| Friends with Benefits! (aka, Membership) | 
| Don't forget about our membership program. It helps keep our artistic programming going. Plus, you can get some really cool stuff.
One of the cool things you get is a novel, selected annually by Medicine Hat's One Book One Community The group will be releasing the name of its 2011 book in a matter of weeks. We've been sworn to secrecy but we do know what it is. Is the suspense killing you? The Clay Trade has come on board as a partner so when you, as a Medalta member, find a piece of artwork there that you just have to have, it's 10% off. To become a Medalta member, just register here.
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| MEDICINE HAT FOLK MUSIC SOCIETY | 
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To stay in touch, visit their
website
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| Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre |
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Common/Opposites:
New work by Les Manning
From the Esplanade website:
New sculptures in clay from the internationally known ceramist based in Medicine Hat are rooted in the forms, textures and colours of the distinctive landscape and geology of Alberta, while shifting subtly beyond landscape into abstracted, highly coloured sculpture.
The exhibition will feature new works as well as signature pieces from various collections.
OPENING RECEPTION
Thursday, May 5
Esplanade Art Gallery
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ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE
JUNE NEWSLETTER |
Spring has arrived!
Here we are, June at Medalta, and the studios are buzzing. A new group has arrived and after only a couple weeks it seems they have been here for the whole spring because there is so much work on the shelves. Even the wood kiln has been fired! Our invited artist for this month is Josh DeWeese. He is seriously the hardest working guy I know, so it is no surprise that the pace is amped up a bit. Josh is the co-Director of the International Wild Clay Research Project.  Part of their mission is to " be an international leader in interdisciplinary research and implementation of sustainable practices related to ceramics in the use of materials and firing of kilns." To that end a group has already gone out to the Ravenscraig pits to see the amazing clay deposits that Plainsman Clays uses to make about 70% of their clay bodies. We have toured the recently closed I-XL brick plant, Hycroft China and the Plainsman Clays production facility. If there is a theme developing this month I would say it is the materiality of clay in its natural state. Leanna Carlson, one of our residents from Prince George, B.C. is spending the time researching and testing amazingly pure Kaolin which she digs very close to her home. If we have any questions about stategraphic correlation, Chris Zinkan is our guy this month. He comes to us from Calgary where he has had a long career in oil and gas exploration and has fairly recently discovered that the stuff he has spent his career drilling through warrants further artistic exploration. We will let you know what the rest of our residents are up to in the next newsletter. 
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Bruce Cochrane
I really do have a great job! Last month we had Zimra Biener, Cathleen Nicholson, Gord Thompson, Marc Egan, Joanne Noorduis, and of course Bruce Cochrane, who was responsible for putting such a great group together.
From my days as a student I have always loved Bruce's pots and for me it was a real treat to see Bruce's process firsthand over the period of three weeks. As I got to know the rest of the group I came to the realization that Sheridan College has a very diverse and talented faculty.
 | | Work by Marc Egan |
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Overthrown
Past resident Linda Sormin, Associate professor of ceramics at Rhode Island School of Design, and current resident Brendan Tang are both in a landmark exhibition at the Denver Art Museum, Overthrown: Clay Without Limits.
Many of the artists in this show will be creating pieces that interact directly with the Daniel Lieberskind designed gallery. Hopefully there will be a catalogue. The show opens on June 11th. This exhibition comes in the same month as "From the Centre to the Edge: 60 Years of creativity and Innovation at the Archie Bray Foundation".
The Archie Bray Foundation will celebrate 60 years of leadership in the international ceramics community in 2011. A distinctive fusion of visiting artists will culminate in a three-day international symposium on June 23-25.
The event is designed to highlight the state of the field of ceramic art through discussion, artwork, and artistic interaction.
Many of our residents and some of our staff and board members will be travelling down to experience this pivotal event.
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Xanthe Isbister
Xanthe Isbister is preparing for her solo exhibition which will open in July. Here is a sneak peak at some of the work.
 | | Work by Xanthe Isbister |
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Medalta Alumni
June 2010 invited artist Robin Dupont has been selected as the Ceramics/Rawlinson Visiting Artist at the Alberta College of Art and Design for the 2011/2012 academic year.
July 2010 invited artist Jeremy Hatch has been hired as an assistant professor at Montana State University in Bozeman. Jeremy will also have his ambitious work, "Tree House," exhibited at the Holter Museum in Helena, Montana during the Bray's 60th anniversary.
Gordon Thompson, who was here just last month, has recently been appointed Professor, Craft and Design at Sheridan College in Oakville Ontario.
Musing About Mud by Carole Epp has been named one of the 50 top ceramic blogs.
June 2011 artist Kaitlyn Brennan just finished a year of post-bac studies at the University of Florida.
Jenn Demke-Lange, our Studio Manager, has a new website: www.mikind.ca.
 | | Work by Carole Epp |
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Wine, Dinner & Auction
This fall we are throwing our first big fundraising event. The Rotary Black & White Gala (sponsored by Rotary clubs in Medicine Hat) will be a very nice evening to help a great cause. The funds raised will be put towards Medalta's artistic, educational and community programming.
Tickets are only $100 each so if you have any reason to be in Medicine Hat on October 15, we think this should be it.
Event Details: Saturday, October 15 Cocktails: 5:30pm Dinner: 7:00pm 6 course dinner with wine pairing 232 attendees expected (200 paid attendees, 32 sponsors) Ticket price: $100 + gst Live auction: 5 items, $1,000 reserve Silent auction: 50 items, $100 average value
Chef: Cypress Club Chef Brian Keyes Wine: Paul Howe MC: Dr. Ken Sauer and Magic & Comedy of Trevor Moore Live Auction Auctioneer: Rick Porter Ebel's Limousine is providing free limo shuttle service after dinner
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With all of this activity, we are always anticipating what is coming up next. Our next group of artists arrives on July 4th. This residency will be led by Sukjin Choi, an amazing artist with an incredibly diverse practice. We are also pleased to be hosting Marc Leuthold who was awarded an NCECA International Residency in partnership with Medalta. Jenn Demke-Lange will be acting Artistic Director for the last week of June and all of July as I will be away on an extended vacation. To help Jenn out Joanne Zubudsky will be filling in until the beginning of August. Both Jenn and Joanne will do an amazing job at facilitating the collegial creativity that is so important in a residency program. After all, our creed is, We Provide the Space. You Create. Sincerely,  Aaron Nelson Artistic Director |
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