DiamondCore Tools Set to Attend 2022 NCECA

One of the things we love most about what we do is seeing our pottery tools in the hands of ceramics artists and hearing how those tools are personally changing their world. To that end, DiamondCore® Tools is thrilled to share that we’ll be attending the 56th Conference of the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) in person! We’re already planning great things for the 2022 NCECA event, set for March 16-19 at the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center in Sacramento, California.

This year’s NCECA conference, with the theme Fertile Ground, will be an amazing opportunity to introduce our pottery tools to a new audience of artists and, more importantly, cultivate strong bonds with ceramic artists from across the nation and around the world. 

Once again, the NCECA conference will be a unique experience for people who create pottery and those who inspire them. Attendees will get to enjoy lectures, demonstrations and engagement with vendors, nonprofit organizations, schools and galleries.

Noted presenters will include Natalia Arbelaez, Eliza Au, Jennifer Ling Datchuk, Josh DeWeese, Wendy Gers, Brian Gillis, Amy Gogarty, Varuni Kanagasundaram, Bonnie Kemske, Samuel Nortey, Reginald Pointer, George Rodriguez, Stacy Jo Scott, Billie Sessions, Takuro and Hitomi Shibata, Timea Tihanyi, Ehren Tool and many more. Check out the preliminary program schedule for a peek into the many panel discussions, network opportunities and special events being planned for the 2022 NCECA conference.

Check out the 2022 Sacramento trailer video:

The highly anticipated conference is returning in person after being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic the past two years. NCECA was cancelled in 2020 but returned with an online presence in 2021. This year’s hybrid event will incorporate in-person and remote participation, with some health and safety guidelines. NCECA will be asking all who register for the in-person programming to share proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test result taken within 72 hours of the event. Face masks should be worn indoors unless presenting or eating.

While time has felt somewhat fluid the past two years, we know March will be here before we know it. We chatted with DiamondCore® Tools founder Robert Oakes about NCECA 2022 and what exciting things to expect from the DCT team at this year’s event:

Q: How does it feel to be heading back in person to NCECA after the conference faced some challenges during the past two years?

A: We’re very excited to see everyone in real life again. NCECA has always been a great once-a-year opportunity to connect with friends, network with industry partners and meet new customers interested in our pottery tools. We’re glad it will be a safe, healthy space where we can gather again with those we’ve been missing.

Q: What are some new products or techniques DiamondCore will be sharing at the resource hall?

A: We released nine new shapes of our popular handheld clay extruders late last year, so we’ll have those on hand with examples of how to use them. Otherwise, we’ll have a lot of our favorite pottery carving, trimming and sanding tools for people to see and try. We will have our newest diamond drills and other diamond tools, and we have been working on some prototypes for new carving and fine sgraffito tools the world has never seen to test out on some clay.

Q: What are you personally looking forward to at NCECA this year? 

A:  It’s so inspiring to attend NCECA. We always come away with fresh ideas, having been energized by connecting with longtime friends and having made new friends at this conference. It is incredibly satisfying to hear artists tell us how our pottery tools have dramatically improved their lives, whether decreasing muscle fatigue, creating higher-quality work, having more enjoyment or allowing them to create things they couldn’t do before. We have tools that literally every potter or ceramic artist can enjoy and benefit from, so we hope all NCECA attendees will drop by our booth in the Resource Hall sometime during the week and check them out.

There’s so much to learn, explore and appreciate during the annual NCECA conference, and we hope attendees will make visiting with DiamondCore® Tools one of their top priorities. Look for us at booths 701 and 800 near the demo stage and seating. We’ll be waiting for you! Check out the registration options for attending remotely or in person here.

Are you planning to attend NCECA or have questions about the conference and our presence there? Leave a comment below or visit the DiamondCore Instagram and Facebook pages for more information.

Note: Depending on local health concerns due to COVID, in-person plans for NCECA could change significantly on short notice. Be sure to check back for updates, or visit the council’s Facebook and Instagram pages for more details.