Clay Conversations!
Apprenticeships: Let’s Do This!
Elenor Wilson
Hello all you clay people out there. This is Zach Tate coming to you from the sultry, snowy abyss of northern Indiana. As my first year of being of the board is quickly coming to an end, I am excited to be a part of my first conference as a board member. For this conference I have been working to head up Clay Conversations (Previously known as Topical Networking, NCECA Connections and/or Topical Discussions). Clay Conversations is an interactive dialogue between a conversation leader(s) and you, the audience. This unique part of the conference will be on Wednesday afternoon at the Convention Center.
International Wild Clay,
Josh DeWeese (Not pictured:Matt Levy, Dean Adams, Tony Hartshorn, Sarah Mae Whitmeyer)
This portion of the conference was created to help foster some of the discussions that many of us enjoy at the conference. These topics are submitted as proposals which detail how and what the conversation will be led, as well as why their topic would make an engaging conversation with other conference goers.
Unlike the lectures that many of us are familiar with, Clay Conversations features no PA System, no slides, or formal setting. Rather, these exchanges are designed to be informal and will give you the opportunity to contribute to the conversation.
Large Legacy, Small Footprint
Libby Buckley
This year Clay Conversation will be featuring discussions covering a diverse range of topics including social political issues within the ceramics community, material research, best grading practices, grant writing, and many more. Proposals were selected based on applicant’s expertise, topic approachability, and accessibility for conference attendees. The goal for this programing is for participants to connect with those who have similar interests early in the week and sustain informal dialog throughout the conference and beyond.
I look forward to chatting with you all in Minneapolis and hope to see your proposals for Richmond in 2020!
