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Get to know your Board: Denise Jeffrey

This is the first installment in a new feature highlighting our board
members. Based loosely on the “subway interview” popular on many
news programs, these interviews will give personal, candid snapshots of
the stalwart individuals who make up our board. The PGBC could not
function without its many volunteers, and we hope that by revealing
the personalities behind those names listed at the back of the newsletter,
more members will begin to think of themselves in these positions. We
are always looking for new faces, talents and ideas to help us move our
organization forward. What a lucky series of chances brought Denise
Jeffrey, our newest board member, to our doors. Here’ her story:

Amy Gogarty: Can you tell us your name and how you came to be
on the board?

Denise Jeffrey: Denise E Jeffrey, D to my friends and many members
of my family. I met Jinny [Whitehead, President] at the [East Side]
Culture Crawl in November, and now I'm on the board...Howd dat

happen?
AG: How long have you been in B.C. and what was your background?

DJ: I'm a new comer to B.C., arriving July 2009 from Nova Scotia
with husband and dog. (What the heck are those mountains doing there?)
I spent too many years at NSCAD, following up my Bachelor of
Environmental Planning with my BFA in ceramics at the Nova Scotia
College of Art and Design. I actually went back to study textiles, but
I slipped in to check out the ceramics department and got sucked
into the mud. I haven't looked back since. After leaving school, my
work and volunteer activities all involved ceramics in some way, from
working at a ceramic supply house in Nova Scotia, producing and
selling my own ceramic products, to volunteering with the Nova
Scotia Designer Craft Council in various capacities including time on
their Board.

AG: What is your connection to ceramics?

DJ: I have been working in clay since the 1990s. After receiving
my BFA, I served as an apprentice to potters on Nova Scotia’s south
shore (Lunenburg, Mahone Bay). I established my own studio in the
community of Mineville just outside of Dartmouth. Patterns found
in nature inspire my work in Cone 6 porcelain, which is thrown and
altered with hand-built or slab-formed elements. Carving is a decorative
element I use widely in my work. My goal is to create work that can
be appreciated for its form, colour and feel but also used and enjoyed
everyday around the home. I can think of no greater complement than
to have someone who has purchased my work come back and tell me
how much they enjoy using it or that they use it everyday.

By Amy Gogarty

Denise's dog, Terra (as in ferra sigillata).

AG: What sort of projects would you like to work on with the Board?
What are your goals?

DJ: “Ask not what your guild can do for you, but what you can do for
your guild” is my personal rallying cry. After attending as a guest to
a board meeting, I was invited to join the board. The Atlantic region
where I come from has a very strong sense of volunteerism. Everyone
finds something they love or believe in and gets involved as a way to
give back and help out. I love ceramics and strongly believe in the
concept of traditional craftsmanship. Through guild organizations
such as the PGBC, concepts of quality and craftsmanship are passed
along, promoted and preserved. Yes, a small, underlying and self-
serving motivation exists for becoming involved. Working alone in
a studio can be isolating, and the social aspect of working with a
fabulous group of people equally interested ceramics is challenging,
stimulating, and even fun, not to mention a great way to keep in touch
with what is going on in the clay community.

AG: What else would you like to tell us about yourself? What are your
special interests?

DJ: My interest in ceramics has made travel a little more interesting
as well. Whenever I find myself in an international or even provincial
capital, the first places I look for are galleries especially those with a
good ceramic component. The V&A in London, anywhere in
city of Delft, the Netherlands, the Van Gogh and Rijksmuseum in

Continued on Page 5, Amsterdam, Norway

with SUZY BIRSTEIN

where Mama Mia was filmed!

- Skopelos Foundation for the Arts
Info & registration: 604.737.2636, www.suzybirstein.com

Potters Guild of BC Newsletter « April 2011