Ali Baba Jars

I turned 50 a couple of weeks ago. To Celebrate this mark in time, we went to Crete. We started in the western corner of Old Town, Chania. I loved this small harbor. These jars were made by a 73 year old man in the hills of Crete. His name was Nikos Kavgalakis. I met his daughter who said that he only makes the large jars in the summer months so that the pot will set up properly when adding coils to it. There were hundreds of these large, large jars.

Instead of attending the last day of ArtPrize....

Instead of attending the last day of ArtPrize, I worked in the studio getting ready for a firing. We saw a great concert on Saturday night in Saugutuck by the Wailin Jenny's. Their harmonies were amazing. Such talent. This group proves that you don't need lots of fancy equipment to make really great music. Check out their site: http://www.thewailinjennys.com/home.aspx

I did fire the gas kiln on Sunday. Packing to head to Crete. I am hoping to see some wonderful sites that will inspire me.

It is back up!

With Brian's help and a very nice man walking by, the pyramid has risen again! It is cracked and pieces missing but it is up. Thank you for all of the support this past weekend. I appreciated the kind comments. A friend from my "younger" years walked by while Brian and I were hanging it. It was great to see her and her daughter. I hope that we can re-connect for coffee.

A bad Friday evening!

I received a phone call from a friend, whose sister was at ArtPrize in Grand Rapids. She was at my work and was told by another viewer that a young child had swung on my piece and it fell to the ground. Smashing two of three sides and bottoms. Not good news. I had plans to take family members to Grand Rapids on Saturday, which we did do. "Change...It's Inevitable" came home with us in the back of the wagon. I will glue what pieces I can together and rehang it, as is, tomorrow. Lesson: Swing on your piece before it leaves your studio. Time to move on and get ready for November and December sales.

Its Up!

We got the work in place yesterday even with the rain. I had three strong men from JSJ Corporation helping me. They were awesome. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the weather will be reasonable so that people will be out and about in downtown Grand Rapids. I am headed back up there today to finalize the sign. Headliners printed and mounted the sign for me. Thank you, Marc. All in all, it has been an amazing project. Now back to real life. I need to make my daily work for the upcoming November Guild sale and the UICA December sale.

On the way to Grand Rapids

All loaded into the car and truck. We are on the way for installation.

Collaboration with Dake Corporation News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Erick Johnson, 616-402-4743, johnsone@jsjcorp.com

Dana Plowman, 616-847-7057, plowmand@jsjcorp.com

Grand Haven artist collaborates with Dake and JSJ Corp.

to create 550-pound, 7-foot-high iron tripod to support ArtPrize entry

***PHOTO OPPORTUNITY***

ArtPrize Installation: Thursday, September 16, 1-2 p.m., “Change, It’s Inevitable,”

by Cyndi Casemier-Johnson at Huntington Bank, 50 Monroe NW, Grand Rapids, Mich.

GRAND HAVEN, Mich., September 15, 2010 – When ceramic artist Cyndi Casemier-Johnson returned to Grand Haven after 13 years in Vermont, she was immediately struck by the plight of friends, neighbors and businesses struggling during Michigan’s tough economic times. But instead of giving up or just trying to survive, many people revealed a spirited determination to succeed, that in large part, inspired her 2010 ArtPrize entry, “Change, It’s Inevitable,” available for viewing during ArtPrize, September 22-October 10, 2010.

Employees at West Michigan businesses that embrace change daily in their own cultures, Dake Corp. and parent company JSJ Corporation of Grand Haven, teamed up to design and fabricate a 7-foot-tall, 550-pound iron tripod that will suspend Casemier-Johnson’s large art piece made of clay, screen printing and solar lighting. George Kruggel of Radiant Design provided support for the lighting.

On Thursday, September 16, members of this Dake-JSJ team will help install Casemier-Johnson’s ArtPrize entry at Huntington Bank, 50 Monroe Ave NW, in Grand Rapids. Dake and JSJ employees involved in the project are Bruce Anderson, who designed the tripod, Tim Cox, Brian Langlois, Archie Moe, Bob Pace, Jason Riemersma and John Young.

According to Casemier-Johnson’s description of her ArtPrize entry, “This imagery will remind you as the observer that, yes, we can adapt, move forward, and do more than survive. We can succeed.”

About Cyndi Casemier-Johnson and C2Ceramics

My work is reflective of my surroundings. I see beauty in the daily changes of our lakeshore and incorporate that into my artwork. My functional pieces use historical methods that are designed to be used daily. As I design unique pieces, that are unavailable anywhere else, I consider seasonal changes of familiar waterfronts, our relationship with nature (trees, water, sand, rock), and manmade objects. www.c2ceramics.com

About JSJ Corporation

JSJ Corporation, based in Grand Haven, Michigan, is a privately held corporation that designs, develops and markets durable goods and services throughout the world. Its businesses include Dake, GHSP, Hudson Technologies, izzy+, mcloone, and Sparks. More than 2,000 JSJ employees in the United States, China, Japan, and Mexico provide products and services to customers worldwide. www.jsjcorp.com

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