Hi pottery people
We hope you’re all keeping warm and well in this cold weather. If you’re cold, then we’ve got the heaters on for you! And if you’re not feeling well… we still love you dearly, but we’d also love if you could please wait till you’re better before coming into the studio. We have a duty to all our staff, volunteers and visitors to do our best in operating a safe studio environment and we do have some immuno-compromised people here who are put at risk by coughs and sniffles etc. Thanks so much for taking this into consideration, we truly appreciate it.
It’s a short newsletter this week with just a few reminders for you – check it out below.
Annual General Meeting – Tuesday 14th May, 6pm
A final reminder that our AGM is this Tuesday, the 14th of May at 6pm. It’ll be a short meeting, and we’ll share a kai afterwards. Plus, those members attending will receive their Play with Clay session for the rest of the evening at no charge! So please come along and support your Committee in their efforts to keep this cool clay club up and running. Bring a kai to share if you have the capacity :)
Annual Exhibition Countdown
It’s getting clooooooser…. 😊
22 Days until entries open on the 1st of June
95 Days until entries close on the 13th of August
104 Days until the exhibition opens on the 22nd of August
Upcoming workshops and events
Raku Club
Saturday 25th of May, 10am – 1pm
The monthly Raku firing schedule continues. We had a whole lot of fun at the last firing and some fantastic results. Come and join us! Sign up here.
Phoenix Wood Firing with Duncan Shearer – only 2 places left!
Saturday 8 June: Prep day: organize wood, prep shelves and kiln
Saturday 15 June: packing kiln
Sunday 16 June: firing kiln
Saturday 22 June: unloading kiln
The wood will need to be collected, prep'd and stacked a month earlier (mid May) to ensure it is dry on the day.
A limited number of spaces are available to share the use of the kiln on this upcoming wood firing. There’s just two places left, so get online to put your name down.
Personal Pou
A Matariki themed workshop with Dave Austin
Saturday 22nd of June, 9.30am – 4.30pm
Nau mai, tauti mai for this Matariki-themed workshop with local artist and WSP member, Dave Austin. Everyone is welcome, Māori and non-Māori, experienced clay workers and complete beginners, WSP-members and non-members.
In this workshop Dave will share the story of Matariki with us and talk about its significance to himself and what it is to feel Matariki as a Māori. He will then guide us in creating our own slab-built and sgraffito’d Pou that you will get to decorate in a way that holds personal significance to you. Find more information and sign-up here.
Phoenix Wood Firing with Greg Barron
Saturday 3 August: Prep day: organize wood, prep props, shelves, wadding etc
Saturday 10 August: wadding and loading pots into kiln
Sunday 11 August: firing kiln
Saturday 17 August: unloading kiln
We are thrilled to have Greg Barron as firemaster for this event. Participants must glaze their pieces prior to 10th August so that they're ready to load. Find more info and enrol here.
Studio Schedule
Here’s what’s happening next week… Remember to check the online calendar though for any changes - we've had a few disappointed people this week :(
Saturday 11th of May
10am – 1pm – Play with Clay, thanks – thanks Tim, Teresa and team!
1.30pm – 5.30pm – Lino cut tiles with Yasmin
Sunday 12th of May
10am – 1pm, Class – Throwing Taster
1.30pm – 5.30pm – Lino cut tiles with Yasmin
Monday 13th of May
9.30am – 12.30pm, Class – Wheel Throwing
1pm – 4pm, Members’ Open Studio
6pm – 9pm, Class – Wheel Throwing
Tuesday 14th May
9.30am – 4pm, Members’ Open Studio
6pm – 7pm, AGM and shared kai
6pm – 9pm, Play with Clay – Thank you Margaret!
Wednesday 15th of May
9.30am – 12.30pm, Play with Clay
1pm – 4pm, Members’ Open Studio
6pm – 9pm, Class – Wheel Throwing and Decorating
Thursday 16th of May
9.30am – 12.30pm, Class – Sculpture Skills
1pm – 4pm, Members’ Open Studio
6pm – 9pm, Class – Hand Building
Friday 17th of May
9.30am – 4pm, Members’ Open Studio
6pm – 1pm, Class – Intro to Pottery
Saturday 18th of May
10am – 1pm, Play with Clay - thanks Tim, Teresa and team!
Sunday 19th of May
10am – 1pm, Class – Wheel Throwing Taster
Memberships
Remember, it’s time to renew your membership! Our 2024-25 membership is underway now, so remember to sign-up online or in person to continue accessing the Members’ Open Studio sessions and getting all the good discounts etc.
