Detail: Octopus Candelabra by Meira Mathison.
Fired Up! Ceramic Artists: Contemporary Works in Clay
presented
SHAPE OF WILD
Saturday May 28 & Sunday May 29, 2022
Saturday May 28 & Sunday May 29, 2022
The 36th annual show and sale at Metchosin Community Hall,
was great success and and a joyful reunion of collectors and creators.
was great success and and a joyful reunion of collectors and creators.
Participating 2022 core members included Vin Arora, Samantha Dickie, Sandra Dolph, Mary Fox, Sandy Harquail, Gordon Hutchens, Cathi Jefferson, Meira Mathison and Kinichi Shigeno. (Alan Burgess on sabbatical.) Guest: Charmain Nimmo. See photos of the 10 artists on May 28 below.
Other words for “wild” include tumultuous, passionate, unbridled and extravagant. Fired Up! members are also “wildly excited” to be presenting their finest work after a two-year hiatus. Resilience and perseverance have resulted in the group’s long-standing success. Fired Up! was founded in 1984 and is proud to be a vitally active group 38 years later. The original members of Fired Up! envisioned an important goal: to connect community with the diverse world of ceramics. Over the years, they have bridged the gap with several exhibitions: the Canadian Clay and Glass Museum in Waterloo, Jonathon Bancroft-Snell Gallery in London, and two US conferences hosted by the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts. And, of course, their much-anticipated annual pottery show brings stellar work to a discerning public.
SANDY HARQUAIL
|
CHARMAIN NIMMO
|
VIN ARORA
|
Vin Arora is a newer member of Fired Up! and brings an eclectic energy to the ceramic group. The Emily Carr graduate is a teacher and technician at Mud Lab in East Vancouver. His bright and functional creations show at Kingsmill Studio Pottery on Granville Island. Look for Arora’s mugs, bowls and platters at the show, this year featuring amber designs with a glossy finish.
“An invite to join Fired Up! was one of the highlights of my career,” he says. “Each member brings their unique gift to the pottery world of BC.” He describes the two-day event as “a rare gathering of practiced and proficient potters.” Arora encourages both collectors and learners to take the scenic drive to Metchosin. Then stay on for the day to explore the unique rural area.
“An invite to join Fired Up! was one of the highlights of my career,” he says. “Each member brings their unique gift to the pottery world of BC.” He describes the two-day event as “a rare gathering of practiced and proficient potters.” Arora encourages both collectors and learners to take the scenic drive to Metchosin. Then stay on for the day to explore the unique rural area.
MEIRA MATHISON
|
SAMANTHA DICKIE
|
SANDRA DOLPH
|
KINICHI SHIGENO
|
PAT WEBBER
|
Sandra Dolph’s home studio is on Galiano, one of the Gulf Islands. She draws inspiration from the parkland trails, coastal beaches and sculptured sandstone formations. These natural wonders are reinterpreted in her monumental vessel shapes.
Her themes often arise from nature, incorporating plants from the forest and gifts from the sea. To celebrate Shape of Wild, Dolph adds another towering clay piece to her ongoing series.
Fired Up! is Dolph’s only off-island pottery show and sale. “After two years, our members are returning with fresh new work,” she says, “happy to be showing in-person with our committed colleagues.” Dolph appreciates the comments she gets from visitors at the weekend event. Her patrons come to see what’s new in the ceramic world. It’s a chance to savour the quality and level of expertise that makes Fired Up! a Mecca for collectors.
Her themes often arise from nature, incorporating plants from the forest and gifts from the sea. To celebrate Shape of Wild, Dolph adds another towering clay piece to her ongoing series.
Fired Up! is Dolph’s only off-island pottery show and sale. “After two years, our members are returning with fresh new work,” she says, “happy to be showing in-person with our committed colleagues.” Dolph appreciates the comments she gets from visitors at the weekend event. Her patrons come to see what’s new in the ceramic world. It’s a chance to savour the quality and level of expertise that makes Fired Up! a Mecca for collectors.
MARY FOX
|
CATHI JEFFERSON
|
GORDON HUTCHENS
|
ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
In Nov 2019, Gordon Hutchens received the Creative Achievement Award of Distinction, Carter Wosk Award in Applied Art + Design from the BC Achievement Foundation.
In 2018, Alan Burgess (on sabbatical in 2022) received an Outstanding Contribution to the Arts award from the Comox Valley Art Gallery. In 2020, Burgess received a Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the Canadian Clay Symposium in March, 2020.
In Nov 2019, Gordon Hutchens received the Creative Achievement Award of Distinction, Carter Wosk Award in Applied Art + Design from the BC Achievement Foundation.
In 2018, Alan Burgess (on sabbatical in 2022) received an Outstanding Contribution to the Arts award from the Comox Valley Art Gallery. In 2020, Burgess received a Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the Canadian Clay Symposium in March, 2020.
Visit the Fired Up! website HERE
Meira Mathison
|
Mary Fox
|
Gordon Hutchins
|
Vin Arora
|
Sandi Harquail
|
Cathi Jefferson
|
Kinichi Shigeno
|
Samantha Dickie
|
Charmian Nimmo
|
Sandra Dolph
|
Fired Up! thanks their generous and ongoing sponsors in 2022
|
|
|
|
Web Design, Content and Selected Photos by Kate Cino arts writer published in Focus, Yam and Boulevard. History in Art degree & Public Relations certificate from the University of Victoria This website and its content is copyright of Art Openings, 2009. All rights reserved. Written permission is required for reproduction of photos or text. kate-cino@shaw.ca 250 598-4009 |
|