CARNAVALE @ The Venetian

Who would have ever thought I would be the entertainment at a luxury resort in Vegas.  This is defiantly one for the "WOW" category of things I have done.  That being said, I am having a blast.  There is a lots of great interest in what I am doing, I have had a number of friends and fellow potters stop by to say HELLO.  If by any chance you are in Vegas this week, stop in at the Venetian, and say hello, I am across from the waterfall.

CLAY ARTS VEGAS will have its official  GRAND OPENING with Councilman Bob Coffin on June 11, 2012 at 10am.  We look forward to seeing everyone there.  Please come out and see the space!

LAS VEGAS WEEKLY

Peter Jakubowski talks Clay Arts Vegas.

Photo: Sam Morris

Clay Arts Vegas opens in Downtown's Old Art Bar

Kristen Peterson

Wed, Mar 21, 2012 (5:17 p.m.)

Last November, a group of artists involved in the ceramics community toured the studios of Valley clay artists. It ended in Peter Jakubowski’s living room, where the discussion turned to a desire for a centrally located clay studio. They should create one, they figured, but nobody had the money. So they dreamed. Then Jakubowski got serious. He planned to take out a loan, but was instead advised to reach out to friends who might want to support such a project. The other artists did the same and the money started coming in. They just needed a location.

The Details

Beyond the Weekly

Clay Arts Vegas

The Downtown Arts District, with its selection of industrial and empty buildings, seemed a good place to pursue a facility that could serve as a teaching, working, retail and exhibition space. That’s where they came across the old Art Bar on Main Street, a large building with ample parking that sat empty for more than three years. Sure, it was compromised. Scrappers had stripped out electrical wiring and air-conditioning parts, and the stage on which bands had performed sat in pieces in the corner. But the artists had resources, skills and friends, and began scrounging Craigslist, eBay, swap meets and more for supplies.

Now, Clay Arts Vegas at 1509 S. Main St. is a full-service studio with teaching areas, work spaces, a gallery and a retail store that will sell clay, glazes, tools and other supplies.

The plan is to bring together the community’s serious clay artists and welcome beginners. Along with its rotating exhibits by local, national and international artists and a space to buy works from the founders, Clay Arts Vegas has created classes for specific groups, including Mommy and Me, home-school students and young adults. There’s even a Spanish language class. The general public can sign up for an eight-week class at Clay Arts Vegas for $125.

“We’re really trying to be accessible to the whole community,” says Jakubowski, who heads the design for dance program at UNLV. “Not just a niche. We’ve reached out to Red Hat ladies, Prime Timers [an older gay men’s organization] and teachers in Clark County.”

That diversity extends to the seven resident artists, some who already teach in the medium, and have stylistically different approaches to ceramics. “When you look at the group as a whole, each person has their own different interest in the clay community,” Jakubowski says. “We kind of cover a huge spectrum of what you can do with the medium.”

Beyond that, having an activity space, scheduled to open in April, helps diversify the area that’s home to galleries, antiques stores, boutiques, restaurants and bars. Neighbors have already begun stopping in.

CLAY ARTS VEGAS

WOW!!!
Brian Paco Alvarez*, Las Vegas' Culture Promoter has pleaded his support to the CLAY ARTS VEGAS project. We at CAV are excited to have such an important member of the Las Vegas' art scene interested in our project.
Please sign up to follow his blog:
http://lvartsandculture.blogspot.com/2012/02/clay-arts-vegas-moves-downtown.html

We are looking to start classes in March 2012



*Brian Paco Alvarez, is a professional curator, urban historian and native Las Vegan. He has dedicated his life and career to the cultural arts and historic preservation in the Las Vegas area and throughout the state.

CLAY ARTS VEGAS

I have discovered a cool new project in Vegas, CLAY ARTS VEGAS. Check out the blog, webpage, facebook, and the twitter. These guys have it going on!!!! If you can help them in anyway I would appreciate it.

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003221121192

http://twitter.com/#!/ClayArtsVegas

http://clayartsvegas.blogspot.com/

http://www.clayartsvegas.com



Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

Happy New Year!

FRESH POTS! GET YOUR FRESH POTS!

Admittadly not the best photo.

So I fired Coleman's Grey Blue Celadon at cone 10 in my electric kiln. I got much better results then expected. The reading I did about firing Celadon's in oxidation said they would be matt, and more then likely have a brown or pink hue. These don't ----

Super excited about the sale this weekend, and now I have some fresh pots to add to the collection.

GLAZING For weekend sale

So---- I am glazing so work for the sale this weekend. I am going to fire some Coleman Grey Blue Celadon at cone 10 in my electric kiln. Have had offers for a place to fire in reduction, not enough work to fill a kiln.

Will post results