November@AMOCA
Fall has arrived here at AMOCA, and we’re keeping cozy with fantastic exhibitions in our galleries, clay workshops in the studios, and community and camaraderie from our artists and friends.
We’re starting the month with Calaveras de Clay, a bilingual family workshop for all ages, on Sunday, November 6. At this Dia de Los Muertos celebration and hands-on workshop, participants are encouraged to bring an offering—a photograph, flower, drawing, fruit, candy, or another small object that you want to leave in honor of your loved ones—to add to AMOCA’s altar space. Then we will sculpt our very own calaveras using air-dry clay and decorate them with tempura paint.
The ceramics studio is practically overflowing with offerings this month: we offer two one-hour Introductory clay classes on Friday, November 11. These 60-minute classes will introduce you to the studio and teach you the basics of throwing on the potter’s wheel. If you successfully create a bowl, staff will glaze and fire it after the class is completed. Clay artists are also invited to join this month’s Skill Building Workshop, Figurative Sculpture with Aida Nicole Lugo Cantu. This two-day bilingual workshop on November 12 and 13 will include demonstration and hands-on participation. Participants will learn hand-building techniques to create small studies of figurative sculptures. Later in the month, on November 19 and 20, Breaking Ground: Women in California Clay artist Christina Erives will offer an Artist Workshop on Surface and Approach. Erives will demonstrate the use of template making in her own work and the slab construction of some of her favorite functional pieces. These sessions, suitable for all skill levels, will also cover some traditional surface decoration techniques using underglazes including Mishima & Sgraffito. Studio classes and workshops sell out quickly, so be sure to sign up as soon as possible if you’d like to participate.
For those looking for a tastier approach to clay, we invite you to Decolonizing Our Culture on Thursday, November 17, an evening event with artist Christina Erives and historical foodie Adán Deloza. The evening includes an artist-led tour of AMOCA’s Vault Gallery, featuring Con o Sin?, a culinary-inspired installation on view in Breaking Ground. As Erives says, “I invite my audience to sit at this imagined table and consider what they would like to take on their plate, not just in terms of food but also symbolically in terms of tradition and gender roles: what do you want to pass on to the next person, and what should be left behind on the table?” After viewing Erives’s work in the Vault, we’ll move to the Studio Classroom to learn about the evolution of Mexican cuisine and taste salsas with Deloza.
November is also the month of giving, and AMOCA will participate in #GivingTuesday this year. A global call to action, #GivingTuesday encourages communities worldwide to give back to the organizations they care about most. Your support on #GivingTuesday ensures that we can continue to provide the space, time, teaching artists, and supplies that make our education programs so meaningful. Save the date and send your support to AMOCA’s education programs on November 29th.
It has been wonderful to see so many of you at the museum exploring our new exhibition, Breaking Ground: Women in California Clay. Breaking Ground celebrates 44 artists who have defined—and redefined—ceramics over the past 100 years. AMOCA’s galleries are open for visitors Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. And, we’ve just extended the exhibition dates! Breaking Ground will be on view through March 12, 2023.
Are you an AMOCA member? We have some exclusive member programming and discounts coming up in December. In the meantime, don’t forget about our Member Bonus Days on Wednesdays and Thursdays, when you can explore the galleries more privately. Not yet a member? It’s easy to purchase or renew your membership online.
First Friday, our monthly pay what you can event, is coming up on Friday, November 4. Choose your own ticket prices at AMOCA! Reserve here for your November 4 visit.
Save the date for our Treasure Sale + Holiday Market, coming December 9-11. You’ll have three days to shop for mid-century production-ware and one-of-a-kind original artwork. At the Treasure Sale, you’ll find hundreds of ceramic works on sale from $5-$500! The Holiday Market, in the AMOCA Studios, allows you to interact with and purchase work directly from our studio and resident artists. The weekend will also feature a Member Sale at the AMOCA store, complimentary admission (with advance registration), an onsite coffee cart, and more!
Thank you for being a partner in AMOCA’s mission to champion the ceramic arts! We look forward to welcoming you to the museum Friday through Sunday, from 11 AM to 4 PM. You can purchase your tickets at the door or make reservations online.
Hope to see you soon,
Genevieve Kaplan
Associate Director of Communications & Stewardship
November Programs & Events
First Fridays at AMOCA
Friday, November 4 • 11:00 AM–4:00 PM • In-person
Thanks to generous support from AMOCA’s Board of Directors, Museum admission for First Fridays at AMOCA is pay what you can (while tickets last). Each month, visit the Museum and choose your own ticket prices!
Calaveras de Clay – A Family Workshop
Sunday, November 6, 2022 • 12:00–2:00 PM • In Person • $15
AMOCA invites you to a bilingual (English and Spanish) Dia de Los Muertos celebration and hands-on family workshop. AMOCA’s family workshops are for all ages and everyone is welcome! Te invitamos a AMOCA para celebrar Dia De Los Muertos con nosotros. Talleres para familias en AMOCA son para todas las edades y todas son bienvenidos!
November Introductory Ceramics Sessions
Friday, November 11 • 5:00–6:00 PM or 8:00–9:00 PM • In-person • $50
Learn the basics of throwing on the potter’s wheel! Complimentary access to the Museum galleries is included.
The perfect way to get your hands dirty, relax, and have fun! In this one-hour introductory class, you’ll learn the basics of throwing on the potters wheel. If you successfully create a bowl, staff will glaze and fire it after the class is completed – all included in the price. If you’d like to take the piece home with you, you can come back and pick it up.
Skill Building Workshop: Figurative Sculpture with Aida Nicole Lugo Cantu
Saturday and Sunday, November 12 & 13, 2022 • 10:00 AM –2:00 PM • In person • $150
This two-day bilingual workshop (English & Spanish) will include demonstration and hands-on participation. Class will meet 10 AM to 2 PM each day (Saturday and Sunday). Participants will learn hand-building techniques to create small studies of figurative sculptures.
Decolonizing our Culture w/Christina Margarita Erives & Adán Deloza
Thursday, November 17 • 5:00–7:00 PM • In-person • $25
Join us for an artistic evening, including a gallery tour followed by a salsa-making demonstration and tasting. Your evening includes an artist-led tour of AMOCA’s Vault Gallery, featuring a culinary-inspired installation by Christina Erives as part of Breaking Ground: Women in California Clay. Then, we’ll move to the Studio Kitchen to learn about the evolution of Mexican cuisine and taste salsas with Adán Deloza, aka @Salsa.Queer.
Artist Workshop: Surface and Approach with Christina Erives
Saturday and Sunday, November 19 & 20, 2022 • 10:00 AM–2:00 PM • In Person • $250
Join Breaking Ground: Women in California Clay artist Chrisina Erives in the AMOCA studios for a two-day workshop on surface and approach. This hands-on workshop will explore Erives’s unique approaches to clay. Erives will demonstrate the use of template making in her own work and the slab construction of some of her favorite functional pieces. These sessions will also cover some traditional surface decoration techniques using underglazes including Mishima & Sgraffito. This workshop will be great for anyone looking to hand-build some pots and add some vibrant colors to their work!
Giving Tuesday – Support AMOCA’s Education Programs
Tuesday, November 29, 2022 • All Day • Virtual
Your support on #GivingTuesday ensures that we can continue to provide the space, time, teaching artists, and supplies that make our education programs so meaningful. Help us reach our $5,000 goal.
Treasure Sale & Holiday Market
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, December 9, 10, & 11, 2022 • 11:00 AM–4:00 PM • In Person
Mark your calendar! There’s three days to shop for mid-century production-ware and one-of-a-kind original artwork. At the AMOCA Treasure Sale, you’ll find hundreds of ceramic works on sale from $5-$500. At the Holiday Sale at the Studio, you can shop from our 30+ AMOCA Studio and Resident Artists!
Member Bonus Days
Wednesdays and Thursdays • 11:00 AM–4:00 PM • In-person
Members can book tickets to visit Museum galleries on Wednesdays and Thursdays. A fun way to enjoy the galleries to yourself!
In Case You Missed It
Virtual Artist Talk with Nick Vest
Presented and recorded on Tuesday, August 23, 2022
Artist in Residence Nick Vest shared about his practice, past work, and future directions. This talk marks the beginning of his 2022-2023 residency in the AMOCA Studios.
Exhibitions on View
Visit Friday–Sunday, 11 AM–4 PM by purchasing tickets online.
Breaking Ground: Women in California Clay
On view September 10, 2022–March 12, 2023, Breaking Ground: Women in California Clay celebrates 44 artists who have defined—and redefined—ceramics over the past 100 years. Many of the Golden State’s most innovative and impactful ceramic artists in the 20th and 21st centuries are women who faced adversity due to gender inequality and were often ignored or overlooked in favor of their male counterparts. These incredibly determined women pushed forward, driven by creativity and tenacity.
Breaking Ground: Women in California Clay is co-curated by Beth Ann Gerstein (Executive Director), Jo Lauria (Adjunct Curator), and Edith Garcia (Professor, California College of the Arts and University of California, Berkeley).
The Artists of Mettlach
This ongoing exhibition presents a selection of works from the Villeroy and Boch Mettlach Collection (donated by Robert D. And Colette D. Wilson). It features original research on notable artists involved in the production of this historic works.