October@AMOCA
It was wonderful to see so many of you—over 300—at last month’s opening of Breaking Ground: Women in California Clay. Breaking Ground celebrates 44 artists who have defined—and redefined—ceramics over the past 100 years. If you haven’t had a chance to experience this groundbreaking exhibition yet, we hope you will soon! AMOCA’s galleries are open for visitors Friday, Saturday, and Sunday 11 AM-4 PM, and Breaking Ground will be on view through early 2023.
Fall is bustling, and we have a lot of offerings this coming month. We’re kicking off October with two one-hour Introductory clay classes on Friday, October 7th. These 60-minute classes will introduce you to the studio and teach you the basics of throwing on the potter’s wheel. If you successfully create a bowl, staff will glaze and fire it after the class is completed. Our October introductory classes will be taught by Breana Ferreira, one of AMOCA’s 2022-2023 Artists in Residence. These classes sell out quickly, so be sure to sign up as soon as possible if you’d like to participate.
Also the first weekend of the month, Breaking Ground exhibition co-curators Jo Lauria, Edith Garcia, and Beth Ann Gerstein will offer insight into the background and decision making processes that went into creating Women in California Clay during a Curator Talk at 1 PM on Sunday, October 9. You may join us in person for this talk in the AMOCA galleries, or sign up to receive a recording of the talk delivered straight to your inbox. Admission to the curator talk and Museum galleries is complimentary with advance registration.
For more creative insights, join Artist in Residence Breana Ferreira’s virtual artist talk at 11 AM on Tuesday, October 11. Ferreira will share her past work and her plans for her AMOCA residency; there will be time for Q & A at the end of the talk.
On Saturday October 15, gather your pencils and join us for Sketch Day in the Gallery with artist Kim Tucker. Tucker will talk about how their drawings have influenced their sculptural work and the ideas behind their pieces in Breaking Ground: Women in California Clay. Sketch Day attendees can share tips on how to overcome artist block and have time to creatively respond to some sculptural forms on view at AMOCA.
October also brings AMOCAFest, a celebration of steins, beer, and salt firing on October 22 and 23. AMOCAFest offerings include a 2-day Steins, Beer, and Salt Firing workshop with local artists T and Jon Pacini, as well as a slide presentation and beer tasting event. For those of you who want to participate in AMOCAFest from afar, check out our online resources and articles.
Are you an AMOCA member? Among other benefits, AMOCA members receive discounts on some of our upcoming events. Be sure to choose the Member ticket option when you reserve for Sketch Day in the Gallery, or Steins, Beer, & Salt Firing: Presentation and Beer Tasting. Want to renew or purchase a membership? It’s easy to purchase or renew online.
Don’t forget, the next First Friday, our monthly pay what you can event, is on Friday, October 7. Choose your own ticket prices at AMOCA! Reserve here for your October 7 visit.
Thank you for being a partner in AMOCA’s mission to champion the ceramic arts! We look forward to welcoming you to the museum Friday through Sunday, from 11 AM through 4 PM. You can purchase your tickets at the door or make reservations online.
Hope to see you soon,
Genevieve Kaplan
Associate Director of Communications & Stewardship
October Programs & Events
First Fridays at AMOCA
Friday, October 7 • 11 AM–4 PM • In-person
Thanks to generous support from AMOCA’s Board of Directors, Museum admission for First Fridays at AMOCA is pay what you can (while tickets last). Each month, visit the Museum and choose your own ticket prices!
October Introductory Ceramics Sessions
Friday, October 7 • 5:00–6:00 PM or 8:00–9:00 PM • In-person • $45
Learn the basics of throwing on the potter’s wheel! Complimentary access to the Museum galleries is included.
The perfect way to get your hands dirty, relax, and have fun! In this one-hour introductory class, you’ll learn the basics of throwing on the potters wheel. If you successfully create a bowl, staff will glaze it with an oatmeal glaze and fire it after the class is completed – all included in the price. If you’d like to take the piece home with you, you can come back and pick it up.
Curator Talk – Breaking Ground: Women in California Clay
Sunday, October 9, 2022 • 1–2:30 PM (Pacific) • In Person & Recorded
Join us for a talk in the exhibition galleries with Breaking Ground co-curators Jo Lauria, Edith Garcia, and Beth Ann Gerstein.
Virtual Artist Talk with Breana Ferreira, 2022–2023 Artist in Residence
Tuesday, October 11, 2022 • 11 AM –12 PM (PST) • Online
Join us for a virtual artist talk with Artist in Residence Breana Ferreira, to mark the beginning of her 2022-2023 residency in the AMOCA Studios. Ferreira will share about her practice, past work, and future directions. There will be an opportunity for Q & A following the presentation.
Sketch Day in the AMOCA Galleries
Saturday, October 15 • 12:00–3:00 PM • In-person • $5-$15
Gather your pencils and join Breaking Ground artist Kim Tucker for a guided sketch day in the AMOCA galleries.
Skill Building Workshop: Steins, Beer, & Salt Firing with T and Jon Pacini
Saturday, October 22, 2022 • 10 AM–3 PM (PST) & Sunday, October 23, 2022 • 10 AM–5 PM • In Person • $225
This 2-day workshop will include slide presentations on stein and ale bottle styles and a behind-the-scenes tour of AMOCA’s Mettlach Collection as well as demonstrations and throwing time in the studio. On Saturday, participants will learn about bottle types and functions and tour the museum collections before returning to the studio to create beer stein and ale bottle shapes. On Sunday, we’ll finish our vessels and get them ready for firing in the salt kiln. The weekend ends with a slide presentation on Kannofenbrand, a historic salt kiln site in Höhr-Grenzhausen, Germany, followed by a beer tasting experience with our friends from Last Name Brewing.
Steins, Beer, & Salt Firing: Presentation and Beer Tasting
Sunday, October 23, 2022 • 2 PM–5 PM • In Person • $20-$25
Join us on Sunday afternoon at 2pm for a slide presentation on Kannofenbrand, a historic salt kiln site in Höhr-Grenzhausen, Germany, and beer gardens, followed by beer tasting from our friends at Last Name Brewing (Upland, CA).
Member Bonus Days
Wednesdays and Thursdays • 11 AM–4 PM • In-person
Members can book tickets to visit Museum galleries on Wednesdays and Thursdays. A fun way to enjoy the galleries to yourself!
In Case You Missed It
Virtual Artist Talk with Nick Vest
Presented and recorded on Tuesday, August 23, 2022
Artist in Residence Nick Vest shared about his practice, past work, and future directions. This talk marks the beginning of his 2022-2023 residency in the AMOCA Studios.
One Clay at a Time: Episode 2
Recorded on Friday, July 15, 2022
Episode two of One Clay at a Time features Josh Cloud, a Los Angeles-based artist who just graduated from CalArts and invited us over to his solo exhibition at South Willard, The Only Way Out is Through. Tune in as Cloud, Aliaga, and Solórzano talk about embracing cracks, loving anime and how driving with ceramics becomes everyone’s problem.
Exhibitions on View
Visit Friday–Sunday, 11 AM–4 PM by purchasing tickets online.
Breaking Ground: Women in California Clay
On view September 10, 2022–February 19, 2023, Breaking Ground: Women in California Clay celebrates 44 artists who have defined—and redefined—ceramics over the past 100 years. Many of the Golden State’s most innovative and impactful ceramic artists in the 20th and 21st centuries are women who faced adversity due to gender inequality and were often ignored or overlooked in favor of their male counterparts. These incredibly determined women pushed forward, driven by creativity and tenacity.
Breaking Ground: Women in California Clay is co-curated by Beth Ann Gerstein (Executive Director), Jo Lauria (Adjunct Curator), and Edith Garcia (Professor, California College of the Arts and University of California, Berkeley).
The Artists of Mettlach
This ongoing exhibition presents a selection of works from the Villeroy and Boch Mettlach Collection (donated by Robert D. And Colette D. Wilson). It features original research on notable artists involved in the production of this historic works.