A new exhibit at the Glenhyrst Art Gallery of Brantford and Brant, titled “Golden Clay,” is showcasing the work of the Brantford Potters’ Guild as they celebrate their 50th anniversary.
The exhibit features 39 pieces, each created by a different member of the guild and sorted into four rooms: the animal room, vessel room, house and garden room, and fun room. A few additional pieces are found in the halls connecting rooms.
Aliki Mikulich, an artist and member of the Guild who has been working on the exhibit with curator Matthew Smith, said the Guild has been preparing for this exhibit for about two years.
“It’s a great honour to be at Glenhyrst,” Mikulich said. “It’s a professional gallery, and especially being part of a collective like this to show what we’re capable of… it’s an honour.”
The guild has over 100 members, all of whom were invited to submit work, Mikulich said. Anyone from the guild who wanted could have a piece included in the exhibit. Some made pieces specifically for the show, while others chose from their existing collection of work a piece that they wanted to put forward.
The Brantford Potters’ Guild started in 1975 with a group of six potters, Gillian Lewis, Kay Boyd, John Prosser, Utta Bein, Suzanne Welsby and Louise Garnett, who met in the Coach House at Glenhyrst. In 1978, the guild was incorporated as a non-profit organization. The exhibit description states that the guild was “founded on the principles of connecting individuals and communities in their appreciation of ceramic arts, innovating contemporary pottery practices, and educating future generations to maintain interest in the craft.”
Today, Mikulich describes it as a “thriving guild,” that is still “going strong.” They have a studio in West Brant, where they teach classes and provide studio space for members. The guild holds semi-annual sales each year, usually in spring and fall, often tied into charitable initiatives. They also sell their work year-round in the Glenhyrst shop.
The current exhibit offers the chance for the guild to showcase how artistic pottery can be, outside of the pieces people usually see most often.
“It’s nice to come together in a group and see each other’s work,” Mikulich said. “I’m on the kiln team, so I do see what comes out of the kiln. But to see these pieces that are made…… to see special things that are very artistic and expressive, it’s very gratifying.”
Some of the many different applications of pottery are seen in the exhibit, which has everything from robots to ballet shoes to birds, all made out of clay. There are also pieces on display from three of the guild’s founding members: John Prosser, Suzanne Welsby and Louise Garnett.
“I think it’s nice for the public to see that pottery isn’t just mugs and bowls, that it can be elevated, I guess, to be art,” Mikulich said.
The exhibit runs from January 18 to March 9, 2025. An opening reception will be held on Thursday, January 23 from 7 p.m. to 8 :30 p.m.
