a site 2 see and a guest post (and maybe a technical tuesday?) all rolled into one

If you follow Medalta on Facebook, twitter or Instagram (which you should) you’d have seen some pretty cool images lately of the 3D printing they’ve been doing. I was so intrigued that I bugged Aaron Nelson and Quentin Randall to send me some info and images to share with you guys. Below are some thoughts about the relevancy of the residency process for an artist and the integration of 3D printing technology. 


The value of art and artists
 

Artists
are experimenters, looking at new ways of using existing technologies
or developing new technologies to solve their own technical problems.
Artists today are not primarily focused on the final product. For every
piece in an art gallery, there are 100 piled in the corners of studios.
It is about the process; the experiments which yield new information.
Artist
residencies are the creative equivalent to scientific laboratories –
ideas come together and are explored to their natural end. Sometimes
it’s as a heap in the corner. In other times – exciting times – an idea
produces something revolutionary. When that happens, change happens.
Art
and Craft 3D printing is at the edge of our understanding and
development. By putting it in the hands of artists – people who make
careers out of pushing forward – their experiments will leave invaluable
and meaningful amounts of new information in their wake.
In
Medalta’s artists’ studios, 3D ceramic printing experiments are quietly
being conducted by many creative minds. The goal here is not to solve
the  problems In fact, more problems are often created. The goal is to
push these two newly-convergent technologies (ceramics and 3D printing)
to their absolute limit in order to see further into the future. By
pushing further than before, artists at Medalta are able to help others
see the future. By experimenting and sharing, progress can (and will)
happen in positive, unexpected ways.
That
is the relevance of an artists’ work. To endlessly experiment, share
ideas, build on ideas, combine ideas and move this world forward.
Medalta’s artist residency program is devoted to that cause and
understands its role in the world. Medalta respects the process of
making and understands that process based learning produces new
knowledge that expands the definition of ‘possible.’”

Well if you’re like me I’m sure you’re dying to know more and if you’re lucky enough to be in the Alberta area you should make sure to check out their 3D printing demo and exhibition this weekend. 

Historic Clay District logo  

CERAMIC 3D PRINTING

Over 125 years of Ceramic technology in Medicine Hat

Exhibition & Demonstration

Saturday, June 1 
7:00pm – 10:00pm   
Yuill Family Gallery (Medalta)
No Charge
  
Artists 

Steve Grimmer

Medalta is pleased to host Ceramic 3D Printing,
a company from Omaha, Nebraska, who are using the methodologies
associated with contemporary art production in order to conduct research
into 3D printing. This company is at the leading edge of printing in
ceramics and organic material for the medical industry.
Artists
are experimenters, looking at new ways of using existing technologies
or developing new technologies to solve their own technical problems.
Artists today are not primarily focused on the final product. For every
piece in an art gallery, there are 100 piled in the corners of studios.
It is about the process, the experiments which yield new information.
Please
join us for a short demonstration of the process and to hear our five
feature artists discuss their involvement with this cutting edge
technology.

Call for entry: Flow: The 2014 NCECA Invitational

Call for submissions now open!  Entry fee for NCECA members only $20 (Non members $35 or BECOME A MEMBER)   Flow: The 2014 NCECA Invitational will be on exhibition at the Milwaukee Art Museum from February 22 to March 23, 2014 in conjunction with Material World, the 48th Annual NCECA Conference, taking place at the Delta Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin March 19 – March 22, 2014.

The NCECA Invitational is a themed, curated exhibition that features
leading edge, large-scale and often challenging ceramic art. Held in
even-numbered years, NCECA’s Exhibitions Director collaborates with the
host venue curator to develop an exhibition concept and select a
foundational group of artists’ works by invitation. Augmenting this core
selection, additional artists may respond to an open call for images of
ceramic works that support the theme.  This format brings established
reputations and emerging talent to bear on the selected theme and adds
vitality and fresh perspectives to ongoing discourse in contemporary
art. The exhibition is organized and co-curated by NCECA Exhibitions
Director, Linda Ganstrom and Mel Buchanan, Assistant Curator,
20th-century Design at Milwaukee Art Museum.

Concept
The 2014 NCECA Invitational explores the significance of flow in
a physical, historical and symbolic sense. Water flows. Glaze flows.
Clay flows. To flow is to move in a current, like a liquid. Yet you
don’t need water to flow. A line can flow. Air flows. Music flows.
Electricity flows. Ideas flow.  Artists can flow in a state of focused
motivation that brings a deep enjoyment to the process of their
activity. Energy flows. Time flows. Life flows. Our present fluidly
becomes our past. The museum promotes the flow of culture through the
presentation of artworks and ideas of material culture.

With their spectacular view of Lake Michigan, the dramatic windows of
the Baumgartner Galleria in the Milwaukee Art Museum allow the flow of
water and light to be a constant presence in the art gallery.  Whether
in the atmospheric form of mist, rain, ice or snow, water in its various
physical states transforms the elegant space, marking the flow of time
and seasons. Set in this dramatic chamber of changing light and color, Flow: The 2014 NCECA Invitational seeks
an elite group of memorable ceramic works that embody the spirit and
physical properties of flow, as well as connect the contemporary space
of the Calatrava architecture with the historic collections of the
Milwaukee Art Museum.

Linda Ganstrom and Mel Buchanan, Co-Curators

Apply Now


Media & Limitations
All works must be primarily ceramic or unfired clay. Mixed
media works will be accepted only if ceramic materials are the primary
media, although video documentation of projects involving ceramics is
encouraged.  The curators will make final determinations.  Large-scale
work can be accommodated. Floor works must be firmly stable.
Wall-mounted pieces can be accommodated.  Works may be hung from the
ceiling in specific places. Work must have been produced within the last
five years and not have been shown in previous NCECA sponsored
exhibitions, the Milwaukee Art Museum or the greater Milwaukee area.

Entry Guidelines
All entries must be submitted electronically through Juried Art
Services.  The initial curatorial phase will be accomplished through
review and selection of images of works submitted and available for the
exhibition. No substitutions will be allowed.  Artists may submit up to ten pieces with two images of each work, not to exceed 20 images.

Members fee is $20
Non-Members fee is $35
NCECA membership runs 12 months from the date of joining or
renewal. NCECA Membership fees are not included in any event
registration. Membership is a standalone annual fee. To renew or become
an NCECA Member go to: http://www.nceca.net/static/membership_home.php  . If you are unsure of your Membership status, please contact [email protected]

Before beginning submission, applicants must be prepared to provide the following:
o          Biographical statement, up to 100 words.

Each work submitted must include the following image details:
o          Title
o          Catalogue Statement – up to 200 words addressing the theme of “flow” as it relates to this piece.
o          Description – Date of Completion, Photo Credit (if artist,
type in ARTIST), Clay body, materials, and decorating/firing methods
o          Sale Status – For Sale or Not For sale
o          Image #s – Image 1, Image 1 detail = piece 1 w/detail
Image 2, Image 2 detail = piece 2 w detail
Etc. for each subsequent piece up to 10 pieces
o          Dimensions (inches) H x W x D
o          Weight (lbs.)
o          Retail Price
o          Insurance Value: Milwaukee Art Museum requires Insurance value to equal Retail Value
o          Estimated return shipping cost

No changes will be allowed once an entry is accepted into the database. Once
data is entered in the system, it cannot be altered.  Proofread your
data carefully as this information will be used to generate the
exhibition budget, catalog, insurance and publicity information. Your submission is considered a formal agreement that the work is available for exhibition, accurately described and priced. 

Calendar
Detailed information and Online Submittal form: Available March 8, 2013
Online Submittal deadline:  June 5, 2013 (midnight EST)
Acceptance notification: August 1, 2013
Contracts and Statements due: August 15, 2013
Delivery of accepted work: January 2 – January 22, 2014
Installation: February 11 – February 21, 2014
Exhibition dates: February 22 – March 23, 2014
Return of work:  By April 23, 2014
Deadline for submission of shipping reimbursement form: May 1, 2014

Apply Now

Shipping
Artists are responsible for shipping their work to and from the
Milwaukee Art Museum and insuring it while in transit.  Works may be
shipped or hand-delivered to the museum. The artist must contact the
Milwaukee Art Museum registrar’s office in advance of shipment,
informing them of the method of shipment and date of shipment. The
Museum cannot accept anything over the weekend.  Works should be shipped
in reusable containers with photographic documentation for re-packing.

NCECA has a limited budget for reimbursement of RETURN shipping only.
Reimbursement amounts payable to individual artists will be determined
based on estimated return shipping costs submitted at the time of entry.
The reimbursable amount will be calculated on an individual basis and
stated in the exhibiting artist’s contract.

Accepted work will be shipped to:
Registrar’s Office c/o
Milwaukee Art Museum
700 North Art Museum Drive
Milwaukee, WI  53202

Insurance and Sales
The Milwaukee Art Museum will insure all work upon its arrival
and until departure under its fine arts policy for the amounts specified
by the insurance value listed and up to the limits of the Milwaukee Art
Museum’s current insurance policy.  Certain restrictions apply.
The Milwaukee Art Museum will not conduct sales.  Work may be offered
for sale through the NCECA Office. A 30% commission on sales will be
retained by NCECA.  Return shipping reimbursement is available to
artists only.  In the event a work is sold, it is the responsibility of
the artist to arrange and pay for shipping to the buyer.

Photography and Permissions
Images of entries may be retained for the NCECA archives.
Images of works included in the exhibition may be reproduced in print
materials and posted on NCECA’s website, blog and social media. NCECA
also reserves the right to use images, biographical materials and artist
statements in reports and share them with the media. Images of works in
the exhibition may also be shared by NCECA within an image library as
part of accessCeramics.org

Various other educational and promotional materials may be created by
the Milwaukee Art Museum or NCECA. Works in the exhibition may be
photographed, telecast, and reproduced for press and publicity purposes
including but not limited to reproduction in newspapers, periodicals,
magazines, in television programs and on the Internet in connection with
the exhibition and the Milwaukee Art Museum.
Participating artists must agree to allow NCECA and gallery visitors to
photograph work while on display for educational and publicity purposes.

Catalogue
NCECA will produce a color catalogue documenting the exhibition
experience through artists’ bios and statements; color images of
artwork, and pertinent essays. The catalogue will be available for
pre-purchase and for purchase at the conference. Two complementary
copies of the color catalogue will be provided to each artist whose work
is included in the exhibition.

Reception
A reception during the NCECA conference will celebrate the exhibition.

Your time is almost up – deadline is today!!!!

PRIZE UPDATE! One lucky artist will win one month in Medalta’s June 2014 residency!

PRIZE UPDATE! Student entries are eligible for Ceramic: Technical and Ceramic: Art & Perception digital subscriptions!

Several of the selected artists will be featured on the Musing About Mud blog.

Get your application in today – don’t delay!

medalta.org/showusyourmugs

The Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery is calling for submissions to the 2013 Winifred Shantz Award for Ceramics and RBC Award for Glass.

These prestigious national awards allow practicing early career ceramic and glass artists to undertake a period of independent research, or other activities that advance their artistic and professional practice at a key moment in their careers. Award winners receive $10,000 and a second prize of $1,000 is also granted.

The Selection Committee is comprised of highly respected contemporary glass and ceramic artists (both sculptural and functional) and other arts professionals. Winners will be announced and the awards presented at a gala event on November 9, 2013.

To be eligible for the Winifred Shantz Award for Ceramics or the RBC Award for Glass, artists must be Canadian citizens or have Permanent Resident status. They must have developed skills through training and/or practice in the field (not necessarily in academic institutions) and be recognized by other artists working in the same artistic tradition. Successful candidates have a history of professional public presentations and publications, seek payment for their work, and actively
practice their art. All applicants have maintained an independent professional practice for at least two to a maximum of ten years prior to their application.

To download the complete guidelines for the Winifred Shantz Award for Ceramics or the RBC Award for Glass, visit www.theclayandglass.ca/awards. In order to be considered, applications for either award must be received electronically or postmarked by Friday, September 20, 2013.

Past recipients of both awards truly represent the best of the emerging ceramic and glass artists in Canada. Eliza Au of Richmond, British Columbia was the winner of the 2012 Winifred Shantz Award for Ceramics. Benjamin Kikkert of Toronto, Ontario was the winner of the 2012 RBC Award for Glass.

For additional information, please contact Christian Bernard Singer, Curator at 519.746.1882 ext. 230 or email [email protected]

Presentation of these awards is made possible through ongoing partnerships between the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery and both the Estate of Winifred Shantz and RBC Foundation.

About Winifred Shantz: Winifred Shantz was a driving force for the arts in Waterloo Region for more than 40 years. A successful ceramist, entrepreneur and visionary philanthropist, she knew the importance of learning the business side of being an artist.

About RBC: RBC recognizes the role the arts play in vibrant communities and strong economies, and that enabling the next generation of artists to succeed is essential to continued vitality. From visual arts and music, to performing arts, writing and filmmaking, investing in emerging artists is a long-standing priority at RBC.

With an emphasis on supporting the work of Canadian ceramic and glass artists, the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery presents exhibitions that challenge ideas and perceptions of the defi nitions of art, craft and design today. The Gallery’s public programs offer multiple pathways for engagement with contemporary artworks and art-making practices. The Gallery Shop is recognized on its own merits as a fine craft gallery, showing the best of Canadian ceramic and glass work. Housing a collection of historical and contemporary Canadian ceramic, glass and enamel art, the Gallery is proud to
conserve and promote an active component of Canada’s rich cultural heritage.

The Gallery is located at 25 Caroline Street North in Waterloo, Ontario. It is open Monday to Friday, from 11 am to 6 pm, Saturdays from 10 am to 5 pm, and Sundays from 1 to 5 pm.
Admission is always free.

Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery • 25 Caroline Street North • Waterloo ON N2L 2Y5 • 519.746.1882