COLUMBIA

Top: Some ceramics from the Classics Collection.

Middle: Pottery by Laura Wee Lay Laq is featured in the opening
exhibition Borderzones.

Bottom: Some pottery by David Lambert in the B.C. ceramics case.

Potters Guild of BC Newsletter - March 2010

Opening at the
Museum of
Anthropology, UBC

By Carol E. Mayer

On January 23, the Museum of Anthropology (MOA) at the
University of British Columbia opened its $55.5-million expansion
and renewal project. The original galleries known as the Visible
Storage area have been replaced with 14,000 sq.ft. of new exhibition
and storage space. These new Multiversity Galleries provide maximum
visual access to some 16,000 objects from around the world.
Collections that might be of interest to potters include about 4,000
objects made of clay: approximately 1,800 from Asia, 250 from the
Pacific, 100 from Africa, 850 from the Americas, 800 from Europe
and 200 from Canada. A significant number of these are on display,
and they are much more visible and better organized than they used
to be. It is fascinating to walk though the galleries and be able to view
ceramics from world-wide cultures. What a great boon for potters and
teachers alike! There is one display case (at the moment) dedicated to
B.C. ceramics. These include works by Emily Carr, Gathie Falk, Dave
Lambert, Irene Berchtenbreiter, and John Reeve. More contemporary
potters include Laura Wee Lay Lag, Meg Ida, Cheryl Stapleton,
John Heineman and Jeannie Mah. Many of these were donated by
Sally Michener who worked with Carol Mayer on the installation.
Laura Wee Lay Laq is also featured in the new temporary exhibition
Borderzones that will be open until September.

Beyond the Multiversity Galleries is the Koerner Gallery of European
Ceramics—one of the finest collections of its type in Canada. During
the renovations of the museum the entrance to this gallery was
relocated and is now accessed via the Great Hall. The ramp leading
up to the new entrance already features some of Sally Michener’s
figurative sculptures. We have recently learned that funding is available
to develop a ‘ceramics wall’ in this area. This isan opportunity to think
of some innovative ways to introduce the visitor to B.C. ceramics. It
is hoped that this new area will be opened by the fall of 2010. Come
and visit us. We value your feedback, your suggestions, and your

involvement.

Carol E. Mayer is Head, Curatorial Department, Curator (Oceania
e Africa), Associate to Dept. Anthropology at the MOA. For more

information on the museum see: www.moa.ubc.ca

National Conference for
Visual Artists; Banff, AB

May 14th & 15th, 2010, hosted by Canadian Artists’
Representation/Le Front des artistes canadiens (CARFAC)
Come meet your fellow artists in the mountains and discuss the
issues that are important to you such as marketing, artists’ fees and
public funding. Networking, panels, workshops,and more! Register:
www.carfac.ca/2009/12/national-conference-for-visual-
artists/lang-pref/en/