MadMudder Posted July 17, 2010 Report Share Posted July 17, 2010 How is being a potter near Washington DC? Suggestions? Any good artsy communities? I must have fun or die! The hub may have found a job but DC is expensive and the pottery income is also necessary. We will have benefits... what the heck are those? Mad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GEP Posted July 17, 2010 Report Share Posted July 17, 2010 Madmudder, I think DC is a fabulous place to live and be a potter. There are lots of great art festivals in the DC and Baltimore area, and I feel really fortunate that I can pick from lots of great choices without needing to travel or stay in hotels. There are good festivals with $65 booth fees, up to $1000 booth fees .. a big range to pick from. There are also lots of educated art fans who will buy handmade pottery (caveat ... educated means discerning ... people will buy handmade but only if it floats their boat more than all of their other choices for spending disposable income ... your work needs to be good!). There are plenty of facilities around here that teach pottery, which makes the customer base even better. The cost of housing in DC and the close suburbs is very high, but there are still lots of affordable suburbs. As for fun artsy communities, I live on the Maryland side, so these are all in Maryland: Takoma Park Silver Spring Greenbelt Savage And some redeveloping urban areas that are designated as "arts districts" i.e. affordable but still a little run down, lots of artists' homes and studios: Mt. Rainier Brentwood Hyattsville A little bit further out is Frederick MD, recently named one of the top 10 small cities for art in Niche Magazine. And there are lots of funky communities around Baltimore, all priced way less than DC. This is not the end-all list of your choices ... I'm sure others can provide more suggestions! Mea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GEP Posted July 17, 2010 Report Share Posted July 17, 2010 One question for you ... where exactly is your husband's job located? Traffic and commuting are the bad aspects of living here. I can give you much better suggestions based on the location of his job. I'd hate for him to end up commuting from Baltimore to Leesburg, that would be total hell! -Mea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bciskepottery Posted July 17, 2010 Report Share Posted July 17, 2010 Here is a link you might want to check out: http://www.theclayconnection.org/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadMudder Posted July 27, 2010 Author Report Share Posted July 27, 2010 UPDATE! We still have not heard a darned thing! I will be still need info but not quite yet. Thanks though.... I jumped the gun. B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hansen Posted July 27, 2010 Report Share Posted July 27, 2010 I live in Alexandria, so if I go down to the river here I can see the Capitol easily. I like being close in to the city (art museums!!!!! restaurants!!! sports!!!) but prefer to hang out in jean shorts and tshirts and have plenty of woods all around me so Alexandria works out very nice. There is a gallery district on Wisconsin St. in D.C. still. Great jazz and poetry scene on U St. Most people don't have enough room at home for clay so join a group studio or a community art organization with studio. There are plenty of these - Glen Echo, Guy Mason, Manassas, Alex. Creative Clay, Lee Arts Center, NOVA, Art League School. There are undergraduate and graduate programs in clay too. The drive to the Chesapeake is only 1 hour, but it is 3 hours to the ocean. To go to the mountains for serious trail hiking, 2 hours if you beat the traffic. There is kayaking, rock climbing, mountain biking, etc. The art market is less than it was in Kansas City or Santa Fe. But there are a lot of people who want to learn art. h a n s e n How is being a potter near Washington DC? Suggestions? Any good artsy communities? I must have fun or die! The hub may have found a job but DC is expensive and the pottery income is also necessary. We will have benefits... what the heck are those? Mad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artpottery Posted July 28, 2010 Report Share Posted July 28, 2010 I have lived and created and marketed in the DC area for 32 years....so guess you can say I am seasoned in this area. You have many options if you are looking for a pottery community from Maryland to Virginia. I am most familiar with Northern VA and tell you about Creative Clay in Alexandria, Torpedo Factory in olde town, Lorton Workhouse. Each of them are costly as far as studio space, thus I made my own studio space., right here in my Annandale back yard. (prior to that my basement). I have had my own studio for 8 years now,and consider myself as businesspersonal as much as an artist. Being here and having done the local shows for many years, I can tell you that the show business is a NO! business right now, and that I do best in my own studio, with my own mailing list and the contacts I have made over the years. I am happy to help you more, knowing where specifically you want to be. DC is a large metro area...with lots of opportunities. You have to go out and make your own here! I have always followed my heart and the mind comes along for the journey! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bptakoma Posted July 30, 2010 Report Share Posted July 30, 2010 OK, I live in Takoma Park. Quirky and groovy here. Cost of living is high in the DC area. But the museums are free. And there a higher concentration of people with advanced degrees here than anywhere else in the US. From my research, Glen Echo Pottery in Maryland has the best combination of cost-effective class costs and generous open studio time, short of having your own studio. That's if you're into cone 10 reduction firing. Lots of other options out there around the area. Plenty of places around if you're into woodfiring too. Frederick MD has great resources related to Hood College. Baltimore has Baltimore Clayworks and Clayworks Supplies Inc. I second whomever it was that said beware your commute. But then again, don't resign yourself to living in a soulless stripmall suburb. There are tons of vibrant communities around here with a sense of place and community. You will pay a premium to live within walking distance of the metro. Hope it all works out! Beth bptakoma Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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