I appreciate the feedback and input, and I hope to produce engaging and timely episodes in 2012.

This project has really just gotten started, and I’m looking forward to the next few months of talking and recording. I’m planning on releasing dispatches from Philadelphia, Seattle, and Tennessee during next year, details to follow. New episodes of the Jonescast will be available bi-weekly beginning in January, along with a peppering of mini podcasts. The content of the Jonescast will also be a bit more varied in 2012: there will be panel interviews, conversations with writers, chefs, and non-art creative types. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for the exciting things I’ve got planned for the future!

Jonescast Episode #10

I spoke with JP Reuer back in October. He is the chair of the Applied Crafts and Design graduate program that is a joint effort between the Oregon College of Art and Craft and the Pacific Northwest College of Art. Hailing from North Carolina, JP has been guiding the new program since 2009. We spent time talking about what design/build means, the type of students who are attracted to the program, and expectations once they graduate. It seems to me that within the context of design/build there is a connection or closeness to an audience that provides a working relationship “with” and not “for.”

All of a sudden it’s almost Thanksgiving.

I’m never sure how that happens. October has apparently been shortened to four days, the New Year’s right around the corner, and I’m just pulling myself out of the weeds.

So, maybe that’s where I’ve been: overwhelmed in the studio with too much going on at home. The holidays are almost upon us, and I’m pushing to get work out now so that I can have a break from making ceramics during the month of December. I ordered a cord of wood for the winter, so I needed to build a lean-to against the house to make sure that it actually stayed dry this year. (That took a lot longer than I thought it would.) It’s all starting to come together though; the studio’s starting to get buttoned up, and the wood is dry.

I feel like I’ve been sitting on these conversations with Linda and Simon for too long now, hence the double-release. They’ve been hanging over my head taunting me to get them out and to let people know that they’re available. I’ve put aside concerns that those of you who do turn in won’t listen to so much at once and I have come to the conclusion that these podcasts will be available for a long time. There’s no real need to listen sequentially, no real reason to rush your listening experience.(That doesn’t apply to my need to get this stuff out.) If you haven’t listened to the first few Jonescasts, please do so.

And make sure to subscibe on iTunes!
Thanks guys.

I met Molly Hatch in Minneapolis for the American Pottery Festival last month. I had seen her work in a shop or two, but most of what I knew of her came from what I saw online. And that was a lot: she’s been in a number of shows, is being represented by an established gallery, and is booked out for the next few years. We spent some time talking about how quickly she’s gotten so much visibility and the obligations associated with that. We also talked about what “success” is and how that’s defined.
Good talk. I hope that you enjoy it.

I met Chris Amundsen in Feburary when The Museum of Contemporary Craft was hosting a listening session for the American Craft Council. Chris had just been hired as the ACC’s new Executive Director, and he got an earful at that event. As you can imagine, the fine craft, or high-end craft market or whatever you want to call it, has been just as effected by the financial downturn as any other element of the economy. It’s possible that its been affected even more, since craftsmen and women are making luxury items. Among craft artists there’s a lot of anxiety about the economy and potential for financial loss when attending craft shows. For instance, when a craft artist exhibits at a show like the ones that the ACC produces, there are many costs including travel, housing, food, and the cost of a booth space. Many artists go hoping for the best, and at this point that may mean breaking even.

The American Craft Council is in the unique position of revitalizing a 70 year old organization into something forward-thinking, an organization that can usher in a new generation of artists and audience for craft, and hopefully help keep American craftsmanship alive and vibrant.

Listen in and hear Chris and I talk about this and some other things.

Before school got back into session I was able to sit with Michelle Ross in her studio for a bit. I had been wanting to get her on the podcast since the beginning and was happy for the opportunity. (That being said, we did talk about work in her studio that I was not able to photograph. My bad.) We covered all of the major bases: upbringing, process, career, getting work into the world, etc. I’d like to thank Michelle for her time. If you get a chance to check out her work you should do so. You can also see her work here.

Make sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes! If you’ve enjoyed what you heard tell your friends to download an episode. And if you’re up to it, leave a comment and/or rating. It’ll help me attract more attention from the people at iTunes.
Thanks for listening!

I sat down with Kelly Neidig here at the studio and we ended up covering everything from snarky comments made by people from Pittsburg, what it’s like to be in the depths of Lyme Disease, and how trauma can affect one’s work. Whew, long sentance. But a good talk.

Make sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes! If you’ve enjoyed what you heard tell your friends to download an episode. And if you’re up to it, leave a comment and/or rating. It’ll help me attract more attention from the people at iTunes.
Thanks for listening!

NOTE: There’s a little glitch for the first 2-3 minutes of this podcast, Kelly’s mic was a little bit too far away from her. Hang in there and enjoy!

For this episode I sat down with Noah Simblist (his work is above) back in May while he was in Portland for the Open Engagement conference. We talk Palestine/Israel, the importance of asking simple questions, and building one’s inventory. It’s always nice to spend time with a friend who you haven’t seen in a while.

Make sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes! And if you’re up to it, leave a comment and/or rating. It’ll help attract more attention.
Thanks for listening!

After a couple of false starts and a lot of computer wrangling the first Jonescast is up and available on iTunes.

I sat down with Portland artist Mike Merrill back in May and we talked about how input from others can change the work, following the rules in the Army, and how to be a better Republican.

You can find the podcast page on the iTunes website here, or just plug in Brian R. Jonescast in the search field of the iTunes store.

New episodes will drop every other week, so make sure to subscribe to the Jonescast!