November ‘21: Equity, Leadership, and Relocation
Friends of Pottery Northwest:
The last two years have put our organization and community to the test as we faced closures due to COVID-19, program changes, and inequity. We have been hard at work and are excited to finally be making a number of major announcements around critical internal projects, leadership, and our new facility location.
Our Commitments in Action
We recognize that spaces at Pottery Northwest are not as inclusive or welcoming as we want them to be. As a result the board and staff have affirmed a commitment to addressing inequities in our culture, policies, systems, and programs. Over the last year, and in the months to come, we have been and will be working on a number of initiatives to drive this transformation and growth.
Our initiatives are to:
Embed Equity Training – ChrisTiana ObeySumner of Epiphanies of Equity will be working with board and staff members to develop and embed a strategic plan that will move us towards a more inclusive and equitable arts organization.
Address Capacity and Compensation Gaps – Earlier this year we raised salaries by 25% to ensure everyone makes a livable wage, and in looking toward our 2022-23 fiscal year, we plan to slowly expand staff and commit to providing cost of living adjustments and benefit expansions year over year.
Improve our Dialogue with the Community – We plan to increase the frequency of our communications to bring you news throughout construction and solicit feedback throughout our re-opening. We also plan to hold a town hall where you can engage in a talkback with our board.
Update our Studio & Programs – Based on recent events, we have been revamping all aspects of our studio processes to be more equitable, from application to execution, including:
Increase the number of available scholarships
Address the inequities in the class registration process
Diversify our suppliers and vendors
Reshape our work-study program
Integrate antiracist values into our studio guidelines
In the upcoming weeks, please check your inbox for communications regarding a major update to our mission.
Leadership Changes
We believe it is important for our community to understand that we are currently exploring how to incorporate shared leadership values into the way we strategically plan, budget, make big decisions, and work day-to-day. This is not something that happens overnight, but flourishes with conscious reflection and intentional actions informed by equitable practices.
As such, our search for a new managing director led us to multiple qualified candidates, but they were unable to move forward or accept the position. We have learned a lot about ourselves through this process, and are dedicated to ensuring we are prepared and setting up our next leader for success. We are resisting the urgency to fill this position as we evaluate what it is we need from leadership.
Our current interim director, Jennifer Fujimoto is stepping away to return to her own art practice so we have brought on a new interim executive director, Caitlin Pontrella. As interim director, Caitlin will work with staff, board members, and community members to create a job description and search process for the next executive director that reflects our commitment to shared leadership values as the organization works to increase its efforts around diversity, equity, and inclusion. Caitlin will be acting exclusively in an interim capacity and is committed to helping the organization undergo a full, intentional search for its next executive director, as well as guide us through our upcoming facilities relocation.
A word from Fuj
“I would like to express my deepest gratitude for the trust and support of the staff, resident artists, students, board members, and the greater clay community during these transitions and my time on the team. I look forward to remaining engaged and continuing my service in other capacities moving forward.”
Our New Location
We are excited to share that our next home will be in Pioneer Square in the Foster/White Gallery building located at 220 Third Avenue South. Finding a location in a more diverse neighborhood was a priority as easy physical access to the pottery is a first step in inclusion and equity. Feedback from our community survey revealed the importance of having a location that is also easily accessible by transit.
Work is already underway on the new space, with a goal of reopening programming in late spring 2022, though due to forces beyond our control, it could take longer than hoped. We are committed to sharing updates as things progress, both on our website and in our newsletter.
We will be taking advantage of this time in transition to build new partnerships with local institutions, laying the groundwork for youth programming, improving internal processes, and looking at creative ways to bring the community together while we wait to get back to the wheel.
Our last day in our current building will be January 31st. We are planning a few more big events and will be releasing our relocation schedule in the next couple of weeks.