308: Fall Fund Drive: Peltz, Dehnert, and Vettoso on the history and impact of the Old Church Pottery Show

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I speak with Aysha Peltz, Bruce Dehnert, and Lisa Vettoso, the organizers of the 45th annual Old Church Pottery Show. The event started in 1975 as a fundraiser for the Art School at Old Church in Demarest, NJ and quickly grew into one of the premier yearly sales of studio ceramics in the United States. In the interview we talk about the legacy of sale founders Karen Karnes and Mikhail Zakin, the curating process for choosing artists, and the genres within studio ceramics today. For more information visit www.oldchurchpotteryshow.org.   Aysha Peltz is a studio potter and faculty at Bennington College in Vermont. www.ayshapeltz.com. Bruce Dehnert is a studio potter and director of the ceramics program at Peter's Valley Craft Center in New Jersey. www.brucedehnert.blogspot.com. Lisa Vettoso is the director of the Art School at Old Church in Demarest, NJ. www.tasoc.org. Chris Gustin was not available for this interview but also serves as a co-curator for the show.   For today’s AMACO Community Corkboard we have the 45th Annual Old Church Pottery Show & Sale. The nationally-renowned event is December 6-8th 2019 in Demarest, NJ and features 29 ceramic artists displaying as many as 3,000 handmade pieces–from functional mugs, dishware, servers, and casseroles to sculptural works. Visit www.oldchurchpotteryshow.org for more information. I’d like to thank Amaco/Brent for sponsoring the community corkboard. Brent Equipment is celebrating their 50th Anniversary this year and have created a Limited Edition Black CXC wheel. For more information visit www.amaco.com.   Hey Red Clay Rambler fans, the most common feedback I get from you is that this podcast helps you feel connected to other artists. We live in a divided time and many of us are working by ourselves in solitary studios. The podcast combats that feeling of isolation by fostering a sense of community, while also providing an archive of our field. At this point our Patreon sustaining membership program and our sponsors contribute less than half of our monthly budget, which goes to promotion, production costs, and labor. My wife and I kick in the rest, which we do out of love for the project, but as you can imagine we could really use your help. I care deeply about this community, and I think art and making are vital to our world, now more than ever. I’m guessing you feel the same, so if you are able please donate to the show. Recurring donations are best because it allows us to create a stable budget, but one-time donations are also very helpful. You can find out more about these two options at www.talesofaredclayrambler.com/donate. Before I go, I want to ask one more favor. After you make your donation ask a friend to match your pledge with their own. Word of mouth is the best call to action, so I ask that you help me, by encouraging your friends and studio mates to support the show. With your help I can keep producing the interviews you have come to love.