Top L-R: Unmarked, Effie McLeay, Unknown.
Bottom L-R: TJ, Unmarked, LP.
Check the end for more beauties and cuties :)
Hi lovelies!
Entries for Shared Earth are officially closed, and we've had a record number this year — we can't wait to see all the packages rolling in next week as physical works start arriving at the studio!
Good news on the kiln front too — our gas kiln is up and running again. A big thank you to David Kenny for lending us a thermocouple probe thingy while we get WSP's fixed. We've run two firings this week to catch up and the cone 10 shelves are now clear! Thanks so much for your patience while we got there.
Dave Austin is moving on from his role as Assistant Manager. We'd like to thank Dave for his contribution to the studio during his time with us, and wish him well for what's next. In the meantime, please continue to direct any studio enquiries to Libby or Bronwyn as usual.
A big, huggy thank you to this week's PWC and MOS volunteers: Margaret Raine, Trudie & John Mackintosh, Kristen Almond, Yasmin Davis and Lydia Farrell — our cup runneth over with your generosity!
Please note we're closed tomorrow, Saturday 22 August, for the Glazing for Wood Firing workshop. That means there won't be anyone to assist with clay sales, pick-ups or drop-offs, so please plan your studio visit for another day. As always, check the online studio calendar before you head in.
Read on for all the latest news...
Shared Earth — Opening Preview and Awards Evening
Entries are closed — and what a response! Thank you to everyone who submitted work for Shared Earth 2026, our annual members' exhibition. We've had a record number of entrants and entries this year, a wonderful reflection of just how much our community has grown.
Now it's time to celebrate! Join us for the Opening Preview and Awards Evening, Friday 4 September, 5.30pm at ArtsPost Gallery, Hamilton. We're delighted to welcome internationally renowned potter Aaron Scythe as this year's judge, and it's a great chance to support the exhibiting artists, see the full breadth of work on display, and find out who takes home this year's awards.
WSP will supply the drinks for the evening — if you're able to, please bring a plate of finger food to share.
The exhibition will be open to the public from 5–26 September — we look forward to seeing you there.
A New Mural on the Block
If you've come through the carpark entrance lately, you'll have spotted something wonderful going up on the end of our building — a brand new mural, the result of months of planning and painting by a fantastic collaborative team.
The mural is a joint project between ArtMakers, Men's Shed, Arts for Health and WSP — the four organisations who call the Ward Park Arts Centre home. It's a vibrant, eye-catching addition to the building, and honestly, a joy to walk past — full of colour, texture and personality that captures just how much creative energy comes out of this place. It's a wonderful representation of the range of organisations and people who make this creative enclave what it is.
A huge thank you to our own WSP team who gave their time and talent to design and paint our panels: Janine Tate, Shadae Owen, Victoria Kerry and Yasmin Davis, and to Josephine Hughes who facilitated the project on behalf of WSP in it's earlier stages.
We'd also like to extend a very special thank you to Sylvie Bolstad of ArtMakers, who has led this whole project from concept through to completion — her vision, coordination and sheer dedication are the reason this mural exists at all. And on behalf of WSP, huge thanks to Sylvie and Tania Hollatz from the Men's Shed, whose commitment to finishing the painting of our panels and seeing the project through to the end has been so appreciated.
Kiln God Exhibition — Pot House Gallery, Tauranga
Here's a little something that might tickle your fancy...
The Pot House Gallery in Tauranga is hosting a delightful Kiln God Exhibition — a collection of handmade guardian figures created by potters and ceramicists to watch over kilns, inspired by the age-old tradition of kiln gods keeping firings safe and fortunes good. If you're after some inspiration, it's well worth a visit.
25 September – 17 October 2026, 10am–3pm
The Pot House, 159 17th Avenue, Tauranga South
This is an exhibition run by The Incubator Creative Hub — for more info, get in touch with them directly or check their website.
That's all for this week, friends - see you in the studio x
Top L-R: Fraser Smith, Tess May, Unmarked.
Bottom L-R: Unmarked, RG, Unmarked.
