up and take down their spaces. Remember, Regular members can and do sign up for Team Service even though it’s not required and many Plus members sign up for more than one opportunity.

This is one of your last opportunities to complete your 2025 Team Service.

We need you to participate in the Annual Members' Meeting and Potluck

The Annual Members Meeting and Potluck is October 5th from 2:00pm to 4:30pm at Rancho Ventura Clubhouse, 1220 Johnson Drive, Ventura (Our new favorite meeting place. Thank you Terry Wilson). At the meeting we conduct very important business for the Guild. In order to do that, we need a quorum of 25% of our membership in attendance (in person or via Zoom).

Officer Elections – Every year, two of the four Board officers are up for election. This year we have candidates for both offices up for election – President – Stacy Rowe and Secretary – Rebecca Catterall.

If you would like to nominate yourself or another member for these positions, please let our Treasurer, Wyn Matthews know at treasurer@vcpg.org. We can also take nominations from the floor at the meeting.

Bylaw Update - Every three years, the Board completes a review and update of the Guild Bylaws, the governing document of our organization. This year is the year for an update. Your Board has been working hard to reconcile the ever-evolving operations of the Guild (often based on feedback from you) with the Bylaws.

The entire Guild membership is invited to review, provide feedback, and then vote to accept or reject the Bylaws update at the Annual Member Meeting.

2025 Resident Presentations – The Guild supports emerging clay artists and aims to build long-term relationships with the Guild through our Residency program – matching emerging artists with Guild-member mentors. This year the Guild supported four residents. At the Annual Meeting we will hear about how the program has supported residents’ progress and experience in clay.

How to Participate - Check your inbox this week for an Announcement which will provide you with details about the meeting, the draft updated Bylaws, a synopsis of the changes to the document, and statements from the candidates for office. You can sign up now for the meeting (and let us know if you’ll attend in person or via Zoom) via the link on the Guild Calendar at the vcpg.org Home page. We’ll also be sending out a sign up for the potluck so we have a nice assortment of deliciousness.

Team Service opportunities are posted on vcpg.org. The Annual Members’ Meeting, the Bowl of Thanks/Ventura Pottery Market, and the Holiday Potluck are the last in-person events available to fulfill Team Service commitment for 2025.

Reminders and Updates:

The next Board Meeting will be Tuesday, October 7th at 4:30pm via Zoom. All members are welcome to attend. The link to Board meetings can be found on the Guild Calendar on the VCPG.org Home page. You can contact the Secretary on the Contact Us page if you would like to receive the Agenda Packet in advance of the Board of Directors Meeting.

Save the date for the Annual Holiday Potluck and Clay Challenge Reveal on Saturday, December 13th from 2:00pm to 4:30pm. Stay tuned for details.

That’s it for now. Let’s stay safe and support one another. And keep making stuff – it helps in so many ways!

Stacy Rowe

Guild President

president@vcpg.org

Help Set Up

We need volunteers to help set up for the Potters Guild Annual Meeting/Potluck on October 5th from 1pm to 5pm. This is a great way to add to your service time.

Go to the service page to sign up.

If you have any questions, please call me at 805-561-1545.

Debbie Horowitz

Clay Challenge • Save the Date

Clay Challenge @ December Holiday Party – Saturday, December 13th , 2-6pm.

At our Program Meeting in June a poll of those attending was taken to choose the theme for the next Clay Challenge: “Cover Up” was selected.

Another chance to create and stretch yourselves. Explore a new technique or take on that project that has been in the back of your mind.

You have until our mid-December Holiday Potluck to make your “Cover Up.”

After making 5-10-?? Bowls for the November Bowl of Thanks event or in-between throwing your bowls, begin working on your “Cover Up” clay project!

What comes to mind when you hear “cover up?” A covered serving dish, a draped sculpture, a hat, a lidded vessel, ????

NCECA Conference, VOLUMES, Detroit, MI-March 25-28, 2026

Hello! I am on the Programs Committee and have enjoyed being a part of this dynamic group. I hope you have enjoyed our diverse monthly programs. Please email us at programs@vcpg.org, with any other ideas for speakers and topics you have.

We welcome suggestions!

As part of Team Service, I was asked to be this year’s NCECA, National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts, Institutional Organization Representative and will be attending the conference in Detroit. Currently there are over 6000 members from 20 countries. I did my MFA at Cranbrook Academy of Art, in the Detroit area, so I am excited about being back in my former stomping grounds!

I want to share the NCECA link below about where you can learn about the broad scope of the organization and conference information. There are many “free” resources, forums, and lectures available to non-members. Additionally, have fun watching the short youtube video that introduces the theme of the conference “Volumes” and some of the flavors of Detroit and the historic and artistic legacies of the area.

Look for a Forum on the Guild website, Home, where I will post more on important NCECA dates: conference registration, volunteer opportunities, block hotel room availability, art bus tour sign-ups and more as is released. Also, I am looking forward to a Guild member meeting up at a gallery or program during the conference. Please feel free to email me at: vcpg.nceca@vcpg.org

Janet Neuwalder

NCECA website

This includes link to Preliminary pdf of 2026 Conference

Utube video of 2026 NCECA

Ojai Pottery & Clay School

OP & CS has a few spaces left in the Fall 10-week class schedule.

Nancy Currey teaches intermediate to advanced throwing starting Thursday, Sept 25th.

Debra Rose and Katja Gabriel teach beginning throwing starting Friday, September 26th.

Enrollment in both classes includes up to 20 hours of Open Studio time.

For more information: www.ojaipottery.com or email classes@ojaipottery.com

The VCPG Library

Visit the library! Please email and make an appointment with me to come see the books we

have to offer and grab them off the shelf! They are at your disposal. They must be enjoyed.

Nancy Currey

VCPG Librarian

VCPG Secondary School Outreach Program

We’re Starting our Third Year with a Great Team!

Thanks to our brilliant team of VCPG Mentor Artists, ten middle and high school ceramics teachers throughout Ventura County benefit from Guild members’ expertise and knowledge. For the 2025-26 school-year, the VCPG Mentor Artists are: Suzanne Bell, Rebecca Caterall, Jody Cooper, John Grisafe, Susan Hanley, Karin Mac, Vera Maguire, Maureen Schultz, Eco Shumaker, and Gloria Sills.

Mentor Artists promote the future of ceramics in many ways: All provide an important link to the Guild for the next generations of potters. They connect teachers with the VCPG resources available through our website, membership, meetings, workshops and schedule on-site kiln/extruder/wheel/slab roller check-ups if needed. Some even provide personalized workshops for teachers in classrooms or in their home studios. It is beautiful to see how

VCPG Mentor Artists encourage and guide the dedicated classroom teachers.

Here’s a photo of the new team at Moorpark High School - Teacher, Shayla Flores in her

classroom with VCPG Mentor Artists Susan Hanley and Maureen Schultz.