Effective immediately,

Call for Applicants: Forrest Lesch-Middelton is accepting applications for a studio apprentice at FLM Ceramics and Tile Studio in Petaluma, California.

 My goal in offering a well-rounded studio apprenticeship is to share my studio practice and experiences in the ceramics community with an emerging studio artist while benefitting from an extra set of competent hands to assist with the daily tasks of a full time pottery, tile, and teaching studio.

Applicants must:

–  Be self-sufficient.
–  Exhibit an ability to work well with others.
–  Have a good studio work ethic.
–  Possess a working knowledge of ceramic studio procedures.
–  Possess, at a minimum, an intermediate level of wheel throwing and hand building skills.
–  Possess an interest in developing new studio production techniques and knowledge.
–  Be pursuing a career in ceramics with the primary goal of making a living from the sales of your work.
–  Have a commitment to the personal use of the studio space, ensuring an equitable work trade situation.

This position is a one year commitment that begins immediately. Studio apprentices are required to work up to fifteen hours per week in the studio. Responsibilities include mixing glazes, printing and sizing silk-screened images, cleaning, making tile, mixing clay, firing kilns, and packing and shipping work. Other typical studio tasks often arise that will also require the assistance of the studio apprentice.

In return for their dedication, the apprentice will be offered twenty-four hour studio access, a studio space in which to work, and access to electric and gas firings. Along with studio access, the apprentice will have opportunities to sell work from the studio showroom, and will occasionally be able to assist during Petaluma Pottery visiting artist workshops, as well as local and national workshops that Forrest is teaching, provided they can arange their own transportation. By far, the greatest benefit for apprentices at FLM is the opportunity to be immersed in the experience of working in a full-time ceramics studio, learning from my 35 years of knowledge, experience, and connections within the field of studio ceramics.

The studio apprentice will not be provided room or board, and may need to take on a part time job to earn wages to offset the high cost of living in Northern California. I am happy to share my local connections to sales opportunities with you, as well as local employment, in the hopes that you can make a money from your studio practice and ammend it with local employment. When conditions are right we may also offer the opportunity to teach beginning level classes at Petaluma Pottery.

Petaluma is the southernmost town in Sonoma County. It has a population of 60,000, yet it maintains a small town feel. Petaluma is situated as the gateway to wine country, and is only 50 minutes north of San Francisco, and 30 minutes from the Pacific Ocean. Good part time jobs at wineries, coffee shops and other local establishments are plentiful! Paid opportunities to work for FLM Ceramics and Tile, and potential teaching at Petalluma pottery may be offered when available, and when studio trade hours have been exceeded. When working for FLM Ceramics and Petaluma Pottery and apprentice will be considered an independent contractors, not an employee of FLM Ceramics.

If you are interested in this position, please email a letter of intent, resume, five examples of recent work, and two letters of recommendation to flmceramics@gmail.com