Poly Poly Polymer! Part 3

Polymer enthusiasts living in Pittsburgh are lucky to have a guild right here. The Pittsburgh Polymer Clay Guild is a group of polymer clay enthusiasts who share a love for this medium. The members meet once a month to share ideas and techniques. They welcome everyone from tentative beginners to professionals.

This post features what some Polymer artists living in Pittsburgh are doing.

Denise Graham

Denise Graham

Marcy Morton

Lesley Polinko

Lesley Polinko

Deanna Miller

Deanna Miller

Rebecca Watkins

Rebecca Watkins

Selma Andrews

Selma Andrews

Laura Tabakman

Laura Tabakman

Bonnie Hagyari

Bonnie Hagyari

Irene Hill

If you’d like to try your hand at Polymer clay Laura Tabakman will be teaching two workshops at SCC:

Try it: Polymer Clay T013012 Wednesday, January 30th  @ 6-9

Polymer Necklace MM020913b on Saturday February 9 @ 10-4 

For more information or to register, call Sherrard Bostwick at 412.261.7003 x25, email thestudio@contemporarycraft.org or use our new online registration by clicking here.

Poly Poly Polymer! Part 2

On the previous post we had a look at the jewelry Polymer artists are creating. This post will concentrate on other artistic uses of the material; as a laminate for furniture, boxes and vessels; in sculptures, mixed media, paintings, mosaics and installations.  

If you’d like to try your hand at Polymer clay Laura Tabakman will be teaching two workshops at SCC:

Try it: Polymer Clay T013012 Wednesday, January 30th  @ 6-9

Polymer Necklace MM020913b on Saturday February 9 @ 10-4 

For more information or to register, call Sherrard Bostwick at 412.261.7003 x25, email thestudio@contemporarycraft.org or use our new online registration by clicking here.

Bonnie Boshoff and J.M. Syron

Rachel Gourley

Laura Tabakman

Laura Tabakman

Jeffery Lloyd Dever

Jeffery Lloyd Dever

Pier Voulkos

Kathleen Dustin

Kathleen Dustin

Lindly Haunani

Anne Klocko

Jill Penney

Edgar Hernandez

Julie Eaks

Laurie Mika

Poly Poly Polymer!

In January and February SCC is offering a couple of Polymer clay classes. This is a first on a series of posts to show the variety of work created with the material.

Polymer clay is an incredibly versatile material. It is a synthetic modeling compound that comes in a variety of colors and ranges from translucent to opaque to metallic and liquid. It hardens at a low temperature (between 250°F and 300°F) allowing it to be cured in a regular oven. During this process the material doesn’t shift colors or size. Once cured it is strong, durable, flexible and lightweight.

Using accessible tools It can be rolled, sheeted, molded, sculpted, textured, stamped, extruded, it accepts inclusions, holds inks and paints, is conducive to image transfers and silkscreen; once cured it can be carved, sanded and polished. It also lends itself to imitative techniques: glass (millefiori), jade, coral, turquoise, ivory, wood, opal, and really anything people can imagine.

Polymer began being used by artists in the 1970s. Now a day it is used in jewelry, sculpture, wall art, furniture, installations, mosaic art, books, just to name a few of its uses.

But there is nothing like images to show the possibilities…

Elsie Winters

Maggie Maggio

Loretta Lam

Janna Lehman

Donna Kato

Celine Charuau/Grisbleu

Ronna Sarvas Witman

Tory Hughes

Wendy Malinow

Ford/Forlano

Cynthia Toops

Julie Eaks

Sarah Shriver

Carol Simmons

Melanie West

Rachel Carren

Dan Cormier

Kathleen Dustin

Katrin Neumaier

If you’d like to try your hand at Polymer clay Laura Tabakman will be teaching two workshops at SCC:

Try it: Polymer Clay T013012 Wednesday, January 30th  @ 6-9

Polymer Necklace MM020913b on Saturday February 9 @ 10-4 

Laura Tabakman

For more information or to register, call Sherrard Bostwick at 412.261.7003 x25, email thestudio@contemporarycraft.org or use our new online registration by clicking here.

Handmade Arcade is this Weekend!

I can not tell you how excited I am for Handmade Arcade (HA) this weekend! I have been diligently saving all of my shekels to get presents for the art appreciators on my list. And, this may be a bit overboard, but I went to the HA website and researched all the vendors so I know exactly who I want to hit first! As far as I know, Early Bird passes are still available for $15. This is a great option if you don't like the crowds or you just like first dibs. There is also a huge list of hands-on activities this year that you can read up on at handmadearcade.com. 

Internship Opportunities!

It's that time again! SCC is now accepting applications for our annual Judy  Cheteyan Scholarship. The scholarship is to provide an art student with the  opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a professional art environment. The scholarship will be used to pay a $3,000 stipend to the student during the internship. 

Deadline March 15, 2013 View Application Here!

SCC is also accepting application for their year-long Studio Apprenticeship!


The Society for Contemporary Craft is offering a year-long studio apprenticeship, July 1, 2013 - June 30, 2014, to an emerging artist seeking to develop professional skills working with one the nation’s only non-profits focusing exclusively on creation, exhibition, and education across all contemporary craft media. 

Application deadline March 15, 2013 View Application Here!

Handmade Arcade is only a month away!

December 8th, 11am-7pm
David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Downtown Pittsburgh

"Handmade Arcade (HA), founded in 2004, is Pittsburgh’s first and largest independent craft fair. Now in its ninth year, HA brings young, innovative crafters and progressive do-it-yourself designers to the David L. Lawrence Convention Center on December 8, 2012 to sell, their handmade, locally produced, and offbeat wares at a bustling marketplace. A highly anticipated annual event, HA attracts more than 6,000 attendees in one day. HA provides craft artists working outside mainstream and fine arts sectors with a grassroots, high-visibility venue to sell wares, build community, network, and share their artistic practice.

Handmade Arcade is run by a collective of creative Pittsburghers who have helped to shape and bolster Pittsburgh’s independent craft scene over the past nine years. The group’s founders — who, along with new volunteers, still run the event today — were inspired to organize a craft fair of Pittsburgh’s own that would tap into a national movement and provide a welcoming venue for artists and shoppers to come together. Handmade Arcade’s growth has coincided with the international resurgence of crafting, as new generations are reclaiming and reinventing craft materials and methods."

Buy your Early Birdie Pass today.

Early Birdie Passes are $15 each, which provide shoppers with the exclusive opportunity to shop one hour before the event opens to the public. Early Birdie shoppers will have first pick to purchase all the unique and one-of-a-kind items that crafters will be selling and be given a bag full of goodies and coupons. 

This is a super fun event, just in time for the holidays! Make sure you visit SCC's hands-on table:

“Headdressed up” (1 p.m.-3 p.m.) / SOCIETY FOR CONTEMPORARY CRAFT
Create make & take headdresses using paper and found objects from the “cool” bag.