521: Christi Ruffin on the joy of collecting ceramics

Priscilla Dobler Dzul and Corinna Cowles were both residents at the Archie Bray Foundation this summer. In our interview we talk about their current bodies of work and their experience at the Bray. Corinna Cowles is based in Philadelphia, PA and Priscilla Dobler Dzul splits time between Washington state and Mexico. This year’s Bray residency application deadline is December 19th. Check out www.archiebray.org/residencies for more information on how to apply.   I would like to highlight a few friends of the podcast that need help recovering from Hurricane Helene. The Village Potters were hit hard with flooding and are raising money to help them rebuild. Please donate to the Go Fund Me linked above to help the artists relocate.   Today’s episode is brought to you by the following sponsors: The Rosenfield Collection of Functional Ceramic Art www.Rosenfieldcollection.com Cornell Studio Supply www.cornellstudiosupply.com Archie Bray Residencies www.archiebray.org

Bill Wilkey fires his geometric forms in a soda atmosphere that exposes and softens their textured edges. In this week’s interview we talk about his mind-blowing experience visiting Brunelesschi’s Dome, the impact his Archie Bray residency had on his career, and starting a life in Helena, MT with his family. www.wilkeyarts.com. This interview is the first in a series featuring former Bray residents. This year’s Bray residency application deadline is December 19th. Check out www.archiebray.org/residencies for more information on how to apply.   I would like to highlight a few friends of the podcast that need help recovering from Hurricane Helene. Cassie Butcher, Maria Andrade Troya, and the other artists of Curve Studios were hit hard with flooding up to the second story of their building. The studio isn’t able to reopen, but please support the Go Fund Me linked above to help the artists relocate.   Today’s episode is brought to you by the following sponsors: The Rosenfield Collection of Functional Ceramic Art www.Rosenfieldcollection.com Cornell Studio Supply www.cornellstudiosupply.com Archie Bray Residencies www.archiebray.org

Malene Barnett returns for an interview about her new book Crafted Kinship: Inside the Creative Practice of Contemporary Black Caribbean Makers. In our interview we talk about Black cultural memory, her process for interviewing and building an archive of Caribbean artists, and the influence of Caribbean material culture around the world. The book will be published by Artisan Books on October 29th and will be widely available where ever fine books are sold. www.malenebarnett.com   I would like to highlight a few friends of the podcast that need help recovering from Hurricane Helene. Joy Tanner and Will Baker from Wood Song Pottery were affected by flooding of their studio and kilns in Bakersville, NC. You can help them get back on their feet by donating to their GoFundMe campaign. Artist and entrepreneur Josh Copus’s businesses were severely damaged by catastrophic flooding in his small town of Marshall, NC. You can help him rebuild the hotel at the Old Marshall Jail and Zadie’s Market by donating to his GoFundMe Campaign. You can also volunteer your time to help clean up and make direct donations to other businesses in Marshall by visiting helpmarshall.org.   Today’s episode is brought to you by the following sponsors: The Rosenfield Collection of Functional Ceramic Art www.Rosenfieldcollection.com Cornell Studio Supply www.cornellstudiosupply.com Archie Bray Residencies www.archiebray.org

Today we have the final installment of our series about student loans with an episode featuring Liz Noonan and Christian Bailey. They share their experience dealing with fluctuating payments, managing debt as a family, and the ups and downs of loan forgiveness. Liz is a studio artist in Boxborough, MA. Christian is a artist and educator in Gulfport, MS. www.liznoonanceramics.com www.christianbaileyceramics.com   I’d like to highlight a few excellent resources for helping those affected by Hurricane Helene. Julie Wiggins has been spearheading relief for artists in the Penland, NC area. You can support her efforts by donating to her Go Fund Me. It has been great to see many organizations and individual donors mobilize their support for CERF+. I have pieces available for purchase in CERF+ fundraisers at Clay Akar and Companion Gallery. You can also donate to them directly at www.cerfplus.org.   Today’s episode is brought to you by the following sponsors: The Rosenfield Collection of Functional Ceramic Art www.Rosenfieldcollection.com Cornell Studio Supply www.cornellstudiosupply.com Archie Bray Residencies www.archiebray.org

Today we continue our series on student loans with a conversation featuring Cammi Climaco and Jen Mecca. They share their experience with long-term management of loan payments, the effect loans have on family relationships, and student loan forgiveness. Cammi is a NYC based artist and podcast host of The Ceramics Companion. Jen is an artist and educator based in Gastonia, NC. www.cammiclimaco.com www.jenmeccapottery.com   Like many of you I’ve watched horrific scenes of floods across the South Eastern U.S., including devastation in one of our richest pottery regions Western North Carolina. I want to send my well wishes to those affected by the storm and encourage you the listener to support relief efforts for artists. There’s a Go Fund Me site set up for Melissa Weiss, who lost her studio in Asheville, and the organization CERF+ is already organizing relief for those affected. You can find out more and donate at www.cerfplus.org. As the waters recede and more information becomes available, I’ll report more on how you can support the community over the next few months.   Today’s episode is brought to you by the following sponsors: The Rosenfield Collection of Functional Ceramic Art www.Rosenfieldcollection.com Cornell Studio Supply www.cornellstudiosupply.com Archie Bray Residencies www.archiebray.org

After years of talking with people about their education, I thought it was time to address student loans head on. Today I talk with Betsy Mayotte, who over the past three decades has worked with hundreds of borrowers in her role as president of The Institute of Student Loan Advisors. In our interview we talk about the factors driving up the cost of education, how a student progresses through a loan cycle, loan forgiveness options, and healthy habits for financial literacy. We also talk about the upcoming September 30th deadline for the Fresh Start program, a new initiative to help borrowers get out of default. You can find out more about TISLA, and receive free information at freestudentloanadvice.org.

Celia Feldberg decorates her pots with vibrant sgraffito drawings of animals in human situations. With a light-hearted touch she talks about relationship dynamics and highlights the small beauty in every day life. In our interview we talk about refining her drawing style on clay, depicting love in all its forms, and being a resident artist at The Clay Studio in Philadelphia. www.celiafeldberg.com   We also discuss the research she conducted for my book The Complete Guide to Low-Fire Glazes for Potters and Sculptors. She was my assistant and a valuable sounding board as I was writing the book. It was wonderful to share the success and struggle of the project with such a talented artist.   Today’s episode is brought to you by the following sponsors: Michiana Pottery Tour www.michianapotterytour.com The Rosenfield Collection of Functional Ceramic Art www.Rosenfieldcollection.com Cornell Studio Supply www.cornellstudiosupply.com Archie Bray Residencies www.archiebray.org  

Christy Culp’s terra cotta pots are decorated with blue berries, carrots, and other motifs that come from her western Pennsylvania farm. In our interview we talk about her decades long career as a high school ceramics teacher, building a dream studio out of a late 1800’s barn that was on the farm, and how her yoga practice supports her ceramic practice.   In our interview we also talk about Christy’s work in my book The Complete Guide to Low-Fire Glazes for Potters and Sculptors. The book was officially released this week and is now available where fine books are sold.   Today’s episode is brought to you by the following sponsors: Michiana Pottery Tour www.michianapotterytour.com The Rosenfield Collection of Functional Ceramic Art www.Rosenfieldcollection.com Cornell Studio Supply www.cornellstudiosupply.com Bray Clay www.archiebrayclay.com  

Camille Dungy is an award-winning poet, writer, and host of the podcast Immaterial: 5,000 Years of Art, One Material at a Time from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In our interview we talk about Immaterial and their approach to art and story telling. We also talk about her passion for gardening, and her most recent book Soil: The Story of a Black Mother’s Garden. This episode also features an excerpt from the Immaterial episode Stone: Making and Breaking Legacies. To hear the rest of that episode follow and subscribe to Immaterial on your favorite podcast app. Many thanks to Metropolitan Museum of Art for sponsoring this episode of the show. My upcoming book The Complete Guide to Low-Fire Glazes for Potters and Sculptors has its official release on September 10 and is now available for pre-order. Get your copy today on Amazon or where ever fine books are sold.   Today’s episode is brought to you by the following sponsors: Metropolitan Museum of Art www.metmuseum.org Michiana Pottery Tour www.michianapotterytour.com The Rosenfield Collection of Functional Ceramic Art www.Rosenfieldcollection.com Cornell Studio Supply www.cornellstudiosupply.com Bray Clay www.archiebrayclay.com  

Christi Ruffin is an avid collector of ceramics, and by that, I mean she is obsessed. I recently got to visit her home in Charlotte, NC and hold many of the pieces that make up her collection of over 3,000 pots. In our interview we talk about forming relationships with artists, insuring and documenting a ceramic collection, and how the pandemic helped accelerate her collecting habit. To see the collection you can follow Christi on Instagram at pottery.addict.   Today’s episode is brought to you by the following sponsors: The Rosenfield Collection of Functional Ceramic Art www.Rosenfieldcollection.com Cornell Studio Supply www.cornellstudiosupply.com Bray Clay www.archiebrayclay.com