REPORIS "SPEAKING IN CLAY" April llth & lith, i987 The Canada Council expressed their trust in this symposium in a letter to us, stating that it would "make a Significant contribution to the practice and theory of ceramics in Canada." Despite a somewhat nervous beginning--the conference did come off quite smoothly. We received many compliments, for participants and registrants alike, and it seems to me now that such events ean be very valuable with correct planning and administration. The Canada Council is right. And so is the accountant: we turned a small profit. The initial work in preparing government forms, presenting our proposal to them and qualifying the Guild as a reciplent of government monies had been done. What remained to do was the organization of what and how things were to come together. There were a few changes in the original programme. Three people initially contacted were unable to participate in the conference. It was necessary to Find suitable people te fill the void. Bill Rennie substituted for Patricia Bovey, and he gave us some heartfelt insight into the troubles facing young artists starting out im the “art world." Julie Brown, a Fine Arts graduate student at UBC, presented her paper on "Picasso's Ceramics.” She provided us with information on Picasso's feeling towards ceramics that we were unaware of. Also Robin Hopper agreed to be a speaker on Sunday. Without thelr cooperation, the format of the conference would have been in trouble. I would like to thank them all for rising to the challenge and presenting insightful information. The opening for the show, at The Gallery of B.C. Ceramics, "Five Ceramic Artists,” took place on Friday, April lith. The opening was Well attended, and it was evident that everyone was geared up For a stimulating weekend. The evening provided the opportunity for people to get together to discuss their projects and spend a few social hours together. The show was well laid out, and displayed the work to its greatest advantage. If the Guild membership supports conference/show events in the future, we should consider coordinating with Emily carr, amd other galleries on the Island, in order to make it an all inclusive event. During the week prior to the conference, registrations started to climb, and as the week went on, we ended with a total of 75 people. That made for an exciting two days. Saturday morning began with David Zawaduk introducing of the keynote speakers to the audience. Sally Michener lead off with her talk "Thrown off Balance"; Matthew Kangas followed with his lecture on the "Shattered Self"; follewad by Bill Rennie with "The Alternate Gallery Space." The morning session moved quickly and relatively smoothly. The afternesn WAS Sét Up as a forum for panel discussien and audience participation. That this was an excellent Way to provide the audience the opportunity te participate. Rather than sitting there trying to absorb everything that was stated, we had the Opportunity to respond and ask questions. This is an excellent way to provide a forum for our questions about ceramics and thé issues facing us today as artists.