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POTTERS
GUILD
of BRITISH

COLUMBIA
a

President’s Message

Tt is hard to believe that it is December already! 2010 has been
quite a roller-coaster year, with the short but intense euphoria of the
Olympics at the beginning of the year followed by the reverberating
effects of a shaky U.S. economy. But we are still here, feeding

our passion, sharing ideas and supporting one another through

membership in the guild. As an organization we don't have much

money to spare, but we certainly have deep pockets in terms of our

Ga | le ry N @wWS By Sharon Cohen

‘The days are getting shorter and darker and
the year is winding down. This means it’s time
to start thinking of the exciting opportunities
and adventures next year will bring. An
excellent opportunity for guild members to
participate in gallery life comes in the form
of a proposed group show for 2011. I love
guild member group shows. They make for so
much fun and such a wonderful atmosphere
in the gallery, and gives me the opportunity
to meet some of the potters I’ve not yet been
privileged enough to become acquainted with.
‘The exhibition is to be called Spottery, and will
feature anything and everything with a spot or
dot theme or motif. This will be a non-juried
show, open to all. The work can be serious or
cheeky; functional or decorative. The only
prerequisites are that the piece should be for
sale, and that there should be at least one
spot on it! Anything from dominoes to polka
dot teapots...get your thinking caps on, let
the muse whisper in your ear, and get into
the studio with spots before your eyes! We're
hoping for maximum participation, so please
consider submitting. Details and deadlines
will be posted next year, but we're aiming to
host the exhibition in May 2011, so there's no
time to waste.

We're concluding the year here in the gallery
by looking ahead to the future. We're featuring
the work of the ceramic artists of tomorrow in
our exhibition Head, Heart, Hands. The show
features the work of high school students,
pupils at the West Point Grey Academy here
in Vancouver. Knowing that the work was by
high school students, and that homework-not-
done excuses are common to such people, one
of our customers quipped that the exhibition
should have been called The Dog Ate My
Kiln’ 1 love it! The work on show is fresh and
uninhibited. There’s a real spontaneity and
joy in the pieces. Gallery visitors have really
enjoyed checking out all the work, it’s really
different from what we usually show in the

Daisy Dishes by Jordan
Sykes of the West Point
Grey Academy.

exhibition area. That’s what it’s all about—
pushing the envelope and showcasing ceramic
work that would normally not be seen in the
gallery. And then of course there’s the next
generation of potters to encourage and inspire.
They're the future of our craft.

To conclude 2010, a very big thank you
to all of the gallery artists for supporting and
supplying the gallery throughout the year. I
always say I have the best job one could wish
for, as I get to be surrounded by art and beauty
every day. Thanks for that privilege, and for
creating such beautiful work!

My very best wishes to everyone for a
wonderful Christmas and New Year. All the
best for 2011!

supportive staff and volunteers willing to contribute their time and
energy to make the guild what it is. THANK YOU to you all.

Best wishes to everyone for a happy holiday season and a wonder-
ful 2011,

—Jinny Whitehead

Student Art:
Serpent Mermaid by Tina Lin.

Chop Marks
& Signatures

Send in your chops and have them

available through the guild. For the
form, click on the link here: www.

bepotters.com/Guild/chops.php

You can email it back to Debra Sloan at
sloanyip@shaw.ca as an attachment. Or
print and mail your sheet[s] to Potters
Guild of BC , 1359 Cartwright Street,
Granville Island, Vancouver, B.C.

V6H 3R7 attention: chops.

Potters Guild of BC Newsletter : December 2010

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