Kelowna Clay Festival 2008 Summary
What a Rush!

 
The Okanagan Potters Association would like to thank everyone who contributed to the success of the 2008 Kelowna Clay Festival.

Our financial supporters:

Aftosa Ceramics Accessories
Art Ark Gallery
Arts Council of the Central Okanagan
Auto Gas
BC Arts Council
Ceramics Monthly
Kelowna Flightcraft
Greenbarn Potters Supply
Pottery Making

To all of our wonderful volunteers, who are too numerous to mention individually, we thank you for the many hours you contributed, it was much appreciated & the event could not have been successful without you.
Best wishes from the committee for the 2008 KCF:

Rosemarie Greedy
Lynda Jones
Lynda Gant
Bonnie Anderson
Ted Legate

The festival was a tremendous success with many participants telling us what a great time they had. The presenters were awesome with some great new tricks for us all to try. Okanagan Potters Association presented this unique and intimate festival from August 8 to 12. On Friday delegates received an overview from all five presenters who gave Powerpoint shows about the focus their work concentrates on, how it has developed and what could be expected at each demonstration.

Master of Ceremonies, Bob Kingsmill, reminded us that ceramics represents a large community around the world, and that potters are known for their willingness to share.

 

 
Jim Robison from UK via Missouri and Michigan showed the variety of work from murals to stretched dishes that he produces.
His demonstration on Friday was spectacular for the collapse of a big slabware vase as he tried to stand up and join the two sections (the fault of unfamiliar clay). What the audience will remember however, is his quick recovery and how the pieces were re-rolled and reassembled by next day. Many in the audience commented on how valuable it was to see how to recover from a blip. His square ‘slam dunk’ dishes, stretched footed dish and extruder demonstrations were all successful and useful to the audience.

Paul Andrew Wandless from Philadelphia promised to explore different ways to address the surface of ceramic pieces and he didn’t disappoint. He told his audience that as long as you understand a process you can apply it anywhere and that is a more important thing to take away from a workshop than actual artefacts. He also pointed out that making art means you must respect criticism because you cannot expect everyone to like whatever you make.

Lorel Sternig from Kamloops presented on Friday only and worked on hand building and mosaics. Many of her works are commissions and she produces Raku pieces also, such as animals and birds.

 

James Hibbert from Naramatta amused the audience with a movie clip of him carrying buckets of clay as a child, reminding us what a heavy medium clay is. Experimentation is crucial to him and he said: Creative mess is better than tidy idleness. On Saturday only James demonstrated throwing techniques – how to join two thrown pieces together. He likes to see strength in the rim of a vase because that is where the form ends. James also demonstrated his novel ‘clayotine’ which clamps a pot so that it can be cut in half without toppling over - useful to turn a bowl into two wall light covers.

Tony Clennell from Ontario was influenced by an aunt and uncle who started a pottery in 1947 and worked there until they died. Tony has made a conscious effort to move from the kitchen to the living room with the scale of his pots as he believes people will pay more to enhance their living rooms than for utilitarian kitchen pots – an important criterion when your whole living is made from pots. During his solo demonstration Tony provided an entertaining commentary which did not detract from the strong and skilled work he put into producing larger than life casseroles and dishes with fine detailing on handles and knobs. He also talked about the importance of continued learning as he is working on a masters degree at Utah State, while teaching as well. ‘Students know that I am the hardest working person in the room’, he said.

Participants were free to wander from demo to demo or concentrate on one presenter in more depth. There was a trade stand by Greenbarn. Yosuke Koizumi demonstrated a Shimpo wheel and Japanese throwing techniques. There was also the opportunity to view the travelling exhibition ‘BC in a box 2008: Fingerplay’, small works by members of the Potters’ Guild of BC. Burt Cohen, representing Potters Without Borders had a table set up to display information on Ceramic Water Filter technology as part of a solution to waterborne disease.

Social activities included the opening of Presenters and Okanagan Potters Association exhibit at the Art Ark Gallery on Friday night and a barbecue social and pottery exchange on Saturday. Truly something for everyone.

On Sunday the Festival broadened out with a Free Family Fun Day, where people were encouraged to throw or hand build a pot or have one raku fired. Potters and helpers were generous with time and patience and the event was punctuated by volunteers blind throwing cylinders and trying to pull the longest handle.

On Monday and Tuesday thirty six enthusiasts turned up for Hands-On Workshops with Paul Wandless and Jim Robison.

Intensive or what?.