Time is running out, so act now or you’ll miss out on checking out some great items made with clay.
The St. Albert Potters’ Guild, one of the five major artist guilds in the city, is just about to wrap up its annual show and sale at St. Albert Place. This is one of the best opportunities for residents of the region to get their hands on some unique and locally made decorative and functional pots, the word to describe all ceramic ware pieces. Customers not only get some locally made art just in time for Mother’s Day, but the sale goes a long way to supporting artists and not in a financial way.
“For me it’s not about money at all,” said Linda Willard, one of the guild’s members represented at the sale. “As a guild, we really feel that we’re a big part of the city. It’s just a way to be part of the larger community. We hope that our sale is recognized throughout the region and brings people in.”
There are approximately 60 members in the guild and this show is considered a highlight for the greater Edmonton area’s pottery enthusiasts. For those who don’t truly understand why an event like this is a big deal, Willard added how the guild has some great talents on its roster, some of which are known across the province and even have some of their original items in the provincial collection with the Alberta Foundation for the Arts.
To them all, hand building and wheel throwing are not just pastimes.
“We want to show the community that … it’s more than just a hobby.”
Long-time guild member Edith Sinnema remembers that she was a novice at best when she first started. It was a fluke of fate as her two daughters were registered in a pottery class but one backed out in the middle of the curriculum. Sinnema stepped in just to make sure she got her money’s worth.
“I thought that I would never make it. My daughter finally said, ‘Look Mom, you’re not here to worry about how well you’re doing. You’re here to enjoy it.’ I was a slow learner but it gradually came together. I’ve loved it ever since.”
She balks at the notion that she now has enough experience and talent to consider herself a master but now she helps to educate others on how to throw pots in communities in Africa.
In addition to the sale, there will be demonstrations of wheel throwing and hand building as well as door prize giveaways at the end of the day. The sale goes from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. tonight at St. Albert Place.
