Wakatipu Potters’ Group Reporting by Martha Matthews

What a full and exciting day we had down South with the arrival of Touring Potters, Kwak Kyungtae and Marco Minetti of Korea August 13th, 2024.  Thanks to Ceramics NZ for including us on their busy itinerary.  We were pleased to see a number of out of town Ceramics NZ followers in attendance and a spirit of community was shared by all that attended.  With full sessions for both the Throwing and Onggi demonstrations in our 2 year old Studio at Te Atamira Community Arts Facility, participants reported learning (and entertainment) expectations were met. Participants were educated by Kwak’s historical slides showing influences of Korean style and technique. And Kwak’s throwing techniques were so precise that various movements of the clay could be explained down to knuckle position.  It was a “full-on” morning.

We enjoyed watching Marco demonstrate spiral wedging movements preparing large volumes of the Mac’s Mud Weekender clay into the long coil logs used for the afternoon Onggi demonstration.  Many of our attendees didnt realize the floor can be a best friend for wedging large clay lumps (a comment I overheard from several.)  The final display of slip application and decorative iron oxide had a couple of girls moving chairs further away as Kwak’s energetic motions completed the large vessel.

And a pat on our own backs for being ready for the big day too.  Wakatipu Members helped give the studio at Te Atamira Community Arts Facility a good polish before the big day.

Additionally, we were delighted to have the support and delicious Korean boxed lunches generously provided thru the Queenstown Korean Association and local Hikari Sushi Cafe owner.  It was a bonus that made the price for the sessions worthwhile (well, the education we received was also well worth the price too!!!)  Overall, the 2024 Ceramics NZ Touring Potter Programme got a THUMBS UP from everyone.

Three comments about the event I would pass along for the future:

1.  Our club  has a high number of younger claymakers either working or with young families and we had several asking for evening sessions.  I think for the future, that should be considered.
2.  Queenstown area is a destination known for its mountains and outdoor sports options; it was a shame the scheduling didnt allow the Koreans some breathing time to take daylight hours for a drive around, if not to be able to enjoy or see more than our Airport vicinity.
3.  There certainly was a BUZZZ created by the many videos of Kwak and Marco as they made their way around the country.  That was really good for folks that hadn’t quite decided if the event would be worth it.  It added authority to the Touring Potter event’s purpose, high quality, and artistic value.   CNZ should have more of that kind of communication with its members!

Thank you for including the Wakatipu Potters Group.  Well done Nicole Gaston, and the many other managers and volunteers country-wide, for all your hard work.

I will be interested to hear how other locations of the tour deal with the firing or storing of Kwak’s demo treasures!  Let us know thru:  wakatipupotters@gmail.com  or our instagram or facebook .  We are still working on a solution!