TACA BOARD NEWS SEPTEMBER 2020

TACA Board met on 10 September 2020 on the Zoom platform.

As part of our strategic plan, the board reviewed TACA’s Members’ Exhibition including its aims, frequency and past history. We looked at the results from the member survey this year as well as general feedback. The purpose of the exhibition is to draw, from TACA membership, a selected exhibition that explores ideas, themes, techniques, trends and aesthetics that are pertinent to the current ceramic landscape.

The aim of the members’ exhibition is to:

• Showcase the diversity and excellence of contemporary Australian ceramics
• Create opportunities to open up discussion about contemporary Australian ceramics
• Provide TACA members an opportunity to be selected for a prestigious exhibition and thereby to exhibit, promote and sell recent work and connect them with existing and new audiences
• Increase TACA’s profile in the arts community
• Provide opportunities for the general public to recognise, experience and value ceramics in their daily lives.
• Build TACA membership numbers
• Build on the partnership with MAG&M, its curators, members and visitors
• To enhance TACA’s profile as a national organisation by holding TACA members’ exhibition in locations around Australia
• Build partnerships with other public galleries around Australia, its curators, members and visitors

Starting in 1989, TACA has had an ongoing collaboration with Manly Art Gallery & Museum it has a focus on ceramics in its collection. MAG&M has generously supported TACA’s exhibition in many ways holding an exhibition every two years. However, in recent years TACA has also aimed to hold an exhibition in locations other than Sydney. Therefore we have held a members’ exhibition at the 3 most recent Australian Ceramic Triennales (Adelaide 2012, Canberra 2015 and Tasmania 2019). TACA wants to reach our members and the public all around Australia and this has been important feedback from the survey. TACA Board has therefore decided to hold the exhibition at MAG&M every 4 years and to establish collaborations with regional galleries outside of Sydney so as to hold the exhibition every other time in other states and territories.

Main feedback from the TACA Members’ Survey was:

• Hold TACA members’ exhibitions in areas other than Sydney
• Hold TACA members’ exhibitions in regional areas
• Communicate more clearly the occurrence of, when, and why we have TACA members’ exhibitions
• Find ways to include more members, including more emerging members
• Establish partnerships with major galleries
• Use technology to share the exhibition online

Further feedback from members indicated that the use of the title, TACA Members’ exhibition, could imply a broad exhibition inclusive of all members who apply. This is the case for other organisations members’ exhibitions, however in our case the numbers are limited by the venue and our purpose.

From our review we have recommended the following:

• To consider naming the exhibition – TACA’s Biennial Exhibition
• To hold the exhibition every two years independent of other TACA activities
• To alternate the exhibition with MAG&M and a regional gallery in another state

We had a progress report on the first year of this Strategic Plan and we are steadily accomplishing our goals. We approved amendments to the annual focus of each of the three years to be more inclusive.

The board had an update on the 60th Anniversary touring exhibition with the Australian Design Centre and on the preparations for CERAMIX, the TACA exhibition to be held at Manly Art Gallery& Museum (MAG&M) in 2021 (postponed from 2020).

Interviews are being held for the new staff position in the office.

The plans for the AGM are underway for 8 October.

We are trying a new digital platform (Exact Editions) for The JAC. We also had a brief look at JAC’s editorial policies.

The Melbs Morning Tea Zoom chat on 9 September opened up many good conversations particularly about getting through the difficult times of lockdown. We plan to do these regularly as they so easily enable members to meet up and connect from wherever they are.

Australian Ceramic Open Studios will go ahead on the weekend of 21 & 22 November. We are looking into contributing our perspective on the NAVA Code of Practice review.

Dr Cathy Franzi President

We welcome new TACA members who joined  between 18 August and 23 September 2020.
Madhavi Muncie, Diane Judge, Hermie Cornelisse, Susie Linehan, Susie Ashkenazi, Clare Danby, Woochang Kim, Candice Howard, Rebecca Filet, Danielle Clarke, Kate McDonald, Beck Millsom, Stefanie Robinson, Helen Eatough, Kristy Hussey, Lindy Bayley, Richard Beswick, Fe_Licity Ceramics, David Prescott, Georgie Avis, Lucy Phillips and Jik-Su Shin. 

TACA BOARD 2019/2020
Avi Amesbury, NSW – South Coast; aviamesbury.com
Amanda Bromfield, NSW – North Coast; amandabromfield.com
Cathy Franzi (President) ACT; cathyfranzi.com
Kate Jones, VIC; soca.com.au/about/
Janetta Kerr Grant, VIC: janettakerrgrant.com.au
Holly Macdonald, VIC; holly-macdonald.com
Alana Wilson, NSW; alanawilson.com

Secretary: Vicki Grima
Executive Officer: Vicki Grima
Auditor: Dennis Woollam

TACA’s Annual General Meeting will be held on Thursday 8 October from 7-9 pm.

Like to contact TACA BOARD?
Send an email to [email protected]; Subject: EMAIL TO TACA BOARD
The Australian Ceramics Association
PO Box 677 Alexandria NSW 1435
SQ1, 32 Bowden St, Alexandria NSW 2015
AUSTRALIA
T: 1300 720 124; 0419 250 282
E: [email protected]
www.australianceramics.com