Fired Arts Proposals (post Committee mtg)

Ceramics
#1

At the meeting I snagged a few tasks and wanted to clear them through before proceeding.

  1. The FA cleaning infographic is complete and we handed it out at our class on Sunday. We also want to post a larger version up in the area as a guide and reminder. I’m going to poke @Shirley to include it here because I contributed a laughably small amount to it and she rocked out the lion’s share of awesome.

  2. I looked at a lot of different payment/suggestion containers for the Glaze (consumable) donation box and ultimately think that sticking with the style that is elsewhere in the Space is consistent for users. Since it is laughably complicated to try and dictate some sort of set donation amount, we won’t need to provide envelopes nor attempt to track the money. Instead, we can have slips in the front pocket for Glaze Suggestions (notably, not ‘Requests’). The slips will have fields for brand, type, color, etc. and a note that all suggestions will be considered, however we have a limited amount of space. The language for the sign on front will be modeled on (stolen from) the sign in Jewelry/Small Metals:

Using Glaze?
Please make a donation when using supplies in the Fired Arts department. We need your help to keep the shelf stocked with a variety glaze styles and colors.
Suggested donation $1-$5

I don’t particularly like putting a firm dollar figure on this because it’s so tricky to quantify. I’m inclined to just let people donate however they feel, but if someone has a good argument in another direction, lay it on me. We may not get a ton of donations, but it doesn’t take very much to pay for a whole new jar. I’ve used some FA glaze in conjunction with my own so I’ll cover the cost of the box as my contribution.

  1. The recycling plan is still being considered as I think it’s important it not be half-assed and something that is too tricky/awkward to use. But we can move forward on the storage end of the effort. The Ziploc WeatherShield containers are $13.23 for a 60qt, tightly sealable bin. This, paired with a damp towel over the top of the clay, will keep the recycled clay from drying out. I will put signage on the bin to indicate it is free clay and directions to make sure it is resealed. Would we want one or two of these? (I’m inclined towards one, more than this volume seems unnecessary considering the relatively low price of clay.) I think there is room for one to two under the rear shelves once we remove the existing free clay boxes and move some items up. The clear version would make the clay more visible, but I think going with the black will be neater and cleaner.

#2

Just FYI, those cash boxes were how we got a LOT of cash stolen from us

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#3

I get you on that. There are some light modifications that can be made to the box to reduce it as a problem. We also have the benefit that our volume is going to be pretty darn low and the location will be a bit fussy to be all casual with one’s thievery. But I definitely heed your warning and we can at least make someone work for it.

#4

I’m sure we could just get you one of the monoliths to share with jewelry, and then y’all could have a square kiosk on top of it with pricing for all sorts of stuff.

Take a look at the one by laser.

Not only would it be a bit more secure but having consistent cash boxes and systems throughout the space makes it easier for people to know what to do. And easier means more people pay

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Kiln procedures
#5

If the committee isn’t operating in the positive I’d say to give users a suggestion of how to price themselves so they know…many don’t. Ie suggested donations based on size like small is $1, over 12" is $5. They may choose to go above but you certainly don’t want them to go below.

Another system that worked in our old community studio was tokens similar to CA and their button system. You buy a bag of little tokens (one color for high, one for low) say 10 tokens for $5. When you need something fired you put the token in/on it. No tokens, no firing. It kept production potters from destroying the bottom line and people were better about coming back for projects since they had a tiny amount invested in them. I wanna say the ones we had were just cardstock blanks from scrapbooking sections of the craft store so they could be easily burned out

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#6

Definitely something to bring up with Joseph. Few people carry cash

#7

I like the idea of a square kiosk for fired arts. The token system is a also neat idea especially for production potters. ETA that my preference would be to only charge people who are firing a lot of things at a time, not people with only one or two things to be fired.

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#8

Good idea for both departments to share since volume for both hasn’t been practical to get a square setup but maybe together is worth it. I think security, consistent look and feel, and ability to use credit card since lots of folks don’t carry cash.

An important part of a business model (ok, whatever DMS is) is to make it EASY for folks to give you money. :slight_smile:

@cmcooper0
I enjoyed the class last Sunday and I thought the infographic was very good. Clear instructions for a detailed but important part of the process and excellence to the next person behind you. Thx!

#9

From what I understand, we are nicely in the positive committee-wise. But giving people an opportunity to toss a couple of bucks towards our most obvious consumable seems like a no-brainer. What is the cost on the square set up? I’m concerned on the expense vs. return front for FA. To put this in perspective, I’d be way surprised if we brought in $20 over the month. Which is nothing DMS big picture-wise, but pays for an extra bottle of glaze. More of a ‘toss a couple of bucks in the kitty’ vs. ‘pay for consumables’.

Starting with a cheap (free!) box and seeing what the numbers look like first might be the way to go. After we have some data (admittedly skewed due to the cash-only aspect) we could then re-assess.

(All that said, I love the idea of another square set-up for all the reasons y’all have stated.)

#10

Super glad you enjoyed the class. This Sunday is where it gets really cool, application of those basic skills to actually make things! Thank you for being a test subject for our methodology; teaching throwing and finishing in only four sessions is daunting. If you have any critique or suggestions, please do message @Shirley and I. We plan to refine everything thing until it’s smooth like butta’.

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#11

We actually had a cash box but I’m not sure anyone ever used it and it ended up getting moved somewhere else. If cost to set up a new kiosk is an issue then I would just add a way to pay Fired Arts using the other square kiosks that have already been placed around DMS and putting the Fired Arts cash box back (or make sure the other cash boxes have envelopes). I haven’t been at DMS for a while, but last time I tried to donate to Fired Arts the cash box had been moved, the cash box in the front lobby was out of envelopes and I couldn’t figure out how to pay Fired Arts using Square. Walking to the lobby or another area is not a problem.

#12

The problem is, from my understanding, the square kiosks are individual to that department, not universal. It likely wouldn’t be an issue to set up the shared jewelry/fired arts if they wanted, but it’s not a universal thing where you could, say, pay for laser time at the ca kiosk.

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#13

Ah, but the committee IS operating in the positive. This is just Christie overthinking stuff. Granted, it may make a few people feel better if they can contribute a bit here and there.

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#14

I’d prefer the clear. We’re a clay shop. Either one will show clay marks, and visibility can be key. However, that looks like it will be appalling heavy to deal with. I’ve already moved away from the boxes you stuffed things into because I’m not hep about moving 50 lbs around. 60 quarts!!! Very heavy! Yikes!

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#15

To be honest, I’m trying to help fix problems.

  1. Shirley and I have had several people tell us they were unsure if the glazes were open for them to use. We have also had folks ask if there is a way to donate to the committee. It seems like we need a sign and if you are putting up a sign, why not put it on a donation box to solve both issues? It quickly tells people they can use the glazes and provides a way for them to drop in a buck or two if they are so inclined.

  2. Good point on the weight, that’s why I suggested the bin be put under the shelf so it can be slid forward for access without lifting. We can add casters to it to increase mobility.

#16

On the concrete floor, those bins slide easily*, even when fully loaded with clay. We can look at adding silicon furniture sliders to the bottom if it is a problem. I really think we should try it without them first and see if it is actually an issue.

*I keep my spare clay in 116qt Rubbermaid totes and they slide well on my deeply textured laminate hardwood floor. The only time I have issues is if I have a fully loaded one. The issue isn’t pulling it from where I keep it, but sliding it back. When I do, it wants to catch on my textured floor. If the bin is 3/4 or less loaded, I have no issues sliding back in place. So, given the smoother surface of the concrete floor, the sturdier box, and much less weight sliding it around should be fine.

#17

Here’s the cleaning poster!

CleaningPosterFA.png973×1296 169 KB

I’ve attached the full sized pdf for anyone who wants it (also, if there’s anyone who is cleared to print on the large format printers and wouldn’t mind helping me get these printed please get in touch with me to work out details! I would love a few copies of this printed in the size I designed it as. I’m not cleared to print on it yet - waiting on the magic alignment of a class scheduling plus my availability to happen). It’s designed to be printed as an 18"x24" poster that runs all the way to the edge (full bleed for those of you that speak printing). It prints very well scaled to letter size, with a white border around it. The images of the wheels, the faucet, and the upright stool were photos that I pulled into adobe illustrator and used the conversion tools to change into vector graphics. I then had to change the color palette on the wheels to a single unified one (they were all over the place). All the other items - sponges, upside down stool, tools, etc. are hand drawn.

CleaningPosterFA.pdf (719.1 KB)

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#18

A square kiosk and monolith style box would be something I would put on the board meeting and ask for funding for. It’s something that makes finances easier and I don’t think we have been expecting the committees to pay for them.

@Robert_Davidson can you give an idea of what fired arts and jewelry should do if they wanted a shared kiosk?

#19

@Robert_Davidson I believe that a separate tablet is required for each committee.
Would it be possible to mount two of the tablets on top of a single kiosk: one for FA and one for J&SM? This would save on the footprint and the cost of a second kiosk. And they are for committees that are next two each other.

#20

Yeah – it was that large footprint that lead us to give away the last kiosk in our area.

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