As the old saying goes “Better late, than never”, I want to take a minute to introduce myself as your president this year.  My name is Carol Holmes-Kerr.  I have been a making pottery since 1998.  While working as an addictions counsellor in Sarnia, I needed to find an outlet that allowed me to achieve some balance in my life so I began to take some pottery courses at Lambton College.  Eventually I bought my own wheel and kiln and set up my own studio.

My husband was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2008 and due to his illness, we had to sell our home on Lake Huron in 2009 and move back to Ottawa to be closer to family and friends. Since we moved into a condo I needed a space to continue working while caring for my husband, and I fortunately found Gladstone Clayworks Co-op where I have been a member for 3 years.

I joined OGP in 2010.  When I was asked to be Vice President in 2012, I was, like many others I’m sure, dubious about accepting the position.  I’m sure I looked like “the deer in the headlights” at the executive meetings as I tried to understand what was being discussed and catch up on the history of the guild.  Our Past President, Prudence, was extremely helpful and patient with mentoring me.  We also received support and valuable information from other long time members, since we are both fairly new to the guild.

This year has been a challenge already as President.  The first hurdle to clear was finding a monthly meeting space that would accommodate our library cabinet.  Most of the executive and I researched many locations over the summer, and finally found Hintonburg Community Centre.  They have not only provided us with a lovely meeting room, they also managed to accommodate one of our library cabinets.  Plus, HCC is in the heart of a a vibrant, developing artist community.  You will see evidence of this in an amazing ceramic mural by Richard Gill on the wall of the ramp leading from the parking lot.

One person I want to especially thank is our new librarian, Liza Westwood.  Although this is not an executive position she and her team have jumped in feet first, and have done an outstanding job of reorganizing our library.  They did extensive research and sorting, in order to decide what should be kept in the one cabinet at our monthly meetings.  Just recently Liza created a file of all publications being housed elsewhere and this is now on line.

Most of your executive is new this year and I want to thank those members who accepted these responsibilities and are doing a great job while being on a steep learning curve.  We are currently looking for people to fill the following positions however: Vice President (executive) and telephone and web inquiries (non-executive.)

Finally, in light of our 40th anniversary year of celebration, I want to acknowledge all the work done by our exhibition committee, especially Monica Rosenthal and Sandra Marshall for organizing the exhibitions at the Ottawa Archives and the Dust Evans gallery at the Shenkman Centre.

With the Holiday Sale around the corner, I’m sure many studios are buzzing with activity. If you are one of those participating, stop playing on the computer and get back into the studio and get busy!

Cheers

Carol

OGP Holiday Sale 2013

The Holiday Sale 2013 still has some space available for potters interested in displaying and selling their work.  As this is our 40th Anniversary, we would like this be a huge celebration for everyone.  In honour of celebrating 40 years, we will be waiving the late registration fee. Please contact me with your application if you are interested.  We would love to have you join us! Kristin, kmaa19@yahoo.com

Sandra Marshall has been working promoting our 40th Anniversary. She has organized events coinciding with the OGP Fall Sale. A recent write up descibing these events is as follows:

“Hello Potters:  You may not be working towards making pieces for the Guild sale in November, but you are invited to participate in the activities and observe how the experienced potters set up their stands and display their ware.  You will be impressed by the variety of works that our craftspeople make from functional pots to wearable sculpture and delightful holiday decorations.

During the sale, on Friday, November 15th, at 7 pm in the  evening, there will be a ‘Meet and Greet’ of the Guild founders and early members to celebrate our 40th anniversary with them.  A display of their work has been set up in the Dust Evans Gallery at the Shenkman to coincide with the Guild sale. You will see the work of Mimi Cabri, Carolynne Pynn-Trudeau, Kay Walker, David MacKenzie and Maureen Marcotte, Leta and Don Cormier, Ruth Westwood and Ingrid Levine Stevenson, Richard Gill, George Argus, Maggie Cox, Chris MacEwan and last, but not least, Rosemary Swan who has generously offered the show-case for this display and helped to set it up .”

Sandra Marshall

In touch with OGP Members

Maja Paunovic-Maricic, BFA, OCT and member of OGP recently had an interview with CNCAC and was recently published. Take some time to celebrate with her and watch the interview : http://www.cncac.ca/subscribe
To see more of Maja’s work go to: www.majapaunovic.com

Fusion Clay and Glass offers a phenominal opportunity to clay artists and craftspeople of all levels to participate in a subsised mentorship program. This years recipents include a number of OGP members and there are three shows being held. We will continue to follow up with stories about the programs, the mentors and the opportunities created by Fusion.

Hilde Lambrechts is having her first solo exhibition in a public gallery continuing until till November 24, 2013. The exhibition titled  ‘Petrified forest’ at the Ottawa school of Art gallery in the Shenkman Centre, 245 Centrum Boulevard. It is near the main entrance. Hilde desciribes the exhibition: “…there are162 ceramic pieces arranged in 21 works of art, inspired by the function and beauty of trees. It calls for global conservation of original forests.The first time I touched clay was in September 2010 when I enrolled in a ceramic sculpture class of the late Jim Thomson. He infected me with the clay bug, for which there is no cure. I worked, worked and worked, and learned on the go. Three years later I am showing how far I got. I dedicate the show to Jim, as I know he will be standing in a corner and say: yeah, yeah, yeah….”

In addition, Hilde has a show at Rothwell Gallery, 1718 Montreal Road. A collection of hand-built ceramic cauldrons coated with runny glaze concoctions and inscribed with runes or pictographs. Check out Hilde’s website: h-art.ca. and select ceramics/hocus pocus to see this collection.

Current Events and Opportunities

Call to Artists
The Kanata Civic Art Gallery invites artists to submit applications to join. Deadline: Dec. 6, 8 p.m.
http://kanatagallery.ca/Kanata_Civic_Art_Gallery/Home.html

Call for Artists for the 2013 Figureworks  Award Show

Figureworks.org is a not-for-profit organization promoting art of the human form. Figureworks is calling artists in all media to participate in its fourth annual juried award show from November 19 until December 1, 2013 at Saint Brigid’s Centre for the Arts, 310 St. Patrick Street, Ottawa, ON, Canada.

AOE

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: Seeking exhibit proposals for 2014, for La Fab, Art Cultural Heritage Centre of Chelsea. Deadline: Nov. 18. For more information: http://www.culturechelsea.ca/en or email: art@culturechelsea.ca

ARTPRENEUR Ottawa 2013, Saturday, October 19, 2013 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Shenkman Arts Centre. Purchase tickets in-person at: Any Wallack’s Art Supplies location, Shenkman Arts Centre, guest services. Ottawa School of Art, Byward Market and Orléans Campus

CALL FOR SPEAKERS: The West Carleton Arts Society is seeking speakers with experience in art creation and promotion. For more information: jozodesigns@rogers.comh

Fusion
http://www.clayandglass.on.ca

FUSION Magazine Feature Artist Column – Student Applications

FUSION invites submissions for the magazine column that will feature one student clay artist and one student glass artist in the winter issue.  Applicants should be currently enrolled in a post secondary institution for ceramics or glass or have graduated in 2013. Applications due: Nov 10, 2013

Ontario Crafts Council

WE’VE BEGUN! The Craft Export Readiness Project 2013-2014 will allow the Ontario Crafts Council to research the needs of the crafts community, develop an online database for US market opportunities and how-to-export information, and join with our partner WorkInCulture to produce an online course about the basics of exporting for cultural workers. Locations: TORONTO: Friday, November 8, 2013, GUELPH: Saturday, November 9, 2013, BRACEBRIDGE: Thursday, November 14, 2013 To register for a hub session, please contact Sara Washbush, project@sarawashbush.com, office 613-865-8956, cell 613-349-5429.