Category Archives: Artist Update

when an existing artist page is updated

Alexandra McCurdy. Last Days To Catch Her January Exhibition And Sale At the Gardiner Shop.

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Alexandra McCurdy. Boxes at the Gardiner. January 2018.
Alexandra McCurdy. Boxes and Bowls at the Gardiner. January 2018.
Alexandra McCurdy. Bowls at the Gardiner. January 2018.

If you haven’t done it yet make sure you catch Alexandra’s exhibition and sale in the Gardiner Museum shop. Yes, that’s the shop! The works are classic McCurdy, including her iconic boxes and bowls. Alexandra has a long relationship with the Gardiner. In fact, 30 years ago, as the first artist displayed in the shop, Peter Gzowski opened her show, a huge success, and interviewed her on Morningside. She was, therefore, invited to be the January 2018 featured artist to celebrate the Gardiner shop’s 30 years of operation.

The exhibition and sale run for the month of January. A must see for collectors and McCurdy fans!

Tommy Kakinuma, A Major Retrospective

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Thomas Kakinuma, Peacock (detail), glazed ceramic, 1963. Photograph by Ken Mayer Studios, 2018

Thomas Kakinuma, Peacock (detail), glazed ceramic, 1963. Photograph by Ken Mayer Studios, 2018

The Ceramic Art of Thomas Kakinuma, January 24 to March 10, 2018.

West Vancouver Museum

680 17th Street, West Vancouver BC, V7V 3T2

604-925-7295

Opening Reception: January 23, 7 to 9 p.m.

The Ceramic Art of Thomas Kakinuma is the artist’s first substantial retrospective offering a rare opportunity to see works from public and private collections. The exhibition is organized by the West Vancouver Museum, in collaboration with the Kakinuma Family, Debra Evelyn Sloan, Dr. Carol E. Mayer, Allan Collier and Stacy Reynaud.

Panel Discussion: Thomas Kakinuma in Context on Saturday, February 10, 2 p.m.  Speakers: Debra Evelyn Sloan (ceramicist), Dr. Carol E Mayer (curator), Allan Collier (curator/collector) and Stacy Reynaud (collector)

 

 

 

Paula Murray Exhibition: Compassion, Sept. 8 – Oct. 8, 2017

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Paula Murray. Compassion Exhibition Poster

Paula Murray. Compassion Exhibition Poster

Paula Murray continues to express her insights into the human condition with Compassion, “a response to the brokenness we witness” at the Centre Materia
395 boul. Charest Est, Quebec City, from September 8 – October 22, 2017. The opening is Friday, September 8th, 5-8 pm.

The delicacy, the fragility, the scale of Paula’s works are something truly to behold.

Keith Campbell Exhibition: “50 Years in Clay: Still more to Say” at Jonathons, Sept. 14-30.

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Keith Campbell. 2017. C/6 porcelain plate with photo stencil airbrushed, drawn, brushed, sgrafitto image with a clear glaze 35 cm wide

Keith Campbell. 2017. C/6 porcelain plate with photo stencil airbrushed, drawn, brushed, sgrafitto image with a clear glaze 35 cm wide

Keith Campbell  continues his commentary on Canadian history and politics with “TOASTING 150” celebrating Canada’s 150th Birthday with the portraits of the 23 Prime Ministers of Canada on porcelain toast. The works are part of a 50 years retrospective, “50 Years in Clay: Still more to Say“, at Jonathon Bancroft-Snell Gallery in London, ON, from Sept 14 to Sept 30th.

Enjoy Keith’s wit and commentary.

Ed Drahanchuk and Robin Hopper C.M.,R.C.A. Surprise Me

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I recently received two bits of ‘good’ news. One from Ed Drahanchuk and another from Robin Hopper.

Ed Drahanchuk. From Alberta Comes of Age Catalogue

Ed Drahanchuk. From Alberta Comes of Age Catalogue

Ed recently wrote me that he is planning on getting back into ceramics. For the past many years Ed has been working in his other artistic love, painting. As Ed puts it:

“I’ve been out of touch for some time now (years), but plan for my last stab into pottery for 2017 if all goes well. Just a matter of building my fifth kiln.”

Ed is still on Quadra Island coping with internet outages, snowstorms, mice chewing through water lines, and the arrival, or return, of a large mural once on the RBC head office in Calgary. Ed is contemplating how to uncrate and restore it. So nice to see that RBC preserved art rather than just discarding it for ‘progress’.

I interviewed Ed Drahanchuk many years ago and had planned a page on him. So expect to see that page on Ed here in the future.

Thank you Ed for connecting.

Robin Hopper and Judi Dyelle in their Metchosin garden

Robin Hopper and Judi Dyelle in their Metchosin garden

The other surprise was from Robin Hopper. I had noticed a surge in readers and followers. After a bit of digging I found out it was because of a post on Robin’s facebook page. Here is the post:

“I’m getting too shaky to write much and answer questions, so please don’t ask. Instead. I’m going to put you in the hands of Barry Morrison, editor of an information on-line Canadian ceramic topic. Barry is a brilliant scholar and ceramic historian who I’ve known for over 30 years. He has been well aware of my personal trajectory as well as other authors in giving the best overview of my multiple workstyles, technical info and techniques. You can find Barry’s amazing coverage at :

Studio Ceramics Canada.Com

If you want to know anything about Canadian ceramics and its major practitioners, this is definitely the best place to go.

Robin.”

Wow! Thank you, Robin. I think I’m going to have to increase my hat size by a few sizes.

By the way, Robin is still waiting  for the final details of the location for his Order of Canada investiture.

Let’s welcome Ed back to ceramics and continue to congratulate Robin on this recent honour.

Robin Hopper To Be Inducted Into The Order Of Canada

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Robin Hopper. At a Greater Lansing Potters’ Guild workshop, October 2006.

Robin Hopper. At a Greater Lansing Potters’ Guild workshop, October 2006.

Congratulations, Robin!

An honour long overdue. Details to be announced.

Readers, please forward your congratulations to Robin at robin@chosinpottery.ca.

So many of us have benefited from his talent and generosity, and have been inspired by his art.

Robin Hopper, RCA. A Major Page Update Added To Studio Ceramics Canada

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Robin Hopper In His Studio

Robin Hopper In His Studio

Robin Hopper’s page was one of the first posted on this website, three years ago.  It is also one of the most visited. A major update is long overdue.  Artists’ pages on the site, their scope, format and content, have evolved, expanded.

The revised page explores more of Robin’s past activities and work, and also touches on his more recent activities and passions during what for him are difficult times.

Enjoy connecting with one of Canada’s most renowned ceramists, Robin Hopper RCA.

Keith Campbell and Slide Show Updates a New Feature on Studio Ceramics Canada

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Keith Campbell. 2012. "She Would Not Be Amused". Thrown porcelain stein with lid, sculpted, handbuilt, photo stencil image, drawn and airbrushed, pink stain with a clear glaze over and fired to C/6. Gold lustre fired ti C/018. It is 22 cm tall.

Keith Campbell. 2012. “She Would Not Be Amused”. Thrown porcelain stein with lid, sculpted, handbuilt, photo stencil image, drawn and airbrushed, pink stain with a clear glaze over and fired to C/6. Gold lustre fired ti C/018. It is 22 cm tall.

I am adding a new feature to the website. To take advantage of the internet’s dynamic potential I will be occasionally adding a slide show and comments to previously published artist pages.  Books, as magnificent as they are, quickly become dated.  Artists’ directions and creations are constantly changing. I will post an announcements on new image updates as they are created with a link to the artist’s page.

This feature, which will be at the end of the page’s “Gallery” section, will illustrate newly created, or newly discovered/uncovered, works by artists previously published. Look for the heading titled “Slide Show and  Update.”

The first artist to be updated is Keith Campbell. Keith is an artist who very much wears his political heart on his sleeve.

Let me know what you think of the feature.

Debra Sloan, One Busy Lady

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Sloan mek posterOver the past several months Debra Sloan has been non-stop. Honouree for Craft and Design for this year’s Mayor’s Art Award, she also had work at SOFA in Chicago in the MEK Gallery.

She was accepted into the Ceramics, Residencies, Exhibitions, Teaching and the Arts (C.R.E.T.A) – Rome residency, supported by the Hilda Gerson Award.

sloan gone roamingShe will be guest artist with the All Fired Up group in Victoria this spring, including a wood firing at Gordon Hutchen’s place on Denman Island. Currently she is also in the Best B4 Collective Exhibition, – Telling Stories.

Whew, I’m getting tired just writing this. Congratulations, Debra!

Alexandra McCurdy Elected to the RCA

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Alexandra McCurdy. The work representing Alexandra at the inductee exhibition. Blue Box with Copper Wire, with an accompanying wall piece. Size of the box is 13X13X13cm; the wallpiece is 19X19X19cm. Porcelain, wire and beads (as connectors) and copper wire. Photo: Steve Farmer.

Alexandra McCurdy. The work representing Alexandra at the inductee exhibition. Blue Box with Copper Wire, with an accompanying wall piece. Size of the box is 13X13X13cm; the wallpiece is 19X19X19cm. Porcelain, wire and beads (as connectors) and copper wire. Photo: Steve Farmer.

Good news! Nova Scotia artist, Alexandra McCurdy has been elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts  at its 35th RCA Annual General Assembly, Montreal, Quebec, May 14-17.

Congratulations, Alexandra! You can read more about Alexandra McCurdy RCA and her work on her page on this site.