September 2025 Newsletter
Club Notes and Updates
It’s that time again! The AGM will happen on 26 September, followed by the Anagama Show and Tell.
AGM and Anagama Show & Tell: Friday 26 Sept, 5:30-8:00pm
This year we're combining our AGM, a pot swap, and Anagama Show & Tell to create a fabulous social occasion. BYO drinks and nibbles to share and let's make a night of it!
The AGM will start at 5:30pm. Items for presentation or discussion include:
• President’s Report
• Treasurer’s Report
• Election of the Committee
• Presentation of life memberships
The full meeting agenda and discussion documents will be emailed to members on the 12th of September. Check your junk folder if you haven’t seen anything by the 19th of September.
Positions Available on the Committee
Education Portfolio: this involves planning of classes to meet the needs of our membership, and working with tutors and Club Admin to confirm class details. This role also has oversight of the Potter-in-Residence programme, assessing applications, and talking to interested potters.
Communications Portfolio: This role is ideal for someone who wants to guide and shape the Club's overall communications strategy. With our Club Admin handling the immediate communications around classes and events, this position focuses on overseeing the greater social media community, in-studio communication projects (e.g. educational videos for specific equipment), direction of messaging, consistency across platforms, and exploring new ways to engage our members.
Events Portfolio: this role has oversight of all club social events (e.g. “Friends and Family Fridays”, “Bring Your Child/ren”, “The WPA Throwdown”, the Mid-Winter Potluck, etc), working with the Club Admin and volunteers to get them running. This role also has oversight of Ceramicus.
If you are interested in any of these roles or helping to guide / shape WPA's future and would like to be involved with the Committee, please email Admin (wellingtonpotters.info@gmail.com) and she’ll connect you to the best person to talk to.
Pot Swap
Following the close of the AGM, we will hold a pot swap so bring a wrapped item to be exchanged - it's always exciting to be able to take home a fellow potters' work!
RSVP below. We will have a sign-in at the AGM, but RSVP’ing will give us an indication of numbers and send you an automated reminder for the meeting 48 hours in advance.
Send apologies for the AGM to wellingtonpotters.info@gmail.com
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Anagama Show & Tell
The Anagama Show & Tell will begin at the end of the pot swap, around 6:30pm. We recommend labelling your pots with the clay and glaze used - the firing creates such amazing variety from the same combos, fellow potters will constantly be asking you what you used to get your effects! The wonderful Mel Waite will be on hand to take professional photos of your anagama treasures and we will also provide advice on removing stubborn wadding and cleaning up items.
Please bring nibbles / drinks for either / both events. Sign up is free, but please RSVP so we know how many to expect.
Come show off your work from Anagama 2025!
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Ceramicus Exhibition: Awards, Guest Selector & More!
This year’s Ceramicus will again be held at the Wellington Botanic Gardens’ Begonia House. Photo: Mel Waite Photography
Ceramicus is a celebration of ceramics and our club, we hope that our members will consider making and submitting a piece (or pieces!) for the exhibition.
Awards
We’re excited to announce a brand new award for 2025, the ‘Botanic Award’, sponsored by the Friends of the Wellington Botanic Garden. Members are encouraged to be inspired by the beautiful, blooming botanic gardens.
A full list of awards and sponsors:
• Wellington Potters’ Acquisition Award* - up to $650
• Bot Pots Premier Award - $500 voucher
• Bot Pots Excellence Award - $350 voucher
• Bot Pots Merit Award - $250 voucher
• Karla Marie Ceramics Emerging Potter Award** - $200 voucher
• Kiwi Underglaze Creative Colour Award - $200 voucher
• Nelson Pottery Supplies People's Choice Award - $200 voucher
• Friends of Wellington Botanic Garden Botanics Award - $200 cash *new for 2025*
• Wellington Potters’ Highly Commended Awards - 3 x $50 Hello Club credit
Sponsors
We are pleased to welcome back Bot Pots, Kiwi Underglaze, Nelson Pottery Supplies and Karla Marie Ceramics for their ongoing support and sponsorship.
Guest selector & artist: Aaron Scythe
We are stoked to announce our guest selector & artist for 2025 is Aaron Scythe!
We invited Aaron to be our guest selector & artist based on his innovative wheel work, distinct decoration style and activity within ceramics and arts in Aotearoa. You can view his work online www.ascythe.com or Instagram @godinc247
Aaron will run 2 workshops at WPA (Friday 31 October and Saturday 1 November), keep an eye on your email and the socials for details!
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Ceramicus information for members
For details on dates, awards, entries, fees and selection please see the Ceramicus 2025 information sheet. This will be available on HelloClub soon, look for the update in the September MMCU.
The exhibition will run as it has for the last 2 years at the Begonia House, there are a couple of tweaks for 2025:
• Entry fees have been increased to $20 for the first entry, and $10 for entries after that
• All members who enter work will receive a catalog and can bring a guest to opening night included in the entry fee
• Members can enter up to 4 works
For advice on pricing your pieces, please see this ‘rough guide’ developed by Peter Rumble last year.
Volunteers needed!
We are seeking volunteers for:
• Advertising and promotion - someone to identify opportunities to promote Ceramicus
• Receiving & selection day, Sunday 2 November
- Morning receiving shift, 9.30am-12.30pm
- Afternoon receiving shift, 12.30-3.30pm
- Post-selection pack-up (experience & care when handling pots required) 7-8.30pm
(NOTE: The roster for gallery minding will be available when applications open.)
Ceramicus Pop-up Market - 4 days this year!
Our pop-up market events in 2023 and 2024 have been a great success and this year we will run the market on both weekends of the exhibition. Details are:
• Dates: Sat 8, Sun 9, Sat 15 and Sun 16 November
• Location: Lady Norwood Rose Garden, Wellington Botanic Gardens
• Cost: $40 per day
Members are welcome to share a stall. To find a stall mate, please pop something on our members Facebook group or email wellingtonpotters.events@gmail.com for matchmaking!
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Call for Donations for WPA Raffle & Sale Table
We are seeking donations to be raffled at the pop up market or sold at the WPA sale table.
This is a perfect opportunity to move on any pots you’ve had hanging around for a while and help raise funds for the club. If you have donations please email Kate via wellingtonpotters.events@gmail.com to arrange drop-off.
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Mezzanine Studio Available for Rent
For the last 2 years the mezzanine studio has been held for the potter in residence programme however, due to lengthy spells between potters in residence, we have decided to make the room available to members for short-term lease.
It will be available for a monthly rental of $200 (with the option to extend if no potter in residence is lined up). The studio can be shared by 2 members.
The studio has ample work and storage space. It would be ideal for focussed work on a project or preparing for an exhibition. Currently there is no wheel in the room, but this could be explored if there is demand.
If you have any questions or are interested in hiring the studio, please email wellingtonpotters.cubbies@gmail.com to discuss availability.
Looking for other storage options?
We have 2 x lockable storage units available. Rental is $160 for 6 months. Please email wellingtonpotters.cubbies@gmail.com if you’d like to rent one.
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Library Update
We’ve got a great new visual organisation system in the library!
You may have noticed a flurry of activity in the Library over the last few weeks, with planning meetings, prep and working bees all bringing about some exciting changes. We have finally reached the point where we can give you all an update on what's been going on.
We've been sorting through all of the books, recategorising them, photographing them and then adding them to a shiny new online catalogue. This means that members can find any of the items in the library collection. We've also included tags to help you browse by subjects, such as raku, glaze recipes or throwing. Ingrid has also added the club's entire pottery collection to the database, because she's an absolute legend!
You can now browse the entire WPA pottery, video, and book collection through Libib here.
What's next?
As the library is no longer lending, we have been able to reduce the number of duplicate items we need to hold. This has freed up lots of shelf space, meaning now we have room for NEW BOOKS! So if there's something you think we're missing let us know. You can email Admin at wellingtonpotters.info@gmail.com, or pop a note in the suggestions box.
When using the library, please remember to put your book back on the shelf where you found it.
Thanks to: Ingrid, Heather, Georgina, Daphne, Lewis, Julia, Georgi, Elodie, Ellen, Geraldine and Kate for the mahi, and of course to Elaine and Vera for building the Library up so well for us in the first place!
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How our Reclaim Areas Work (for Visual Folk)
We have a slight update to which clay reclaim goes where.
All slip and dry pots go in the outside buckets, (left photo). HOWEVER, all soft clay that is ready to go through the pug goes into the top black bucket in the area next to the toilet (right photo)!
All slip and dry clay/pots go outside, while…
All soft clay ready to go through the pug goes in the bins above.
Please help us save time by putting your unwanted clay in the correct area. Thank you!
Welcome new members!
Abbey L | Anahera R | Elizabeth T | Flora M | Jessica M | Jonathan L | Julian L | LeeAnn J | Maria B | Mitchell Z | Phillip O |
Abbey L | Anahera R | Elizabeth T | Flora M | Jessica M | Jonathan L | Julian L | LeeAnn J | Maria B | Mitchell Z | Phillip O |
DID YOU KNOW…?
September is Clay Dust Awareness Month
This September, we’re focusing on something that isn’t always visible but poses one of the greatest long-term risks to potters: clay dust.
Silica dust from dry clay doesn’t make you sick overnight. The danger comes from long-term, repeated exposure—tiny particles that lodge in the lungs and slowly cause irreversible damage. Because the effects build up quietly, it’s easy to underestimate the risk. But once it takes hold, it can’t be undone.
Recently, we’ve noticed lapses in dust-safe habits: sanding indoors, sweeping dried scraps, and incomplete clean-ups. These may feel small in the moment, but every action adds to the dust we all breathe. That’s why the Committee has declared September Clay Dust Awareness Month—a reset for our studio habits and a reminder to make dust safety second nature.
Eliminate Clay Dust, Step 1: Prevention
Don’t Work with Dry Pots in the Studio
To keep both our studio and our lungs clean, never work with dry pots or slabs indoors. This means:
🚫 No sanding
🚫 No carving
🚫 No scraping
🚫 No brushing
🚫 No crushing
All sanding must be done outside, at least 3 meters away from both the entryway and pathways. And when working with damp or leather-hard clay, regularly sponge down tailings before they dry out.
Eliminate Clay Dust, Step 2: Remediation
Wash Tables Thoroughly
Wiping down with a splash of water isn’t enough. To truly clean:
Do:
- Wash with half a bucket of water
- Rinse with a second half-bucket of clean water
- Use a large sponge
Do not:
🚫 Use an ice-cream container (too small, too dirty, too dusty!)
What You’ll See This Month
To support this campaign, you’ll see the following happen in September:
• Posters on studio tables with safe practices spelled out
• Reminders in newsletters and social media
• Practical tips and demos for dust-safe habits
This campaign isn’t about blame—it’s about care. By taking the rules seriously and supporting each other, we’re protecting not just ourselves but everyone who works in the studio now and in the future.
✨ REMEMBER: If it’s dry, work outside! ✨
Member’s Gallery
The Anagama kiln is being loaded up in Horokiwi and continues through the rest of the week. Firing begins next Wednesday (10 September).
Thank you to Kate Mac, Jade V, and Ingrid P for their photos of all the action!
Is there something you’ve made that you are particularly proud of? If so, please email your photos (and descriptions, if you’d like) to wellingtonpotters.info@gmail.com.
PSAs from the Club Admin
Sluice room volunteers needed
Are you a 20+ hours per week member? If a few of you would prefer to turn your daily Plus Ones into a once-a-week job, there is the following much needed contribution required. (Of course, less frequent user members are more than welcome to step up, too!)
Following a couple of complaints connected with using the step-up grating in the sluice room (people forgetting to step back and down on leaving) a bright yellow, non-slip, coarse-textured matting was installed. Whilst this seems to have had the desired effect in alerting users to be more aware, the matting becomes dirty fairly quickly.
It’s a 5 to 7 minute job to scrub it and mop around it. It would be appreciated if our regular room users would arrange their own roster to deal with this…it’s probably a two to three times a week job.
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Membership renewals are coming soon
To retain your membership with WPA, make sure you keep an eye on your emails in mid-September. Just follow the easy instructions to renew or cancel your membership. And remember that WPA doesn’t have an option to pause your membership. If you're going away for a while, it is often easiest to just retain it (it costs less than $1 per day) rather than cancelling it and then facing the dreaded waitlist of 130+ people when you want to return.
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Related to clay dust
We’ve noticed more communal tools being left unwashed lately. Please clean tools before returning them to their place — dried clay crumbles into dust and adds to the clay dust we’re working hard to keep under control. Cleaning ALL tools after use (personal and communal) keeps the studio safer–and the air cleaner–for everyone.
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Fun fact
Our little-kiln-that-does, Pēpi, has recently completed its 200th firing! Next time you are down there, give it a little pat to recognise its hard work well done. 🙂
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Book donation
A big thank you to Julie Har. for organising a signed copy of Anneke Borren’s new book for our library! It will be catalogued soon and ready for you to enjoy on the shelves.
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Admin back on duty (mostly)
Your trusty Admin is back on remote duty after a week of chaos at the Telluride Film Festival. She’ll be actively on emails, communication, and all things administration through the 22nd of September when she’ll go quiet again as she makes her way back across the Pacific, landing at the studio on 1 October.
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Ngā mihi.
Suggestion Box Updates
Thanks for your suggestions in the suggestion box! Believe it or not, the suggestion box is NOT a black void of notes from you all. Suggestions get read, discussed, and logged at the Committee Meetings. Below are the suggestions and outcomes from last month’s meeting (click the “+” to expand).
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Excellent news, and thank you!
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Absolutely. Peter will get a hearth brush. This could be there already!
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We’ll take a survey of them and make sure they are stable. Also to note: there is a new maintenance book! It’s at the sign in desk and marked up for your items. Please note any work necessary there so that we are able to stay on top of it!
Brownies for September
These come from Karley S., and if you’ve been in the rooms lately you’ve probably been lucky enough to try them! Above photo from RPG Industries
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INGREDIENTS
• 1 cup (100gm) Cocoa powder
• 200gm melted butter
• 2 cups caster sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 cup (90gm) flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powderDIRECTIONS
1) Sift Cocoa into a bowl
2) Add melted butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Mix into a smooth paste.
3) Sift in flour and baking powder.
4) Add chocolate.
5) Pour into a lined/greased baking tin
6) Bake at 150 deg for 20 mins
It should be slightly under cooked when taken out of the oven.Enjoy!
Upcoming WPA Classes & Events
Friends and Family Night
Friday 19 September | 5 - 9PM
September’s Friends & Family Night is technically full—but every session a few people don’t show, and we always have a waitlist.
If your plans change, please cancel your spot so someone else can join.
To join the waitlist, mark yourself as “Interested” in Hello Club. There are no automatic updates, but I’ll check for cancellations and email those on the list. It’s also worth checking Hello Club directly—spots often free up in the final day or two!
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AGM/Pot Swap
Friday 26 September | 5:30 - 6:30PM
This year we're combining our AGM, a pot swap, and Anagama Show & Tell to create a fabulous social occasion. BYO drinks and nibbles to share and let's make a night of it!
The AGM will start at 5:30pm. Items for presentation or discussion include:
-President’s Report
-Treasurer’s Report
-Election of the Committee
-Presentation of life memberships
The full meeting agenda and discussion documents will be emailed to members on the 12th of August. Check your junk folder if you haven’t seen anything by the 19th of August.
The Anagama Show and Tell will immediately follow the Pot Swap!
NOTE: The main studio will be closed starting at 4:30pm to make space for the AGM and Show and Tell.
RSVP’ing will automatically send you a reminder 48 hours before the meeting. Please send apologies to wellingtonpotters.info@gmail.com.
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Anagama Show and Tell
Friday 26 September | Immediately after the AGM/Pot Swap
We know how excited you are about your anagama pots—bring them along to share both your triumphs and your misfires!
Following the AGM and Pot Swap, we'll move right into Anagama Show & Tell! We’ll cover how to remove wadding and other firing marks, and discuss when it does (or doesn’t) make sense to put your anagama pots through a Cone 6 club firing with a transparent glaze.
For the clay and glaze nerds among us, please label your pots with the clay body and/or glaze used. You’ll be surprised at how dramatically results can vary with the same materials, depending on where a piece sat in the kiln.
As in past years, we may have tools available for wadding removal and perhaps some photo opportunities—details will be confirmed closer to the event.
Please bring nibbles / drinks to share. This event is open to any member. Sign up is free, but please RSVP so we know how many to expect.
NOTE: The main studio will be closed starting at 4:30pm to make space for the AGM and Show and Tell.
Community News & Events
'Soup Sunday'
28 September | 12-2pm | Te Horo Hall
Join local ceramicists and pottery lovers alike at this unique fund-raising event. Guests will be served delicious soup in individually crafted ceramic bowls—many of them made by WPA members—while enjoying live music from local band Timberline. The best part? You get to take your chosen bowl home afterwards as a lasting keepsake. Proceeds from the day will support the thriving residential potter programme at The Kilns, which has welcomed ceramic artists from Sweden, Japan, England, and across New Zealand.
A huge thank you goes out to all the WPA members who generously gave their time to throw, trim, glaze, and fire nearly 100 bowls for this event. Your efforts will help make the day a success.
We encourage everyone to support The Kilns by coming along for lunch—or gather some friends and make it a party!
For WPA, backing events like Soup Sunday is about more than lending a hand—it’s about strengthening the wider pottery community we’re proud to belong to. The Kilns at Te Horo have created a remarkable space where ceramic artists can grow, share ideas, and find inspiration. You can learn more about their work at thekilnsattehoro.co.nz.
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Links to other clubs’ current newsletters
Have some content for the newsletter? Email it to wellingtonpotters.info@gmail.com.
The deadline for the next newsletter is 22 September.
A reminder that the October Newsletter will be published on 3 October.
