What's Happening in the Clay Studio
Clay Studio Fall NEWS
Well folks,
Here we are at another fall in Green Valley, preparing for the return of so many of our members. The Studio has not really slowed down much this summer, (just ask the kiln techs), but there is a LOT of information to pass along. Please grab a cup of your favorite beverage and sit down to read this thoroughly – there are many changes that affect ALL members, all 364 of you! (Can you believe we are back up to that number of members post-COVID?!)
There’s been much ‘buzz’ about the possibility of the Studio installing video cameras – the Board had a frank discussion with those members present at the October meeting about the many issues reported throughout the year – some formally documented, others in passing. I am very sad to report that over the past year, various Board members have been approached by Studio members with complaints of stolen items, including personal and Studio tools, personal clay and work projects. Those complaints that were formally documented were investigated – most, but not all, were found to have been mistakes or memory problems. Other issues have arisen with complaints of broken and vandalized projects, some repeatedly. We even had a new member quit because their new tools were stolen from their cubby. Unfortunately, it is difficult to get to the bottom of what is truly happening without witnesses to substantiate facts. The Board listened to those members present and decided not to pursue the installation of cameras in 2023, but to explore other options to get to the bottom of this problem. One clear statement was heard from our membership – if you see something, say something - please report it to a Board member. We will be gathering better information so that we might take definitive action, once we better understand the scope of the problem. Artists should not have to worry about broken, vandalized, or stolen items. A reminder to all – please do not touch someone else’s work without permission. Also, please place your chop mark/identification on each project you place in the kiln room to reduce the chance of someone accidentally removing your piece – projects can sometimes look very similar if they are not marked with your specific initials or chop.
Now, on to some major changes happening in November and December – please read carefully.
We’ve had two major policy review groups work on Studio policies from spring through summer and into fall – Finance and Service/Monitors. I’m going to give you the highlights here – should you wish to read an extended explanation, please review the October 21, 2022 draft minutes which are available on the website – it will also be posted in the Studio on the Board of Directors Bulletin Board (near the water fountain).
The Board has revised multiple items:
Now. Onto some other news.
We have a new Clay – Cavendish – that has been approved as a Special-Order Clay (you need to order at least #100). Current price is $17.75 per bag. Similar to Speckled Buff with the strong speckles.
From our Glaze Committee:
The Studio now has a newly approved Brushing Medium - some glazes, even when thinned with water, just don’t apply well. They appear chalky and don’t spread evenly – they need a little help. If you are having an issue with a particular glaze, please see either Marilynn Serra or Sue Peetoom to try some Brushing Medium.
All Amaco Celadons are approved for use in the Studio, but not all are carried. If you have a favorite Amaco Celadon the Studio does not carry, you may purchase it, use it, and have it fired in the Studio.
Have you been creating and glazing projects successfully? Do other members often ask for your advice with glazing? How about becoming a Workshop Leader for the Intro to LF or HF Glazing? If you’re interested, please talk to our Glaze Committee Chair, Marilynn Serra.
From Facilities Committee:
We had quite the monsoon season – the Studio flooded after a particular nasty bout of weather, damaging work tables and baseboards. We were able to salvage a lot, but did lose some worktables in the Main Room. The Board approved funds to replace these, so please be patient while they are built and put into place later this year. We had hoped that GVR insurance would cover this, but the deductible is higher than the amount we need to spend, so our studio will be funding the replacements.
Likewise, the Board approved the Facilities Committee plan and budget to make improvements to the Handbuilding Room – tables will be replaced, molds moved onto shelving units, etc.…watch for that work to begin later this year and into 2023.
The Studio has had to have plumbers come “snake” our drains multiple times to remove clay sludge -please do NOT dispose of any clay slurries down our sinks. Use the buckets to clean tools and dump any slurries into the buckets out back – not down the sink on the patio.
Wheel throwers – some of our Brent wheels have a redesigned splash pan that are breaking – we have discovered Brent’s redesign require a “redesign of how you remove the pan” as well. Remove the pan by facing the front of the wheel (walking around so you face the wheel) and remove that pan first – it actually goes on and off quite easily from that direction. This should prevent further breakage of the splash pans.
We have an electrical breaker failure that is awaiting electrician repair – this affects our kiln room. We are currently short one large kiln until this is repaired. Kiln firings may be affected.
Now, some sad news – our Club is losing two custodians GVR employees who worked very hard behind the scenes to keep our studio in tip top shape – both Stella and Dawn have resigned from GVR. GVR is making changes to the custodial program as a whole – we are keeping a close eye on how these upcoming changes will affect our studio – if you see problems, please contact our Facilities Chair, Tom Healy.
Other news:
COVID and other illnesses are still in the area – please, if you are sick, do NOT come to the Studio. If you are tested positive for COVID, please notify me, so that I might alert any who were in the Studio of potential contact. These notifications will be posted on the website and at the Monitors station, not individually – there are just too many of them to notify all individually.
The Nominating Committee continues to seek applications, until Nov 15th, for those who may wish to serve on the Board – our annual membership meeting and election will take place on Monday, January 23rd at 8:30am in the De Anza Room. Nominee applications will be available for member review on the website and in the Studio in mid-November. As a reminder to all of how the Studio Board actually works – three vacancies every year are filled by election of the membership. Once the election is concluded, the new Board recesses to elect their officers – all policy decisions are made by the Board members, not the President – the President only votes to break a tie. If you’d like to influence Studio policies, apply for the Board!
Our Signup Genius (SUG) Guru, Debbie Bougie, is hard at work creating additional calendars for use by our members. Should you have difficulties using SUG, please be sure you have logged into SUG with your own password. If you can’t resolve your issue, just use SUG to send her an email, or contact her directly.
Our Canoa Hills SubCommittee is working on plans for our annual Open House in Feb at Canoa Hills – start getting your pieces ready for display – it’s a great opportunity to showcase the Studio’s fabulous talents!
Window Display – the Board appointed Jen Markham as our Display Window Coordinator – she is working on a plan, now that we have so many windows to display our studio’s works. We’ll get info out as soon as the procedures are in place.
We have a new Treasurer in place – Laura Hayden, as well as two new money counters – Penny Richards and Kim Handy, who reconcile our sales to keep the money flowing to the right places. Thanks so much for volunteering for these very important functions!
We still have vacancies for the Social Committee Chair – if you’d like to see our club have social activities, we need some to Chair this Committee. Contact any Board member if you are interested.
I do believe this is enough for this round of information …. Lots to absorb. Keep an eye on the website for updates as we implement these new policies. We expect some tweaks will need to be made, so please be patient and flexible as we continue to improve our studio operations as well as meet our member needs.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Susan
Well folks,
Here we are at another fall in Green Valley, preparing for the return of so many of our members. The Studio has not really slowed down much this summer, (just ask the kiln techs), but there is a LOT of information to pass along. Please grab a cup of your favorite beverage and sit down to read this thoroughly – there are many changes that affect ALL members, all 364 of you! (Can you believe we are back up to that number of members post-COVID?!)
There’s been much ‘buzz’ about the possibility of the Studio installing video cameras – the Board had a frank discussion with those members present at the October meeting about the many issues reported throughout the year – some formally documented, others in passing. I am very sad to report that over the past year, various Board members have been approached by Studio members with complaints of stolen items, including personal and Studio tools, personal clay and work projects. Those complaints that were formally documented were investigated – most, but not all, were found to have been mistakes or memory problems. Other issues have arisen with complaints of broken and vandalized projects, some repeatedly. We even had a new member quit because their new tools were stolen from their cubby. Unfortunately, it is difficult to get to the bottom of what is truly happening without witnesses to substantiate facts. The Board listened to those members present and decided not to pursue the installation of cameras in 2023, but to explore other options to get to the bottom of this problem. One clear statement was heard from our membership – if you see something, say something - please report it to a Board member. We will be gathering better information so that we might take definitive action, once we better understand the scope of the problem. Artists should not have to worry about broken, vandalized, or stolen items. A reminder to all – please do not touch someone else’s work without permission. Also, please place your chop mark/identification on each project you place in the kiln room to reduce the chance of someone accidentally removing your piece – projects can sometimes look very similar if they are not marked with your specific initials or chop.
Now, on to some major changes happening in November and December – please read carefully.
We’ve had two major policy review groups work on Studio policies from spring through summer and into fall – Finance and Service/Monitors. I’m going to give you the highlights here – should you wish to read an extended explanation, please review the October 21, 2022 draft minutes which are available on the website – it will also be posted in the Studio on the Board of Directors Bulletin Board (near the water fountain).
The Board has revised multiple items:
- All Studio Jobs have been documented and will be assigned based on the needs of the Studio. New members of the Studio must attend an education course titled “ Studio Operations Course (SOC)” by the end of their 2nd full month of Studio membership – where major Studio policies and procedures will be reviewed. After completion of this course, they will be assigned a Studio Job to complete their required service. The first SOC will be offered in December – stay tuned for dates and signup options for those that have recently joined (October 2022)
- In order for a member to renew their Studio membership, they must have used the Studio within the past two (2) years.
- The role of the Monitor has been examined and documented since it is the key hub for all activity in the Studio – without a Monitor present, the Studio cannot open for business. The Monitor is the representative of the Board in the Studio and is responsible for ensuring safe operations throughout the Studio, enforcing all studio policies, assuring appropriate personnel are contacted when problems occur, and maintaining good order. Monitors are critical to the smooth operation of the entire Studio – they are essential in ensuring communication flows to the appropriate committee whenever an issue crops up, whether equipment problems, kiln beeping, accidents/injuries, etc. To assist in this communication flow, a Daily Log will be available in early November for Monitor documentation of problems and follow-up actions they have taken – committee chairs and Bd members will need to review this when they come into the Studio to see if there are any issues needing their attention. Emails for Facilities, Monitor, and Service Chairs will be posted at the monitor station and are available now on the Studio homepage. Additionally, a cash control system is being implemented to better account for register transactions and tracking of monies.
- A new way to perform service for those without an assigned Studio Job or those who cannot find a monitor slot for a given month – the Stewardship Group, goes into effect in early Nov. Signups will be through SignUp Genius. This service will be performed in the Studio on Monday mornings.
- All members must scan their GVR card before any transaction at the register.
- Monitors will record project sizes on firing slips.
- Monitors must acknowledge, in writing, the revisions to the Monitor Studio Job using the Monitor Roles and Responsibilities document. This is available at the Monitors desk or from the Clay Studio website for download. This must be signed, returned to the Monitor, and processed in the Studio (give us a few days to process) BEFORE you will be able to sign up for a Monitor slot for December, 2022 or beyond.
- The Monitor Sign Up Genius (SUG) calendar for the following two months will be published at 08:00am on the 1st day of the month. (e.g., On 1 Nov at 8:00am, the Dec and Jan SUG will be published, on 1Dec at 8:00am, the Feb SUG Monitor signup will be published, etc.). First come, first serve – if you are unable to sign up, you will need to perform your service for that month using an alternate job assigned by the Service Chair or use the Stewardship Group.
- New Monitor training is available to train the monitors on their new functions.
- The Mentor Program will be paused while new Monitor and Service Policies are implemented. All mentors will need to perform their service in another manner.
- Service requirement is reduced to 2.25 hours (2 hours and 15 minutes) per month.
- Monitor shifts have a 15-minute overlap requirement for monitors to exchange information, help each other count monies, and complete all shift requirements.
- Only one Monitor for each shift.
- Monitor shift time changes as follows:
- 1st Shift - 07:45am-10:00am
- 2nd Shift – 09:45am – 12:00pm
- 3rd Shift – 11:45am – 2:00pm
- 4th Shift – 1:45pm – 4:00pm
- 5th Shift – 3:45pm – 7:00pm
- 1st Shift - 07:45am-10:00am
- Monitors may NOT work on projects 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th shift.
- 5th shift must remain open until 7:00pm.
- The cash register will be open 7 days a week.
- Upon start of a monitor shift, the Monitor will log into the POS system and place Starting money in cash register drawer ($100). At conclusion of the shift, the Monitor will print a Sales By Staff report to the receipt printer – this amount should match the monies placed in the end of shift envelope, leaving $100 in the cash register drawer. The Monitor must then sign off the POS system so that the next shift may sign on. All monies (bills and change) will be counted.
- In addition, the 4th and 5th shift will count the Change Fund (gray pouch) together and annotate the amount on the end of shift envelope. On Saturdays and Sundays, the 4th shift will do this alone.
Now. Onto some other news.
We have a new Clay – Cavendish – that has been approved as a Special-Order Clay (you need to order at least #100). Current price is $17.75 per bag. Similar to Speckled Buff with the strong speckles.
From our Glaze Committee:
The Studio now has a newly approved Brushing Medium - some glazes, even when thinned with water, just don’t apply well. They appear chalky and don’t spread evenly – they need a little help. If you are having an issue with a particular glaze, please see either Marilynn Serra or Sue Peetoom to try some Brushing Medium.
All Amaco Celadons are approved for use in the Studio, but not all are carried. If you have a favorite Amaco Celadon the Studio does not carry, you may purchase it, use it, and have it fired in the Studio.
Have you been creating and glazing projects successfully? Do other members often ask for your advice with glazing? How about becoming a Workshop Leader for the Intro to LF or HF Glazing? If you’re interested, please talk to our Glaze Committee Chair, Marilynn Serra.
From Facilities Committee:
We had quite the monsoon season – the Studio flooded after a particular nasty bout of weather, damaging work tables and baseboards. We were able to salvage a lot, but did lose some worktables in the Main Room. The Board approved funds to replace these, so please be patient while they are built and put into place later this year. We had hoped that GVR insurance would cover this, but the deductible is higher than the amount we need to spend, so our studio will be funding the replacements.
Likewise, the Board approved the Facilities Committee plan and budget to make improvements to the Handbuilding Room – tables will be replaced, molds moved onto shelving units, etc.…watch for that work to begin later this year and into 2023.
The Studio has had to have plumbers come “snake” our drains multiple times to remove clay sludge -please do NOT dispose of any clay slurries down our sinks. Use the buckets to clean tools and dump any slurries into the buckets out back – not down the sink on the patio.
Wheel throwers – some of our Brent wheels have a redesigned splash pan that are breaking – we have discovered Brent’s redesign require a “redesign of how you remove the pan” as well. Remove the pan by facing the front of the wheel (walking around so you face the wheel) and remove that pan first – it actually goes on and off quite easily from that direction. This should prevent further breakage of the splash pans.
We have an electrical breaker failure that is awaiting electrician repair – this affects our kiln room. We are currently short one large kiln until this is repaired. Kiln firings may be affected.
Now, some sad news – our Club is losing two custodians GVR employees who worked very hard behind the scenes to keep our studio in tip top shape – both Stella and Dawn have resigned from GVR. GVR is making changes to the custodial program as a whole – we are keeping a close eye on how these upcoming changes will affect our studio – if you see problems, please contact our Facilities Chair, Tom Healy.
Other news:
COVID and other illnesses are still in the area – please, if you are sick, do NOT come to the Studio. If you are tested positive for COVID, please notify me, so that I might alert any who were in the Studio of potential contact. These notifications will be posted on the website and at the Monitors station, not individually – there are just too many of them to notify all individually.
The Nominating Committee continues to seek applications, until Nov 15th, for those who may wish to serve on the Board – our annual membership meeting and election will take place on Monday, January 23rd at 8:30am in the De Anza Room. Nominee applications will be available for member review on the website and in the Studio in mid-November. As a reminder to all of how the Studio Board actually works – three vacancies every year are filled by election of the membership. Once the election is concluded, the new Board recesses to elect their officers – all policy decisions are made by the Board members, not the President – the President only votes to break a tie. If you’d like to influence Studio policies, apply for the Board!
Our Signup Genius (SUG) Guru, Debbie Bougie, is hard at work creating additional calendars for use by our members. Should you have difficulties using SUG, please be sure you have logged into SUG with your own password. If you can’t resolve your issue, just use SUG to send her an email, or contact her directly.
Our Canoa Hills SubCommittee is working on plans for our annual Open House in Feb at Canoa Hills – start getting your pieces ready for display – it’s a great opportunity to showcase the Studio’s fabulous talents!
Window Display – the Board appointed Jen Markham as our Display Window Coordinator – she is working on a plan, now that we have so many windows to display our studio’s works. We’ll get info out as soon as the procedures are in place.
We have a new Treasurer in place – Laura Hayden, as well as two new money counters – Penny Richards and Kim Handy, who reconcile our sales to keep the money flowing to the right places. Thanks so much for volunteering for these very important functions!
We still have vacancies for the Social Committee Chair – if you’d like to see our club have social activities, we need some to Chair this Committee. Contact any Board member if you are interested.
I do believe this is enough for this round of information …. Lots to absorb. Keep an eye on the website for updates as we implement these new policies. We expect some tweaks will need to be made, so please be patient and flexible as we continue to improve our studio operations as well as meet our member needs.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Susan
Pictures of "first class" in the new Clay Studio Classroom for our web-site. It's beautiful.
Photos from Jane Ercolani via Julie Jacques
Photos from Jane Ercolani via Julie Jacques
updated 8-29-2021- jdo