VCPG December 2025 Newsletter
Program Meeting • December 13th • 2pm - 4:30pm
Annual Holiday Potluck, Clay Challenge Reveal and more
For Your Calendar:
December 2nd ……............Board Meeting @ 4:30pm
December 8th …..…...........Gallery Committee meeting @ 7pm
December 13th …..….........Annual Holiday Potluck and Clay Challenge Reveal
2pm-4:30pm
2026 • Happy New Year
January 6th ……...............Board Meeting @ 4:30pm
January 26th …..…...........Program meeting @ 7pm • A visit to Stoke-On-Trent
January 12th ……............Gallery Committee meeting @ 7:00pm
January 19th ……............Gallery Artists meeting @ 7:00pm
February 3rd …….............Board Meeting @ 4:30pm
February 9th …….............Gallery Committee meeting @ 7pm
February 19th ……...........Happy Hour at Margaritavilla @ 5pm ?
February 23rd ……............Members Program @ 7:00pm • Gathering @6:30
March 3rd ……....................Board Meeting @ 4:30pm
March 9th ……....................Gallery Committee meeting @ 7pm
March 23rd …….................Members Program @ 7:00pm • Gathering @6:30
April 7th …….....................Board Meeting @ 4:30pm
April 13th ……...................Gallery Committee meeting @ 70pm
April 21st ……....................Gallery Artists meeting @ 7:00pm
April 27th ……...................Members Program @ 7:00pm • Gathering @6:30
May 1st ……......................Board Meeting @ 3:00pm
May 11th ……...................Gallery Committee meeting @ 7pm
May 24th - July 6th......... Show at Beatrice Wood
June 5th ……......................Board Meeting @ 4:30pm
June 8th …….....................Gallery Committee meeting @ 7pm
June 13th &14th ……..........Ojai Show Sale
July 7th ……......................Board Meeting @ 4:30pm
July 13th ……....................Gallery Committee meeting @ 7pm
July 27th ……....................Gallery Artists meeting @ 7:00pm
August 4th …….................Board Meeting @ 4:30pm
August 10th …….............Gallery Committee meeting @ 7pm
April 24th ……...................Members Program @ 7:00pm • Gathering @6:30
September 1st ……...........Board Meeting @ 4:30pm
September 14th …….............Gallery Committee meeting @ 7pm
October 6th ……...............Board Meeting @ 4:30pm
October 12th …….............Gallery Committee meeting @ 7pm
October 26th ……...............Members Program @ 7:00pm • Gathering @6:30
November 3rd……..............Board Meeting @ 4:30pm
November 9th …….............Gallery Committee meeting @ 7pm
December 1st ……..............Board Meeting @ 4:30pm
December 9th …….............Gallery Committee meeting @ 7pm
You will find the link to all Zoom meetings/events on the VCPG.ORG Home Page.
Just click on the meeting/event in the Guild Calendar for the Zoom link.
A Message from Your VCPG Board President • December 2025
Greetings VCPG Members –
The VCPG renewal period for 2026 is underway. Please renew your membership before December 31, 2025 to avoid a lapse in your membership.
Juried members must rejury if their membership lapses.
What a year it has been!
It is hard to believe that 2025 is almost in the books. In thinking about the year that (almost) was, I thought I’d jump on the “best of” trend and list just some of our accomplishments in 2025.
But my real goal is to take this opportunity to thank you, our members, for your ideas, hard work, engagement, enthusiasm and humor. It takes all of us working together to make things happen.
I would also like to give a shout out to the Guild’s Board of Directors, who work behind the scenes all year long. By chairing our various committees, Board members provide leadership to make things happen. They are ably assisted by our dozens of Coordinators and Committee members – too many to name here, but we know who you are and we appreciate your work!
Let’s start with our most recent accomplishment: raising over $21,000 for Food Share during November’s Bowl of Thanks. You all, together with members of the community, donated over 900 bowls for the fundraiser! Over 20 of you volunteered your time during the weekend and 23 artists participated in the Ventura Pottery Market, as we continue to build this into one of the Guild’s premier annual events.
Undoubtedly, the expanded efforts of the Marketing Committee have resulted in significant increases in sales at all our sales venues. We’re pretty sure the 67th Annual Ojai Show broke a record when 37 artists sold over $56K in work in two days, raising over $10K for Guild activities. In addition, the Shows, Sales and Events Committee held Gallery Special Events providing sales opportunities for members and increased sales at the Gallery, including the 5th Annual Valentine Marketplace; Treasures From The Sea Marketplace w/ demos; 5th Annual Mother’s Day Marketplace; 6th Annual Marvelous Mug Sale. And it’s working, as of October, Gallery sales broke former sales records 8 of the previous 9 months. The weekend of the Bowl of Thanks/Ventura Pottery Market Gallery sales increased 4.7 times over the weekend before!!
And speaking of the Gallery, the Gallery Committee works hard to keep our biggest sales venue, and source of revenue for the Guild activities, running smoothly. The demand for space in the Gallery continues to exceed our physical limitations, but through the special events mentioned above, and the continued refinement of the new Leave of Absence policy, we have increased opportunities for juried, Plus members to be sold at the Gallery. We have added a requirement for all Gallery artists to participate in one special event each year and added permanent evening shifts Fridays and Saturdays during the summer and some special events; while at the same time piloting a shift reduction from 6 to 5 shifts per quarter for small/half space Gallery artists in 2026 to help with scheduling and mobilizing our people-power more efficiently. But sales opportunities are not the only benefit the Guild provides to our members. We have heard from our members that they value opportunities for in-person events. This year, in-person events included: the 3rd Annual Pit Fire, potluck and prep workshops; 4 Pottery Jams (Stamp It, 2 Hand-building Bowls and Travel to Japan); the Annual Exhibit at Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts with participation by Ventura High School students; Guild Happy Hours 4x a year; and the Annual Member Meeting and Holiday PotLuck.
Thank you to the Program Committee and others who organize these in-person events, as well as our “virtual” educational and social events: Monthly Program Meetings via Zoom: Topics included: demos by Amaco, GR Pottery Forms, The Archie Bray Foundation and a variety of techniques by artists from near and far; Two Clay Challenges (Stamp it & Cover Up); and our Monthly Newsletters so people can know what’s coming up.
We have also continued to provide our members with Bulk Clay Orders three times annually, and an improved Jury Process with mentoring twice a year. For those of us who juried years ago, the jury process might seem like a given. But the new process requires more of our members who volunteer to jury and asks our veteran members to mentor applicants during the process to build skills and support for a successful outcome.
But we have not limited our mentoring and outreach activities to our membership, we also provide many benefits to our local community, particularly to emerging artists. This year we sponsored four Summer Residents. Their presentation at the Annual Member Meeting highlighted just how meaningful this program is. Our highly successful School Outreach Program mentored art teachers at 12 local high schools to build capacity and relationships and provided free Guild memberships to teachers and students. We have continued to build relationships with local colleges and universities – inviting them to participate in our sales venues and contribute to the Bowl of Thanks, providing information on Guild events and programs through our school ambassadors and free Guild memberships to full-time students.
And let’s not forget Team Service. Many Team Service commitments provide an opportunity to meet and get to know fellow Guild members. And those working behind the scenes on their Team Service commitment can know that they are supporting Guild activities in one way or another. One of the comments received about Team Service during the Annual Members Meeting sums it up: “I can always find something to do so I’m grateful. I appreciate the opportunities to be with and serve [the] community.”
And last but not least, we continue to build the organizational infrastructure to ensure the viability and effectiveness of our organization into the future. This “bureaucratic stuff” might seem a bit dry, but it is crucial to our sustainability and enhances services to members. In 2026 we implemented direct deposit for member payments; added Member-at-Large to Guild Board to provide new perspectives; continuously updated Website, Quickbooks, our budget process, and worked with Club Express to build better systems; and completed a full review and update of the Guild’s Bylaws.
What's up for Next Year?
Good question. While we cannot foresee all of the opportunities and challenges that might arise, we plan to continue to provide the activities and services we offered in 2025. But the Board also wants to look forward, with your input, to establish priorities for the Guild over the next several years and look at revamping some of our programs, including the Online Store. Stay tuned for updates and opportunities to be involved!!!
Happy 2026!!!!
Reminders & Updates
The next Board Meeting will be Tuesday, January 6th 4:30pm via Zoom. All members are welcome to attend. The link to Board meetings can be found on the Guild Calendar on the VCPG.org Home page. You can contact the Secretary on the Contact Us page if you would like to receive the Agenda Packet in advance of the Board of Directors Meeting.
Small/half space Gallery Members need only schedule 5 shifts during the 1st and 2nd quarters of 2026. Please remove your 6th shifts from the Gallery Calendar for those two quarters if you already scheduled them.
Did we mention - renew your membership by December 31st?
That’s it for now. Let’s stay safe and support one another. And keep making stuff – it helps in so many ways!
Stacy Rowe
Guild President
president@vcpg.org
Program Meeting • December 13th • Annual Holiday Potluck, Clay Challenge Reveal
Program Meeting • January 26th • A visit to Stoke-On-Trent
Monday, January 26, 2026 @ 7PM via Zoom
Stoke-On-Trent is the historical home of the British Potteries. Our January program will take a trip to this West Midlands region of Great Britain for a visit to Middleport Pottery, a still-operating Victorian pottery continuing the historic traditions of British ceramics.
Middleport Pottery was established in 1888 by Burgess & Leigh as a model factory in this region, which included hundreds of potteries including Wedgwood, Spode, Royal Doulton, Moorcroft, and Portmeirion. It was saved from closure in 2010 by Prince Charles’s charity, The Prince’s Regeneration Trust, which led to its restoration as a heritage site, visitor center, clay college, and continued production hub.
Burleigh continues production there today making traditional transfer-printed earthenware as well as bone china ware, using local animal bone ash in the clay mix for strength.
In addition to Middleport, our visit will make stops at Gladstone Pottery and the Stoke-On-Trent Potteries Museum and Art Gallery.
Changes to Gallery shifts count
We will be making a few changes to our shift counts on a trial basis for the next two quarters. Half Display Artists will be scheduled for 5 shifts, and Full Display Artists will be scheduled for 9 shifts.
Additionally, we will be adding a third shift on Friday and Saturday evenings during the summer.
Half Display Artists: please go ahead and remove your 6th shift from the schedule. If you need any help with this, just let me know.
NCECA Conference, VOLUMES, Detroit, MI-March 25-28, 2026
Look for a Forum on the Guild website, Home, where I will post more on important NCECA dates: conference registration, volunteer opportunities, block hotel room availability, art bus tour sign-ups and more as is released.
Also, I am looking forward to a Guild member meeting up at a gallery or program during the conference. Please feel free to email me at: vcpg.nceca@vcpg.org
Janet Neuwalder
NCECA website
This includes link to Preliminary pdf of 2026 Conference
Utube video of 2026 NCECA
The VCPG Library
Visit the library! Please email and make an appointment with me to come see the books we
have to offer and grab them off the shelf! They are at your disposal. They must be enjoyed.
Nancy Currey
VCPG Librarian
Joke of the month (not a joke)
Metal is an unusually intense conductor, which means that it absorbs heat’s energy fast, like a rambunctious teenager, and then releases it fast.
Clay is the exact opposite: It’s an insulator.
Like a patient grandmother, it gathers energy slowly—and releases it just as slowly.