President’s Message

Every year around this time there are changes in personnel on
the Board of Directors. Change is good. It is healthy to have new
voices at the table. But this year we see the departure of some very
significant figures, and I'd like to take a few lines on this page to
recognize them.

In the six years that Don Jung has been on the board he
has transformed our web site to the dynamic and informative
instrument we have now. Don has been proactive in implementing
new features and improvements and has always responded positively
to suggestions from members and the board. He assembled and
chaired a professional communications committee and was an active
participant in all aspects of board activities.

When Donna Partridge joined the board she said she would only
stay for one year. That one year turned into four. During that time
Donna exercised her significant managerial skills to co-ordinate and

Ga | le ry N @wWS By Sharon Cohen

April was a good month in the gallery—all springtime and new
beginnings! Apart from the fact that the warmer weather and the
spring blooms lift the spirits, we also had a good month in terms of
sales, which is extremely gratifying. Over and above that, it was retail
jury time, and that’s always exciting.

We had some very strong retail jury applicants, and great variety.
From sculpted hands to tree bowls, from porcupine quills to peacock
feathers, from rustic-earthy to pastel-pretty. It never ceases to
amaze me how diverse the ceramic medium is and how much
scope there is for different styles and modes of expression.
‘There seems to be as much diversity in the members of the
jury as there is in the work submitted. That makes for some
interesting debate, and also allows us to consider as many
varying viewpoints as possible when decisions are made.

A big thank you to all the guild members who applied for
the retail jury, and congratulations to our two new artists,
Jeanette Moore from Lumby (I confess I have NO idea where
that is!) and Dan Severance from Port Coquitlam. Jeanette’s
raku work is very spectacular; it has a lot of impact. Everyone
who has seen it has been very impressed. Her techniques are
very labour intensive and she explained the processes to us
in detail. We, in turn, are conveying the information to our
customers, and it fascinates them.

‘The work of Dan Severance is very different from Jeanette's;
its appeal is more charming than dramatic. His bright, lively
colours are really cheerful. The pieces possess an almost
whimsical quality. Despite the fact that the work is so

functional, it’s highly decorative, and would add spirit to any

Jeanette Moore adds boldness

organize the Pottery Market at the Lougheed Centre and the Canada
Day Raku-U event. Donna has also been a significant contributor at
the board table participating in all aspects of guild management.

Kathryn O’Regan joined the board three years ago and
immediately took on the BC in a Box project. Kathryn single-
handedly organized the tour of this successful traveling exhibit to
seven galleries throughout the province, soliciting donations of
discounts, materials and prizes. Kathryn also has been an active
participant in board matters, especially in the development of our
vision and strategy.

Please join me in thanking these members for the contribution of

their time and energy over the years.

—Jinny Whitehead

home. His tumblers are what umbrella drinks were made for!

Still in the good news department, our part time staff member Kate
Metten has returned from studying ceramics in Montreal and will be
joining us for the summer before going back to school again in the

Fall. It’s delightful to have her back. We hope we get to sell her work

in the gallery one day!

POTTERS and drama to the gallery.
cast Potters Guild of BC Newsletter « June 2010