The Ceramics Association of New Zealand is pleased to announce the finalists for the Ceramics NZ 60th National Diamond Jubilee Exhibition. The sixty works included in this year’s milestone exhibition have been selected by Dr Emma Bugden through a two stage judging process. The works will be showcased at the Otago Art Society in Dunedin and in a full colour catalogue. The exhibition opens on October 23, 2021.

The winner of the Primo-Pro Premier Award and all prize recipients will be announced at the awards night on October 22nd at 6pm. The Diamond Jubilee is generously supported by Creative New Zealand and the NZ Lottery Grants Board. We are grateful to all our sponsors who have supported the event:

Primo-Pro Premier Award $3000
Imerys Excellence Award $1000
Driving Creek Pottery Residency Award $1000 (valued at)
Pack and Send Merit Award $750
Nelson Pottery Supplies Emerging Artist Award $500 worth of materials
CCG People’s Choice Award $250 worth of materials

Congratulations to our finalists. The shortlist of artists can be viewed on our website here.

Key events:

Friday 22 October Awards evening, Otago Art Society

Saturday 23 October, 9 am Ceramic Walkabout around Dunedin visiting Architecture Van Brandenburg, Brett McDowell Gallery, Milford Gallery, De Novo Gallery and Olga Gallery. Starting 9am sharp at John Wickliffe Plaza, Corner Princes and Rattray Streets. Look out for a blue umbrella with pottery motifs. No waiting for late arrivals.

Saturday 23 October, 2 pm Presentation by the judge Dr Emma Bugden at the Dunedin Public Art Gallery, The Octagon.

Saturday 23 October, 4 pm Otago Potters Group Annual Exhibition opens

Saturday 23 October, 10-1 pm Moray Gallery, Sara Scott Exhibition

Sunday 24 October, 10 am – 4 pm School of Art, Otago Polytechnic, Riego Street (off Albany Street), Various events

Monday 25 October, 9 am – 3 pm School of Art, Otago Polytechnic, Master class with Michael Tannock (prior registration required directly with School of Art)

For programme details see our events page

The first New Zealand studio pottery show in 1957 inspired the creation of the magazine “New Zealand Potter “ and led to the formation of the “New Zealand Society of Potters”, now called Ceramics Association of New Zealand (Ceramics NZ). To mark this milestone, the National Exhibition returns to its place of origin. Situated in the Otago Art Society’s historic railway building exhibition space, this open exhibition will showcase New Zealand’s leading studio potters and ceramic artists. A parallel exhibition will feature archival and retrospective materials documenting key figures in New Zealand’s pottery history and works from private collections.

Dr Emma Bugden is the judge for this year’s special anniversary exhibition. Among her many key leadership roles in the art sector, such as Senior Curator at the Dowse, Director of ARTSPACE, judge of the Portage 2017 Awards and Juror for the 2016 Walters Prize; she is also the editor of New Zealand Potter: A Partial Archive in 2017. Bugden is an arts writer, consultant and is currently Strategic Lead: Creative Industries and Arts at Whanganui & Partners, the economic development agency for Whanganui. She is a Trustee of the Blumhardt Foundation and co-founder of Small Bore Books, a specialist art and design publisher dedicated to connecting historic texts with new audiences.

Ceramics NZ is a non-profit organisation and the national body for ceramics in Aotearoa-New Zealand. The organisation has a rich history in supporting some of the country’s most influential artisan makers by providing unique platforms, such as national exhibitions. The New Zealand studio pottery show in 1957 held at the Otago Museum inspired the creation ofthe New Zealand Potter magazine. It eventually led to the formation of the “New Zealand Society of Potters”, now called Ceramics Association of New Zealand (Ceramics NZ). The Association currently publishes the national magazine Ceramics New Zealand.

Further information can be found on our website here.