The Clay Connection offers a variety of benefits to its members. In addition to monthly educational programs, a biennial conference featuring well-known potters, community service projects, sales opportunities, and social events, the Clay Connection maintains a lending library and publishes a quarterly newsletter. Our monthly programs, pot-luck dinner, biennial conference, and sales events provide opportunities for individual potters to meet and share information. Our institutional memberships in Artisans United and the Cultural Alliance of Greater Washington allow our members to meet other crafters in the local area. The Cracked Pot newsletter and member-wide emails provide easy methods of distributing information to our member potters.
Becoming a Member
First, print and complete a membership form (pdf).
Then mail the form with a $35 check payable to The Clay Connection to:
The Clay Connection
c/o Vice President/Membership
Post Office Box 3214
Merrifield, VA 22161-3214
The membership year begins in October and ends the following September. Individuals can become members at any time during the year; however, all memberships expire on 30 September. The membership fee is not prorated. Membership benefits begin immediately upon receipt of your dues. In early September, our Vice President for Membership begins reminding members that renewal fees will be due in October.
Membership Benefits
Artisans United
The Clay Connection has been a member guild of Artisans United since 1992. Benefits available from Artisans United are extended to all Clay Connection members.
Artisans United is a non-profit organization serving as a network for local artists and crafters. It is located in The Fred M. Packard Center at 4022 Hummer Road in Annandale, Virginia.
For more information, visit the Artisans United web site.
Cultural Alliance of Greater Washington
The Clay Connection has been an institutional member of the Cultural Alliance of Greater Washington (CAGW) since 1999. Current members of The Clay Connection are eligible to become Affiliate Members of the CAGW at a discounted rate.
The CAGW is a non-profit organization dedicated to sustaining and increasing regional leadership, appreciation, support, and resources for arts and culture. The CAGW is located in Suite 103 of the M.A. Winter Building at 1436 U Street, NW, in Washington, DC.
CAGW programs include health care, arts management workshops, the National Arts Marketing Project, Washington Business Volunteers for the Arts, TICKETplace, and the JOB Bank.
For more information, visit the Cultural Alliance web site.
Networking
"The exchange of information or services among individuals, groups, or institutions"
(Source: Merriam-Webster OnLine Dictionary)
Virtually all activities sponsored by The Clay Connection provide opportunities for potters to exchange information and services, i.e., to network.
Our monthly programs, holiday dinner, and sales events provide opportunities for individual potters to meet and share information.
Our institutional memberships in Artisans United and the Cultural Alliance of Greater Washington allow our members to meet other crafters in the local area.
The Cracked Pot newsletter provides an easy method for distributing information to our member potters.
The Biennial Mid-Atlantic Clay Conference gives potters the opportunity to spend four glorious days immersed in various aspects of their chosen craft surrounded by individuals who "understand."
Members Gallery
The Clay Connection maintains an online gallery of the work of its members. This provides a venue for members to display their work, explain to viewers what their work means to them, and provide a link to their own web sites for viewers interested in purchasing their work.
Membership Opportunities
Want to help with the Clay Connection? We always need volunteers and it's a terrific way to get to know fellow potters. Click here for a list of opportunities.