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To make good work is one thing, to make a living with it is another. In most cases, it takes a lot of work, a lot of planning, and a lot of time to build up a career as a ceramic artist.
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July 18, 2007
From Mud Pies to Money: Making a Career out of Ceramics
by Ceramic Arts Daily | Read Comments (3)
To make good work is one thing, to make a living with it is another. In most cases, it takes a lot of work, a lot of planning, and a lot of time to build up a career as a ceramic artist. In this issue of Ceramic Arts Daily, we continue our two-part series profiling six young artists who took the first steps toward becoming recognizable as the next generation of creative leaders in ceramics. They have fairly concrete ideas about their work, and they have committed themselves to the pursuit of a career in ceramic art. We asked them the following questions to find out how they arrived where they are, and where they would like to go from here:
- What does it mean to you to emerge as a professional and realize that a career in ceramics may indeed be possible?
- What are the particular things/events/people in your career that have made this possible?
- What have you done in the way of career planning that has proven particularly successful?
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Karen Swyler
It has always been my aspiration to have a career in ceramics. My parents encouraged me to pursue a career in a field which I truly enjoyed, and they provided financial backing for this education. My mother is a ceramics artist; I grew up in a house full of handmade pots.
When I finished school, I began to wonder how artists beginning their careers supported themselves. I waited tables. The restaurant industry was a perfect fit in many ways. It allowed me time during the day to work on my ceramics and time at night to earn money.
My residency at the Archie Bray Foundation has helped me in innumerable ways. The time it allowed me to work through ideas and hone my work was priceless. The people I met there have also helped me to create contacts in the art world. When I was looking for a teaching job at the end of my residency at the Bray, I joined the College Art Association. Through this organization, I gained access to college art and ceramics teaching position openings.
I also bought a digital camera! This is a necessary tool for all artists who want to keep up with the technology of photography. It makes the act of getting images from your camera to another person (perhaps halfway around the world) easy and time efficient. There are a number of opportunities I would have missed out on had I not had a digital camera.
Karen Swyler lives in Bomoseen, Vermont. You can see more of Karen's art by visiting her website at www.karenswyler.com. Exhibitions of Karen's Work
Transference
Dubhe Carreno Gallery, Chicago
July 13-September 8, 2007
2007 Teapot Invitational: The Art of Tea
Cervini Haas Gallery
Scottsdale, Arizona
July 5-August 25, 2007
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Katy Rush
An emergence is a beginning; it means there is more to come. It means my art now supports itself and has proven to be a worthwhile investment of time and money. I am encouraged that the sacrifices I have made to be an artist are now justified.
The biggest thing that has made this success possible was a commitment to single mindedly pursuing every appropriate juried exhibition, grant opportunity, award, residency and speaking opportunity that presented itself. And even bigger than that was ignoring all the rejection letters and to keep applying despite the disapointment.
Advice I would give would be: Document your work, and document it well. Participate in every art opportunity you can, even if it’s small and local. Never turn down an opportunity to speak about your work.
Exhibitions of Katy's Work
Living in Gainesville, Florida, Katy's work was shown recently at Santa Fe Clay Gallery's "Agape" exhibit that featured artists from across the United States whose work exemplified the traditional Greek term for love. She also exhibited at Santa Fe's "Tell Me a Story" exhibit included work that referenced the narrative, both through sculptural forms and pots with surface stories. |
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Jason Walker
I wouldn’t be where I am today without my education. I owe a great deal to my teachers and the other students I have had the opportunity to work with. I also had the chance to be a resident at the Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts. The Bray truly was the launching ground for me. The community and the exposure the Bray gave me helped me attain my goal of working as a studio artist. In 2003, I was invited to show with Ferrin Gallery at SOFA Chicago. My work was received well, and Ferrin Gallery has continued to support and promote my work since then.
I was so focused on receiving a good education that I forgot to plan beyond that. So, after graduate school I kind of struggled for a year or two. Finally, I decided I wanted to survive selling my work, and nobody was going to stop me. That was my only plan. I looked for any venue I could find. For two years, I participated in a craft fair in Palo Alto, California. An organization called the Association of Clay and Glass Artists of California sponsored the event. It proved to be a good show. By this time, I had also started working at the Bray, and things just kind of exploded from there. In terms of planning; I just looked for places where my work fit and would sell, and then I made a lot of work.
Exhibitions of Jason's Work
Jason Walker lives in Bellingham, Washington, and is represented by Ferrin Gallery in Lenox, Massachusetts where you can see more of his work.
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