BOB KINGSMILL WRITES

This fall I have participated in two pre-
Christmas fairs and the experience, while
positive, offered a quirky reminder of my
uncle, the deer hunter.

He was once off in the Alberta bush,
throughly camouflaged, and into his
sport. He even had the boots and cloth-
ing sprayed with a neutral scent. A
slight movement stopped him in his
tracks. There he stood, rifle ready, hyper-
alert, when a cocky little fox trotted out
of the woods.

Without noticing the presence of mas-
sive firepower, it marched directly up to
the uncle. Stopping but briefly, it lifted
one of its back legs and did its territorial
marking on the camouflaged leg and de-
scented boot. The creature then carried
on, unaware of the disorienting effect it
had caused.

Standing next to tables and plinths of
my stuff this fall was like standing in the
woods - you were never certain what
might come by. It is remarkable to note
the number of potters who make use of
these sales: to many it is an important

outlet. Some fairs are massive and com-
plex, like Circle Craft’s Canada Place
Christmas Market, and some are mod-
est, like the Vernon Farmers Market
Christmas sale. They are always a gam-
ble; sometimes they are excellent, some-
times they are sour.

Whichever way it goes, potters put
themselves and their wares out on a
limb. Naturally the experience can
sometimes dampen the spirits (if not the
boots). [had a man approach one of my
stoneware murals and exclaim, “I’d have
to be nuts in the head to spend that kind
of money for something like that!” So I
called him an anal-retentive sheep woo-
er whose parents practiced philately.
Just kidding. I merely smiled and made
some inane comment about how tastes

vary.

I think we could all remember the fox.
We'll all have irritants, but if we remain
steadfast in improving the quality of our
work and continue to put it into the
marketplace, through whatever vehicle,
the community of potters will remain
vigorous.

Bob Kingsmill

The Municipality of Saanich and the
Public Art Policy

CALL TO ARTISTS FOR
INDICATIONS OF INTEREST

The Municipality of Saanich is undergoing renovations to three Recreation Centres.
In keeping with the recently-adopted policy of the municipality, the “Percent for
Art” guidelines will apply to all three building projects. The Public Art budget for
Gordon Head is $23,000, for Cedar Hillis $16,000 and tor Pearkes is $9,000. Artists
interested in participating are invited to submit letters of interest. This letter for one
or more of the projects, should be accompanied by no more than 20 slides of recent
work, a slide list and a resume. For each project, up to five artists from among those
applying will be chosen to submit final proposals. Each project will be
. incependently juried.
Deadline for letters of interest:

+:30 p.m. December 10; 1992
Deadline for final proposals: February 28, 1992

Proposals should be sent to:
The Arts Manager
Greater Victoria Intermunicipal Committee
525 Fort Street
Victoria, B.C.
V8W 1E8
604-386-8661
Also contact the Arts Manager jor further information on the Public Art Policy; the

stage and restrictions on each project: the architect’s statement and the projected
time-frames.

WORKSHOPS

VINCENT MASSEY: A Glaze Workshop
with a Difference!

Vincent Massey's wonderful exuberant
pots with their brightly coloured stone-
ware glazes are, I am sure, known to
many of you. This is not a technical glaze
calculation workshop, but will concen-
trate instead on glaze applications with
a simple method of making glazes fit.
Vincent will also show slides to demon-
strate his techniques.

We are holding this workshop on Satur-
day, January 16th, 1993, from 10am to
4pm at the Burnaby Art Centre, 6450
Deer Lake Ave., Burnaby, and sharing
costs with them, so that registration is
through the Art Centre (note that the
form on page 9 is to be mailed to BAC).
The fee is $25.00 for all registrants.

With the opening of their new facilities
at 7700 Minoru Gate, the Richmond
Cultural Centre celebrates a Cultural
Week. The Denman Island potter Gordon
Hutchens will join the Centre with the
Richmond Potters’ Club sponsorship
by giving a two-day workshop on January
23 and 24, 1993, from 10 am to 4 pm.
The sessions are free to Richmond Pot-
ters Club members, and $15.00 to non-
members. A pot-luck lunch will be held
on Sunday: bring some food and your
own utensils. A cafeteria and nearby
mall are available on Saturday. Contact
Shirley Inouye at 231-6440 for pre-
registration.

The Fraser Valley Potters’ Guild is
sponsoring a February 5th and 6th
workshop at Kwantlen College with the
American Frank Boyden. Contact Cathi
Jefferson to register. $40.00 for the two
days.

More on Frank and his work in January.

Page 4

November/ December, 1992