“Cn October 9 1969 a group of seven
potters met at the home of Ros Eldridge at

the invitation of the hostess.

Mrs Eldridge explained the reasons for
meeting together as“... a desire to form a
group of local potters who are interested in
promoting a better craft with the opporta-
nity of exchanging ideas anc working to-
gether on projects.”

The above is an excerpt from the first
minutes of what was to become the
Thompson Valley Potters Guild.

At the November meeting they critiqued
one another's work, presumably to make
sure their work met a required standard,
because one of the members had visited a
show in Vancouver, which in her opinion
*... Was not in itself a prestige show, but of
a rustic atmosphere, using cedar shelves.
The colours were mostly ‘earthy’ with
some decorative pieces,”

In December it was decided to form a
society and on January 8 1970, witheleven
members present the Constitutvon for the
Thompson Valley Potters Guild was

adopted.

In March of 1970 they voted to affiliate
with the Potters Guild of British Colum-
bia. Because I only have minutes and no
financial records | can only assume they
joined at that time, and so began an asso-
ciation, which continues today.

The Thompson Valley Potters Guild today
has 40 members doing adiversity of work.

We have members working with porce-
lain, with stoneware, and carthenware; we
have production potters, potters who make
only functional ware, Raku artists, hobby
potters, and sculptors. We have old potters
(in age and expenence) and young potters
(also in age and experience). This exciting
Mix makes up our community of potters.

The aims of our guild have not changed
much from those set out in 1969. We have
monthly meetings, still the second Thurs-
day, to share knowledge and ideas.

We have at least two workshops a year to
improve our skills and promote a better
cratt.

There are potters beyond Hope!

We hold two sales a year to show our
members’ current work and provide the
public with achance to see excellent work,

We have built a lending library to make
books and videos available to members.

[have really enjoyed reading through the
old minutes. Unfortunately | do not have
1971 to 1981, (the lost decade, I guess),
but many memories have been stirred. A
lot of our members have been a part of this
group for more than 20 years, and so we
not only have a sense of being a pottery
community, but we are almost like family,
We have watched each other's children
grow; we have helped cach other through
tragedy, and we have shared joyful occa-
sions together,

Then every year we get pew members, all
with a common interest... Clay!

One of my reasons for writing this article
18 to encourage other guilds in the prov-
ince to ict us know how their group came
into being. We would love to hear.

Those of us, who function beyond Hope,
send our money to the Potters Guild of BC
every year, and then we sit back and say
they do nothing for us, Well I know the
PGBC executive is constantly trying to
think of ways to include us ... its yourtum
now, secretaries out there... let ws all know
about your guild, association or club.
Laura Nyetste

Thompson Valley Potters Guild

ClayLines

On July 7 2002, Julia Maika and Rick
Brewster became proud parents of their
first child, Josephine Majka Brewster. (Heer
middle name, Majka is the original Polish
spelling of Maika), Weighing Sibs, Soz,
she was bor at the Centre de Maternité de
l'Bstric in Sherbrooke, Québec. The mew
family is doing very well,

Ceramics Production Studio
Available

Who are we?

An inspired group of Ceramists/Potters with
individual production studios and a shared

kiln room.

What do we hove?

Oocess.
Location:

Contact:

Studio (only one available currently) with your own
windew/door. Shared amenities include wash sta-
tion, kiln room and kilns, security system and moni-
toring, telephone, 10’ ceilings, ground floor, 24 hour

945 Vernon Drive (near Clark & Venables), Vancouver

Morley Faber: 604-724-4999
Email: mfaber@telus.net

The Mergartroid Building

Serving the orts community of Voncouver