Marcia Selsor Posted May 11, 2015 Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 Could some of you express what you expect out of the programs offered overseas like the ones in Italy and Ireland. What would you want to do in Spain? I am preparing a new tour and would like to know what potential participants want to experience. Do you want to see ceramics in an historical sense? ex. Barcelona: Gaudi, Montaner, and other Modernistas Do you want to get dirty? Work in a studio? Do you want to visit other ceramic artist, potters? Do you want to see traditional pottery techniques? I would like to introduce people to Gaudi's amazing works: Sagrada Familia, Parque Guell, The Art Nouveau gem Palau de la Musica de Catalunya by Montaner including enjoying a performance there? Visit artists working in this vibrant environment? Would you be interested in a traditional majolica experience? ? Would you be interested in more contemporary experimental workshops? Would you be interested in working with contemporary artists? Those who would seriously consider signing up for a Ballpark figure of $3600 in 2017 please consider answering some of these questions. Thank you. Marcia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Campbell Posted May 11, 2015 Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 I am going on the PC Ireland trip and the Number One draw for me was the opportunity to work in several studios with Irish potters. There will be some touring as we go from place to place but the main area of interest is local pottery ... whether you get to work with them or just watch. Anyone can visit these countries and tour the obvious places, but to get to do something unique in the pottery area is what would make it extra special. Majolica yes. Experimental, yes. Traditional, yes. Tourist laden sites ... Nope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted May 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 Thanks Chris! Marcia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChenowethArts Posted May 11, 2015 Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 I really like the idea of finding a centralized location to stay in Barcelona and concentrate on what the city has to offer...with perhaps a very selective choice of day trips to the surrounding region. Bouncing from hotel to hotel doesn't cut it for me just to be able to cover more territory, I'd say yes to: workshops...hands-on (majolica and experimental) an opportunity to visit artists/potters time to soak in the historic sites (not just ceramics) free time to explore and enjoy the company of other art/clay people -Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted May 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 what do you feel about commuting by metro in a large group? It is a concern for me because my husband got mugged on the Barcelona metro. I worry about groups of obvious tourists. Marcia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evelyne Schoenmann Posted May 11, 2015 Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 Marcia, Regarding Barcelona, I would love to work in a studio together with potters who frequent that studio (interaction, personal exchange, sociability) visit of Spanish artist studios get to know the tradition of Catalan pottery/potters free time I know the Barcelona metro very well. They are all clean, high standard, modern. If you tell the group to not have the purses in the outside coat pockets and to zip close their bags or knapsacks and to always stay together, there will be absolutely no problem riding the metro with a large group! In addition you can buy a pass for the group for X-days, so you don't have to validate 26 tickets before entering the metro station. Ask Martin to buy it in advance. Barcelona has a lot to offer for potters! Well, Spain has a lot to offer.... Evelyne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebekah Krieger Posted May 11, 2015 Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 I am not in the market to go to any of these but If I did I would like some hands one traditional training & to visit significant work in the area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted May 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 Dear Evelyne, Thanks. I have taken groups to Barcelona before and used the metro passes. Fortunately no one was ever mugged. -Just my husband by three collaborators although he was smart enough to stop them. But my previous groups were smaller and more manageable than 26. That is a large group for moving together on the metro. I love metros and Barcelona's is a great one. I like to take the escalator sidewalks up to Parque Guell and work our way down the hill. I love Barcelona, and the artists and facilities at El torn look fabulous. Smaller towns outside Barcelona are also interesting. I have been in Fraga where they made traditional agricultural items. The sites of Gaudi and Montaner are also awe inspiring. I would also like to take people to visit the ceramics museums and activities near Valencia/Manises where the ceramics traditions go back to Romans as well as the Moorish influences and Muel/ Teruel (Goya's house in near Muel), Onda where my friend Manolo Sales worked and Zaragossa. There are also facilities for us at all three locations and ceramics traditions worthy of visits. I am also 100% in favor of free time for people to explore on their own. Manolo developed a glow in the the dark glaze for a Salvador Dali night club! He is also a well known exhibiting artist in Spain along with Enric Mestre.Spain has some of the strongest ceramics traditions that blend many of the cross-cultural influences of the people who has lived there: Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Iberians, Celtic, Moors. It is an amazingly rich history as well as a vibrant contemporary artistic environment like Barcelona. Marcia I was just discussing with a friend my years of visiting potters all over Spain and about the women potters of Moveros and their granite Celtic kilns in Extremadura. Two weeks is such a short time. My previous tours/workshops were a month in Spain Started at Barcelona, then to Valencia then to Centro Agost where we worked in the studio. While our work dried we visited Granada,Cordoba, and and the potters in Ubeda. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChenowethArts Posted May 14, 2015 Report Share Posted May 14, 2015 @Marcia Selsor I looked long and hard at the possibility of traveling to Italy with the group this year, but 10 days out of the office was more than I could swing at one time. I well understand what a day of travel (each way) does to a trip like this, but is there any consideration for a 9 or 10-day tour rather than a 13-day tour? -Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted May 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 16, 2015 There are shorter programs at La Meridiana. Claudia says that the trend is going for 5 day workshops. Tuscany V is 12 nights. with 2 days of traveling. There are people from Guatemala, Hong Kong, Quebec, Ontario, Fla., Tx, Ohio, Iowa, Ca.,Indiana, etc. So traveling times will vary. The current program covers a lot of territory which as been developed through the responses from evaluations. It was first developed over a 2 year period. But things change. Economics change. You have to allow hosts a day for cleaning apartments in between groups. Our group has moved from the countryside to hotels in a tiny medieval town...at participants suggestions. So there are lots of varied considerations to take for decisions. Here is a link to La meridiana. What would you expect from a 5 day workshop? there would probably be very little outside activity.There are some outstanding choices for the shorter workshops. http://www.lameridiana.fi.it Here is a view from Certaldo Alto looking at San Gimignano Marcia whether you travel with a group or go solo, I feel that if you spend that much on airfare, you might as well stay as long as you can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChenowethArts Posted May 19, 2015 Report Share Posted May 19, 2015 @Marcia Selsor, No argument from me regarding extending a trip as long as possible once you have paid the air fare. Five days of actual workshop with an pre-workshop evening of orientation would work well, particularly if there is a narrowly focused curriculum. Stomping around, enjoying the culture/scenery, meeting people would be my preference for any available time after that. Five days of workshop likely means some long days and late nights, but good company makes those extra hours well worth the loss of sleep. -Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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