Why The Contemporary Ceramic Collective was created.

As an artist who is trying to make a career out of my clay addiction, I have found it very hard to meet others working with clay, to network, to understand how to allow my career to progress, and to professionally develop. After attending Emily Carr University of Art and Design (ECUAD), I found that all the support from both peers and professors stopped and I was dropped into a world with no guidlines and was expected to "figure it out" if I were to turn my art practice into a career. How do you get into galleries? How do you price? How do you meet other ceramists when ceramics is not a prominent material you see in most galleries, especially Vancouver? How do you professionally develop? Receive feedback on your work? Ask questions?

My first couple years were of complete confusion and luck. I live in Langley so gallery hopping for me needs to be planned as I cannot walk out my front door and visit every opening in one night. I have to bring my car and parking is alway a problem (WHO CARRIES COINS!?!)(SERIOUSLY) and therefore I get really frustrated trying to park to see a show and so I only get to Vancouver every few months for openings. Confusion- how do I get into galleries? Am I ready for it? How will people react to my new work when no one is around to give me feedback? Am I going in the wrong direction?

Now, it is my third year out of ECUAD and after lots of failures, achievements, shows, workshops, and research, I am finally less confused, but still in outer space.

My other career is teaching in the public education system. I am an art teacher. One thing about teaching, is that when you leave your BA of Education, you leave one supportive environment and hop on over to a new, even more supportive environment. Not only are you working in a school (or multiple schools, or on-call in a district(s)) with supportive staff of all experience (who are so willing to teach you), you also get professional development opportunities so you can continue to get support.

Now why don't we have this in art? Well- actually there are some, especially in the states, such as NCECA for ceramics, which travels. There are also artist residencies- these seem awesome and I hope to do one! Or you can get a masters! Unfortuantly, these all require money and neither my art career or teaching career are providing me with a lot of THAT as I am at the bottom of both those scales.

So now what to do? What if I want to network, professionally develop, provide and attend artist talks and workshops, see demonstrations, get feedback on my work, learn how to develop my passion into a professional career with people in MY community?

An Artist Collective. One specific to my material (clay).

I spent a lot of time thinking about if it was worth it or if people would be interested in it... I realize that if I feel this way, this need to connect and develop, that others are probubly feeling the same way. There are many people creating with clay in Vancouver, the Fraser Valley and on the islands, and ECUAD and CAPP are pumping out more each year.

What I am hoping, is that we can all get together, share, learn, create, discuss, and critique.

This Contemporary Ceramic Collective will provide that supportive group for those who professionally working with clay and are in the emerging and established levels of their careers. The collective will become that which satisfies the needs of the members and where and when we meet, where and if we show, artist talks, demos, workshops, all that will be determined by the wishes of the members.

Welcome to the Contemporary Ceramic Collective,

Yours Truly,

Kathleen McGiveron

Founder