NEW RELEASE Studio Ceramics in Canada The full story of the ceramist’s art in Canada Gail Crawford Art 0-86492-428-3 / $45 CDN / $35 US 310 pp / 8.88 x 10 inches Publication Date: Oct. 25, 2005 “Clay aficionados, students, teachers, and future writ- ers on the ceramic scene will find [this book] invalu- able.” Alexandra Montgomery and Susan Jefferies, The Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art. Studio Ceramics in Canada is a comprehensive histo- ry, a beautiful, full-colour book and much more. It is an in-depth look at the growth of ceramics and pot- tery-making as art forms, from their humble begin- nings after World War I to the dynamism and diversi- ty of today. Written by cultural historian Gail Crawford, a pioneer recorder of the history of fine craft, Studio Ceramics in Canada is the result of a decade of research. Conducting extensive work in the field of studio ceramics, Crawford travelled from coast to coast, undertaking countless interviews and comb- ing public and private collections to detail the unique ceramics histories of every province and region. She touches on subjects such as clay deposits, teachers and mentors, as well as artisans and their specialties. Linking clay practice in Canada with critical develop- ments in England and the United States, Crawford also pays homage to the people who helped. bring ceramics and pottery-making into mainstream culture. Writing about people such as Bobs Howarth, who helped Ontario’s Central Technical School become the epicentre of pottery; Alice Hagen, who ran a pottery school out of her Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, home for many years; Léopold Foulem, a Quebec-based ceramist and cult figure with a national and interna- tional following; Luke Lindoe of Alberta, one of the 6 Potters Guild of British Columbia Newsletter All RAW PORE Studio Lleramics in (canada 0 — ws 20th century’s clay giants; founding member of the Whitehorse Potters’ Guild, Peter Royle; and a pletho- ra of artists from points in between, Crawford leaves no stone unturned. Studio Ceramics in Canada contains 170 sumptuous full-colour images of art works and more than 200 archival photographs of influential artists, studios and exhibitions. But it’s Crawford’s great attention to detail and love for the art form that separates this book from the rest. Destined to become the definitive history of Canadian ceramics and pottery, Studio Ceramics in Canada is the first book of its kind. It is both textural and visual, wholly delving into each region to intro- duce the artists, craftspeople, instructors, retailers, curators, teaching institutions and collectors who share a passion for objects transformed by fire. About the Author Originally from Nova Scotia, Gail Crawford has lived and worked in Ontario since 1959. She received her Master’s degree in History from the University of Toronto and has undertaken extensive research proj- ects on a number of historical topics. A highly respect- ed fine craft journalist, her articles have appeared in Fusion, Ontario Craft Magazine, Craftnews and other periodicals. She is also the author of A Fine Line: Studio Crafts in Ontario, 1930 to the Present, the first book of its kind in Canada. She was recently awarded the Ontario Crafts Council Critical Writing Award. Submitted by Rachelle Chinnery June 2005