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Master of ceremonies

by Grace Rauh

D iane Master stands on the steps of her 1930s adobe home and waves hello. She is tanned and barefoot, wearing a loose-fitting sleeveless top and cropped pants that hang from her yoga-toned body.

The sun is beginning to bake the dry, golden grass that surrounds Master's home on the west side of Foothill Expressway, and she ducks inside, disappearing into the cool shadows.

Master is an art lover and avid collector. Colorful ceramic teapots crowd a bookshelf in her living room and a series of earth-toned clay bowls sit atop her gray-purple fireplace mantle.

A woven cloth from Indonesia is draped over the rung of a carved wooden ladder that leans against the dining room wall, and a modern birthday cake sculpture, designed by Portola Valley artist Nina Else, is situated outside, at the base of an artificial waterfall.

Master's whole life is filled with art. She manages the gallery shop at the Palo Alto Art Center and runs the annual Palo Alto Clay and Glass Festival, to be held this weekend at the Palo Alto Art Center.

"My life is filled with feeding my collection and feeding my contacts with artists. It's fabulous," she said.

A love for beautiful things is in Master's bones, but she has never been drawn to being an artist. As a child, she collected miniature dogs during long shopping trips with her antique-collecting parents. At the University of Illinois she majored in art for three weeks, but soon dropped it for a more practical degree in hospital administration.

"I'm very organized and I love detail," she said.

Master has long been drawn to clay works. She began collecting them in college by saving her pennies here and there.

"It's so grounded. It's so tactile. It's warm," Master said.

Today Master's passion for art and her organizational skills are melded through her work at the gallery shop and with the festival, put on annually in conjunction with the Association of Clay and Glass Artists (ACGA) of California, a highly selective juried-art group.

As a collector, Master frequented craft shows such as the ACGA's, held twice annually at the Conservatory in Golden Gate Park. On her way home one year, Master turned to say goodbye to Portola Valley potter Jan Schachter and was surprised to learn there would be no festival the following year, because the conservatory was slated for long-term renovations. Schachter suggested that Master bring the show to Palo Alto.

Master launched the first Palo Alto Clay and Glass Festival in 1992, displaying works by 40 artists. This weekend's festival will showcase 180.

In just over a decade, Master has become a regular fixture of the Bay Area arts scene. She averages 35,000 miles in her car each year, driving to art shows, fairs, galleries and artists' studios throughout the West Coast.

"If you have your antennae up you can find something every weekend," Master said.

A few weeks ago the ubiquitous Master attended a show in Berkeley to promote the Palo Alto Clay and Glass Festival.

"So many of the artists were just laughing at me, saying, 'You always show up. You're everywhere.'"

Whether building her own collection, finding new artists to showcase at the galley shop or encouraging artists to join the ACGA, Master is always developing and strengthening her ties with artists.

"Some I now consider my friends, and some of the pieces I now consider my friends," Master said.

Not only does she love the objects themselves, but she often knows the artists personally. With little hesitation, she can pick up a bowl, plate, vase or pitcher and tell a tale about the artist and when she bought it.

"This man paints with a brush with one bristle," Master said, holding up a platter with intricate fireflies around the rim. She puts it down on her dining room table, now covered with her dinnerware collection. No two plates are alike.

"Here's a way of justifying my purchases -- dinnerware. The family's got to eat."

Master first got the idea from two artist friends who used their dining room tables to display their own collection.

"It is so much fun to see the range of work and decide which plate is going to be yours for the evening," Master said.

As Master's collection has grown, so has her appreciation and connection with the art -- so much that she has devoted her life to it.

"I'm lucky in that I got to follow that passion," she said.

Master takes pride in the high-caliber work that will be exhibited at this year's festival.

"This is their life work. They are not hobbyists," Master said of the ACGA artists. She said the association is an opportunity for artists to communicate with one another and connect through a larger community.

"It has such a reputation of excellence and high standards. They are looking at this as an honor and boost to their careers," she said.

All 180 showcased artists will be on hand to discuss their work with the public. Most of the artists work in clay rather than glass.

"That's the average around the world as well. It's difficult to have a glass studio. It's a difficult medium and it's difficult to maintain."

Master will be at the festival all weekend, but not wearing her collector's hat.

"When you go with me you have to be prepared to spend the day, because I am going to spend a long time talking to a lot of people."

What: The 11th annual Palo Alto Clay and Glass Festival

Where: Palo Alto Art Center, 1313 Newell Road (corner of Embarcadero Road)

When: Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Cost: Admission is free.

Info: Call (650) 329-2366 or visit www.acga.net.