Bloomington Bound
A weekend full of fun!
This past weekend, some of the IUS post-bacc cohort traveled to Bloomington, Indiana, to attend the third biennial Indiana Clay Conference. This is a conference highlights the oddly dense clay community in the state of Indiana. I was really excited to attend because of the caliber of demonstrating artists - Pete Pinnell, Andrea Keys Connell, Steph Galli, and Von Venhuizen.
I’ve been aware of Pete since I started ceramics because he is a prolific potter and professor. I admired his attention to detail and his decision to create really tight and controlled pots. It was truly special to see him construct one of his lobed teapots. Beyond the insight into his clay construction, I walked away with a fun new technique that I hope to utilize in my own practice—microwaving clay to speed them along the drying practice. “Make sure to defrost your clay. Don’t cook the clay because boiling water will bloat your work” - Pete. I’m definitely on the look out on FB marketplace for a microwave.
Andrea came onto my radar when I became a post-bacc at IUS and met Max Trumpower. Since then, I have been a huge fan of hers. I listened to her episode on the The Red Clay Rambler and have been admiring the evolution of her work. She coil builds at a crazy fast speed! By the time Pete had thrown a teapot body, she had constructed the main body of a resting sheep. Her methodology of creating and exploring is testament to how many hours she has put into her craft. “I used to be quite meticulous with my planning and construction. But after many sculptures and failures, my process has become more streamline and innate.” - Andrea. Truly a different perspective on process than Pete’s. A master of her craft, letting her experience guide her new curiosities.
Unfortunately, I was in and out of Steph and Von’s demonstrations because there were other double booked lectures. The main take aways from their demonstrations are to embrace your “eras” and to employ play and spontaneity. Steph’s career has been a balancing act between being a sculptor and potter—her solution is to embrace each era when they arrive because her two practices will eventually inform one another. Von compares his process to that of a jazz musician—go in with a rough plan, but let the work take you where it needs to go.
Beyond the amazing demos, there were concurrent lectures covering the broader world of clay in Indiana. A notable lecture discussed life after academia and how to prepare for it. The best nugget of information that came from this panel was, “It’s okay to not be in the studio all the time because it isn’t feasible beyond the umbrella of being a student. So, make sure that no matter what you are doing, take what you need from it and reapply it to your practice. It may be soft skills, hard skills, or just a financial stability. End all be all, you will always be an artist, so make sure to make the most of it” - summarization of panelists.
The Indiana Clay Conference was great. It was truly a mini NCECA. I came back bolstered in both my practice and as a growing artist.
Unfortunately, I got caught up in them moment and forgot to take any photos of this amazing event. Listed below are some instagram posts showing the conference.
ICC, Steph Galli, Brian Harper, Seth Green, Malcolm Mobutu Smith
