Earthquake appeal for Mashiko Village, Japan

This information was taken from the Leach
Pottery website on March 18:

The trustees and staff of the Leach Pottery
would like to express our great sadness at the
recent catastrophe that has beset Japan. The
Leach Pottery’s historic and current links
to Japan, dating back over a century, are of
great importance to us and the friendship
we have received from the Japanese people
over the years has been unwavering. We have
not forgotten the support we received from
the people of Mashiko pottery village and
members of the Mingei Association in 2008
when individuals collectively donated over
£40,000 towards rebuilding our pottery in St
Ives and we would like to offer them back the
hand of friendship now.

We are launching an appeal to raise funds
for Mashiko which has been badly hit by the
earthquake. Mashiko has over 400 studios
and kilns, providing the main livelihood of
the village, and the recent quake has caused
considerable damage to both kilns and
buildings.

Mashiko’s two main museums, the Mashiko

Ceramics Museum and the Hamada Reference

The Hamada kiln after the Mar. 11 earthquake
in north eastern Japan.

Museum, have also been badly hit. Mashiko
Town in Tochigi prefecture is located about
60 miles north of Tokyo. In 1923, Shoji
Hamada, co-founder of the Leach Pottery in
St Ives with Bernard Leach, returned to Japan
following the Tokyo earthquake of 1923. He
settled in Mashiko with his family where he
set up his own pottery, now owned and run
by his potter grandson Tomoo Hamada, who
attended the reopening of the Leach Pottery

following its restoration in March 2008.
Shoji Hamada also established the Hamada
Reference Museum in Mashiko to display

Discovery
Art_Travel
201 1 CERAMICS*EXGURSIONS

Crete
Sept. 19-Oct. 4

Morocco
Oct. 13-Nov. 3

his stunning and internationally-acclaimed
collection of crafts and ceramics.

Mashiko earthquake appeal

You can donate to the Leach Pottery’s
Mashiko Earthquake Appeal online or by
mail. Info here:

Other ways to help:

Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF)
The Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF)
strongly encourages supporting the first
responders and wants to pass along Network
for Good's list of some of them:

The Japan Society

‘The society has set up a fund for Earthquake
relief. 100% of funds raised in the Japan
Earthquake Relief Fund will go to Japanese
and American grassroots organizations on the

frontlines of the relief and recovery effort in

Japan.
Mashiko Pottery Fund

Ken Matsuzaki, a renowned potter from
Mashiko, is working with the Mayor of
Mashiko to set up a foundation to help
potters affected by the disaster. For more
visit

information, — please

Handmade for Japan Update
Initiated by Japanese-American ceramic artist
Ayumi Horie ( ), its
goal was to raise $25,000 through an online
eBay auction March 24 to 27. At final counton
March 28, the total had reached $75,757.55!
All net proceeds collected will be donated
to the relief efforts in Japan through Global
Giving’s Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief
Fund (

). The
eBay site is now closed, but the auction items
can still be viewed at on the Handmade for

Japan Facebook page at:

). Ayumi is continuing
her fundraising efforts by encouraging those
who missed the auction to donate directly to

Global Giving here:

@ www.denysjames.com TEL: 1-250-537-4906

RITISH
COLUMBIA Potters Guild of BC Newsletter + April 2011 10