The Journal of Australian Ceramics Vol 49 No 3 November 2010

Australia Wide
act
By the time this issue is published work will
have begun on five new studios at the Watson
Arts Centre. Funded by the ACT Government
and expeded to be completed by mid-2011,
these studios will be available for lease by clay
workers and will also provide the Canberra
Potters' Society the opportunity to host artists
in residence - a much needed and very exciting
development. Also by mid-November, the 2010
recipient of the Doug Alexander Award will have
been announced. This award will be judged
by Sandy Lockwood at the Society's Annual
Members' Exhibition, 21 Odober - 17 November.
As Christmas approaches, CPS will offer its
Christmas Fair with a wide seledion of quality
work by members just right for gilt -giving, and
after Christmas will embark on the first stage
of a planned Summer School development with
"Throwing Tea Pots and Casseroles", 1 0, 11 and
12 January, with resident potter Chris Harford.
Go: www.canberrapotters.com.au
Strathnairn Arts Association is currently hosting
visiting artist Brenda Danbrook from Canada,
a recipient of an ANU Emerging Artist Support
Scheme exhibition at the Watson Arts Centre
earlier in 2010 when her Canadian porcelain
bottles and beakers with restrained decal
decoration were a talking point. Her new work
is eagerly awaited. The Strathnairn Members'
Exhibition will open on 20 November with the
theme "Wool Shed ", in recognition of the
beautiful rural surroundings and the current
refurbishment of the ancient woolshed on the
property. Coinciding with the opening of this
exhibition will be the popular fundraising Soup
and Bowl Day.
The ANU School of Art will hold an exh ibition of
work by 2010 graduating students from 4-12
December. An extended range of graduate work
will also be shown in the various workshops.
A highlight for 2011 will be the Geoff Crispin
retrospedive exhibition at Watson Arts Centre in
March. It is touring from Grafton Regional Art
Gallery.
Best wishes to all for the festive season .
Jane Crick
E: janecrick@dodo.com.au
nsw
The success of the Bo wled Over exhibition at
Back to Back Galleries merits a repeat in 2012.
Invited artists were asked to enter 1-3 bowls in
the show. An ecledic mix of ceramic styles gave
buyers a large range to choose from. Added to
this were bowls by artists who work in glass,
pewter, wool, paper and felt. Contact www.
newcastlepotters.org.au, if you are interested in
being part of the next Bowled Over exhibition.
A quick trip to Sydney yielded a bonus visit to the
White Rabbit Gallery (www.whiterabbitcolledion.
org) in Chippendale. The gallery is dedicated
to showing contemporary Chinese art colleded
by the owner and generously opened free to
the public. On show is Ai Weiwei's Sunflower
Seeds. The ceramic work consists of a half ton,
conical pile of handmade and hand-painted 2 em
porcelain sunflower seeds. The installation makes
a beautiful form and the added significance of
the humble sunflower seeds being regarded as
a treat during the Mao period adds a further
layer to the work. Weiwei is also an activist on
behalf of the poor and the painting of the seeds
employed BO people over six months.
Around the corner we happened upon the
Peloton Gallery (www.peloton.net.au). This
artist-run gallery is supported by City of Sydney
and Arts NSW and is open to all media. Toni
Warburton displayed a shelf of salvaged objedS
that included ceramics from a house fire. Sharing
the space was Trevor Fry's large organic form
which seemed to have flowed from the potter's
hand w ith a mind of its own. A dry barium base
glaze with another dry glaze over produced a
serendipitous result.
Newcastle Region Art Gallery's significant
coiled ion of Japanese ceramics will be on show
from 6 November 2010 to 16 January 2011 .
The exhibition explores the influence of Zen
Buddhism on art and how the prinCiples were
interpreted in Western painting.
Sue Stewart
E: sue@ceramicartist.com.au
qld outh east
The Gold Coast Potters' Association (GCPA)
inaugural Empty Bowl Lunch - Hope not
Hunger was a resounding success in August.
102 THE JOURNAL OF AUSTRALIAN CERAMICS NOVEMBER 2010