VCPG January 2026 Newsletter
2026 • Happy New Year
Program Meeting • January 26th • 7pm - Gathering 6:30pm
A visit to Stoke-On-Trent
For Your Calendar:
January 19th ……............Gallery Artists meeting @ 7pm
January 26th …..…...........Program meeting @ 7pm • A Visit to Stoke-On-Trent
January 29th …..…...........Ventura Pottery Market debrief (Zoom)
January 31st …..…...........Jury Application deadline
February 3rd …….............Board Meeting @ 4:30pm
February 9th …….............Gallery Committee meeting @ 7pm
February 23rd ……...........1st Jury critique
February 23rd ……...........Program meeting @ 7pm • Gathering @6:30
March 10th ……...................Board Meeting @ 4:30pm
March 23rd …….................Program meeting @ 7pm • Gathering @6:30
April 14th …….....................Board Meeting @ 4:30pm
April 13th ……...................Gallery Committee meeting @ 7pm
April 20th ……....................Gallery Artists meeting @ 7pm
April 27th ……...................Program meeting @ 7pm • Gathering @6:30
May 12th ……......................Board Meeting @ 4:30pm
May 17th............................ Pit fire (in lieu of program meeting)
June 9th ……......................Board Meeting @ 4:30pm
June 8th …….....................Gallery Committee meeting @ 7pm
June 13th &14th …….........Ojai Pottery Market
June 15th ……...................2nd Jury critique
July 14th ……......................Board Meeting @ 4:30pm
July 20th ……....................Gallery Artists meeting @ 7pm
August 11th …….................Board Meeting @ 4:30pm
August 10th ……................Gallery Committee meeting @ 7pm
September 8th …….............Board Meeting @ 4:30pm
September 26th ……...........Beatrice Wood Show (thru Nov 7)
September 28th……..............Program meeting @ 7pm • Gathering @6:30
October 13th ……...............Board Meeting @ 4:30pm
October 12th …….............Gallery Committee meeting @ 7pm
October TBD …….............Annual meeting -- potluck @ 2pm
November 10th……..............Board Meeting @ 4:30pm
November 23rd……..............Program meeting @ 7pm • Gathering @6:30
December TBD ……............Holiday potluck @ 2pm (in place of the Dec meeting)
December 8th ……..............Board Meeting @ 4:30pm
December 14th ……............Gallery Committee meeting @ 7pm
The complete calendar is always listed on the home page. Log in to see everything.
You will find links to all Zoom meetings/events on the VCPG.ORG home page calendar. Just click on the meeting/event to find the Zoom link.
A Message from Your VCPG Board President • January 2026
Greetings VCPG Members –
As we go into 2026 your Board and Team Leads are gearing up for an exciting year.
TEAM SERVICE SIGN UP FOR 2026
I would like to welcome Diane Hedding as our new Team Service (TS) Committee Chairperson. Diane has previously served on the VCPG Board as the Sales and Shows (now Events) Chairperson. She’s super organized and really great to work with. We are thrilled she’s returning in this important new position. I would also like to thank our outgoing TS Chairperson – Foz. She, along with Terry Wilson and the Web Services Team, are responsible for creating the program from scratch and have managed it since its inception. Fortunately for us, Foz remains on the Board as the Program Committee Chairperson.
As you know, last year we had a number of successful in-person and virtual events for our members – Monthly Programs, the Pit Fire, Pottery Jams and other get-togethers. Sales at the Ojai Pottery Market and the Bowl of Thanks/Ventura Pottery Market were record-breaking. We literally could not do any of this without the help of our members organized through the TS Program. All Plus Tier members are required to sign up to complete at least one TS commitment during the year (and many Regular members participate as well). So thanks to EVERYONE!
But one issue we have encountered is that folks tend to wait until the last minute to sign up for events in Team Service – and this often leads to extra work and stress for Committee Chairs and Team Leads as they scramble to fill all the positions we need leading up to specific events. The TS Catalogue will be published in February. When that comes out, please pull out your calendars and schedule your Team Service commitment. Did you work the Ojai or Ventura Pottery Markets last year? The Pit Fire? Was it fun? Then sign up now. I cannot stress how much this will help the teams that are planning the events. We also have a range of TS commitments that can be completed from home and/or via Zoom meetings.
Look, we get it. We’re all busy and our schedules often change month to month, day to day. But we are urging all our members to sign up for their Team Service commitment well in advance. If something comes up in the meantime we’ll work with you to reschedule. Plus, you’ll have more choices of fun events if you don’t wait until the end of the year to sign up. If you have questions or need assistance, email teamservice@vcpg.org.
BEATRICE WOOD CENTER FOR THE ARTS
The annual show at the Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts will be September 26th through November 7th with the opening reception on September 26th. Stay tuned for more information about the submission process. You do not need to be juried or a Plus Tier member to participate in this event.
The theme of the show is Dining in Style. Participants will be able to submit place settings of three or more items (the idea is that you can eat or drink with them). And you can submit up to two different settings!
Given the theme of this year’s show, I wanted to point you to the International Museum of Dinnerware Design. This is the link: International Museum of Dinnerware Design – Kingston, New York. Their website is full of links to current and past exhibitions and presentations, including their “Unforgettable Dinnerware” online lecture series. All are free to view and they are fantastic! And stay tuned – the Program Team has things planned to inspire us for the BWCA show. Start thinking now – September isn’t as far away as we think!
REMINDERS AND UPDATES
The next Board Meeting will be Tuesday, February 3rd at 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. Beginning in March, the board meetings will be on the second Tuesday instead of the first.
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.
That’s it for now. Keep making stuff.
Stacy Rowe
Guild President
president@vcpg.org
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 lead 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.
Selling Opportunity
All Juried Plus Members are invited to display heartfelt items for the Valentine's Day Event on February 14, 11-6 outside the Ventura Pottery Gallery. Set-up will begin at 10, but you need not be there. We will have a free drawing, and throwing demos from 11-1 and 1-3 to draw people to the event. We are looking for pieces for the drawing. If you would like to donate a piece, contact Jody or Ellen. Customers will be entering the drawing throughout the month. Please follow this link to sign up to participate:
Letter and Invite from Food Share
Dear VCPG members,
On behalf of everyone at Food Share of Ventura County, thank you for your generosity and hard work in making the Bowl of Thanks event such a tremendous success.
Food Share serves over 250,000 Ventura County residents annually, providing 1.5M meals per month. This Bowl of Thanks event has generated more than 60,000 meals for our neighbors across Ventura County. We are so proud to partner with such dedicated and caring community members.
I would love to have you join us for a Food for Thought breakfast and tour at 8:30 AM on February 18, 2026, so you can meet our team and see how we operate. Please let mhatch@foodshare.com know if you are available.
With heartfelt appreciation,
Sheena Kennedy, Marketing Director, Food Share
Santa Paula Art Museum's "Art About Agriculture"
"Food For Thought" by Myra Toth
Starting in mid January, at the Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts.
"Beyond" by Myra Toth
Both will continue into March.
https://pyramidstudio.com/
NCECA Conference, VOLUMES, Detroit, MI • March 25-28, 2026
Check out the NCECA Forum on the Guild website, where I have posted 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 meet-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 a link to the Preliminary pdf of 2026 Conference
YouTube video of 2026 NCECA
Pit Fire -- Save the Date!
Save Sunday May 17 and join our Guild Community at the Annual Pitfire.
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