A group of Tri-City ceramic artists will mark its 10th year — and the country’s 150th anniversary — with a new show at the Port Moody Arts Centre this month.
The display, which opens with a reception on Thursday, will showcase more than 150 pieces by 26 artists with the Tri-City Potters, a non-profit society founded in 2007 that meets on the third Wednesday of each month at the St. Johns Street facility.
Today, vice-president Kay Bonathan told The Tri-City News the group started after a number of Tri-City ceramic artists who were attending classes in Surrey decided “they didn’t want to make the long trek over the Port Mann bridge anymore.”
Today, its 33 members include such well-known Tri-City artists as Dan Severence and Clive Tucker, both of whom are on the Place des Arts’ and PMAC faculties.
For its milestone exhibit in the Canadian Pacific Gallery, titled Celebration in Clay, the potters will feature a range of their ceramics: from sculptures and stoneware to wearable arts and non-functional ornaments. As well, they have created 50 small tiles with images of wildlife — i.e., trees, birds, squirrels, fish, etc. — to form a Canada 150 mural called Tree of Life (see image below).
And to honour the arts centre, the potters have donated at least one handcrafted bowl for a Dutch auction, with proceeds supporting PMAC. The auction starts Thursday and all bowls have the same price and are sold on a first-come, first-served basis (the prices will be lowered each week until the end of the exhibition, on March 30).
Celebration in Clay runs in conjunction with the Canadian Clay Symposium - Re:evolution, happening on March 18 at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts in Burnaby.
Meanwhile, also on Thursday, in the Ann Kitching Gallery at PMAC, Kimberly Blackstock and Breanna Quan open their floral exhibit The Living Palette while, in the Suncor Gallery, Enda Bardell shows her series called Panorama Unfolding.
• The opening reception is from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Port Moody Arts Centre (2425 St. Johns St.). Admission is free and artists will be in attendance; refreshments will also be served. Call 604-931-2008 or visit pomoarts.ca.
