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Australia Week: Jane Sawyer on developing an individual sense of touch after apprenticeship training

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with Jane Sawyer. Trained as an art educator before completing two traditional apprenticeships, Jane has developed a body of work that utilizes finger swipes and brushwork to decorate the surfaces of her slipware pots. In addition to her studio practice she is the director of the Slow Clay Center, which offers classes and workshops in Melbourne, Australia.

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Australia Week: Kate Dunn and Fiona Fell on the changing landscape of Australian art education

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with ceramic artists Kate Dunn and Fiona Fell. Both are educators and makers utilizing digital technologies in the creation of their artwork. In the interview we talk about changes in the educational systems in Australia, collaboration as a method for making ceramics, and the ontology of objects.

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Bandana Pottery- Michael Hunt & Naomi Dalglish

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with Michael Hunt and Naomi Dalglish, a pottery-making couple living in the small Western, NC community of Bandana. Drawing from Korean folk traditions and contemporary Mingei aesthetics they make utilitarian wood fired pottery.

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Timm Muth on Green Energy for Art Centers

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with Timm Muth. With over 30 years experience in the energy industry, Timm has helped design and manage nuclear facilities, fossil fuel stations, hydropower, solar and wind power installations, and biomass resources. In the interview we talk about his time at the Jackson County Green Energy Park, which uses landfill gas to power its ceramic, glass and metal studios. 

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Live in Asheville: Green energy and the sustainable studio

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have a panel discussion about green energy and sustainable studio practices with Gabriel Kline, Kent Mclaughlin, and Erica Schneider. In our wide-ranging conversation we talk about balancing financial investment with long-term environmental safety, utilizing free recycled fuel sources to fire kilns, and best practices for establishing a waste free studio. 

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Mark Pharis on embracing the edges of utility

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with Mark Pharis.  Known for his striking geometric vessels Pharis has developed a system for slab building soft forms using templates and computer aided drafting.

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Warren Mackenzie on a lifetime in clay and what makes a good pot

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with one of the most influential members of the American studio pottery movement, Warren Mackenzie. After an early apprenticeship at the Leach Pottery in St. Ives, Cornwall (1949-1952), Mackenzie became a ceramic professor at the University of Minnesota (1953-1990).

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Amy Santoferraro on keeping work fresh and seeking wonder in everyday life

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with Amy Santoferraro. Her colorful mixed media sculptures spring from a lifelong desire to collect and rearrange groups of objects. She says of her collections, “I relentlessly tinker with objects ceramicly until they fit and work in a way that is very mine.“ In the interview we talk about collecting, keeping work fresh, and seeking wonder in everyday life. 

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Live from Minneapolis: Minnesota Clay with Eileen Cohen, Julianne Shibata, and Samuel Johnson

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have a panel discussion with Eileen Cohen, Julianne Shibata, and Samuel Johnson. In our broad ranging conversation we discuss their personal histories, Minnesota clay culture, and understanding the impact of new technologies. This episode was taped in front of a live studio audience at the Northern Clay Center.

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Ursula Hargens and Dustin Yager on the Minnesota New Institute for Ceramic Education

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have a panel discussion on ceramic education with Ursula Hargens , Dustin Yager, Dawn Malcolm, and Juss Heinsalu. Hargens is a ceramic artist, educator, and founder of the Minnesota New Institute for Ceramic Education. This nine-month studio intensive offers advanced students an in-depth study of ceramic history, professional practices and critical thinking. 

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Canada Week: Aaron Nelson on embracing the cultural economy

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with Aaron Nelson. Throughout a multifaceted career Aaron has mixed new digital technologies with a ceramic practice to create both sculpture and vessels. In addition to his studio practice Aaron is the artistic director of Medalta in Medicine Hat, Alberta.

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Canada Week: Clint Neufeld on large-scale slip casting

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with Clint Neufeld. Based in Osler, Saskatchewan, Clint utilizes large-scale slip casting to construct sculptural hybrids that reference the tools of heavy industry. 

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