307: Fall Fund Drive: Michael Connelly on converting former industrial spaces into a creative hub in Philadelphia

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with Michael Connelly. In his Phoenixville, PA studio he makes functional pottery balancing highly engineered forms and expressive line work. In our interview we talk about creating the bones of a strong ceramic form, converting former industrial spaces into creative space in the Brewerytown neighborhood of Philadelphia, and finding work/life balance. To see examples of his work visit www.connellypottery.com.

For today’s AMACO Community Corkboard we have the Tampa Tour De Clay happening December 7th and 8th. The tour features 33 potters in five locations around the greater Tampa FL area. Each location will have demos by guest artists as well as hundreds of ceramic artworks for sale. For more information visit www.tampa-tour.squarespace.com. I’d like to thank Amaco/Brent for sponsoring the community corkboard. Brent Equipment is celebrating their 50th Anniversary this year and have created a Limited Edition Black CXC wheel. For more information visit www.amaco.com.

 

Hey Red Clay Rambler fans, the most common feedback I get from you is that this podcast helps you feel connected to other artists. We live in a divided time and many of us are working by ourselves in solitary studios. The podcast combats that feeling of isolation by fostering a sense of community, while also providing an archive of our field. At this point our Patreon sustaining membership program and our sponsors contribute less than half of our monthly budget. My wife and I kick in the rest, which we do out of love for the project, but as you can imagine we could really use your help. The goal of our Fall Fund Drive is to raise $12,000 for the next year. I care deeply about this community, and I think art and making are vital to our world, now more than ever. I’m guessing you feel the same, so if you are able please donate to the show. Recurring donations are best because it allows us to create a stable budget, but one-time donations are also very helpful. You can find out more about these two options at www.talesofaredclayrambler.com/donate.

 

Before I go, I want to ask one more favor. After you make your donation ask a friend to match your pledge with their own. Word of mouth is the best call to action, so I ask that you help me, by encouraging your friends and studio mates to support the show. With your help I can keep producing the interviews you have come to love.