Dear << Test First Name >>,

Happy New Year! I am honored to introduce myself as your new president and to kick off an exciting year for ClayHouston. As we step into 2025, our organization remains committed to fostering community, supporting ceramic artists, and promoting clay in the Houston area and beyond.

Mark your calendar! We’re starting the year with our annual General Members' Meeting, and I hope to see all of you there. The meeting will be held from 10:00 to 11:00 am on Saturday, January 11 at the Glassell School of Art Auditorium (1st floor, 5101 Montrose Boulevard, Houston, TX 77006). It is open to all ClayHouston Members and anyone interested in learning more about the organization. This meeting will be an excellent opportunity to connect and hear about last year’s highlights, as well as our future plans.

Our new elected board is composed of:

President: Mara Cavalcanti Reid

Vice President: Meghan Rutz

Secretary: Carol Berger

Treasurer: Anne Steacy

Communications Chair: Amanda Barry Jones

Exhibitions Chair: Una Kirkpatrick

Fundraising Chair: John O’Brien

Membership Chair: Anne Walker

Programs Chair: Nicole O’Bryan

Member-at-Large: Jason Kishell

Member-at-Large: Cydney Pickens

Past President: Marie-Hélène Nguyen

As we begin a new year, this is a kind reminder to renew your membership if it is lapsed or expiring soon. By renewing, you’ll continue to enjoy all the benefits of being part of ClayHouston:

• Access to exclusive programs, workshops, exhibitions, and events.

• Networking opportunities with fellow ceramic artists.

• Access to the City of Houston Reuse Warehouse, located at 9003 N. Main, Houston, TX 77022, where you can find materials for your projects while supporting sustainable practices. You can access your ClayHouston Membership Card by logging into your ClayHouston profile and clicking on the “Card” tab.

  
  

Finally, submissions open on February 10, 2025 for our 4th Annual ClayHouston Award for Texas BIPOC Artists. As part of ClayHouston’s commitment to cultivating greater equity, inclusivity, and access in ceramic arts, this award is dedicated to providing funding for ceramic artists in Texas who self-identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or People of Color. Two individual winners will be awarded $1,200 each. One winner will be chosen from each of the two categories: Emerging and Mid-Career & Beyond. We are thrilled to announce that Tammie Rubin has accepted to serve as this year’s juror! Please find more information here, keep an eye on your inboxes for more information, and don’t hesitate to share with anyone who may be interested.

We have a year filled with opportunities to inspire and be inspired! Thank you for your continued support.

Warm regards,
Mara Cavalcanti Reid
ClayHouston President

CURRENT EVENTS

REMINDERS

MEMBERS: ACTIVATE YOUR EXISTING ACCOUNT

We have made exciting changes to our membership management software. In order to begin using your updated ClayHouston account, please be sure to activate your account by following these simple steps:

1. Visit www.clayhouston.org/member-sign-in

2. Select “Request Password”

3. Enter the email associated with your ClayHouston account and submit

4. Follow the instructions sent to your email

5. Complete your profile

Want to be included in our Member News section?

Here are ideas about what content to be featured in the newsletter: 

• Awards: Residencies, Juried Exhibitions, Scholarships/Grants, Public Commissions

• Special Exhibitions: Solo shows, group shows

• Publications: Articles, magazines, books, etc.

• *News for the Sell of Artwork will not be accepted. Please limit submissions to the criteria above.

If you are a current member and would like to be showcased in the ClayHouston Member Spotlight, please fill out this form and make sure your profile is up-to-date with at least 5 photos of you and/or your work.

POSTING ON CLAYHOUSTON COMMUNITY CALENDAR

As a member of ClayHouston, you may request to add local clay events, exhibitions, and opportunities to our public community calendar.

Please keep in mind that each request must be approved by our Communications Chair before it appears on the calendar. Please allow us 2-4 days to approve and post the event.  

For Organizations and/or Studios: Only workshops and special events will be posted on the calendar. We will not post regularly-occurring classes or services, as these can be found by navigating our Local Classes & Services page. Please note that workshops or events that occur over multiple days will only display on the start date. The end date must be specified in the title and/or in the description of the event.

For Individual Members: Events and exhibitions that occur over multiple days will only display on the start date. The end date must be specified in the title and/or in the description of the event.

To add an event, please follow these simple steps:

1. Visit our Member Sign In page to log into your ClayHouston account.

2. Navigate to our Calendar.

3. Click Add New Event.

4. Add your local clay event or opportunity!

Thank you for being a part of ClayHouston! Our hope is that through the calendar feature, we can support you by providing a space to share your business, exhibition, workshop, or opportunity.