STUDIO 3:A SUCCESSFUL COOPERATIVELY RUN POTTERY STUDIO
Joan Barnet, Lenore Rosen, Manabu Seki, Pia Sillem, and Jinny Whitehead

Ever wonder if d cooperative clay studio tx right for vou, Read about Studio 3 and see two of their members at the Made of Clay Sole
and Exhibition, May 4 te 6 at Performance Works on Granville Island.

It started during the spring of 1998. We
were all members of ihe West End Pottery
Club ai the time. Moet of us had been quite
active in the club. Three of the original
six were on the cxccutive committee for a
couple of years. This is where & bot of qur
cxpenence canbe from on what it invelves
to run a studio. The idea of starling our
own siidio was inthally the idea of just
two people, but quickly spread until we
were Six,

Refore we actually looked for a suitable
locatbon, we arranged several meetings to
discuss everyone's ideas on whol we en-
visioned, We researched co-op run groups
and decided to write our own mandate, We
all felt it really important to cover all the
whar-ifs ahead of time. We spent a long
time on a conflict resolution policy with
which we all felt comfortable. The next
Important issue was seed money, the
amount of money everyone would contrib
ulé to Start &® stadia. Then we discussed
monthly dues and what we were willing
to pay tO Cover rent, insurance, and tel-
ephone,

Jinny knew the company that owns the
building in which the studio restdes, I bs
the old office in the Progressive Engineer-

May 2001

ing building. a business now out of opera-
tion. Lt had potential — hot and cold run-
hing water, heating, and two toilets. The
rooms were small, but since the building
is destined for eventual demolition, cur
landlord dide’t mind if we undertook a lit-
ile creative renoweting. We tore down a
wall and removed the wall-to-wall carpets,
We all scrubbed, cleaned and painted over
the dark wood paneling. It
was @ genuine group effort.
It took a month to get the stu-
dio ready, during which time
we scrounged all kinds of
shelving. tables, and amy-
thing else we thought we
might use. There are a lot of
freebies oul there if you are
willing to look.

We all put an equal anwurnt
of seed money in, which cov-
ered the renovation expenses
and the initial purchase of
chemicals. By this time two
of the original members hard
left due to career commitments. We de-
cided to take on one new person, We had
gotten to know Manabu during wood fir-
ing in Nanvime and we thought he would
be the right person to join our studio,

The stuctio is tun as a five-member coop-
enuive, We all share equipment and glazes
and most of us have our own wheel. All
decisions are made by consensus. Our stu-

Potters Guild of British Columbia

dio ts financially self-suthicient without
generaling a profil We organize one yearly
studio sale during the first weekend in
November, our anniversary.

see Studio 3 page 9

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Below lett to might
Coaperative enemies
Tinny Whitehead
Joan Bamet

Pia Sillem

Manabu Seki
Lenore Rosen