Trade Secret (Adam Chau)

Looking for a residency? Listen to the Outreach Coordinator at Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts, Claire Brassil, talk about the residency experience in Newcastle, Maine.

Today’s episode is brought to you by the following sponsors: 

For the past 100 years, AMACO Brent has been creating ceramic supplies for our community ranging from underglazes to Electric kilns, ...and they have no plans of slowing down. www.amaco.com

The Bray is actively committed to promoting, celebrating, and sustaining the ceramic arts through its residency program, education center, and gallery. www.archiebray.org

We often do research in school, but what about when we leave academia and enter the field of ceramics. In this episode Paul Scott talks about how he integrates research into his artwork and how his artwork fuels deeper investigation.

Today’s episode is brought to you by AMACO Brent. For the past 100 years, AMACO Brent has been creating ceramic supplies for our community ranging from underglazes to Electric kilns, ...and they have no plans of slowing down. www.amaco.com

Reading didactics on the wall of a gallery or museum is just as influential to our understanding of objects that are being displayed. In this episode, Navva Milliken and Jennifer Zwilling discuss the role of creating context within institutional spaces.

Artists-in-Residence programs are popular and prevalent in American ceramics. Artist and educator Lauren Sandler walks us through the experience of being a teaching resident at Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia.

Today’s episode is brought to you by the following sponsors:

For the past 100 years, AMACO Brent has been creating ceramic supplies for our community ranging from underglazes to Electric kilns, ...and they have no plans of slowing down. www.amaco.com

The Bray is actively committed to promoting, celebrating, and sustaining the ceramic arts through its residency program, education center, and gallery. www.archiebray.org

Listen in as host Adam Chau talks about the concept for Trade Secret and what’s to come in season one. 

Today’s bonus episode features an interview with sound artist Allen West. In his conversation with Adam, they discuss composing the theme song for Trade Secret and his approach to making music.

On season two of Trade Secret host Adam Chau delves into the professions of the field from makers to curators, and everyone in between. Look for new weekly episodes starting Feb. 28^th. For more info visit www.brickyardnetwork.org/tradesecret.

How do we decide if a work is a magnum opus (the best single work of an artist)? Different cultures have varied language on mastery such as living treasures. Glenn Adamson and Steve Lee talk about their views on material mastery and how history has developed a system to designate an artist’s “best” piece. 

Skutt is a proud sponsor of Trade Secret. Skutt Ceramic Products has been manufacturing equipment for Potters since 1953. Skutt’s reputation as a pioneer in innovative kiln design continues with the 4th generation of this family-owned Business. Their KilnMaster Touchscreen controller offers a sleek, smartphone like interface, that is intuitive and packed with powerful tools that allow potters to easily program, diagnose and remotely monitor their kilns. With 5 dedicated kiln technicians on staff and the most comprehensive network of distributors across the globe, you can be assured that Skutt will be there for you before and after the sale. For more information on their line of kilns visit www.skutt.com.

Do you remember the ceramics field before the internet? How we got information about what galleries, colleges, and studio artists were doing was radically different. Garth Clark (Cfile) and Namita Gupta Wiggers (Critical Craft Forum) describe how they’ve built online platforms to look at creative culture in a whole new way.

Skutt is a proud sponsor of Trade Secret. Skutt Ceramic Products has been manufacturing equipment for Potters since 1953. Skutt’s reputation as a pioneer in innovative kiln design continues with the 4th generation of this family-owned Business. Their KilnMaster Touchscreen controller offers a sleek, smartphone like interface, that is intuitive and packed with powerful tools that allow potters to easily program, diagnose and remotely monitor their kilns. With 5 dedicated kiln technicians on staff and the most comprehensive network of distributors across the globe, you can be assured that Skutt will be there for you before and after the sale. For more information on their line of kilns visit www.skutt.com.

Finding a gallery that’s the right fit is like dating - there are so many things to consider. Throughout this season we’ve talked to artists that have second jobs that sustain their practice, or did sales themselves. For the full-time artist that relies on the gallery system to make a living we need a dedicated episode. Our guest today talks about being a represented artist at a gallery. Welcome Jing Huang.

Today’s episode is brought to you by the following sponsors:

For the past 100 years, AMACO Brent has been creating ceramic supplies for our community ranging from underglazes to Electric kilns, ...and they have no plans of slowing down. www.amaco.com

The Bray is actively committed to promoting, celebrating, and sustaining the ceramic arts through its residency program, education center, and gallery. www.archiebray.org

What are the benefits of mentorship? Adam Chau talks with Angelik Vizcarrondo-Laboy and Gerald Brown about the Curatorial Fellowship with Artaxis and The Color Network. In June 2021, Gerald Brown curated the five-person virtual exhibit Speaking with Precision.

Here’s the episode that budding ceramic artists are probably waiting to hear - the inside scoop on how a gallery is run and how you can get in to one. The short answer is that there aren’t hard and fast rules to this. It might be more important though to hear the story of how a gallery actually gets started and what kind of person has the ambition to build one. Today’s guest tells us about the impetus of Companion Gallery. Welcome Eric Botbyl.

Today’s episode is brought to you by the following sponsors:

For the past 100 years, AMACO Brent has been creating ceramic supplies for our community ranging from underglazes to Electric kilns, ...and they have no plans of slowing down. www.amaco.com

The Bray is actively committed to promoting, celebrating, and sustaining the ceramic arts through its residency program, education center, and gallery. www.archiebray.org

Ever wonder what goes into making a glaze? Or a clay body? Some groups share their recipes everywhere and others keep it a secret. Derek Au and Bryan Hopkins share their knowledge in building their studio practice through material exploration. Derek talks about how Glazy.org operates, while Bryan discusses the differences between working with highly refined porcelain versus locally sourced clay.

Skutt is a proud sponsor of Trade Secret. Skutt Ceramic Products has been manufacturing equipment for Potters since 1953. Skutt’s reputation as a pioneer in innovative kiln design continues with the 4th generation of this family-owned Business. Their KilnMaster Touchscreen controller offers a sleek, smartphone like interface, that is intuitive and packed with powerful tools that allow potters to easily program, diagnose and remotely monitor their kilns. With 5 dedicated kiln technicians on staff and the most comprehensive network of distributors across the globe, you can be assured that Skutt will be there for you before and after the sale. For more information on their line of kilns visit www.skutt.com.

So far, I’ve interviewed many guests within academia and I want to shift the focus on education from the degree-seeking track to a more community-based environment. My next guest brings life to these environments and is the Chief Program Officer at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. Welcome Nick DeFord.

Today’s episode is brought to you by the following sponsors:

For the past 100 years, AMACO Brent has been creating ceramic supplies for our community ranging from underglazes to Electric kilns, ...and they have no plans of slowing down. www.amaco.com

The Bray is actively committed to promoting, celebrating, and sustaining the ceramic arts through its residency program, education center, and gallery. www.archiebray.org

What is the actual definition of ‘Design’? It’s an allusive category as everything made by us is essentially designed. Johnathan Hopp and Rae Stern talk about their experiences in design school and how it has transformed their ceramic practice. The conversation goes from individual design all the way to mass production, an interesting listen for those who want to see the full spectrum.

Skutt is a proud sponsor of Trade Secret. Skutt Ceramic Products has been manufacturing equipment for Potters since 1953. Skutt’s reputation as a pioneer in innovative kiln design continues with the 4th generation of this family-owned Business. Their KilnMaster Touchscreen controller offers a sleek, smartphone like interface, that is intuitive and packed with powerful tools that allow potters to easily program, diagnose and remotely monitor their kilns. With 5 dedicated kiln technicians on staff and the most comprehensive network of distributors across the globe, you can be assured that Skutt will be there for you before and after the sale. For more information on their line of kilns visit www.skutt.com.

What are the real differences between Sculpture departments and Ceramic Departments? Jennifer Ling Datchuk and Wade Macdonald talk about using different materials within ceramics. We discuss the education system in the US and encourage the use of mixed media with a core in ceramics.

Join co-hosts Adam Chau and Robin Williams-Turnage (Potters of Color 2.0) in conversation with Natalia Arbelaez and Magdolene Dykstra from The Color Network. During the panel the group talk about building communities of color and equitable strategies for organizing exhibitions. This episode was recorded live in Cincinnati, OH as a part of this year’s NCECA conference.

Today’s episode is brought to you by AMACO Brent. For the past 100 years, AMACO Brent has been creating ceramic supplies for our community ranging from underglazes to Electric kilns, ...and they have no plans of slowing down. www.amaco.com

Ceramics is apt for repeating forms on a physical level, but what about the conceptual nature of repetition? Bryan Czibesz and Linda Lopez shed insight into their practice and why/how repetition plays a role in the studio; listen to their approach to making both hands on and off.

Pottery might be a passion, but maybe not a full-time pursuit. On this episode of Trade Secret Adam talks with professor Mike Stumbras about teaching at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, making pottery, and how he is combining the two.

Today’s episode is brought to you by AMACO Brent. For the past 100 years, AMACO Brent has been creating ceramic supplies for our community ranging from underglazes to Electric kilns, ...and they have no plans of slowing down. www.amaco.com

This season Adam leads us through the ways people work in the field of ceramics. He talks to a wide range of guests from individual makers, to architects using ceramics, to founders of art organizations. We start the season looking at two potters who approach their art from very different angles. In this interview California potter Didem Mert tells us about the business of making pots and the journey she took to get there.

Today’s episode is brought to you by AMACO Brent. For the past 100 years, AMACO Brent has been creating ceramic supplies for our community ranging from underglazes to Electric kilns, ...and they have no plans of slowing down. www.amaco.com

How does historical research help us understand ceramics? Sequoia Miller uses his knowledge of ceramic history to inform his present scholarship, and shape his role as Deputy Director/Chief Curator of the Gardiner Museum in Toronto, Canada.

Today’s episode is brought to you by AMACO Brent. For the past 100 years, AMACO Brent has been creating ceramic supplies for our community ranging from underglazes to Electric kilns, ...and they have no plans of slowing down. www.amaco.com

After many years in the field, I’ve seen there are as many ways to learn as there are artists. Today on the show sculptor Micah Sweezie talks about going to school in the time of Covid at SAIC in Chicago.

Today’s episode is brought to you by the following sponsors:

For the past 100 years, AMACO Brent has been creating ceramic supplies for our community ranging from underglazes to Electric kilns, ...and they have no plans of slowing down. www.amaco.com

The Bray is actively committed to promoting, celebrating, and sustaining the ceramic arts through its residency program, education center, and gallery. www.archiebray.org

Ever wonder why some things are banned on social media and other content isn’t? Or why art history is full of nude imagery, but we don’t celebrate it in the media now? Shoji Satake and Jamie Bates Slone talk about how censorship affects their practice and how it has both promoted and hindered their reach to the general public.

Skutt is a proud sponsor of Trade Secret. Skutt Ceramic Products has been manufacturing equipment for Potters since 1953. Skutt’s reputation as a pioneer in innovative kiln design continues with the 4th generation of this family-owned Business. Their KilnMaster Touchscreen controller offers a sleek, smartphone like interface, that is intuitive and packed with powerful tools that allow potters to easily program, diagnose and remotely monitor their kilns. With 5 dedicated kiln technicians on staff and the most comprehensive network of distributors across the globe, you can be assured that Skutt will be there for you before and after the sale. For more information on their line of kilns visit www.skutt.com.

We’ve all probably seen it by now. That photograph that looks a little bit off; perhaps it’s the dreamy quality or maybe you noticed an extra finger on a hand…or a missing one - an image created entirely by artificial intelligence. How can clay and A.I. work together? Our guest today walks us through the ins and outs of using this new technology. Welcome Carole Epp.

Today’s episode is brought to you by the following sponsors:

For the past 100 years, AMACO Brent has been creating ceramic supplies for our community ranging from underglazes to Electric kilns, ...and they have no plans of slowing down. www.amaco.com

The Bray is actively committed to promoting, celebrating, and sustaining the ceramic arts through its residency program, education center, and gallery. www.archiebray.org

The wonderful thing about ceramics is that many people can experience it with or without an education in it. There are huge swaths of people, much more than makers, that buy and appreciate pottery without the predisposition to why something looks formally good or conceptually resonant - they just like it. Today’s guest designed one of the most iconic and popular teapots in American design history. Welcome Judith Weber.

Today’s episode is brought to you by the following sponsors:

For the past 100 years, AMACO Brent has been creating ceramic supplies for our community ranging from underglazes to Electric kilns, ...and they have no plans of slowing down. www.amaco.com

The Bray is actively committed to promoting, celebrating, and sustaining the ceramic arts through its residency program, education center, and gallery. www.archiebray.org

What is the difference between a database and a network? Do all databases function the same? Do all networks utilize similar tools? Natalia Arbelaez (The Color Network) and Brian Harper (Artaxis) talk about the beginnings of gathering artists around a common thread and the growth of their organizations. 

Skutt is a proud sponsor of Trade Secret. Skutt Ceramic Products has been manufacturing equipment for Potters since 1953. Skutt’s reputation as a pioneer in innovative kiln design continues with the 4th generation of this family-owned Business. Their KilnMaster Touchscreen controller offers a sleek, smartphone like interface, that is intuitive and packed with powerful tools that allow potters to easily program, diagnose and remotely monitor their kilns. With 5 dedicated kiln technicians on staff and the most comprehensive network of distributors across the globe, you can be assured that Skutt will be there for you before and after the sale. For more information on their line of kilns visit www.skutt.com.

I’m back with a special live episode of Trade Secret. This episode was recorded live in Richmond for this year’s NCECA conference and features guest host David Jones talking to panelists Bri Murphy and Del Harrow. Thank you to NCECA for coproducing the episode, to Cole Collier for running sound, and to the wonderful audience that came out for this dialogue on technology.

Today’s episode is brought to you by the following sponsors:

Bray Clay www.archiebrayclay.com

Does teaching ceramics differ if you are at a college from a community center? How about a preschool? Judith Schwartz, PhD and April Felipe discuss teaching methods and the power to unleash creative expression.

Artists and educators Roberto Lugo and Julia Galloway talk about emerging into their careers. This conversation delves into transition points and new directions in the careers of artists.