Fired Up! 2017

Fired Up! Ceramic Artists in 2017

Experience and expertise are two key ingredients of the the Fired Up! ceramics collective. This talented and professional group of clay artists celebrate 33 years of annual exhibitions in 2017. Core members are: Alan Burgess, Samantha Dickie, Sandra Dolph, Mary Fox, Gordon Hutchens, Cathi Jefferson, Meira Mathison, Beth McMillin, Gary Merkel (on sabbatical) Kinichi Shigeno, Pat Webber. Guests in 2017 are: Jim Etzkorn, Sandy Harquail, Sophia Kim and Tony Mochizuki.

This year’s well-attended show and sale happened May 26-28 at Metchosin Community Hall, 4401 William Head Road.
Opening Gala was Friday evening May 26, 6:30–9pm. Hours: May 27 & 28, 10am - 5pm.
Photos of the evening Gala and vibrant weekend exhibition follow.

Fired Up! founding member Robin Hopper (1939-2017) was appointed to the Order of Canada in December 2016. Hopper was cited for his “contributions as a ceramist who has advanced the discipline by introducing a number of innovative techniques.” He is honoured to further the fine art medium of ceramics to global audiences with this award.

Exhibitors and guests at the Opening Gala Event, May 26, 2017

Fired Up! members & guests May 26 2017 at opening Gala.

Opening guests from the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria: Director Jon Tupper, middle Megan Bosence, retail coordinator; right Emma Hamill, Visitor and Volunteer Coordinator.

Sophia Kim Ceramics, a guest artist from Vancouver

Gordon Hutchens at the opening gala.

Meira Mathison with guest at opening gala.

Weekend Exhibition: The Pots and the People!

Kinichi Shigeno

Gordon Hutchens pottery

Pat Webber

Sandra Dolph

Cathy Jefferson

Tony Mochizuki

Gillian Turner at Alan Burgess booth.

Beth McMillin

Mary Fox with customer

Fired Up! has exhibited at the Canadian Clay and Glass Museum in Waterloo, Jonathon Bancroft-Snell Gallery in London, and twice at the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA). This year the NCECA conference is held in Portland March 22-25. Fired Up! is part of a juried exhibition in the Skutt Kiln building. The conference theme is Future Flux and Fired Up! presents a diverse body of work titled Fractal Nature.

Fractals are a fascinating new area of research where art and math intersect. A fractal is a mathematical set that exhibits a repeating pattern at each scale. The shapes that emerge in a fractal are similar to natural creations like seashells, snowflakes and spiral galaxies. Fractal Nature is an exciting open-ended topic for members. The concept furthers their professional mandate to support, inform and inspire. Looking towards the future, members note that descriptors of flux include fluidity, change, motion, and unrest. Each artist proposes to explore and interpret flux by connecting their artwork to descriptor word. Glazing and firing is a alchemical science that precipitates the unpredictable and unexpected. As the future of ceramic art evolves new frontiers and possibilities emerge.

Samantha Dickie, Unrest. 2017.

Sandra Dolph, Modification. 2017

Dickie completed a Diploma in Ceramics at the Kootenay School of the Arts in 2001. After graduation, her unique talent with abstract sculpture and installations led to several artist residencies, project grants and exhibitions. March 10 - April 22 Dickie exhibited VIVEKA at the Seymour Art Gallery in Vancouver. Her descriptor word is "unrest". She presented at the Canadian Clay Symposium on March 18.

Sandra Dolph operates Cedar Grove Studio & Gallery on Galiano Island. Dolph has exhibited widely and conducts workshops at Cedar Grove. Each summer she hosts an apprentice in her studio to pass on business and technical skills. “Modification” is her descriptor word, as many of her surfaces are altered with surface decoration and her signature “lichen glaze”. sandradolph.com

Mary Fox, Instability. 2017.

Gordon Hutchens, Transition. 2017

Mary Fox Pottery in Ladysmith is an artisan destination point for collectors and ceramic enthusiasts. A professional potter since 1979, Fox is a tireless innovator who finds the creative process energizing. She enjoys connecting with locals through teaching, speaking and selling her popular wares. “Instability” was her word choice as a descriptor. In Victoria, Winchester Galleries exhibits her work. maryfoxpottery.ca

Gordon Hutchens’ wood-fired Tozan Anagama kiln is one of only four in existence. On his Denman Island property he fires regularly, enlisting the help of friends and colleagues. The artist delights in the complex reactions of heat, clay and mineral pigments. (Transition is his descriptor word.) His exquisite palette of iridescent crystalline surfaces and rugged wood-fired finishes delight collectors. gordonhutchens.com

Cathi Jefferson, Change. 2017

Meira Mathison, Fluidity. 2017

Cathi Jefferson chose “change” as her descriptor word. She is deeply connected to the old growth rain forests near her Cowichan Valley studio and gallery. An award winning potter and inspiring instructor, the artist creates both functional and sculptural salt-fired stoneware. A life-long learner, Jefferson attends and conducts many workshops and has received residencies in Canada and abroad. cathijefferson.com

Meira Mathison chose “fluidity” for her descriptor word, as the forms emerging at Dancerwood Studio are flowing and gestural. A member of Fired Up! since 1984, she shares her wealth of experience with liquid slips and glazing at workshops and conferences. Celebrating her growing family, many of her pieces fit together in sets, suggesting relationships and bonding. meiramathsion.com

Beth McMillin, Mutability. 2017

Alan Burgess, Fluctuation. 2017

Beth McMillin’s descriptor word is “mutability”. McMillin’s work is hand built in porcelain and earthenware, using various techniques to achieve surfaces that are pleasing to touch and hold. Inspired by the natural world, her pieces remind us of well-worn pebbles or ancient artifacts. Her multi-sensory sculpture received honourable mention at the 2016 Salt Spring Island Ceramics Award.
mcmillin.mb@gmail.com

Alan Burgess’s pottery studio is located in Buckley Bay, Comox Valley. "Fluctuation" is his descriptor word. He is a long-time member of Fired Up! and active at the Potters Place Gallery in Courtney. In May 2017 at Potters Place, Burgess curates a Robin Hopper retrospective featuring 20 ceramic pieces borrowed from collectors. “The Order of Canada is a great achievement,” Burgess says “and we are proud to celebrate the success of a Fired Up! founder.

Kinichi Shigeno, Motion. 2017

Pat Webber, Alteration. 2017

Kinichi Shigeno was born in Japan and received training in ceramic design, cobalt brush painting and porcelain. Since 1984, he has produced both functional and sculptural ceramics at his Richmond studio. The artist has received many awards and commissions while building an international client base. "Motion" is his descriptor word, perhaps referring to his ongoing exploration of shape, colour and form. kshigeno.wixsite.com

Pat Webber's Salt Spring Island studio is full of functional and whimsical creations. Creatures great and small enliven her pots, including a storytelling frog bringing fables to life. To express her descriptor word "alteration" Webber presents the crackled glaze on the pot’s rounded surface. The similar patterns on different scales are formed during the firing process. “Kilns are like time machines,” she says, “what takes millennia in the natural world becomes evident in hours.” patwebber.ca

Each year, Fired Up! members invite four exceptional ceramic artists to join them at the May show and sale in Metchosin. Below are photos of the guest’s artworks by: Jim Etzkorn, Sandy Harquail, Sophia Kim and Tony Mochizuki. Please visit their websites for more info.

Jim Etzkorn, 2017

Sandy Harquail, 2017

Sophia Kim, 2017

Tony Mochizuki, 2017

Our annual show and sale is generously supported by the following sponsors. A sincere thank you from Fired Up!

Web Design, Content and Selected Photos
by Kate Cino
Kate previewed arts events for 18 years at Boulevard magazine.
She has a History in Art degree and Public Relations certificate from the UVic.

Samantha Dickie & Kate Cino at Fired Up!