Medalta International Artists in Residence In June 2005 I had the good fortune to par- ticipate in MIAIR, Medalta International Artists in Residence, in Medicine Hat, Alberta. The MIAIR program, fondly referred to as Medalta, is currently a four- week residency designed specifically for Canadian and interna- tional ceramists. I had a fantastic experience and I believe it is definitely worth investigating, if you are craving a full immersion in the ceramics studio. For me, the highlights were: working in the inspiring historical factories; meeting and sharing with so many interesting artists; and working for several uninterrupted weeks on a specific body of work. Plus, I made some good friends, helped fire the wood kiln three times, and went to my first chuck wagon races! I drove home with a car full of finished pieces and a sketchbook full of new ideas. There are several wonderfully unique aspects about Medalta: The location: the program is hosted in the Medicine Hat Clay Industries National Historic District’s restored factories. Contemporary ceramists work amidst the historic artifacts of the century-old pottery factories: huge beehive kilns, giant old clay mixers, early industrial production lines, curious mechanisms and machinery, shelves of old molds, and an endless collection of orig- inal pots and crocks. A generous open-studio area has been ded- icated to the residency program for ceramists to work on inde- pendent pursuits while sharing with peers and unavoidably absorbing the fascinating history of the site. Beyond the studio, artists-in-residence are treated to a truly Western Canadian experience: giant train yards, the rolling semi- desert landscape of southern Alberta, the wildly popular local stampede and chuck wagon races, and the wide-open prairie skies with pillow clouds like you have never seen! The people: the Medalta program strives to bring international artists together to share and exchange ideas and experiences. So far, the alumnus includes ceramists from Japan, China, Korea, Ireland, USA and Canada. Each year the residency group consists of three to four invited artists, and 12 to 14 participating artists. The artists are carefully selected to bring a combined and eclectic body of knowledge and experience to the studio. The participating artists are juried into the pro- gram based on submitted portfolios, so as to ensure a certain level of excellence. They range from recent grads, emerging artists, to established studio artists and educators. In addition to the residents, there is a full time studio technician, and the regular visits from a tremendously enthusiastic and friendly group of local potters and MIAIR volun- teers. The creative force behind the MIAIR program is the Artist Director Les Manning. Potters Guild of British Columbia Newsletter Les is a consummate potter, a tireless edu- cator, a remarkably knowledgeable ceramist, and a dedi- cated advocate for the growth of ceramics in Canada. The residency: it is a four week, intense, independent work period for ceramists to explore new territory, review past work, enhance a portfolio, or just re-vitalize energy levels without the interruptions of daily life. Its enough time see growth in individual work; time to explore collaborative work; and time to build lasting friendships. Everyone works in an inspiring open-concept studio space, and each artist is supplied with his or her own large worktable, pottery wheel and ware cart. The studio is fully equipped: clay mixer, slab rollers, an extruder, a full glaze lab (and a legacy of recipes from alumni,) a spray booth, several electric kilns, a large gas car kiln, a bourry box wood kiln and raku kilns. A big bonus is Plainsman Clay, a local clay manufacturing com- pany and ceramics supply warehouse, which is ideally located directly across the road from the studio. Nearly every waking hour is spent at the studio or around the kilns, but there is still plenty of time for barbecues, bike rides and day trips to regional parks and attractions. All the residents stay in surprisingly deluxe townhouse-style stu- dent housing on the campus of the local college. One highlight of the residency is the month-long exhibition “Clay Dynamics” which showcases the current work of all the MIAIR ceramists. Another highlight is the daily slide shows and noon hour discus- sions about portfolios, career ambitions, tricks of the trade, and international opportunities. This spring was the seventh year of the program. MIAIR hosted its first residency in 1998, and the program has been evolving and growing ever since, as has the whole National Historic District (the factory restorations, the museum pro- grams, and archival work.) As MIAIR has grown and matured into a successful pro- gram, it is now poised to move into a fully renovated building - the historical Sunburst Pottery Building. This new studio space will allow the program to expand further and eventually MIAIR will run year-long residen- cies and host annual symposiums and exhibi- tions. MIAIR is a vital ceramics center in Canada. There is currently no other studio running a similar residency program, nor is there anoth- er institution with the potential to be a dedi- cated Canadian ceramics center. Check it out at ww.medalta.org Stephanie Craig Photos courtesy Stephanie Craig November/December 2005