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Canberra Potters 2023 Members’ Exhibition

Canberra Potters 2023 Members’ Exhibition

Canberra Potters 2023 Members’ Exhibition

where

Canberra Potters
Gallery

DATES

 3 November to 3 December 2023.

Opening: 6pm, Thurs 2 Nov 2023.

TIME

Tuesday to Saturday
10.00am–4.00pm
Sunday
11:00am–3:00pm

2023 Award Winners

See our 2023 award winners

2023 Entry Details

Online entry form now live!

Opening 6pm Thursday 2 November 2023.

Important Dates:

10am-3:30pm Tues 24 to Sat 28 October, or 11am-2:30pm Sun 29 October Entry forms due, and labelled entries to be delivered to Canberra Potters with $35 entry fee (card only).
30-31 October and 1 November 2023 Selection of exhibits and installation
6pm Thurs 2 November 2023 Awards Ceremony & Exhibition Opening
3 November to 3 December Exhibition open Tuesday to Sunday
3-4pm Sun 3 December, or 10-4pm Mon 4 December  Collection of unsold exhibits

About:

The Canberra Potters annual Members’ Exhibition is a highlight of our exhibition program and features some of the best work created by our members during the last twelve months.

The Members’ Exhibition presents the inexhaustible breadth of ceramic arts through works using combinations of different clays, making, decorating and firing techniques to create works that are unique in form, texture and colour. Demonstrating the trends in contemporary ceramics practice, this is Canberra’s major ceramic show of the year.

2023 Announcement:

The Doug Alexander Memorial Award is the flagship award among several awards presented on the night and is proudly sponsored by Canberra Potters’ Society. Past winners include Cathy Franzi, Ian Jones, Bev Hogg, Maryke Henderson, Daniel Lafferty, Jane Crick and many, many more. The award is highly regarded among the region’s potters and ceramicists.

In recognition of the importance and growing popularity of this award, it is with great pleasure that we are announcing that the Board has agreed to significantly increase the prize money from $1000 to $2500. We hope by raising the award amount we are acknowledging the true value and respect in which this prize is held within the ceramic arts community. Furthermore, it reflects the continued success and profile that Canberra Potters’ Society enjoys as the region’s leading provider of pottery and ceramic arts opportunities for our members and friends.

Due to the expected interest in this year’s exhibition, we have applied additional terms and conditions for entry. Please head to the entry form page to find out more.

History of The Doug Alexander Memorial Award:

Each year since 1990, Canberra Potters have given the Doug Alexander Award to an exceptional potter in our annual Members’ Exhibition. It is presented in celebration and honour of Doug Alexander who was the resident potter at Cuppacumbalong Arts and Craft Centre at Tharwa, from 1976 to 1981 – brought short by his untimely death.

Doug Alexander made a huge contribution to the development of functional ceramics in Australia and, when he moved to Canberra, Doug Alexander’s experience and knowledge gave a fillip to pottery in Canberra. This $2500 cash prize is proudly sponsored by Canberra Potters.
Information retrieved from Doug Alexander –  A Retrospective. 

Sponsors and Partners

Thank you to all our generous sponsors:

The Australian Ceramics Association

Craft + Design Canberra 

The Curatoreum

Hiroe Swen

Keane Ceramics

Lesley Lebkowicz & Skye Blomfield

Northcote Pottery Supplies

Walker Ceramics 

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Address

1 Aspinall Street Watson
Canberra Australia.

Phone

General Enquiries
02 6241 1670
Class Enquiries
02 6241 7800

Emerging from the Earth: Clay & Flowers

Emerging from the Earth: Clay & Flowers

Emerging from the Earth: Clay & Flowers

where

Canberra Potters
Gallery, Watson Arts Centre. 1 Aspinall St Watson, ACT, 2602.

TIME

Tuesday to Saturday
10.00am–4.00pm
Sunday
11:00am–3:00pm

DATES

28 September to 22 October 2023

Opening 6pm Thursday 28 September 2023

Opening 6pm Thursday 28 September by Jodie Cunningham, CEO + Artistic Director of Craft + Design Canberra.

About the Exhibition:

Plants, flowers and clay share common origins as they emerge from the earth’s crust.

Emerging from the Earth: Clay & Flowers challenges the common misconception of floral design as being relegated to “flowers in vases”. Experimental floral designers are pushing the boundaries in their work with flowers and other plant materials, to move beyond utility or decoration into a more considered creative response to a clay object. 

This exhibition, curated by Eve Sawa (VoxFlora) and Narelle Phillips (brave botanics), showcases pairings of botanic and ceramic artists as a symbiotic relationship between the plant material and the vessels which contain or sustain them. This flow of materiality is not limited to the conventional notion of the botanical parts being restricted within the confines of the vessel itself. The flowers or plant materials may instead appear in unexpected and exciting ways. 

This expanded view of the relationship between a ceramic host and its botanical occupant speaks of the very nature of their existence and respective origins, often occurring in tandem.

 

Participating Artists:

Abbey Jamieson & Caitlin Buckler Jones 

Jacqui Keogh & brave botanics

Julie Paterson & Adele Rae Cameron 

Fran Romano & Amy Kerr-Menz

Tony Steel & Kate Ahmad 

David Suckling & VoxFlora

 

Images:

top: Jacqui Keogh (ceramics), front tile: Julie Paterson (ceramics)

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Address

1 Aspinall Street Watson
Canberra Australia.

Phone

General Enquiries
02 6241 1670

2023 Members’ Exhibition Entry Form

Canberra Potters 2023 Members’ Exhibition Entry Form

DATES

Delivery of Entries 24 to 29 October 2023.

Opening: 6pm, Thurs 2 Nov 2023.

 3 November to 3 December 2023.

2023 Award Winners

See our 2023 award winners now!

2023 Entry form

Enter now via the form at the bottom of this page.

The annual Canberra Potters Members’ Exhibition showcases the best pieces created by Canberra Potters’ members over the past year. As Canberra’s premier ceramic showcase, it highlights the versatility of the ceramic arts and reflects the latest trends in contemporary ceramics practice.

On this page you will find information regarding important dates, award and sponsor information, conditions of entry and the entry form. Please ensure you read through the following information carefully. If you have any questions or issues with the form, please don’t hesitate to contact [email protected] or call/visit our friendly staff in the Canberra Potters Shop.

CONDITIONS OF ENTRY

  1. The exhibition is a ceramics exhibition and any non-ceramic materials in an exhibit should form a minor part. The judges and/or Canberra Potters Management have the right to exclude any entries that do not meet this criterion.
  2. Entrants must be current members of Canberra Potters at the time of the exhibition and delivery.
  3. All entries submitted must be the original work of the exhibitor, have been completed in the 12 months preceding the exhibition, and must not have been exhibited in a previous Canberra Potters Annual Members’ Exhibition.
  4. A one-off entry fee of $35.00 must be paid on delivery of exhibits.
  5. Entry fees are non-refundable regardless of whether or not work is selected for display
  6. Up to two entries may be submitted. Any group entry must be priced as a group, i.e. the components of the group may not be for individual sale.
  7. Proposals for installation-type entries must be submitted prior to 17 October 2023, and will be considered at the discretion of Canberra Potters.
  8. Entries are to be delivered to Canberra Potters, Aspinall Street, Watson on the days and times specified in the entry form. No late entries will be accepted.
  9. The exhibition is a selected exhibition and the judges have the right to reject any work for any reason. Works may also be excluded by Canberra Potters for space and/or display considerations.
  10. The judges’ selection is final and no discussion will be entered into. Members whose work is not selected for exhibition will be advised wherever possible before the opening of the exhibition.
  11. Canberra Potters may photograph and/or film exhibits and copy information supplied, or authorise such actions, for the purpose of promoting the exhibition, future exhibitions and its activities, including promotion on its own and other websites.
  12. A commission (inc GST) of 30% will be retained by Canberra Potters for all exhibits sold.
  13. Exhibitors who are registered for GST must include GST in their retail prices.
  14. All selected entries will remain on display for the duration of the exhibition.
  15. Whilst every possible care will be taken with entries, Canberra Potters will accept NO liability for loss or damage to entries. Members who wish to insure their work should make their own arrangements.
  16. Unsold items are to be collected from the Gallery on the dates and between the times specified in the Dates panel unless other arrangements are made in advance.

Doug Alexander Award

  1. Entrants wishing to be considered for the 2023 Doug Alexander Award must have maintained a financial membership for a minimum of 6 months prior to the last delivery day (29 October 2023). If you are not a current member but would like to be considered, this means you must have signed up for or renewed your membership by Saturday April 29, 2023.
  2. The Doug Alexander Award may not be won by the same person in two consecutive years.
  3. All Canberra Potters Members are encouraged to enter into the show and are eligible for all other applicable awards, regardless of the length their membership has been held.

The Curatoreum Professional Development Award

  1. The winning recipient of this inaugural award will recieve a stall in the 2024 Undercurrent Design Market, hosted by The Curatoreum at the National Portrait Gallery Terrace Rooms. The market will most likely take place on the last weekend of November 2024 (date to be finalised). The winner will be asked to provide a well-presented body of ceramic production ware, with enough backup stock to last the 3 day market duration. Entrants must “opt-in” to be considered for this award.

Emerging Artist Category

  1. For this exhibition, an Emerging Artist is defined as a person who has recently (within the past 5 years) commenced their practice and/or has recently graduated from a tertiary institution. Emerging artists will also be considered for other eligible awards. 

Craft + Design Canberra National Emerging Contemporaries Award

  1. Emerging Contemporaries is a group exhibition curated by Craft + Design Canberra, which runs from 1 Feb – 16 March 2024. To be considered for this award, entrants must be an emerging artist, and must be able to provide for display in 2024 a number of works (or the same work) of the same quality and theme as expressed in the winning piece.

Cesco Award for Wheelthrowing

  1. Exhibits incorporating both wheel-throwing and hand-building techniques may be considered for this award but the majority of the work must be wheel-thrown.

Keane ceramics Award for Hand-building

  1. Exhibits incorporating both hand-building and wheel-throwing techniques may be considered for this award but the majority of the work must be hand-built.

Important Dates:

10am-3:30pm Tues 24 to Sat 28 October, or 11am-2:30pm Sun 29 October Entry forms due, and labelled entries to be delivered to Canberra Potters with $35 entry fee (card only).
30-31 October and 1 November 2023 Selection of exhibits and installation
6pm Thurs 2 November 2023 Awards Ceremony & Exhibition Opening
3 November to 3 December Exhibition open Tuesday to Sunday
3-4pm Sun 3 December, or 10-4pm Mon 4 December  Collection of unsold exhibits

Award Information:

The Doug Alexander Award

Prize: $2500 cash prize. Sponsored by Canberra Potters

The Doug Alexander Award is awarded to the best overall exhibit. It is highly regarded among the region’s potters and ceramicists. In recognition of the importance and growing popularity of this award, it is with great pleasure that we are announcing that the Board has agreed to significantly increase the prize money from $1000 to $2500. We hope by raising the award amount we are acknowledging the true value and respect in which this prize is held within the ceramic arts community. Furthermore, it reflects the continued success and profile that Canberra Potters enjoys as the region’s leading provider of pottery and ceramic arts opportunities for our members and friends.

The Doug Alexander Award may not be won by the same person in two consecutive years.

Due to the expected interest in this year’s exhibition, we have applied additional terms and conditions for entry: Entrants wishing to be considered for the 2023 Doug Alexander Award must have maintained a financial membership for a minimum of 6 months prior to the last delivery day (29 October 2023), i.e. to be considered eligible for this award, entrants must have signed up for or renewed their membership by Saturday April 29, 2023. Entrants who cannot be considered for the Doug Alexander Award will still be eligible for all other applicable awards.

History of The Doug Alexander Award:

Each year since 1990, Canberra Potters have given the Doug Alexander Award to an exceptional potter in our annual Members’ Exhibition. It is presented in celebration and honour of Doug Alexander who was the resident potter at Cuppacumbalong Arts and Craft Centre at Tharwa, from 1976 to 1981 – brought short by his untimely death.

Doug Alexander made a huge contribution to the development of functional ceramics in Australia and, when he moved to Canberra, Doug Alexander’s experience and knowledge gave a fillip to pottery in Canberra.
Information retrieved from Doug Alexander - A Retrospective.

The Curatoreum Professional Development Award

Prize: A stall at the 2024 Undercurrent Design Market, valued at $650. Sponsored by The Curatoreum
The Curatoreum Professional Development Award is a new award offered in 2023. The winning recipient will receive a stall in the 2024 Undercurrent Design Market, hosted by The Curatoreum at the National Portrait Gallery Terrace Rooms. The market will most likely take place on the last weekend of November 2024 (date to be finalised). The winner will be asked to provide a well-presented body of ceramic production ware, with enough backup stock to last the 3 day market duration. 
 
Judges are looking for a consistent body of work exploring contemporary design and practice in ceramics. Previous market exposure is desirable, and applicants should provide some additional high-quality images to accompany their exhibition entries. 
 
Please note that this is an “opt-in” award. Entrants can indicate their interest in the entry form below. 

Emerging Artist Awards

For this exhibition, an Emerging Artist is defined as a person who has recently (within the past 5 years) commenced their practice and/or has recently graduated from a tertiary institution. Emerging artists will also be considered for other eligible awards. 

Craft + Design Canberra National Emerging Contemporaries Award:

Prize: Invitation to exhibit in the 2024 Emerging Contemporaries Exhibition and membership to Craft + Design Canberra, valued at $180. Sponsored by Craft + Design Canberra

The Craft + Design Canberra National Emerging Contemporaries Award is an annual initiative that showcases some of the best work from early career and emerging artists. Recipients of this award receive a complimentary Craft + Design Canberra membership, and are invited to exhibit in the annual exhibition, titled Emerging Contemporaries. This exhibition plays a pivotal role in supporting and transitioning artists into professional practice and placing Australian artists in view of the national cultural collecting institutions, private collectors, as well as industry professional and audiences.

Emerging Contemporaries is a group exhibition which runs from 1 Feb – 16 March 2024. To be considered for this award, entrants must be an emerging artist, and must be able to provide for display in 2024 a number of works (or the same work) of the same quality and theme as expressed in the winning piece.

Please note that this is an “opt-in” award. Entrants can indicate their interest in the entry form below.

Keane Ceramics Emerging Artist Award

Prize: $300 Keane Ceramics Gift Voucher. Sponsored by Keane Ceramics

This prize is awarded to an outstanding emerging artist. All emerging artists will be considered for this award. 

TACA Emerging Artist Merit Award

Prize: One year’s membership to The Australian Ceramics Association, valued at $150. Sponsored by The Australian Ceramics Association (TACA)

This prize is awarded to highly commended emerging artist. All emerging artists will be considered for this award. 

Other Awards

All entries will be considered for any eligible awards. 

The Hiroe Swen Award for Most Original Exhibit

Prize: $300 cash prize. Sponsored by Hiroe Swen

Internationally-renowned ceramic artist Hiroe Swen will judge and select the most original exhibit in the 2024 Members’ Exhibition.

The Anne Langridge Memorial Award

Prize: $250 cash prize. Sponsored by Lesley Lebkowicz and Skye Blomfield.

This prize is awarded to the entry which best reflects the spirit of Anne Langridge’s ceramics.

Anne Langridge was a long-term Canberra Potters member, whose work was conceived as large sculptural vessels designed to hold native plants. Her own garden at the foot of Mt Ainslie held several of them; they merged with the bush behind the house and celebrated it. She used slips and engobes to pattern the bodies or, most strikingly, left the surface naked, to reveal the characteristics of the clay. She won the Doug Alexander Award in 2014.

The award is sponsored by Lesley Lebkowicz and Skye Blomfield to honour the memory of Anne Langridge.

Brian Privett Award for Surface Decoration

Prize: $300 Walker Ceramics Gift Voucher. Sponsored by Walker Ceramics

This prize is awarded to the entry with the most intriguing, engaging, technically proficient or unusual surface.

Cesco Award for Wheelthrowing

Prize: $300 Walker Ceramics Gift Voucher. Sponsored by Walker Ceramics

This prize is awarded to the best wheelthrown entry.

Keane Ceramics Award for Handbuilding

Prize: $300 Keane Ceramics Gift Voucher. Sponsored by Keane Ceramics

This prize is awarded to the best handbuilt entry.

Northcote Sculpture Award

Prize: $300 Northcote Pottery Supplies Gift Voucher. Sponsored by Northcote Pottery Supplies

This prize is awarded to the best sculpture entry.

TACA Merit Award

Prize: One year’s membership to The Australian Ceramics Association, valued at $150. Sponsored by The Australian Ceramics Association (TACA)

This prize is awarded to a highly commended entry. 

The Curatoreum People’s Choice Award

Prize: $250 The Curatoreum Gift Voucher. Sponsored by The Curatoreum

This prize is awarded at the end of the exhibition period to the entry with the most public votes. All visitors are welcome to cast one vote!

Thank you to our generous sponsors for their ongoing contributions to the exhibition:

2023 Members' Exhibition Entry Form

This form MUST be filled out prior to your delivery of entries to Canberra Potters Shop. All entries must be labelled with your unique identifier (see details below), entry number and price. Labelled entries must be delivered between 10am-3:30pm on Tuesday 24 to Saturday 28 October, or 11am-2:30pm Sunday 29 October 2023 with your $35 entry fee. Late entries will not be accepted. If you do not receive an email confirmation of your completed form after submission, please check your junk folder, and/or ensure that you have filled out all required (*) fields. Please contact [email protected] with any questions.

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Address

1 Aspinall Street Watson
Canberra Australia.

Phone

General Enquiries
02 6241 1670
Class Enquiries
02 6241 7800

Synergy: Pattern and Patina

Synergy: Pattern and Patina

Synergy: Pattern & Patina

 

where

Canberra Potters
Gallery, Watson Arts Centre. 1 Aspinall St Watson, ACT, 2602.

TIME

Tuesday to Saturday
10.00am–4.00pm
Sunday
11:00am–3:00pm

DATES

24 August to 24 September 2023

Opening 6pm Thursday 24 August 2023

Artist Talk

6pm Friday 25 August 2023.

Entry by gold coin donation.

Buy

View and purchase the exhibitions pieces online! Pickup from Canberra Potters only.

Opening: 6pm Thursday 24 August by Maryke Henderson.

Artist Talk: 6pm Friday 25 August, entry by gold coin donation. RSVP here.

 

About the Exhibition:

Sharing an appreciation for a minimalist philosophy, this exhibition presents the ceramic pieces created by Christine Murphy alongside the paintings by Sandra McMahon. This exhibition explores the relationship between 3-dimensional form and 2-dimensional works on board. A synergy of ideas between the works has resulted in an interesting dynamism and tension between the works and, as such, an exhibition of quiet contemplation.

 

Front image: Christine Murphy (ceramics) and Sandra McMahon (painting), 2022. Photo courtesy of the artists.

 

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We produce a monthly newsletter that has information unavailable on this website. Subscribe free of charge.

Address

1 Aspinall Street Watson
Canberra Australia.

Phone

General Enquiries
02 6241 1670

Canberra Potters Studio Holders: Present

Canberra Potters Studio Holders: Present

Canberra Potters Studio Holders:

Present

where

Canberra Potters
Gallery, Watson Arts Centre. 1 Aspinall St Watson, ACT, 2602.

TIME

Tuesday to Saturday
10.00am–4.00pm
Sunday
11:00am–3:00pm

DATES

13 July to 6 August 2023.

Opened 6pm Thursday 13 July 2023.

Catalogue

Download the exhibition catalogue below

Opened 6pm Thursday 13 July by Katrina Leske, Curator.

About the Exhibition:

Canberra Potters Studio Holders: Present brings together seven diverse artists who work or have recently worked at Canberra Potters: Robyn Booth, John Heaney, Jackie Lallemand, Tanya McArthur, Maricelle Olivier, Sue Peachey and Julie Pennington. Through their unique perspectives and the medium of clay, their bodies of work converge to create an immersive experience that celebrates the intricate beauty of the natural world, personal narratives, and creative exploration.  

Robyn Booth draws inspiration from the Australian bushland, particularly the granite boulders and eucalyptus forests of the region. Working with clay grants her the spontaneity and unpredictability that she cherishes. Porcelain emerges as the ideal medium to express the colors and textures of the natural world that captivate her. Booth’s keen eye for detail has led her to discover the intricate patterns left by borer beetles on eucalyptus trees, breathing new life into these natural phenomena through her ceramic creations.

John Heaney’s creative process unfolds as an intimate engagement with clay, a medium that allows him to channel memories and insights derived from his experiences with people and places. His work “Last Dance, 2023” is a poignant recollection of his mother’s cautionary tale, imbued with the weight of a tragic event tied to the Murrumbidgee River. Through his art, Heaney illuminates the profound connection between personal narratives and the natural world.

Jackie Lallemand, inspired by the captivating landscapes of the Monaro region, collaborates with photographer Reece Scannell to intertwine their artistic visions. Lallemand’s shapes and surfaces interact harmoniously with Scannell’s photographs, resulting in a mesmerizing fusion of mediums. Their challenge lies in finding printing techniques that can seamlessly interact with Lallemand’s textured surfaces, ultimately enhancing the visual impact of their collaboration.

Tanya McArthur’s artistry is rooted in her serene rural surroundings and her deep connection with the natural environment. The tranquility of her bush setting and her meditative approach to ceramics infuse her work with a sense of calmness. McArthur’s gentle and understated forms reflect the therapeutic nature of her creative practice, while leaving parts of the clay body exposed celebrates the inherent beauty of the medium itself.

Maricelle Olivier, a South African artist, delves into her personal history and cultural identity through the medium of ceramics. Her pieces carry patterns that mirror the repetitive nature of her artistic practice, offering glimpses into her journey of self-discovery and belonging. Olivier’s vessels become vessels of emotions, repositories of her cultural heritage and an exploration of her roots.

Sue Peachey’s ceramic works resonate with the principles of the regenerative earth care system of Permaculture. By mapping the contours of Mount Majura, she uncovers the universal patterns that govern the structures of mountains and the interconnectedness of nature. Peachey’s pieces invite viewers to step back and perceive the broader picture, appreciating the intricate network of patterns that shape the Earth’s landscapes.

Julie Pennington’s ceramic sculptural vessels serve as vessels of exploration, delving into the intricacies of pattern and texture. Employing coiling techniques, Pennington creates textured surfaces that transcend the boundaries between interior and exterior. Her painstaking and repetitive process lends a meditative rhythm to her work, echoing the serene beauty of the natural environment. The influences of drought and fire are palpable in her recent creations, reflecting the severity of climatic conditions.

In this exhibition, the artists’ distinct voices intertwine, weaving a narrative that celebrates the intricate beauty of the natural world. From the Monaro to South Africa, from personal narratives to universal patterns, these artists have embarked on a creative journey that reveals the profound connections between nature, identity, and artistic expression.

Front image: Maricelle Olivier, Skulpies, 2023

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Address

1 Aspinall Street Watson
Canberra Australia.

Phone

General Enquiries
02 6241 1670
Class Enquiries
02 6241 7800