Sally Vinson (18 January 1939 – 24 April 2023)

Our President    1982-1985

Sally arrived in Wellington from the UK in 1971 after gaining a diploma at the Central School of Art & Design in Holborn. She had been an exhibiting member of the UK Crafts Council at Eltham and also at the Craftsman Potters Shop in Carnaby Street.

Her restart here in NZ was via Nova Interiors which led her to making pots for the NZ Embassy in Peking and later commissions for lamp bases and vases for ministerial suites at Parliament, and Government Houses in Wellington and Auckland.

Sally meanwhile had built a rapport with Peter Sinclair and his Alicat retail outlets. Pottery was ‘on a roll’ here in NZ at that time and Sally’s pots were in demand. It was here in NZ she turned to her now familiar majolica glazes which was new to the local pottery scene. The background to her glazes were well reported at the time in the NZ Potter magazine.

Soon after her move to Devonport Sally involved herself in the “Craftspeople Against Sales Tax” movement successfully lobbying the Government on their very unpopular 12% sales tax on all forms of pottery. Maybe it was this that gave Sally the confidence and energy to become a warrior in the NZ Anti Nuclear movement.

In Auckland Sally created a pottery workshop in Devonport’s Bath Street on the boat ramp where visitors to Cheltenham Beach could buy pieces direct from here or her children Lucy and Nick.  That’s when John Taylor came into her life and helped build a beautifully designed light filled studio in the garden of their house in Abbotsford Terrace. 

Sally involved herself with NZ Society of Potters and served as Vice President under Leo King before taking on the Presidency 1982-1985. During that period she had the support of such delegates as Jane Capon, Ray Rogers, Chris Cockell, Frederika Ernsten, Alan Young, Francis Frederic, Katherine Sanderson, Patti Meads, Gillian Pope, Michael Lucas, Bob Heatherbell, Richard Booker, Sally Connolly, Stan Jenkins, John Crawford, Julie Mair, Neil Grant, Val MacArthur, Peter Gibbs, Vic Evans, Jean Hastedt, Cecilia Parkinson, Jan Bell, Raeburn Laird, Melis van der Sluis, Roger King, Jenny Shearer, Margaret Symes, Howard Williams, Margaret Ryley, David Atkinson, Wendy Masters, Evelyn Kelly, Ann Bain and the secretary / treasurer, Russell Toplis.

Like so many members of NZ Society of Potters (now Ceramics NZ) she showed her works in numerous solo and group exhibitions and her works are well catalogued in many archives.

In 1987 Sally was appointed “Course Supervisor” in Craft Design at Carrington Polytechnic. This was a new course that drew on all Sally’s experiences as a tutor back in the UK, and her advocacy and governance roles in NZ. 

Having successfully launched this course, Sally and husband John, moved themselves to Coromandel to go back to studio potting and immersing themselves in the Coromandel Arts Council and other local initiatives (including the anti mining lobby).

But not even Coro could hold her still, and back to mother England they went in May 1999 where they settled at Seaview on the Isle of Wight.

Sally lost her beloved John in 2006, and is survived by her three children, Lucy, Nick and Jake.

She will be remembered as talented – determined – loving – competent – erudite – formidable – caring – smart – and above all, beautifully unique.

Submitted by Russell Toplis – Honorary Life Member Ceramics New Zealand