What a fine excuse to take an overnight trip to beautiful Saltspring Island! I was delighted to be selected a finalist for Salt Spring Island Ceramic Awards 2018, ‘Makers in Action’.

Two years ago Salt Spring Potters Guild invited Vancouver Island and Gulf Island residents to submit entries but this year they invited clay artists from anywhere in the province to send images of up to three pieces. So I decided to enter just one piece, one of my soda-fired jugbirds from TriCity Potters’ group soda firing at Shadbolt Centre in April.

The jurors were Jonathon Bancroft-Snell, an expert in Contemporary Canadian Ceramic Art and owner of Canada’s largest gallery featuring same, Trudy Golley, who teaches Ceramics at Red Deer College in Alberta and Alwyn O’Brien, who is from Salt Spring Island and who now teaches at Langara College in Vancouver. They selected work by 37 BC artists from 174 submissions, resulting in a show of 62 pieces.

We were asked to deliver our work to the island by the end of September and I was lucky to find that Chilliwack potter Holly McKeen would be taking her three pieces over and was happy to take mine. So, after the show had been on display in Mahon Hall for two weeks, I was pleased to offer Holly a ride over with me on the ferry for the Closing Reception and Awards Presentation last Saturday. We found ourselves lodgings near Ganges.

A Panel Discussion was scheduled for Sunday morning with the three jurors and special guest Katrina Chaytor. She had travelled out from her new studio in Renews, Newfoundland to give a two-day workshop just prior to the show’s closing date.

The organizers have produced a fine catalogue which features work by the finalists and our photo and statement. It’s been a while since I’ve had my work in a printed catalogue – what a treat! Copies are available for $20 and postage from SSICA. Photos on the cover are of work by the nine Salt Spring finalists.

One of the jurors from the previous SSICA, Laura Carey, was MC for the Awards Ceremony. She thanked the organizers and then announced the four Honourable Mention winners. They were Debra Sloan, Denys James, Meira Mathison and Andrea Revoy. The prize for a Salt Spring Islander went to Pat Webber and the People’s Choice prize was awarded to Bev Ellis. The Runner-Up was Robin Dupont and the overall winner was Sandy Harquail. The jurors were pleased to tell us that their choice of the Sandy’s ‘Intimate Void’ hollow structure, the smallest piece in the show, was unanimous!

The announcement of the winners was sent out yesterday so you can go to this link to see images and more information about the work:

https://www.ssicaceramicawards.com/?utm_campaign=804acaab-696c-4233-b299-1b13e74eb75c&utm_source=so

I took photos of pieces that grabbed my attention but to see everything in the show you’ll have to get a catalogue.

The Sunday morning panel discussion was most interesting. Seats were set up on the stage of the 1904 Mahon Community Hall so attendees could also have a last look at the show in the main part of the building, and have coffee, muffins and fruit!  Katrina Chaytor gave us a slide show illustrating her fascination with the icons used on computer desktops. Intriguingly they appear as decoration on her carefully  constructed teapots and kitchen storage vessels. She is a hand-builder.

Jonathon Bancroft-Snell spoke on the topic of Creator, Connector and Collector. We, the clay artists are obviously the creators, and we need collectors. Jonathon and other gallerists see themselves as the connectors. He never puts work in his gallery ‘on sale’ but prefers to wait for the right collector to find it. He reminds his artists never to refer to ‘old work’. It is ‘historical’ work. And when selecting work for his gallery he says it is not enough for an artist to have acquired the skill to throw a bowl, they must also ‘animate’ the work. Looking at the selected work in this show it is clear that this is what the jurors saw. There was something unique and creative about every piece.

Trudy Golley’s work is inspired by Aurora Borealis, the phenomenon she often sees in her home province of Alberta. As well as teaching at Red Deer College she spends part of each year working in China. The technological possibilities available in China have allowed her to create extraordinary spiral sculptures which when specially lit can produce an Aurora Borealis effect. She encouraged us to check her website for more images.   www.alluvium.ca

The fourth panelist Alwyn O’Brian was so pleased to be a presenter in her home town, after spending several years away as an Art student. She is currently teaching at Langara College in Vancouver. Her work is based on coils which she sees as gestures and the finished pieces test the limits of clay glazing and firing!

Laura Carey asked the panelists some questions to generate further conversation about the significance of ceramics. I enjoyed their spontaneous and heartfelt responses.

Then there was an hour or so to check out a concurrent show of work by Salt Spring Potters Guild members at the nearby Salt Spring Gallery, and then an all-too-brief stroll around Centennial Park which borders Ganges Harbour before it was time to return to Mahon Hall and pack up work as the show ended. I am happy that a Salt Spring artist has chosen to keep my jugbird in her collection. Perhaps it will be filled with gravy at Christmas time!