Burnish Clay Studio Updates and Raku Firing

Empty Bowls and Summer classes

It's time to donate your handmade bowls for a good cause. Burnish Clay Studio is accepting bowl donations from artists who want to help feed people. Bring your bowl donations into Burnish Clay Studio from June 10th to the 16th and we will get them to Boundary Bay, where the event is being held on June 17.
From the Downtown Bellingham Partnership Website:
Empty Bowls is a benefit event to raise funds to help feed the hungry in our community. A $20 entry ticket includes your choice of a one-of-a-kind handmade bowl, a bowl of delicious soup, and bread from a local restaurant. A silent auction of handmade serving dishes by local artists and live musical entertainment will fill out the evening in Boundary Bay Brewery’s Beer Garden. Drinks will be available to purchase from Boundary Bay Brewery on site. Your donations, ticket purchases, and 40% of all silent auction winning bids will benefit Maple Alley and Bellingham Food Bank. Artists providing silent auction items receive 50% of silent auction winning bids on their items.
The empty bowls movement started in the early 1990s when Lisa Blackburn and John Hartom wanted to counteract the negative news around hunger and poverty in their community in Michigan. Since 2015 WACK (Whatcom Artists of Clay and Kiln) has raised between $5000-$8000 annually for the community through Empty Bowls, and donations are split equally between the Bellingham Food Bank and Maple Alley Inn. The core of the event is a supper where, for a donation, guests choose a handmade bowl and receive a delicious meal of soup and bread donated by local restaurants. They then sit down among the other guests to eat together, and return home with their empty, handmade bowl.

---

Spring Ends and Summer Begins.

Spring classes are wrapping up, so get into the studio and glaze, glaze, glaze! We will be running the kilns and pushing the work through so that you can finish your spectacular work and bring it home to use in your very own home. The bridge the gap will stretch from June 12 - July 7. Have you signed up? If not, you have until June 19 to finish your work and until the end of the month to pick it up. 

The Adult Class raffle system is working very well. This summer, we have 7 Adult classes going; three day throwing classes with Sara, and three night throwing classes with Finley, as well as everyone's favorite, Hilde's handbuilding class on Monday afternoon!

Raku Madness

It has become a tradition at Burnish Clay Studio to have a Raku firing for the Sculpture Class at the end of the session. Below you will find images depicting the highlights of the firing, in no specific order. Fire is a big reason we potters love what we do. As you can see below, pottery isn't all sitting around a studio playing with clay. (Though that is also a huge part of it.)

Tip of the Week!

This week we have a RAKU tip, brought to you by our own Sara Young, the hard way. When pulling items out of a Raku Kiln, make sure you're wearing leather boots, long sleeve non-flammable or all natural material shirts, and long pants, as the last thing you want is your clothes melting onto you when you accidentally catch a spark or burning ember while moving the pieces from the kiln to the trash cans. It is also a good thing to tie your hair back in a bandana so that your hair doesn't burn off when you get too close to the kiln. I have lost many sets of bangs and eyelashes due to my inability to keep my hair out of my face while pulling pots from the raku kiln. Burning hair smells quite horrific, so you always know when you have gotten too close!

Calls for Entry for Shows 

June 9, 2023 entry deadline
Ohio, Norwood “Call for Proposal” (July 21–August 18) Queen City Clay is currently seeking proposals for solo and group shows in their Martindell Gallery. The gallery consists of 1200 square feet with 82 linear feet of plywood-backed finished walls for suitable for hanging. Fee: $30. Juried from digital. Juror: TBA. Contact Jon Stein, Queen City Clay; [email protected]; 513-871-2529; www.queencityclay.com/retail/gallery.
​
July 15, 2023 entry deadline
Louisiana, New Orleans “FunctionFest” (November 17–December 15) open to artists 18 years of age and older working in ceramics. The Clay Center of New Orleans seeks applicants for the 2023 installment of ”FunctionFest,” our popular biennial juried group exhibition devoted to functional ceramic work and studio pottery. Fee: $30. Juried from digital. Juror: TBA. Contact Michelle Swafford, The Clay Center of New Orleans; [email protected]; 504-517-3721; www.nolaclay.org.

August 7, 2023 entry deadline
Florida, Tequesta “Little Lush” (September 7–December 2) open to all artists working in ceramics. Little Lush will showcase handmade, functional ceramics. This exhibition provides a spotlight for small works including cups, mugs, pitchers, flasks, teapots, etc. that utilize clay as a primary material. Lighthouse ArtCenter welcomes submissions in an assortment of shapes and sizes with rich and seductive surfaces. Fee: $11. Juried from digital. Juror: TBA. Contact Lighthouse Art Center, 373 Tequesta Drive, Tequesta, FL 33469; [email protected]; 561-746-3101; https://lighthousearts.org/little-lush.

CREEP SHOW 2023
Juror TBA
October 6 – November 3, 2023
Deadline extended! Applications due July 15, 2023

It’s baaaaaack… The Clay Center of New Orleans seeks applicants for the 2023 installment of “Creep Show,” our annual juried group exhibition of ceramic works that can be described as creepy, scary, spooky, or downright terrifying. Open to ceramic vessels, sculptures and wall-mounted works, this exhibition will be on display October 6 – November 3, 2023, in the Clay Center’s gallery space in the heart of New Orleans.
Apply now with EntryThingy
Prospectus coming soon

​Art Contest with a Medical Theme
Submitted artwork to our contest will only be displayed on www.medmic.com with the artist's permission. 
Should permission be granted, we may display the artwork of submitted to the contest in addition to the winners and 1st and 2nd runners up. 
We would be happy to provide links to the artist's own website or social media platforms upon request.
**Please note, there is a 10 dollar entry fee to enter the Spring/Summer Visual Arts contest.
For more information about this art contest, please visit the Event Website.

June 12 Deadline.
‘GENDER IDENTITY’ will be a 3-D Virtual Reality Art Exhibition. We will not need physical works of art. Artists are free to sell their works. We take 0% commission, and sale inquiries are directed back to the artists. Please email all the following information to [email protected] and quote ‘GENDER IDENTITY’ on the subject of your email. If selected, you will receive an Invoice requesting online payment for submission fee. Per artist, not per artwork. All you need to do is to email us the following: · How to Apply: • Up to 2 Artwork images by email (jpeg format, up to 3MB each image). • Please name each file with the title of each artwork (e.g., "Untitled. JPEG") • [No political, pornography or hate artworks will be accepted]. • Details of the artwork (title, size, medium and price). (e.g., "Untitled", 50 x 70 cm, Oil on Canvas, price. • A brief bio about the artist / artwork (100 words max, preferably written in the 3rd person) • Send us your website and social media (if applicable) • Statement confirming you are the author of the original artwork and it does not infringe the rights of any third party. Contact Information: email- [email protected] We will then send you an invoice for £30 via PayPal, this can also be paid by Credit card