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Tag: visual art

Ceramics Open Lab

Posted on by Valerie Pavlakis

Ceramics Lab 2021

Ceramic Open Lab is offered on Wednesday afternoons from 4:30 to 7:30 pm.

2023 Winter/Spring Open Lab Dates: 3/29, 4/5, 4/12, 4/19, 4/26, 5/3, 5/10, 5/17

2023 Summer Open Lab Dates: 6/7, 6/14, 6/21, 6/28, 7/5, 7/12, 7/19, 7/26, 8/2, 8/9, 8/16    

*No Lab: 5/24, 5/31, 8/23, 8/30, 9/5

Ceramics Lab

Join us Wednesday afternoons 4:30 to 7:30 pm for extra time to practice the skills you are learning in class. Students, both beginning and advanced, currently enrolled in any of our ceramic classes are strongly encouraged to attend lab to enhance their learning experience. Experienced ceramic artists are also welcome. Labs do not include instruction and enrollment in a current ceramic class is not required to attend open lab times.

While attending open lab you will have access to our six electric wheels, a kick wheel, a slab roller and an extruder. You will also have a plethora of tools available for use including trimming tools, metal and wooden rib tools, sponges, stamps, molds and more. You will find that open lab can be a calming and playful experience. 

Cone 5 Glaze List

  • We have a verity of different glazes to dip your bisque ware and testing tiles to experiment with colors.  The following glazes are available during open lab: Colonial White, Peach Gloss, True Celadon, Turkish Amber, Dynasty Red,  Mandarin Orange, Black Gloss, Royal Blue, Purple Gloss, Lemon Yellow, and Clear.

Cost

Drop in for one-day lab access is $20 for residents of Tracy and $22 for non-residents.

We offer a punch card at $100 for residents and $110 for non-residents. With your punch card you will have six entries for the price of five. Punch cards do not expire, and you can use them whenever our ceramics open lab is running.

Clay Available for Purchase

Clay is $24.00 plus tax for a twenty-five-pound bag of clay, with or without grog. Recycled clay is $14.00 plus tax for a twenty-five-pound bag of clay. Recycled clay is not always immediately available so please call ahead if you would like to purchase some. 

Ceramics Firings

The Grand is pleased to provide cone 5-6 & 05 electric kiln firing services to the local ceramic arts community. Simply purchase clay through the center, and then make an appointment to bring your unfired projects to our studio. The cost of firings is dependent on the size and amount of work. We will provide you with a finalized price when pieces are ready for pick up. Please note this special service is contingent on our acceptance of materials to be fired; we reserve the right to reject work that includes paper, metal, or unidentified materials. Please contact the Ceramics Technician for more information about ceramic firings and availability.

Ceramics Technician

For more information about our Ceramics Open Lab, Ceramic Classes, and Firing Services, please contact our Ceramics Technician, Abraham Alvarez at abraham.alvarez@cityoftracy.org or (209) 831-6273.

Fused Glass Open Lab

Posted on by Valerie Pavlakis

Fused Glass Lab 2021-22

Fused Glass Lab is offered on Tuesday afternoons from 4:30 to 7:30 pm.

2023 Winter/Spring Open Lab Dates: 3/21, 3/28, 4/4, 4/11, 4/18, 4/25, 5/2, 5/9, 5/16

2023 Summer Open Lab Dates: 6/6, 6/13, 6/20, 6/27, 7/11, 7/18, 7/25, 8/1, 8/8, 8/15

*No Lab on 5/23, 5/30, 7/4, 8/22, 8/29, 9/5

Students can work independently alongside other artists in the glass studio on Tuesday afternoons! Students should be prepared with their own ideas and projects in mind to work on during this time. No formal teachings will be given. During open lab times, you will have access to a variety of tools such as glass cutters and a glass grinder. Pieces created during open lab times will be fired. You may find that lab can be a calming and playful experience, we look forward to seeing you.

Cost

Drop in for one-day lab access is $20 for residents of Tracy and $22 for non-residents.

We offer a punch card at $100 for residents and $110 for non-residents. With your punch card you will have six entries for the price of five. Punch cards do not expire, and you can use them whenever our fused glass open lab is running.

Glass Available for Purchase

During open lab times, you will have access to a variety of tools such as glass cutters and a glass grinder. Glass materials such as 10 x 10-inch sheets of glass, frit, and stringers are available for sale during open lab times. We offer a variety of glass sheets including opalescent, transparent, and streaky glass. We also have variety of frit available for purchase including powders, fine, coarse, and medium.  Stringers/glass rods are also available in select colors, ranging from 0.5mm to 2mm. Prices range.

Fused Glass Firings

The Grand is pleased to provide slump, tack, and full fused glass firing services to the local arts community. When your piece(s) are ready, please make an appointment to bring your unfired projects to our studio. The cost of firings is dependent on the size and amount of work. We will provide you with a finalized price when pieces are ready for pick up. Please note this special service is contingent on our acceptance of materials to be fired; we reserve the right to reject work that includes paper, metal, or unidentified materials. Please contact the Ceramics Technician for more information about firings and availability.

Studio Technician

For more information about our Fused Glass Open Lab, Fused Glass Classes, and Firing Services, please contact our Ceramics Technician, Abraham Alvarez at abraham.alvarez@cityoftracy.org or (209) 831-6273.

Remembering Our Friend Pauline Jo Tolman (1961 – 2018)

Posted on by @admin

pauline-tolman

Pauline Tolman was a Sacramento/San Francisco-based artist inspired by nature, beauty, whimsy and childhood, known for her large scale metal sculpture and architectural installations.  Her striking cinematic installation – Travel Through Time, 2010 – is prominently featured and celebrated on the bus shelters at the Tracy Transit Station on 6th St. in downtown.

Pauline’s work resides in several public and private collections in the region.  Recently, she was proud to assist artist Dana Albany on here monumental work Tara Mechani featured at Burning Man, and currently on display at Plaza de Cesar Chavez in San Jose through June 9th, 2018. Pauline was also an artist in consideration of a future civic art project at Legacy Fields in recognition of Tracy’s rich baseball history.

In addition to her work as an artist, Pauline engaged in cycling, kayaking, hiking, camping, snowboarding and nature photography.
A celebration of her life will be held in July in her hometown of Bemidji, MN.

Remembering Our Friend Bruce Duke (1922 – 2016)

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Bruce-Duke

Bruce Duke was an immensely important ceramic artist and arts educator who is defined by a life-lived.  His art and mentorship impacted thousands of lives, and he was a star-maker of numerous, prominent clay artists including Viola Frey.  Our community has lost a legend.  We are humbled to have premiered his retrospective exhibition in 2015, represented his work in the Co-Op, and to have recently celebrated with him at the Art Awards Luncheon (Artist Mentor of Influence & Inspiration Award) in August.

• Stockton Record Obituary

Bruce is pictured with his daughter Cathy Anderson just before the Opening Reception for Father Clay – Bruce Duke Retrospective on August 29th, 2015.  – Photo courtesy of Ernie Anderson; all rights reserved.

Remembering Our Friend Stephen Gyermek (1930 – 2016)

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KO-SJDCPromo12

Stephen (Istvan/Pista) Agoston Gyermek (Nov. 9, 1930 – Oct. 26, 2016) was a fourth generation artist from Hungary who lived and worked across four countries including Holland, Spain and the United States of America.  He was true Master Artist producing significant bodies of work in design, drawing, painting, printmaking and stained glass.  In addition he was a celebrated Art Historian, Museum Director and Professor. For nearly 50 years Stephen was a prominent and esteemed member of the educational and creative communities of San Joaquin County.  In 2011, the Grand Theatre Center for the Arts premiered Kunstlerleben – From Budapest to the Valley – Stephen Gyermek Retrospective (June 25th through July 23rd, 2011).

The exhibition featured works from Stephen’s life from age 10 to the present, and was met with celebration and acclaim attracting visitors from across America. To have known Stephen was a great gift… he could charm you with a vast understanding of world history, speaking across seven languages, while making you contemplate and laugh at the same time!The Record’s Michael Fitzgerald has written a story in Stephen’s honor.  Please consider commenting or writing a letter to the Editor voicing your support for The Record’s important coverage of issues related to our creative community.Jim Lewis, Bruce Duke & Stephen Gyermek are pictured at San Joaquin Delta College, circa 1990s. – Photo courtesy of Karen Olson, all rights reserved.

Remembering Our Friend Pat Sanchez (1942 – 2016)

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Pat-Sanchez

Pat Sanchez (Tracy, CA) was a truly special and memorable member of our community. Ms. Sanchez served as a nurse for 20 years, including caring for terminally ill children. Since 2007, Pat worked as a gourd and pine needle weaving artist.  She began exhibiting professionally at the Grand in the fall of 2010, and quickly became a gallery favorite.  Pat also offered a series of workshops in the Arts Education Program, patiently teaching hobbyists and artists alike how to work with her preferred materials.

Pat was highly supportive of the Grand Theatre Center of the Arts and her extraordinary loyalty and contributions to our programs will be remembered and celebrated. Before her passing, Pat donated one of her signature gourds to the City of Tracy – Civic Art Collection.  It will remain on display in the Grand Galleries for the remainder of the 2015-16 Season in her honor.

 

Remembering Our Friend Rowland Cheney (1943 – 2015)

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STATUE AT ROUNDABOUT3 (12-06-13) Rowland Cheney runs electrical wiring through his ÒHarvest of ProgressÓ statue before it is raised over a platform at the center of the Sixth Street-Central Avenue roundabout late Dec. 5. Glenn Moore/Tracy Press

Rowland Cheney (Clements, CA) was a prolific member of our creative community. He and his fiance, Mary Doucette of Lodi, were among the nine people lost in a plane crash near Ketchikan, Alaska in June of 2015.

Mr. Cheney was a celebrated Emeritus Professor of Drawing, Painting and Sculpture at San Joaquin Delta College, professional artist and an important member of the Kiger Mustang community.  The Tracy community worked with Rowland for three years to create the largest work of his career, the monumental 20′ landmark sculpture Harvest of Progress, at Central Avenue and 6th Street in downtown.

The photo (courtesy of the Tracy Press/Glenn Moore) to the left shows the artist hard at work on the cold night of December 5th, 2013, when Harvest of Progress was installed.

Remembering Our Friend Bill Williams (1932 – 2015)

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bill-williams

Bill Fulton Williams was a celebrated artist and educator for 30 years, teaching at Stockton College / San Joaquin Delta College with esteemed colleagues, Rowland Cheney, Bruce Duke, Stephen Gyermek, Jim Lewis and Pat Nakamura among others.  For many years a Scholarship Award in Drawing has been presented during the annual Student exhibitions at the DCA LH Horton Jr Gallery in his honor.

Mr. Williams retired to his home state of Colorado but would often drop by the Grand Galleries when back in California.  Not only will he be remembered for his generosity as a professor and mentor of fine art, but also for his kindness, tenacity, critical eye and sense of humor.

Remembering Our Friend Steve Mudge (1953 – 2015)

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steve-mudge

Steve Mudge (Modesto, CA / Santa Fe, NM) was a talented man of many accomplishments, funny and smart, and a celebrated metal sculptor.  He exhibited in the Co-Op in the South Gallery and worked with Mark Knize (Tracy, CA) creating two 4′ x 16′ plasma-cut steel relief sculptures, Arrivals and Departures, on display in the main lobby of the Tracy Transit Station.

Steve (left) and Mark (right) are pictured here during the late night installation at the Transit Station in 2010.  Both smiling after an exhausting day of work.