It has been five years since we last did a full review of our programme and a lot has shifted in ceramics in Aotearoa in that time. Membership at clubs has skyrocketed, class enrolments are full almost before they open, great initiatives have sprung up to support the sharing of information between potters (eg NZ Studio Pottery – Technical facebook page), fundraising for clubs is getting harder, funding for potters is getting more competitive, interest in woodfiring is flourishing, competitive exhibitions are gathering momentum, etc, etc.
Dorothy Ewart and her work. Image courtesy of Stuff Limited. Dorothy Ewart, who passed away on 8 January 2022 in Auckland at the age of 96, occupied a unique but relatively unknown place in our pottery history. Her work features quintessential New Zealand designs and...
Real progress has been made at the site of Mirek Smíšek’s historic beehive kilns at Te Horo, Kāpiti Coast. When the section of expressway between Peka Peka and Ōtaki was under planning consideration it was clear the new road would track directly through the land where...
The name Quartz may seem odd for a museum devoted to ceramics but for its owner Rick Rudd, it’s perfect. He quotes A Potter’s Book, by Bernard Leach: “Quartz, raised to a red heat, quenched in water and ground to a powder is a most valuable material...
May 3rd, 2021 Reikorangi On a bright, sunny Monday afternoon in May 2021, around 150 people gathered to celebrate the life of Wilf Wright. Among them were potters, artists, musicians, family, caregivers and helpers. Those in attendance listened to family...
On holiday recently, we searched out some interesting potty places to visit. The village of St Jean-la Poterie, in Brittany, has a 1500-year tradition of pottery and clay work. Their two-day “Fête des Lises” was held in a large park and was a festival more like a mini convention than a market.
