Shadbolt Centre – Gillian McMillan — Rara Avis

How Hard Can It Be? CCS 2026

Gillian McMillan — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 05:47:46 +0000

The latest Canadian Clay Symposium took place at the Shadbolt Centre, as usual, on March 21st, and it’s taken this long for me to sort my photos and put together my experience of a super weekend. On the Friday evening Jesse Birch of Nanaimo AG gave the keynote speech at the Emily Carr U campus. He spoke about ways of sharing ceramic collections with gallery visitors.

Before his talk we were warmly welcomed by a local First Nations singer and drummer, and then by ECU Ceramics prof Brendan Tang. People we have lost since the last Symposium were remembered, and two longtime Shadbolt Centre employees were specially honoured. Sharon Reay and Linda Doherty published their thanks in the following BC Potters Guild newsletter.

Our thanks to the Canadian Clay Symposium Collective for all their hard work over the years and being such a joy to partner with. Our thanks to the Shadbolt Centre and City of Burnaby, for their support and for giving us the opportunity to work in one of the best jobs ever, with an immensely talented group of people, at the most beautiful location imaginable.

Back in 2004, British potter, Jane Hamlyn, spent a long day and night at the Shadbolt, setting-up for the ‘Re-Inventing the Wheel’ Symposium. Jet-lagged and exhausted, she asked “Where on earth did you ever find so many people, who care so much?” We would simply like to point out a few of those people, who cared so much, and made our jobs so much easier:

Cathi Jeﬀerson: Who started the whole Symposium ball rolling.
Keith and Celia Rice-Jones: For feeding and housing so many weary, travelling potters from all over the world.
Carol Mayer: Who always lent her voice and her support to any event we asked her to.
Bob Kingsmill: Whose response to whatever request we had, even at short notice, was always: “What do you want me to do, sweetheart?”
And, of course, Jay MacLennan: The guy with all the answers, all the time – who never learned to say, “No” to us.

Thank you all, so very much, from the bottom of both our hearts.

Thank you Linda and Sharon for your enthusiastic help to us, Shadbolt’s workshop and class attendees over the years. Below are my poor photos of some of their work, displayed at the Centre for us to see the next day. Here also are Robin and Eden Dupont who fervently asked for our assistance in the ongoing saga of saving the famed Ceramic programme which was the Kootenay School of the Arts. Selkirk College has announced its closure but there is hope for saving it..

The following day in Burnaby was filled with presentations, vendor and information booths, the Potters Guild of BC one-day show ‘Sur La Table’, the Nelson Airstream Gallery, and adjacent shows in the Lower Mainland. I think I’d better make a separate blog to show some of Fraser Valley Potters Guild’s show at the nearby Deer Lake Art Gallery.

I spent the first hour in the large room where Calgary potters Vin Arora and Lael Chmelyk were demonstrating. I believe they are studio mates in Calgary. Vin has only moved over the Rockies in the last year or so, having taught here in the Lower Mainland for many years. As Vin spoke enthusiastically about his journey in clay, with a good slide show, Lael quietly got on with throwing parts for teapot and other forms she would later assemble. Vin then worked as she gave her presentation. Later in the afternoon I saw several pieces that they had completed.. or nearly.

Some of their pots were displayed in the same room, for sale.

Then I checked the studio theatre presentation room to see Vancouver’s Jai Sallay-Carrington and Grace Han from Winnipeg. Unfortunately this wasn’t a room you could easily come and go from and I’m sorry to admit that I was only there once. I didn’t see any of Grace’s work displayed in the hallway but I have good memories of her work from a show with our own Gloria Han at Coquitlam’s Evergreen AG a while ago.

In the hallway there were displays of presenters Jai and Lael’s work. We were so amazed by Jai’s intricate sculptures at the recent PGBC 70th Anniversary show at the Italian Cultural Centre.

I grabbed a lunch from one of the food trucks outside, visited the Airstream Gallery, walked down to Deer Lake AG, and checked the vendors and information booths for a while. Suddenly it was time for the presenters to be finishing their work and vendors packing up. All the conversations with so many friends in our clay community, and lots of good pots and supplies to admire, made my day complete. I’m just sorry I never got back to see what Grace and Jai had spent their day making.

As I returned to the parking lot I passed the display of bisque-fired pots made by previous Shadbolt Centre workshop presenters. I have enjoyed so many of these workshops and meeting the artists.

May Soda

Gillian McMillan — Thu, 30 May 2024 23:39:19 +0000

Tuesday was the day I’ve been waiting for. At 1.30pm sharp the team were all there, waiting to start the unloading of the 107th firing of the Soda kiln at Shadbolt Centre. The kiln is showing its age, with some nasty chunks having fallen into pots which were placed on the bottom ledge of the door. Tony was considering whether repairs are in order or if a door replacement is needed. That kiln is in constant use these days.

Look at the variety of colours and of shapes. We are being asked to bring along taller pieces these days. When the shelves are filled with mug-sized pots the flow of flame and soda isn’t as exciting. It’s always a surprise when you see how the surfaces react. I was pleased to see several of my pots at the front. There are those grooves on the vase, and my two jugbirds.

As usual we ten participants took on the scraping and kiln-washing of the front shelves before the removing of the back pots could start. We all wear masks, eye protection and gloves to protect us from flying glass fragments.

The pots are passed from person to person, from the kiln to tables so that we can see every piece as it goes by. There’s lots to learn from each other, new slips and glazes and forms to try out next time. I asked and will try to remember who was there this time. We were Julie, Melissa (who tells me I taught her at Shadbolt years ago!), Hannah, Fran, Ursula, Allysha, Dave, two Cheryls and me. Did I miss anyone? Tony and Cheryl S were the day’s techs and we were visited by Jay, Brit and Fredi. In my quiet life it’s good to connect with fellow clay addicts on these occasions.

Thank you to the Shadbolt team for making it possible for us to experience these atmospheric firings on a regular basis. Your expertise and kindness mean a lot to this aging potter. Now I’m told I can register for Fall firings next week. TriCity Potters, we are lucky to have an October slot set aside for our group, so fish out that stoneware clay over the Summer.

Below, I photographed this large Bird Vase and the groovy Vase after I got back home. The sun popped out for a moment.

When I have some more minutes I’ll post another blog showing my pieces in more detail.

We’re having a few days of Arts activities here in the City of the Arts. Last night I attended a fine talk by painter Leanne M. Christie at PoMoArts. Her energetic, but delightful paintings are all about her home city, Port Moody, referencing its history, memories and ongoing change. Her show is well worth a visit.

https://pomoarts.ca/exhibitions/even-if-i-wasn-t-here

Tonight we will be attending a reception to mark the first 25 years of the Port Moody Arts Centre Society, down at City Hall. I believe there will be tea.

And tomorrow I’ll be meeting local artists who are working towards reactivating the old ArtsConnect, Tricity Arts Council, down at Coquitlam’s Mackin House.

Saturday promises more rain for a family day which might have a birthday cake.

STOKED! Canadian Clay Symposium: Presenters

Gillian McMillan — Tue, 04 Apr 2023 23:20:25 +0000

What a day! On Saturday March 25th 2023 hundreds of clay enthusiasts met at Shadbolt Centre, in Burnaby, to watch presenters, see displays, meet vendors and reconnect with friends and colleagues after so long. (CCS takes place every three years and it was obviously cancelled in 2020).

It has taken me a week to think about the remarkable occasion and to sort out which of my photos might illustrate the day. It was very good to see so many young attendees who were eager to watch the invited presenters and learn tips and experiences from them. I’m afraid I chose to spend more time looking at pots and talking to friends. Clearly I must post more than one blog to record the event, so in today’s I’ll introduce the guest presenters.

In a display case in the main concourse there were pieces by the six artists who would be demonstrating and speaking, and a wee pot by the keynote speaker KC Adams. I spent a little while in each room where there were two demonstrators on stage.

Two BC potters at the wheel, Cathi Jefferson and Amelia Butcher.

http://www.cathijefferson.com

http://www.ameliabutcher.ca

Julie Moon and Martina Lantin shared the stage in big Room 103. Both made big hand-built vessels. Julie didn’t have time to show how she paints her work with underglazes. See more about them and their work on their websites:

https://juliemoon.com

http://www.mlceramics.com

Steven Heinemann and Sami Tsang worked side by side all day. Steve demonstrated how he uses his plaster moulds to form large boat-like works. Sami’s pieces are made with coils and pinching and humour.

https://samitsangceramics.com

http://www.stevenheinemann.com

In the early afternoon I attended the live podcast of Brendan Tang’s interview with keynote speaker KC Adams. These podcasts can be heard via ‘Kilnsitters’.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-kiln-sitters/id1597992721

At four o’clock we all gathered in the James Cowan theatre for the day’s Closing Ceremony. MC Carol Mayer thanked the CCS organizers, the presenters and NorthWest Ceramics Foundation. We honoured a long list of people in our field who are no longer with us, and celebrated the two 2023 Honorees, Alan Burgess and Santo Mignosa (who died just last year).

https://www.firedup.ca/artist-profile/alan-burgess/

https://santomignosa.com

Carol then introduced our keynote speaker, Indigenous Winnipeg artist KC Adams. KC spoke about her multi-faceted career which has grown from her use of clay as a child and from finding clay shards beside the river in Winnipeg. She is a passionate story-teller, particularly interested in not only ‘learning the knowledge of clay’ but using it to inspire others. Teaching young people in a remote Manitoba community she found that they had an astonishing capability to ‘make’ which she deems comes from the traditional making of everything needed to live there. KC is due to graduate from curatorial studies, a further degree in her CV. Read more here:

INhttps://www.kcadams.net

Thank you all for a marvellous day.

There is much more to share with you, but pots in the ‘Road Show’, ‘Sur La Table’ and more will appear one day soon. Me, I have pots to make and gardening to do, now that Spring has arrived.