Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Winter, More Winter, and Mug Season

Eight mugs for the Central Maine Clay Artists' Mug Season fundraiser. Twenty bowls for Watershed's Chowder Supper fundraiser. Today's output was all for charitable purposes.

I haven't got a lot of money to give to charity but if a group can take a donation of pottery, I'm right there.

Mug Season - a play on the old joke about Maine's three seasons (namely winter, more winter, and mud season) - is an annual event during which the potters of CMAC each donate 6-10 mugs which are then sold at local coffee shops for $15, full of coffee. We then donate the proceeds to support arts education, a different program each year. This is the first time I've participated. Here's the Facebook page for last year's event; we're not yet on top of this year, but it will run through March and April.

If you are in Central Maine, ask at your local coffee shop if they are carrying us. My mugs, like those of most of the other participants, are usually $22 - $25 (and likely to be higher, soon) so $15 for both mug and coffee is a bargain. Local schools benefit, as well; last year we made donations to the art programs of seven schools; this year we are thinking of choosing one or two recipients, in order to make a larger contribution to each.

The mug above was made by Malley Weber, one of last year's participants. To see more of Malley's work, click here.

In other news, my replacement digital scale arrived today! This one is an i5000; a bit more expensive than the 7001DX, but it has the advantage of actually working. It has a lesser capacity - 5000 g vs 7000 - and measures to single gram accuracy. If I need fractions of grams, I can borrow my repaired triple beam back from the soaping closet where it currently resides. Not a moment too soon, either: I need to mix test glazes for this weekend's ^6 reduction soda test firing! My frineds & fellow potters Liz Proffety and Karen Dyer Discenso are joining me. Photos soon: the good, the bad, and the unexpected!

3 comments:

Lori Buff said...

I love that idea for a fund raiser! It always feels good to do something for charity, doesn't it?

Michèle Hastings said...

Has the group considered raising the cost of the mugs for the fundraiser? It would benefit both the artists and the schools receiving the funds. Selling them with coffee for less than the cost of purchasing through the artist, devalues the artist's work. The schools would receive more funds if you sold the mugs for their actual value and gave them the money.

Lori Watts said...

Michele - the coffee shops donate the coffee. The potters charge less for the mugs. The customer gets a bargain, but does spend $15 when they perhaps only intended to spend $1.50. Charity works best when it's a joint effort.