👋 Kia ora from me, the Ceramics NZ Vice President and interim newsletter editor, Nicole Gaston. Welcome to our May 2023 newsletter and all things Ceramics New Zealand.
Nicole Gaston
Vice-president
👋 Kia ora from me, the Ceramics NZ Vice President and interim newsletter editor, Nicole Gaston. In this issue we put a call out for expressions of interest in joining our Executive Council, as well as a heads up about an upcoming strategic review and invitation to participate in a survey, along with news from around the regions.
There's also an update about our next issue of Ceramics New Zealand Magazine and a welcome to our new Auckland council member, Siriporn Falcon-Grey!
Most importantly, a huge thank you to Elizabeth Martindale for her work on these newsletters over the last year. Elizabeth is moving on to new projects and we wish her the best of luck!
Currently our plan is to publish this newsletter every other month. That means the next issue will be coming to you in July — if you have any events or news you'd like included please get in touch!
Continue reading my newsletter debut and more on our website »
CERAMICS NEW ZEALAND MAGAZINE
Volume 6, Issue 1 of Ceramics NZ Magazine gives space to the messy joy of collaboration, the bonds forged through wood-firing, and the social power of community events. We dive into the chaos of Brickell-Brac at Whangārei Art Museum, visit Nelson Clay Week 2022, explore the cross-cultural knowledge-sharing of anagama firing. We peek behind the scenes in Cindy Huang’s object exchange project: Twin Cultivation, and step into Amanda Shanley’s new studio shop, where customers are company.
As well as encouraging human relationships, uku can nurture makers’ connections with their whenua. Holding boundless histories of place and family, clay is known to participate in the untangling, rewriting or recording of a practitioner’s own story; it is elemental, archival, and yet personal. In this issue we cover the phenomenal work of Wi Taepa, Hana Pera Aoake’s wild contemporary ceramic practice, and the confounding machine componentry of Richard Penn.
Subscribe to the magazine, purchase back issues, and find stockists here.
Ceramics NZ is taking stock
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.
Watch this space for your invitation to participate in our upcoming survey!
Read an update by Briar Monro about our strategic review currently underway »
Welcome Siriporn Falcon-Grey!
The Ceramics Association of New Zealand welcomes Siriporn Falcon-Grey as the new Regional Council Member (RCM) from Auckland. Siriporn brings a wealth of experience as a ceramic artist and teacher. Read more and find out how to get in touch with Siriporn »
Quarry Arts woodfire kiln
NORTHLAND
Update from Northland thanks to our acting RCM Briar Monro detailing upcoming exhibitions, workshops, and events including the recent first firing of the Quarry Arts Centre woodkiln by the newly formed Whangarei Woodfiring Roopu.
‘If only he loves me’ by Cobi TFJ Bosch, part of the Mirror Mirror exhibition at Move Space gallery until 31 May.
AUCKLAND
Our new Auckland RCM Siriporn Falcon-Grey has compiled this excellent list of all things clay in the region. There are heaps of exhibitions on at the moment in and around Tāmaki Makaurau! Click below to find out what's on & where.
Clay making workshop at Driving Creek
CENTRAL NORTH ISLAND
Check out upcoming workshops at Driving Creek Railway, including an epic 14-day kiln rebuild alongside Duncan Shearer, and workshops and exhibitions from the wider region and more! Continue reading »
Unhinged Dowse Art Museum, Lower Hutt 5 Mar – 13 Aug 2023
WELLINGTON/WESTERN DISTRICTS
We've got exhibitions, events, workshops and more covered in our Wellington & Western Districts report. Lots of exciting stuff happening from Whanganui to Pōneke!
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NELSON/MARLBOROUGH
Would you like to contribute an update here? Maybe consider joining council as our Nelson/Marlborough Regional Council Member (RCM). A regional council member is a voluntary position with the requirement of a short monthly meeting and the wish to link your local clay community to the wider ceramics sector. Get in touch to discuss »
Form Gallery's upcoming exhibition
CANTERBURY/WEST COAST
Upcoming exhibitions and some updates from the Ashburton potters courtesy of our RCM Lois!
Salt fired pots image courtesy of The Otago Potters Group in Dunedin
OTAGO/SOUTHLAND
The Otago Potters Group in Dunedin recently hosted a Salt and Soda Kiln Firing Workshop, the inaugural firings in their new kiln which was built in a previous workshop under the guidance of Duncan Shearer. Thanks to Kate Fitzharris for collating the details! Continue reading »
HOW TO JOIN/SUBSCRIBE/RENEW
Ceramics New Zealand is Aotearoa’s national organisation for artists and craftspeople who work with clay, collectors and curators of New Zealand ceramics, and anyone else with a passion for pottery.
As a member of Ceramics New Zealand, you are contributing to a national organisation, able to lobby at local and national level on behalf of the ceramics community. We are committed to building a strong, diverse national community that celebrates the knowledge and skill of New Zealand potters and collaborates with other organisations to support the arts in Aotearoa.
