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President’s Message

The very core of any guilds’ mandate is to encourage and
foster the success of its members, and I am personally a strong
believer in having the cream rise to the top. When we look
for our members to deliver their best, they always seem to
rise to the challenge. Starting on the PGBC Board early in
2011, other Board members and I were asked to examine the
development of a new “Standards of Quality” and Jury process
for the Guild and Gallery of BC Ceramics. The new system
comprises a two-part process. This new jury application form
can be viewed online. at: www.bcpotters.com: Guild,/Forms,/
Get a form/Gallery Jury application.

The first section of this new jury process examines the
technical quality of the work submitted. During this process,
the members of the jury examine and discuss the work
presented to them. The five questions an applicant is asked
to answer aid jurors in this part of the process. Since the jury
members can only base their discussion on the work in front
of them, it is recommended that applicants submit work that
best represents not only in general the kind of work they hope
to sell in the gallery, but also their highest quality work.

G a | le ry N CWS By Brenda Beaudoin

If work successfully passes this first section, it then goes to
the second section, which addresses its suitability to the retail

side of the Gallery.

Another change from past years is that we now hold jury
sessions three times a year on or about the first weeks of
March, June and September. This is for the convenience of
applicants, and if there are problems with the application;
members do not have to wait for an entire year to reapply. To
encourage re-application, jury fees are waived for applications
resubmitted within the year.

It is hoped that this new process will help us live up to and
maintain the gallery mandate of ‘Representing the Best of
BC Ceramics.”

As an added incentive for membership, the long-term plan
is to establish a solid reputation through this jury process that
can be carried around and recognized by others as having

value.

—Denise Jeffrey

The PGBC Standards of Quality Committee has created a very comprehensive and

descriptive new gallery retail jury application form. The form speaks to the PGBC
goal of “Representing the Best of BC Ceramics” at the gallery and the care the
Standards of Quality Committee jurors take in assessing applications.

Early in 2011, the PGBC established a Standards of Quality Committee to

begin developing a new system for jurying work for sale in the Gallery of BC
Ceramics. This new system is comprised of a two-part process. The first section is
an examination of the technical quality of the work submitted. A jury comprising
several accomplished practitioners from the ceramic community evaluates the
work. The members of the jury represent a cross-section of clay practice and are
familiar with and/or skilled in different forms of firing, glazing and formation, as
well as with functional and sculptural work. In this section, the jury will look at
many aspects ranging from overall design to how well parts are attached and overall
finish. Applicants will be asked. to answer five questions that will aid jurors in their
discussion of the application. If work successfully passes this first section, it then
goes to the second section, which addresses its suitability to the retail side of the
Gallery. At this point the jury asks the gallery manager and a gallery staff person to

comment on the applications.

The sunshine and warmer weather have finally made an appearance. We have a

wonderful group exhibition Table Salt—salt-fired ceramics by Jackie Frioud, Cathi
Jefferson, Vincent Massey, Sandra Ramos, Lari Robson and Gunda Stewart to kick-

Fawn Storage Jar, Cathi Jefferson

start the summer season. It opens Saturday June 2 and runs through to Monday

July 2.

Gallery staff and I wish PGBC members a wonderful summer!

Potters Guild of BC Newsletter : June 2042