CURRICULUM VITAE - Exhibitions, Awards, Publications
Residency
2010June, Artist in Residence, Medalta International Artist-in-Residence Program, Medicine Hat, Alberta
Training
1991-94Full time student at ECCAD, majoring in ceramics (graduation April 1994).
Awarded BFA 1995
1988 – Present
Workshops with Walter Keeler, Clary Ilian, Hank Morrow, Bruce Cochrane, Dale Pereira, Jeff Oestreich, Walter Ostrom, Josh de Weese, Ruthanne Tudball, John Leach, Les Manning, Jane Hamlyn and Chris Staley.
1984Wood and salt-firing workshop with Douglas Phillips, Somerset, England
1971-77Courses in Ceramics and Glaze Calculation at Douglas College, Surrey
[now Kwantlen UC]
1970-71Pottery courses at Huyghe School of Pottery, Vancouver
1967-68Painting course at Sir George Williams University, Montreal
1966-67Graphic Design course at St. Martin’s School of Art, London
1965-66Pottery classes at West of England College of Art, Bristol
1961-64Art Teacher Training in London, England
Memberships
Founding member of Fraser Valley Potters’ Guild
B.C. Potters’ Guild (Board member 1994 – 99)
Crafts Association of BC
Circle Craft
Port Moody Arts Centre Society
Founding member of TriCity Potters 2007
Exhibitions
2023 “An Abundance of Sharing – Ceramic Artists in Residence 1998-2023”
PoMoArts, Port Moody, July 27 – Sept. 6
2023 “Axis of Art – Women in Clay” Jonathon’s Gallery, London, Ontario Aug 10 – Sept 2
2023 “Past, Present & Future” Alumnae, Faculty & Fraser Valley Potters, Kwantlen Polytechnic University
March 18 – June 19
2020March “Earth, Form, Fire” TriCity Potters, Port Moody Arts Centre, BC
2018Sept “Salt Spring Island Ceramics Awards 2018”
2010Sept “TriCity Potters 2010”, Blackberry Gallery, Port Moody Arts Centre, BC
2008Feb 7 – Apr 6
“Contemporary Craft in British Columbia: Excellence within Diversity”, Vancouver Museum,
British Columbia
2008April “Fingerplay: BC in a Box” BCPG, Blackberry Gallery, Port Moody, BC
2007May “Rara Avis” Solo Show, Circle Craft Gallery, Vancouver BC
2006June ‘Contemporary Canadian Ceramics’, Esplanade Art Gallery, Medicine Hat, Alberta
2006Salt-glazed Jugbird in “Salzbrand: Keramik 2006”, Handwerkskammer Koblenz
2005Pieces in Potters Guild of BC 50th Anniversary Shows: ‘BC in a Box’, ‘TransFormations’ at Burnaby Art Gallery, and BC/Tajimi, Japan.
2005Feb First Prize-winner, ‘Clay 2005’, Fraser Valley Potters Guild, Evergreen Cultural Centre, Coquitlam
2004April ‘Animal Sculptures & Paintings’, Candover Gallery, Alresford, Hampshire, England
2003Sept “Ornithikos” Solo Show, Gallery of BC Ceramics, Vancouver BC
2000Oct & Nov “Down to Earth”. Two person show at Amelia Douglas Gallery, Douglas College, New Westminster.
2000 Mar & April
“The Attic Project” Eric Metcalfe (I made 27 Greek vessels for Eric to paint) Southern Alberta Art Gallery, Lethbridge. The show was also exhibited at Maltwood Art Museum, Victoria and the Kamloops Art Gallery in 2001, at the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery in early 2002, at the Charles H. Scott Gallery, Vancouver in June – Sept 2002 and at the College Building Gallery, Saskatoon, Nov 2006 – Feb 2007.
1998Sept Recent Work in Clay, Solo show, Port Moody Arts Centre.
1997April “The Art of the Chair”, Evergreen Cultural Centre, Coquitlam
1996Oct & Nov “The Culture of Nature”, Kamloops Art Gallery, ceramic collaboration with Eric Metcalfe.
1996Oct “..there’s many a slip ‘twixt cup and lip..”, Solo show, Gallery of BC Ceramics, Granville Island, Vancouver.
1996July & Aug “Off The Wall” Canadian Craft Museum, Vancouver.
1995Sept. Prize-winner, “Clay 95”, FVPG Annual Juried Show, Langley.
1995Sept. World Tea Party, Presentation House, North Vancouver, ceramic collaboration with Eric Metcalfe.
1994May Grad Show, Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design
1994Apr. “Images ’94”, Port Coquitlam. Piece selected for “Images & Objects XII”, Campbell River, and “Markings” in Victoria.
1993Nov. Prize-winner, “Fraser Valley Clay”, Maple Ridge Art Gallery
1993June Prize-winner, B.C. Potters Guild “Jugs” show, Canadian Craft Museum
1993Mar. Prize-winner, FVPG Annual Juried Show, Community Arts Council Gallery, Vancouver.
1990Oct. Prize-winner, FVPG Annual Juried Show, Langley
1990May “Colour and Form”, solo show, Place des Arts, Coquitlam
1987May Honourable mention at “Images ’87”, juried show of Burnaby/New Westminster Arts Councils. Work subsequently exhibited at “Images and Objects ’87”, B.C. Festival of the Arts, Duncan
1986May “Earth and Straw”, two-person show with weaver Gitte Nelson at Place des Arts, Coquitlam
Awards
Circle Craft Scholarship to attend Medalta International Artist-in-Residence Program, 2010.
Canada Council Travel Grant, March 2000
Winner of “Excellence in the Arts 1994” ARC (Coquitlam Area Arts Council) award.
Robin Mayer faculty scholarship for my final year at ECCAD (1993-94)
ARC grant for tuition for the 1993 Summer School at ECCAD
Information/Publications:
Contemporary Canadian Ceramics, Catalogue, Esplanade Art Gallery and Medalta International Artist in Residence Programme, 2006, pp 38 39.
500 Pitchers: Contemporary Expressions of a Classic Form, Lark Books, 2006, p 85.
500 Animals in Clay: Contemporary Expressions of the Animal Form, Lark Books, 2006, p 35.
Salzbrand: Keramik 2006, Handwerkskammer Koblenz
Evolution: 80 Years of Emily Carr Institute Alumni, Catalogue, ECI, 2005, p 54
TransFormations: Ceramics 2005, Catalogue, Potters Guild of British Columbia
Making and Installing Handmade Tiles, Angelica Pozo, Lark Books, 2005, pp 87 & 90.
Making Marks: Discovering the Ceramic Surface, Robin Hopper, 2004, kp books, p 163.
‘Gallery’, in Ceramic Review Nov/Dec 2003 Issue 204, p. 16.
The Attic Project, by Gillian McMillan, in Artichoke. Special Edition #2, 2002, pp 8-13.
Eric Metcalfe, by Anna-Marie Larsen, in Border Crossings. May 2002 #82, pp 71 &72
The Attic Project: Eric Metcalfe, Catalogue 2000 Southern Alberta Art Gallery/Kamloops Art Gallery
Gillian McMillan, in Made of Clay: Ceramics of British Columbia Potters Guild of BC/Douglas & McIntyre, Vancouver, BC 1998, p 97.
Gillian McMillan, in Contact : Ceramics from a Canadian Perspective. Winter 1996/97. #107, pp.41, 43.
Public Art
“Celebrating the Arts and Culture in Burnaby” a mosaic tile floor jointly commissioned by the Lougheed Town Centre (where it is installed) and Shadbolt Centre for the Arts. October 2002. Gillian was one of 6 clay artists who collaborated on this project, with the help of Shadbolt technicians.
“Pioneer Memories 2001” two concrete planters on St. George street traffic islands, commissioned by the City of Port Moody.