It’s been a busy little short-week here in the studio and we’ve been nailing down some specifics on the workshops that are coming up. There will be more details to come, but we’ll have local artist, David Austin, guiding a Matariki themed workshop on the 22nd and 23rd of June – save the dates! And the names Liz Sharek, Duncan Shearer and Greg Barron just may have been thrown around in conversation. And on top of that, Andrea du Chatenier, this year’s judge for the WSP exhibition, will be giving an artist’s talk on the evening of Friday the 23rd of August. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for more info!
In the meantime, Open Day is getting closer and closer – thanks to those who have signed up to help so far – we love you <3
Memberships are open
The new membership year is now open for you to sign-up – you can do that online here, or if you prefer, come on into the studio and we can process your membership in person. By becoming a member you not only support the WSP in nurturing an inclusive pottery community for all, you also gain the following benefits:
Access to the dedicated Members’ Open Studio Sessions. Typically there are an additional 5-9 Open Studio sessions per week.
Discounted Play with Clay Session.
Further Discounts for Open Studio and PWC sessions when purchasing a Concession Card.
Utilising our firing service for pieces made outside of classes and PWC.
Discounted class and workshop enrolments.
Entry into the Annual WSP Exhibition at Arts Post.
Membership events such as the Mighty Waikato Pottery Throw Down and the Matariki / Mid-Winter Feast.
Meet the Crew Monday …on a Friday
In what’s becoming a somewhat irregular series of Meet the Crew Mondays, this week we meet one of our new Artists in Residence, Margaret De Freitas.
Margaret came to clay work through a Wine and Wheel evening at Auckland’s Clay Centre, where she attended with her niece and sister. She enjoyed it so much she signed up for a few more classes and discovered that working with clay was not just fun, but very therapeutic.
Once covid hit, Margaret hired a wheel and pottered around at home. She thought that potting would be a fantastic hobby to have when she retired. After some time, she and her family moved to Cambridge and Margaret realised that she wanted potting to be more than a hobby. It was then that she enrolled in the Diploma in Ceramics, taught online through Otago Polytechnic, with practical classes taken at Waikato Society of Potters.
Margaret says the first year was somewhat demanding, learning all the fundamentals across a huge range of subjects, but is looking forward to continuing in her second year where the emphasis of the course is on experimentation. Margaret is challenging herself to branch out from her naturally precise approach and become looser with her forms and construction methods. One goal is to achieve a water-colour effect using coloured slips and slip cast slabs that are then formed into cylinders.
This year Margaret has joined us as an Artist in Residence, drawn to the opportunity to have a space to create in, and learning about running a studio and gaining experience in teaching.
You’ll find Margaret working her AR duty days on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, when you can say hi and pick her brain on her broad knowledge in ceramics. In the meantime, check out the fantastic pieces she’s been working on through the Diploma course.
Studio Schedule
Many of our Term 1 classes are finished now, so we’ll have lots of Members’ Open Studio sessions over the next few weeks. And Play with Clay is on this Saturday over Easter, thanks to Tim who’s opening up and manning the studio so all you clay-addicts an get your fix!
As always, remember to check the online calendar.
Friday 29th Mar
CLOSED for Good Friday
Saturday 30th Mar
10am – 1pm, Play with Clay IS ON
Sunday 31st Mar
CLOSED for Easter Sunday – no Throwing Taster class
Monday 1st Apr
CLOSED for Easter Monday
Tuesday 2nd Apr
9.30am – 4pm, Members’ Open Studio
6pm – 9pm, Play with Clay – Thankyou Margaret and Kelly!
Wednesday 3rd Apr
9.30am – 12.30pm, Play with Clay
1pm – 4pm, Members’ Open Studio
6pm – 9pm, Class – Hand Building mini-term
Thursday 4th Apr
9.30am –4pm, Members’ Open Studio
6pm – 9pm, Class – Hand Building
Friday 5th Apr
CLOSED for Diploma
All day – Phoenix kiln prep day
Saturday 6th Apr
10am – 1pm, Play with Clay
All day – Phoenix kiln loading day
Sunday 7th Apr
10am – 1pm, Class – Throwing Taster
All day – Phoenix kiln firing day
