August 2023 Newsletter
Save the Date!
AGM & Pot Swap - Sunday, 24 September
Our Annual General Meeting for 2023 & Pot Swap will be held on Sunday 24 September at 2pm. At this meeting we will hear from the current President and Treasurer about the the previous year and we will elect the Committee for 2023/24.
There will be a pot swap so bring along a wrapped pot if you wish to participate. Note: Members will be unable to work in the main room from 1pm - 4pm.
WANTED: CLUB SECRETARY
Our current secretary, Kate MacDonald, is hoping to step down due to work commitments so we are on the hunt for a new Secretary.
The secretary is both important and interesting. The key function of the role is to support our monthly Committee meetings. You will work closely with our Club Administrator, Heather, and Club President, Martin, to ensure that Wellington Potters is administered effectively. Could This Be You? Let us know!
Club Notes/Updates
Private Firings are Firing Ahead
Private firings are now up and running for existing kiln licence holders. We’re getting some great feedback from people using the new HelloClub booking function and those enjoying the new app to monitor the progress of firings in the comfort of their own home.
We still have some testing to do to tighten up kiln availability for private firings but we’re taking a staged approach to get things right before adding more firings and new kiln licensees into the mix. As a result, the proposed Kiln Licence training course is yet to be launched. As soon as we have a plan and tutors in place we’ll publish this in the newsletter.
Kiln issues
Having praised the new kilns though, our old kilns – Woodrow and FE5 – have just decided to go on strike. With the firing of CEC students’ work taking precedence in early September, there is likely to be some disruption to club and private kiln firing schedules while we resolve these issues.
This is also a timely reminder that although our kilns are mostly amazing at what they do, no results are ever guaranteed and things do go wrong. Such is the life of a potter, and no refunds on kiln fees are refunded for things that go awry.
Say Goodbye to Library Cards
The library team has introduced a new process to make signing out library books easier for you, and to allow us better oversight of what's being borrowed. There's now a sign-out sheet located in the returns tray. When signing out library items fill out the title, date and your name on the sheet. You can use multiple lines if needed.
When returning your item, either:
1) Return the book to the returns box, OR
2) Cross your details off of the sign-out sheet THEN return the book to the correct shelf.
Please DO NOT return the book to the shelf without removing your name, otherwise we won’t know it’s been returned and will be forced to pester you forever and ever.
We'll be running both systems side by side for a few weeks to give everyone a chance to get used to the change. If you have any feedback please let us know.
Do Your Part for the Clubrooms
CLUB CLEANING BEE - 19 AUGUST
Our cleaning bee has moved a few days and is now on Saturday, 19 August from 10am until 2pm. You don’t need to come for the whole time - just as much as you have available - so this is the perfect way for new or time-poor members to help out in the running of the club. Volunteering your time or expertise is part and parcel of being a Full member of WPA and we are recording your contributions so sign up in HelloClub to let us know you’re coming.
Some jobs can be done in the week prior and will be listed on the whiteboard for those who can't make it on the day. A reminder too, there is no access to any of the rooms for personal projects during this time.
And if you can’t make it to the cleaning bee, don’t forget to keep doing your +1s when you’re at the rooms - tidy away a coffee mug or plate, wash a dirty bat or plaster bat, wipe the lunch table or kitchen bench, return wareboards from kiln room to beside the dry box upstairs, wipe down the sluice sinks, refill handsoaps, toilet paper, handtowels, etc, etc.
Upcoming WPA Events
Don’t Miss Out on Anagama Fun
SIGN UP NOW TO BE CONSIDERED FOR A LOADING AND/OR FIRING SHIFT
If you have a pot in the firing, you don't want to miss the experience of being there to stoke the fire. No experience is required but if you want to be a part of it all, you need to indicate your interest in Loading and / or Firing events in HelloClub. Only then will we email you a questionnaire to check your preference for specific times and days so we can arrange rosters for each individual shift
If you don’t sign up in HelloClub by Thursday 3 August, you WILL miss out.
SUBMITTING YOUR POT
Receiving day is happening on Sunday 27 August, 10-3pm. By now, you ought to have finished making your fabulous creations so there’s time for them to be bisque fired before submission. Please sign up to Receiving Day in HelloClub to speed up the drop-off process. If you don’t know whether you’ll submit something, you’re better to sign up and not turn up on the day rather than arrive without us knowing you’re coming.
We will provide details of what to expect on Receiving Day in our Mid-month Catch-up email, and will also email Receiving Day attendees in mid-August with the firing form and detailed instructions. As always, all these details can also be found in the Anagama FAQ in HelloClub - the nice big red button on the home screen.
ANAGAMA GLAZES
If you decide you want to add a glaze to your pot, the anagama glazes will be added to the glaze room this coming week. They are removed on the evening of Thursday, 24 August to ensure your glaze is dry before you pack your pots for submission. We have an extra glaze available this year - a Greg Barron celadon that goes blue / grey and crazes.
KEY ANAGAMA DATES FOR 2023
Cone 10 glazes added to glaze room: Early August
Cone 10 glazes removed from glaze room: Thursday, 24 August, evening
Receiving day*: Sunday, 27 August, 10:00 – 3:00 pm
Loading week*: Monday, 28 August – Saturday, 2 September
Firing week: Wednesday, 6 September – Sunday, 10 September (four 6-hour shifts per day)
Unloading day: Sunday, 17 September 2023, 11:00 – 4:00 pm NOTE: No pots to be removed until 2:30pm as the team needs to review the firing
Show & Tell evening: Friday, 22 September, 6:00pm
* Volunteering at these events qualifies members to fire two additional pots.
LAST CALL for Expressions of Interest: Pop-up Garden Market 7 & 8 October
As part of this year’s Ceramicus exhibition, we will have a pop-up pottery market in The Dell (next to the Begonia House). This will run on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 October, from 9am - 4pm.
This is an exciting opportunity as the rose garden, begonia house and cafe are a popular destination. This weekend aligns with the final week of the World of Wearable (WOW) show, the first week of the school holidays and the first weekend of Ceramicus.
‘Stalls’ will be available at a rate of $30 per day, with NO commission.
Ceramicus Update
AWARD CATEGORIES AND SPONSORS
The time to start planning and making your Ceramicus pieces is NOW, receiving day is a mere 2 months away (Sunday 1 October).
We are pleased to confirm our award categories and sponsors:
• Premier Award - $500, sponsored by Bot Pots
• Excellence Award - $300, sponsored by Deco Pot
• Merit Award - $250, sponsored by Deco Pot
• Domestic Ware Award - $200, sponsored by Vessel
• First Time Exhibitor Award - $150, sponsored by Karla Marie Ceramics
• People's Choice Award - $150, sponsored by Nelson Pottery Supplies
We would also like to acknowledge CCG, our gold event sponsor & Wellington City Council our in kind sponsor for opening night.
ARTIST EVENTS
We would like to get as many people as possible to our exhibition, one of the ways we can do this is through artist events.
If you are interested in running an artist talk, demonstration or small workshop at the Begonia House during Cermicus please get in touch with Kate via wellingtonpotters.events@gmail.com
Friends and Family Night - 1 September
JOIN US FOR OUR POPULAR FRIENDS AND FAMILY EVENING
This is your chance to bring along ONE friend or family member to see what ceramics and pottery is all about. Christine Winbush will be your host for the evening however you are responsible for providing clay, overseeing what your guest does, and making sure you have cleaned up tidily after yourselves. You are welcome to bring snacks and a drink to enjoy too. Open any time between 5pm and 9pm.
Club members are allowed to fire items made during this evening by your friend or family but must take responsibility for paying and collecting the items promptly.
The event is free to attend but please SIGN UP so that we have an indication of numbers expected on the night. Looking forward to seeing you there!
Be a Great Club Member
Volunteering is part and parcel of being a member at WPA and we have lots of people chipping in each and every day. Remember that the easiest way you can help contribute is by doing your +1. Perhaps this month you could choose a couple of the following items to add to your clean up routine:
HAVE YOU DONE YOUR +1?
Check the drying shelves for bats that are no longer needed under pots
Wash some dirty bats or put the clean ones away
Wipe down the kitchen table and bench top
Wash and put away the dishes in kitchen
Refill the paper towels in our NEW dispensers - supplies above the shower in the pugmill room
Check the washing line, bring in and put away dry slab roller cloths
Public Service Announcements (PSAs) from the Club Admin
Short and sweet from Admin this month:
Thank you to everyone who filled out the “classes” survey! We have some GREAT suggestions and will be taking them into account when scheduling the next set of classes for the studio. The winners of the two $50 Hello Club credits are Chrissy Blair and Daphne Dashfield. Congrats!
Please don't use bats with holes for handbuilding. People need these for the wheels.
Have (helpful) suggestions for the club? Use the box on the desk! Every suggestion in the box gets read out loud in the monthly committee meeting. Even if there is no immediate action on the suggestion, it is discussed and recorded.
From the Kiln Team: Come collect your pieces! Wednesday evenings are prime-time to do so as the shelves will be the emptiest they will be all week.
Want your domestic-ware to vitrify, but only want to fire to Cone 6? Peter Rumble has bought – on his own account – some Keanes mid-fire white with speckle. He will be selling it in 2kg bags (snap-lock) for $12/pack. [See clay table; honesty payment system.] Do your test firings and, if you want to buy more, place a pre-order with Peter. If a minimum of 10 bags is ordered in total, WPA will stock this clay! The WPA price per 13kg bag would be $65 (equivalent to $50 per a normal 10kg bag, not including shipping if you were to buy it privately). Email Peter with any questions: sales@rumbles.co.nz
Ngā mihi, Heather
DID YOU KNOW…?
It’s free to bisque- and glost-fire your test tiles!
That’s because we want club members to test their own glazes or glaze combinations rather than risking drips landing on the kiln shelves. As always, place your glazed test tiles on a kiln biscuit to help us load the kilns and to ensure we don’t end up with potentially costly (to you) glaze drips in the new kilns.
Community News/Events
Lyuba Zhilkina Gallery Opening at Ōtaki’s “Tote Modern”: TOMORROW 2 August
FROM ŌTAKI POTTERY CLUB:
We are absolutely thrilled to introduce our incredible guest artists for the month of August: the talented Lyuba Zhilkina and the wonderful Liz Earth.
Join us on Wednesday night for the opening and to celebrate the captivating artistry of Lyuba Zhilkina and Liz Earth. Let's come together to admire their unique creations and soak in the artistic brilliance that fills our gallery space.
Lyuba’s work will be on show until 27 August.
Kumiko Jacolin's Article About Anagama in CeramicsNZ
Our very own Kumiko Jacolin has written an article for Ceramics NZ about the Anagama experience. (Note: at time of newsletter publication, the new Ceramics NZ issue had not been released. Keep checking back for details.)
Thistle Hall has an upcoming ceramics gallery show, “Allsorts,” from 7 - 13 August, featuring WPA members Rebecca Flowerday and Jenny Shearer. Gallery is open most days at 11am through the show.
Have some content for the newsletter? Email it to wellingtonpotters.info@gmail.com. The deadline for the next newsletter is 25 August.
