Fairbanks Pottery Guild General Meeting
Mud Mountain
March 5 2006

Present:  Shirley Odsather, Tima Priess, Carol Young, Angela (Angie) Tate,   Gail Fullerton, Anne Sherman, Michelle Ambrose, Mary Blurton, Frances Shulz, Sara Gering, Doug Sims, Masako Kaye, Anne Birkholtz


Old Business:
    Empty Bowls:
Bowls need to be brought to the Food Bank by Friday 3pm for set up.  There will be 4 check out and cash people.
Silent Auction: Silent auction items need to be there by 10am Saturday for pricing. Please ask other friends who make bowls in other media to donate bowls for the Silent Auction.  Starting prices will be 50% of expected gallery prices.
Re: money award to high school who’s made the most bowls for Empty Bowls: Discussion to repeat the project for this year.   Tima will get the names of the UAF students who have made bowls.  There will be thank you signs for student potters.
   
Motion: Carol makes a motion to give at least as much of a financial bonus to the high school winner as last year and to give $35 to the Runner-ups.  Seconded by Michelle.  Unanimous.

Nonprofit Status Committee:    501c4, which would make the Guild tax exempt and charitable, is easier to get than c3 status which would make donations tax deductible.  But – getting c4 status first would also make it easier to obtain c3.  Gail’s accountant will provide assistance.

Workshops: 
Judy Weeden’s workshop will be May 26-28.  It will probably be on handbuilding and will cost $50 for non-members, and $25 for members.  Check out JudyWeeden.com. 
Fred Olson, who designed Liz Berry’s kiln, will be here May 19 for a kiln-building slide show.  He will be there for the 100th firing.
    Tima and Shirley will work on an inquiry to Clay Times to do an article on the 100th firing.

    Portfolio Review:  Guild was rejected.

New Business:  Mud Mountain’s lease at the Coop Plaza will end in December unless something creative occurs.  Discussion on the Guild taking over the lease or a portion of the lease.  Mud Mountain would provide a consistent venue for the Empty Bowls throwathon, workshops, Guild mini-workshops, work space for potters without studios, and occasional classes by Guild members.  This issue returns the topic of a Community Pottery to the Guild.  Originally, Guild involvement with the current leaseholder was conflictual and unclear.  Guild needs to know the price of rent, what it would cost to purchase the equipment, insurance costs, etc. before anything can be further discussed.
Doug will contact current landlord, Dave Somers, and draft a potential business plan.

Interior Artisans Show at Bear Gallery: April 7-29.  Deadline is March 30.
More info http://www.fairbanksarts.org/calendar.html

The Guild website has been updated:  http://www.fairbankspotters.org/