OPA NEWS

OPA has been closely monitoring the Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation. The health and safety of our members and patrons is our top priority. Working to make well-informed decisions, we took a member vote on Sunday, March 15th and members voted overwhelmingly to cancel Ceramic Showcase 2020.

We were so looking forward to having this signature event that connects us to our patrons and the community beyond. We want to thank both members and patrons for your ongoing support and we hope to see you all again next year – April 30-May 2, 2021 – at the Oregon Convention Center in Hall D.

In the meantime, browse our Artist Directory and consider buying something online from one of the OPA's hundreds of ceramic artists.

Ceramic Showcase Update

Ceramic Showcase is closely monitoring the Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, which is changing rapidly. The health and safety of our members and patrons is our top priority and we are working to make well-informed decisions.

Governor Brown has announced a four week ban on events of more than 250 people. Because Ceramic Showcase is 7 weeks away (May 1-3), the show is scheduled to proceed as planned. However, it could be canceled by outside agencies such as Oregon Convention Center (OCC), the city of Portland or the state of Oregon. We will keep you updated with information as it becomes available.

As we continue to plan for Ceramic Showcase, here’s what you need to know.

• We will have hand sanitizing stations throughout the show and in the sales area.
• Frequent hand washing will be encouraged.
• We will ask any members and patrons who are feeling ill to please stay at home.

We will continue to stay in communication with the OCC, as well as monitor information from city, county, and state officials. We are also following the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

We thank both members and patrons for your ongoing support. If you have questions or concerns, please contact Dawn Panttaja at lostdolls@hotmail.com.

MT. HOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE invites applications for the position of:

Ceramic Technician

SALARY: $15/hr
OPENING DATE: Jan 1, 2019
CLOSING DATE: Jan 21, 2019
JOB SUMMARY AND RESPONSIBILITIES/DUTIES:

HOURS 20 hours/ week

POSITION SUMMARY

This PART-TIME position oversees the technical and operational aspects of MHCC ceramics studio in an educational environment. Because this position offers opportunities for artistic career advancement, we seek applicants who have an active studio practice.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

Work with the ceramics faculty to maintain a safe and supportive learning environment Help maintain clean, organized, and effective ceramics facility
Mix reclaim clay
Mix and maintain glazes and slips

Prepare, load, fire, and unload kilns
Assist in tracking inventory and restock of materials
Assist with studio maintenance
Assist with kiln maintenance and construction
Communicate ceramics studio schedule and policies with students Assist with ceramics studio and clay club events
Staff open studio hours
Assist with guidance of the ceramic work-study
Ability to work some evening and/or weekends

MINIMUM AND DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Minimum 2 years college level or practical experience working in a studio environment that includes: loading and firing of reduction, soda/salt, wood, and electric kilns; and mixing glazes, slips, and clay

Ability to sit, stand and/or walk for prolonged periods and repeatedly lift objects up to 50 lbs. Ability to work collaboratively with students and faculty.
Good written and verbal commutations skills
Ability to work independently and commitment to learning new tasks

ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS AND/OR KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAS):

BENEFITS

Private 14'x 7.5' studio and pottery wheel
Use of main studio and glaze lab during open studio

Access to wood, wood/salt, reduction, and electric kilns

SALARY

Salary placement will be based on applicable education and/or years of relevant equivalent experience at the sole discretion of the College, per the guidelines in the applicable Collective Bargaining Agreement. Please include all relevant education and full and part-time experience in your application that you want the College to review towards potential placement. Hired employees will not have an opportunity to update past education and/or experience or appeal initial placement after the time of hire.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

MHCC only accepts applications through our online application system at http://agency.governmentjobs.com/mhcc/default.cfm. For technical assistance, please call 855-524- 5627.

Please note: We do not request or read letters of recommendation. Also, it is not necessary to upload a large number of documents with your materials. We are looking for the required documents. Faculty applications require a current resume, cover letter and official transcripts (copies are fine for application purposes) and/or any required certificates or licenses.

Please note: this is initially a self-screening system. We recognize that our application process can be lengthy, so before you begin, please read all of the stated requirements to determine if you meet them. Applicants must meet all of the stated minimum qualifications and additional requirements to be considered for this position. Based on your responses to the qualifying questions, the system may automatically screen you out from further consideration.

Position subject to budget consideration and approval. For the candidate who is hired into this position, salary placement will be based on guidelines in the faculty association agreement to assess education and experience. For this reason, please be sure to include everything in your application that you want the college to consider towards placement. Any appeals to placement must be submitted in writing to the human resources recruitment specialist no later than one week after an offer is made.

Final candidates will be subject to a criminal background check as part of the employment process.

MHCC provides qualifying veterans and disabled veterans with preference in employment in accordance with ORS 408.225, 408.230, and 408.235; OAR 105-040-0010 and 105-040-0015.

Qualifying veterans and disabled veterans may obtain preference by submitting as verification of eligibility a copy of the Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD Form 214 or 215) or a letter from the US Dept. of Veteran's Affairs indicating receipt of a non-service connected pension to your application. Disabled Veterans must also submit a copy of their Veteran's disability preference letter from the Dept. of Veteran Affairs, unless the information is included in the DD Form 214 or 215.

Mt. Hood Community College is an Equal Opportunity Employer that actively supports workforce diversity.

Back in January, I met with our president, Becky Clark, and she shared her vision for the future of OPA – a vibrant clay community with a ceramics center at the heart of it. It was inspiring to hear about a space that would provide: classes for all ages taught by local artists and artists-in-residence, rotating workshops with national artists, affordable studio space for working artists, and a gallery where we could exhibit and sell our work. She asked if I wanted to help make it a reality because this wasn’t just a dream, she had a plan!

Thanks to our grant from RACC and the advice they provided, we have a 4-point strategy and special teams dedicated to accomplishing the following:

1. Raise visibility and public awareness of OPA
2. Increase membership and involvement
3. Grow our income and target donors
4. Research, plan and develop a facility.

Due to my career in corporate advertising and branding, Becky asked me to tackle the first strategy and help improve our visibility. For the past 9 months, I’ve been working with a panel of OPA members (new and legacy) to develop our vision and define our identity – specifically who OPA is, what our brand looks like, how it speaks, as well as how it behaves. A special thank you to all who participated in the discussions – your input and feedback has been invaluable in developing this direction!

You’ll start to notice changes over the coming months. First up is the Fall Fair - a new sales pop-up happening on Nov. 10th. It will be the first event to feature our new branding, followed by Ceramic Showcase next April. We’re also going to update our social media branding in conjunction with the fair. And last but not least, our website and printed materials will be redesigned.

Please take a look and spread the word about our vision – we are here to leave our mark!

Sharon Greenwood

Marketing and Communications Lead

OUR VISION:

Leaving Our Mark

Every maker leaves a mark, an impression made by the creative process, that reflects our spirit and our humanity. Our clay community also leaves a mark – not just on our work – but on each person we connect with, for the rest of their lives. Whether they are artists or art lovers, teachers or students, we welcome all generations to discover and express their creativity through clay. By feeding their curiosity, inspiring their artistic growth and empowering them to live creative lives, we help each person flourish throughout their ceramic journey. Our legacy is to leave a lasting impression – in our classrooms, studios, galleries, neighborhoods and the clay community at large.

OUR IDENTITY:  Click here to see the entire branding PDF >

By Becky Clark

When we first started our strategic planning in 2017, we thought about how to move forward and two themes came to mind – Relevancy and Perception. We asked ourselves:

• As a non-profit that works towards educating, inspiring, and transforming lives of our members – are we doing all that we can to fulfill our mission?  
• Is OPA evolving with the needs of today’s ceramic artists?  
• Are we relevant?  
• What are ceramic artists looking for when they consider joining OPA? 
• What is the public perception of OPA, and is the perception good, bad, or even true?

As we move toward the future, we are thoughtfully considering answers to these questions. We have our sights set on a clay center that will provide learning and teaching opportunities for all generations. It will promote our members’ work through exhibitions and sales, and provide affordable studio space for working artists.

To accomplish this dream, we are focusing on our members and member benefits. We are addressing relevancy head on by determining the needs of today’s artists and members. We are addressing perception by narrowing our focus on demonstrating and communicating the value of our organization.

We have to clearly communicate our mission and vision to everyone. We have to engage and empower our members to take an active role, not just in Ceramic Showcase, but also in OPA. And we have to shift our perception by changing the way we behave as well as how we’re seen. We are taking a first step by creating a new visual identity and branding system that speaks with one unified voice and vision. It will ensure that the perception of OPA is this: we are relevant, and we are an important part of the arts ecosystem in our community. Take a look at our first round of branding design – [link to PDF]

Our Vision Statement:

Leaving Our Mark

Every maker leaves a mark, an impression made by the creative process, that reflects our spirit and our humanity. Our clay community also leaves a mark – not just on our work – but on each person we connect with, for the rest of their lives. Whether they are artists or art lovers, teachers or students, we welcome all generations to discover and express their creativity through clay. By feeding their curiosity, inspiring their artistic growth and empowering them to live creative lives, we help each person flourish throughout their ceramic journey. Our legacy is to leave a lasting impression – in our classrooms, studios, galleries, neighborhoods and the clay community at large.

Please join us on this journey and ask OPA leadership how you can help us achieve our dream!

membershipoutreach@oregonpotters.org

Want to decrease the discomfort that many hours in the studio can inflict on your body? It all starts with paying attention to your spine.

Greetings!

On January 19th we met for the first meeting of 2018.  President Linda Workman-Morelli passed the torch onto Becky Clark, incoming President of 2018, and we thanked the 2017 Board and Program Coordinators for a great year, and their tremendous amounts of time and effort for the benefit of OPA.

Elections were also held, and the results are tallied:
2018 Board Members
Vice-President - unfilled
President - Becky Clark
Past President - Linda Workman Morelli
Treasurer - Matt Wolden
Secretary - Rosemary Tobiga
Ceramic Showcase co-chairs - Dawn Pantaja and Ginger Steele
Membership Director - Andy Clift
Clay in Education - Chris Baskin
Communications Director - 
Development co-chairs - Jeanne Henry, Michelle Gallagher
Member at Large - Teresa Vaughn
Member at Large - Unfilled

2018 Program Coodinators
Data Coordinator - Nick Molatore
Empty Bowls - Gretchen Lambert
Empty Bowls - Manya Wubbold
Group Buy - Ken Pincus
Hospitality Coordinator - Carolyn Blaze
Justice Center Windows - RJ Tonneson
Member Outreach Coordinator - Connie Chiefetz
Manual Editor - Brenda Scott
Newsletter Editor - Denise Krueger
Newsletter Editor - Susan Gallacher - Turner
Ray Grimm Award Coordinator - Michael Simmons
Scholarships Coordinators - Meg and Sam Turner
Social Media Coordinator - Yvonne Tornata
Webmaster - Andy Clift
Workshop Coordinator - Donna Cole

Announcements
Jeanne Henry announced:
An update on the Hokkaido Project.  Funds are still needed to ship the children peace poles to Hokkaido.  All members are encouraged to seek donations for shipping artwork.  Donations can be made directly on the website.

Please post any photos of your class making a peace pole onto the website or on OPA Facebook Page

OPA members are invited to make a peace pole that will be donated at the upcoming Ceramic Showcase, profits from the poles will go towards Clay in Education and the Hokkaido peace pole projects.

Michael Simmons announced:
OPA member-created peace pole workshops are listed on the front page of the website.  Some workshops are full already! There are currently still enough poles for artists to take and work on independently.

Presentation
The January meeting presentation was a brief introduction to Instagram, Creating an online Shopping Cart, and Photographing your artwork at home.  Presented by OPA members Rafa Orderica-rea, Andy Clift, and Chris McClelland.  The video can be viewed on the OPA Facebook page any time.  

Thank you Rafa, Andy, and Chris!  The presentation was great, and more members have joined Instagram as a result!

Follow OPA on Instagram! @oregonpotters.  https://www.instagram.com/oregonpotters/

The Next Meeting is the Ceramic Showcase Booth Picking Meeting!
March 9th, in the Auditorium at the Multnomah Art Center.

Portland Night Market - Holiday Edition 
Call for Vendors

Hi Past + Potential PNM Vendors,

The Portland Night Market showcases over 175 unique businesses that call the great City of Portland home. Blending food, culture, music, drinks and retail together for an adventurous evening in the Industrial District. The event allows people to meet some of Portland's best makers, merchants and creators set in the unique venue of a 100+ year old produce warehouse. The PNM is a free event and open to all ages.

The Holiday Edition of the Portland Night Market will be held December 1st - 3rd. Hours for the event are 4pm-11pm on Friday and Saturday, and Sunday from 11am-4pm. Holiday Applications are open <https://pdxnm.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a71bd765dcfadb26add93c9fa&id=2a758fab2a&e=9f26a34305>. Applications are due by November 12. All completed applications will be review by a jury. ONLY approved vendors will be emailed with confirmation and event details by November 13. The full list of approved vendors will be published on our website (pdxnm.com) on November 13 at 9pm.

Booth fees are due within 72 hours of acceptance email and must be paid via paypal. Checks will not be accepted. After the 72 hour period unpaid booths will be offered to waitlisted vendors.


Thank you,
Emma Pelett

First Unitarian Church Annual Fine Arts Show and Sale

April 21-22, 2018

Application deadline: November 16th, 2017

4 X 6 digital prints on a CD at least 300dpj needed for jury

Central pay--artist or representative expected to be present

30% commission

Apply with name address zip phone email medium and a brief description with CD to:

First Unitarian Fine Arts Show

1034 SW 13th

Portland OR 97205

For more info contact Gail Durham, gdurham@easystreet.net

It's Empty Bowls at the Waterfront Blues Festival time again! Time to help feed the hungry, because no one should be hungry. OPA partners with the Oregon Food Bank and Georgies for this event. The Food Bank sets up the big tent, June 30 - July 4, Georgies hosts a Throw-a-thon, and stores the donations, we donate our work, make pots at the Throw-a-thon, and sell them at the Blues Festival. 100% of the money raised from donations goes to the Food Bank.

 Gretchen Lambert and Robin McDonald are the chairs this year and we are now signing up volunteers and sellers. Sellers keep 75% of their sales (the rest goes to the Food Bank), get 2 four-foot shelves the last 3 days of the event, agree to work three shifts plus either set up or breakdown, donate approximately $100 of work, and know they are doing a truly positive thing for their community.

The Throw-a-thon at Georgies is scheduled for June 16 - 30 this year.

Contact Robin McDonald, levasseurr@comcast.net, to volunteer. Contact Gretchen Lambert, gretchen.lambert@gmail.com, to donate work.