This was our first "Clay and Wine," in 1982. Shortly after sending out this flyer, we were informed that "Winecountry Workshop" was a copyrighted name, and could not be used. So we took the next line, and found ourselves always having to convince people that in the case of these workshops, the Clay came before the Wine!
The inspiration for this workshop germinated in San Jose, where we attended a weekend workshop with Linda Rosenus, David Middlebrook and Sandra Johnstone. Students decided that it would be great to have David do a workshop in Napa, and David thought it would be fun to do it with Sandra. We also decided to attract people to this workshop with donated wine, and with the wine, we needed to have food. Our solution to that was a "buffet" dinner, otherwise known as "pot luck," to be prepared for our guests by the students. From there the idea expanded to include an exhibit of David and Sandra's work, although at that time, the college did not have a gallery. We asked around for suitable sites, and eventually were privileged to have an exhibit at the Robert Mondavi winery.
If you scroll down, you'll see images of a few pieces exhibited at the Robert Mondavi Winery.
(All of the images can be seen larger by clicking on them.)
David Middlebrook
David was known for his sculpture, and we expected him to exhibit that. Sandra always made vessels. Since he and Sandra were close friends, he said he chose to honor her by making and exhibiting the vessels below.
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White Cross
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Tripod
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Sandra Johnstone
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Clay and Wine became an annual event (with a few missed years), and attracted a wide variety of people. The guest artists were always nationally known artists, and eventually included international guest artists as well. Often there was more than one featured artist. There were always breakfasts on Saturday and Sunday morning, dinner Saturday night, and informal accomodations offered for those who came from a long distance. People came for the art, the food, and of course, the wine! Many of the wineries in the Napa Valley donated wine for this event. I wish I had a list of them; we owe a great deal of thanks to all!