March 2008 Board Reports

These condensed Board Reports will be referenced during the Pittsburgh NCECA Conference at the First Members Business Meeting to be held on Thursday, March 20, 2008 at 12pm-1pm in the Spirit of Pittsburgh Ballroom, located within the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh, PA.

The purpose of posting the Board Reports is three fold;to keep our members informed of the Board activities, make this information available prior to arrival at Conference, to reducing our carbon-foot print and to further NCECA's goal of going "GREEN"er.

Click here for Board Reports 3.10.08

Purpose

The purpose of NCECA is to promote and improve the ceramic arts through education, research, and creative practice. NCECA offers programs, exhibitions and publications that are uniquely beneficial and rewarding to its membership of artists, educators, students, patrons, retailers and manufacturers. As a dynamic, member-driven organization, NCECA strives to be flexible in its programming and responsive to the changing needs of its constituency

Story

The National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts is a not-for-profit educational organization that provides valuable resources and support for individuals, schools and organizations with an abiding interest in the ceramic arts.

NCECA was founded and developed by forward-thinking ceramic artists who saw the benefits of a professional organization in its ability to create identity, definition and support for the ceramics teacher and artist, and to promote advancement of the ceramic arts. In 1966, NCECA President William Perry wrote in the inaugural issue of the NCECA Newsletter:

"There is no question about our opportunity to amplify the effect of what we do separately by the association that this organization represents. However we might spell out our objectives and possible activities, they are but extensions of our most basic gratification in getting together to swap pots and ideas, to show slides, to look and listen to others with similar interests–away from and out of the context of our individual situations. NCECA is therefore primarily an agency using the resources in time and money surrendered by its membership to guarantee this annual event and the communications and preparations incidental to it".

There were 22 ceramic art educators from 17 colleges at the initial ASC Ceramic Education Council meeting in 1961. During its first decade, NCECA was a small gathering of a few hundred artists. In the 1980’s it grew to over 1,000 members and is now comprised of more than 4,000 members. The annual NCECA conference is the world’s largest event held in the field of ceramic arts. NCECA has been a unique artists-run organization since its inception. Dedicated individuals have made NCECA what it is today – a vital, significant, fiscally solvent organization that is a model of success to other arts organizations.

In 2001, with financial assistance from the Bixler Foundation, the NCECA office was established in Erie, Colorado. The NCECA staff – Conference Manager, Office Manager, Administrative Assistant, Office Assistant, and Bookkeeper – operates from this home base. The staff assists the volunteer Board of Directors in conducting the activities and administering the programs of the Council. The Board of Directors convenes to conduct business at three meetings each the year: at the spring conference, in late May in the host city for the coming conference, and in October in the host city for the following year’s conference.

Officers of the Board have primarily come from the ranks of university ceramics programs. The Council’s current President, Robert Harrison and Past President, Susan Filley are instead full-time studio artists. Their nominations mark the evolution of the Council to an organization that serves the full spectrum of potters, sculptors, educators and students engaged in the ceramic arts.

NCECA activities are supported by membership and registration fees, grants from the NEA, as well as individuals, foundations and organizational donations and grants. NCECA is a qualified 501(c)(3) not-for-profit educational organization.

A MILLION THANKS!

We made it! The NCECA Endowment is now at $1,000,000! And there are a lot of people to thank for this huge accomplishment. The artists who have donated work to any of the NCECA-sponsored auctions are responsible for a large amount of this endowment. In addition, we credit the brainstorming and forward-thinking of NCECA Presidents such as Anna Calluori-Holcombe, Joe Bova, Jay Lacoutour, Mary Jane Edwards and Lennie Dowhie. The effort to set up the endowment actually began in May of 1994. The first auction took place at the conference in Rochester, New York in March of 1996. Presidents since the above who have worked to continue to build the fund are Jim Tanner (he and Mary Jane Edwards put major effort into the 1996 auction), Curtis Hoard and Steve Reynolds. The presidents, from Lennie Dowhie forward, were supported by extremely dedicated Boards of Directors. Everyone who has served on the Board during the building of this endowment also should pat himself or herself on the back.

Major auctions were held in 1999 and 2002 with Silent Auctions held at the conferences each year as well. Mary Jane Edwards and Linda Lighton co-chaired the 2002 auction. We would not be where we are with our investment of this money if it had not been for Advisory Board member Joe Sherman of Merrill Lynch. Joe has been donating his services and advising the Financial Committee on the investment of the funds for over fifteen years now and the NCECA Endowment has fared well.

In addition, the staff should be thanked, from Regina Brown and Minerva Navarrete, to the current staff of Dori Nielsen, Dawn Hesse, Helen Anderson, Thomas Prairie and Kate Vorhaus. Each, in their own way, have all contributed through their efficiency, frugality and dedication to us as members.

Last, but not least, is a big thank you to our membership. We all know that sometimes it seemed to you that the NCECA Endowment Fund was like a big black hole, with no benefit to the membership. Now that the goal has been met, earnings from the fund will be put back into benefits for the membership.

CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS

The structure and function of this organization is defined by the Constitution and By-Laws. The articles of the Constitution describe structure. The parallel articles of the By-Laws define the functions of this structure. The one building stability, sustaining the organization; the other providing an immediate and sensitive response to the needs of each member -- insuring that the energy members give to the organization shall be returned by the way of identity, definition, and support of their roles.

Click here for PDF format of the Constitution and By-Laws.
Click here for Microsoft Word® format of the Constitution and By-Laws.