[Vision2020] A Great meeting

[joekc at adelphia.net]

There was a discussion, not so long ago, between Phil and Nils and Bruce about creating an artist community in Moscow. I can't remember the details but it was very interesting. Anyone?

Joe

---- Bill London <london at moscow.com> wrote: 
> I am impressed with Phil's suggestion (below) for locally-based economic
> development -- local clay to locally-produced pottery.  value-added!
> What do the LEDC board members on this list think of that option?  What
> could the LEDC do to make it reality?
> BL
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Phil Nisbet" <pcnisbet1 at hotmail.com>
> To: <vision2020 at moscow.com>
> Sent: Thursday, January 12, 2006 10:30 PM
> Subject: [Vision2020] A Great meeting
> 
> 
> > Sorry that some of you could not make the Grange meet tonight.  Thanks to
> > those of you who made it.  Joan was there.  Donovan was there.  Roger had
> to
> > be there, because he is the President of the New Moscow Grange.
> >
> > One of the points that Mike Wendt made at the meeting is something that
> > ought to be discussed.  He noted that his on site sales of pottery from
> his
> > out of the way shop in Lewiston, not exactly the best place for tourist
> > trade, had a cash register that in a little less than 20 years of
> operations
> > had rung up over 3 million dollars in sales.  That is not from mass
> produced
> > ceramics, but from true hand crafted pottery.
> >
> > Mike's materials come from right here in Latah County.  We have the raw
> > stuff from which to form a high value added art related industry in
> Moscow's
> > backyard.  And its not common clay or low value feldspar and quartz, its
> > some of the best porcelain producing material in the world.
> >
> > We need to encourage the Latah Potters Guild and to help it to grow, give
> it
> > space to highlight the skills and talents in the ceramic arts from our
> local
> > materials that can give us something vibrant that is the Palouse's very
> own.
> >   A handcrafted ceramics industry does not sound like it can be an
> economic
> > engine, but look at places that have done so, like Marshall Texas or even
> > Fairbanks Alaska.  Those towns employee hundreds of people in production
> and
> > their activity draws tens of thousands of tourists every year, just to see
> > the potters work.  And it means painting and design jobs as well, a near
> > full gamut of the arts that would keep some of our talented artists here,
> > rather than see them drift down to Arizona or California.
> >
> > I would just like to see us put arts back into Moscow's motto of Heart of
> > the Arts.  We have the materials here in Latah County that could make us
> as
> > important to ceramics as China was from the Kaolin district from which
> Ming
> > porcelain was made.  It would be grand as far as I am concerned to see
> more
> > businesses like Wendt Pottery turning out things of beauty right here in
> > Moscow and I hope to convince the list that it's worth doing as a
> community.
> >
> > Phil Nisbet
> >
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>  List services made available by First Step Internet, 
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>                http://www.fsr.net                       
>           mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
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