We’re always looking for new partners so we can offer as much value to you as possible. If you have any suggestions, let us know.

We do it because we want you to
become a member.

Give us a call, send us an email or stop by if you’re interested. Sign-up is painless.

AUGUST 5 – 14

In this 10 day workshop, artists will be introduced to all aspects of the mould making process.

Starting with prototyping, the class will move through the development of simple one-piece moulds and move on to more complex multi-piece moulds.

Students will have the opportunity to make many types of moulds and try many different techniques under the watchful eye of a master craftsman.

The course will conclude with an introduction to slip-casting. The workshop is suitable for artists at all levels of ability.

Registration on a first come first served basis. (12 spaces available)

AUGUST 5 – 14

The emphasis of the workshop is on repetition, focus, and getting the details right.

We will divide our time between the (improvised) bakeshop and the pottery studio, using the philosophy of mindfulness and creativity through practice and repetition.

In the kitchen, our focus is on artisan hearth breads. Learn how to improvise a hearth oven in your home oven, and how to mix, ferment, shape, and bake beautiful loaves using simple natural ingredients and time.

In the ceramics studio, choose a form (or 2) to practice and develop and delve into the details of scale, weight, proportion, edges, and surface.

In between we find the connections between food and pots, how they converse and strengthen each other.

The workshop will be punctuated with daily demos, tastings and discussions, all intended to make you consider the humble objects you make for daily use and consumption more deeply and fully.

$775 (all materials included)

Registration on a first come first served basis. (12 spaces available)

From the Esplanade website:

New sculptures in clay from the internationally known ceramist based in Medicine Hat are rooted in the forms, textures and colours of the distinctive landscape and geology of Alberta, while shifting subtly beyond landscape into abstracted, highly coloured sculpture.

The exhibition will feature new works as well as signature pieces from various collections.

OPENING RECEPTION
Thursday, May 5
Esplanade Art Gallery

On Friday, April 15, The Hive is opening Animal Magnetism, a solo show by Bronwyn Schuster.

The exhibition will be on display from April 15 to May 7.

WORKSHOPS & RESIDENCIES

This year we were fortunate to partner with NCECA to offer an international residency opportunity. We are very pleased to announce that the residency was awarded to Marc Leuthold of the United States. Marc will be joining us for the month of July.

The son of European immigrants, Leuthold is interested in cross-cultural experiences. His work reflects the influence of the arts of Asia, Africa, and the Mediterranean.

Leuthold is an Associate Professor at the State University of New York and has taught at Princeton University and Parsons School of Design. He is one of forty Americans who is an elected lifetime member of the International Academy of Ceramics.

His sculptures have entered the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the  Brooklyn Museum of Art and the Museum of Art and Design in New York City.

RESIDENCY OPPORTUNITIES

Our residency deadlines are fast approaching so please get your applications in the mail to arrive by APRIL 15. We are anticipating a very exciting summer here in Medicine Hat.

April 10th – 16th is National Volunteer week here in Canada. If it was not for our volunteers Medalta would not exist.

Our volunteers do everything from greeting guests to firing pots to teaching classes to contributing their professional expertise in a variety of capacities. Thank you for believing in Medalta and thank you for your hard work, the benefits are felt by many.

Above is an ad we placed in the Medicine Hat News to celebrate our volunteers. Below is the text of that ad, which tells the story of Jim Marshall & Jack
Forbes – two of the Friends of Medalta Society’s founding board members.

THEY STARTED IT

This has to be the ultimate volunteer story. In the mid-1970′s, these two men – Jim Marshall on the left, Jack Forbes on the right – sat under a cottonwood tree, looking at the abandoned, dilapidated Medalta Potteries factory.

The two men dreamed about someday restoring Medalta as a living, working museum and arts centre. What a crazy idea!

Well, when they realized they couldn’t shake the idea from their own heads, they actually got to work. These two men (Jim will still tell you he was “Number Two” on the scene to Jack) helped found the volunteer-based Friends of Medalta Society and led the uphill battle of saving a derelict property when no one else cared.

This year, we’re celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Friends of Medalta Society which really is a celebration of their ambition and (probably) stubborn-ness since they were the catalysts for the entire Historic Clay District project. These days, it doesn’t seem quite so crazy. We owe that to the work of all our volunteers.

And they’re not the only ones. We have many other volunteers who contribute an awful lot. So to all our volunteers, past and present, thank you. We really appreciate all that you do.

Our friend Carole Epp, who some of you may know from the blog Musing About Mud, is opening an exhibition at The Mendel Art Gallery in Saskatoon, SK this month.

Artists by Artists: Marsha Kennedy and Carole Epp

The Politics of Innocent Dreams

April 15 to June 12, 2011

The Mendel Art Gallery

950 Spadina Crescent East, P.O. Box 569

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7K 3L6 Canada

Phone: (306) 975-7610 Fax: (306) 975-7670

Opening Reception – Friday, April 15, 8 p.m.

Carole Epp creates provocative ceramic sculptures that reference kitsch figurines, lowbrow art and consumer culture. These figurative tableaux explore human experience – death and love, hope and failure, family and social pressures and seek to stimulate conversation, thought and action.

Epp lives and works in Saskatoon. She has exhibited her work locally, nationally and internationally and is editor of the popular ceramic arts blog, Musing About Mud. Her mentor, Marsha Kennedy, is an artist and educator based in Regina. Kennedy teaches painting and drawing at the University of Regina while maintaining an active studio practice.

We’re always looking for new partners so we can offer as much value to you as possible. If you have any suggestions, let us know.

We do it because we want you to
become a member.

Give us a call, send us an email or stop by if you’re interested. Sign-up is painless.

Amber Ginsburg and Robin Lambert asked artist, educators and everyone we knew to place one ounce of wet clay in an envelope and mail it to the FOREVER project with a Forever Postage stamp. The journey through the post left its impression on the material. These marks became a tale, connecting this project to our earliest writing on clay. They are now fired and the journey permanently archived. FOREVER will be on view at the Morean Arts Center for Clay, and St. Petersburg Clay Company at the Train

On Friday, March 28, they are launching a consignment retail area.

They’re also offering Knitting, drawing and ceramic workshops.

In addition to that, they’re still very busy teaching adult & children’s classes which are – of course – offered at a 15% discount to Medalta members.

You can sign up for their newsletter by visiting their website.

From the Esplanade’s website:

“The energetic prints and drawings made by British Columbia artists Rodney Konopaki and Rhonda Neufeld in this exhibition stem from their exploration into artistic collaboration, in which they take turns responding, guiding and interfering with each other’s work, both in the studio and while walking in a variety of outdoor settings.”

The show runs from February 26 – April 17, 2011

WORKSHOPS & RESIDENCIES

Bruce Cochrane Invites

May 1 – 31 2011

Bruce has lined up a stellar group of Ontario-based artists, including Zimra Beiner, Cathleen Nicholson, Marc Egan, Joanne Noorduis, and Gord Thompson. Watch for details as we profile each of these artists in the upcoming months.

Bruce Cochrane Bio

Bruce Cochrane was born in Vancouver and moved to Montreal at the age of ten. There, he was introduced to ceramics at John Abbott College and was encouraged by his first instructor, Julia Manitius, to continue his education at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, where he studied with Walter Ostrom.

From 1976-78, he attended the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University, where he received his M.F.A. He has taught ceramics at Sheridan College in Ontario from 1978-2010 and continues to conduct workshops and exhibit on an international level.

His work is in the collection of such notable institutions as the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art in Toronto and the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Ottawa. Bruce’s home and studio are located in Mississauga, Ontario.

Work by Bruce Cochrane.

Work by Cathleen Nicholson.

Work by Gord Thompson.

Work by Marc Egan.

Work by Zimra Beiner.

with Josh DeWeese

June 1st - 30th 2011

This residency will be led by invited artist and educator Josh DeWeese and is intended for artists who are comfortable working independently within a group setting.

Josh DeWeese is an Assistant Professor of Art teaching ceramics at Montana State University in Bozeman. He has exhibited and taught workshops internationally and his work is included in numerous public and private collections.

Work by Josh DeWeese.

July 4th - 31st 2011

This residency will be led by invited artist Sukjin Choi and is intended for artists who are comfortable working independently within a group setting.

Sukjin Choi is a Korean artist, educator and writer currently working in Virginia. Her practice ranges from the seemingly effortless production of traditional Onggi jars, to large scale multimedia installations.

Work by Sukjin Choi.

Earlier this week we were fortunate to entertain a visit by Ian Johnston and Carola Zee. They both gave talks about their diverse practices and toured our ever expanding facility.

Ian Johnston

Ian Johnston, a former Medalta resident, is an architect turned sculptor based in Nelson, BC. He has exhibited his sculptural ceramic work internationally since the mid-nineties.

Johnston studied architecture at Algonquin College, Carleton University in Ottawa and with the University of Toronto at Paris, France. Prior to opening his Nelson studio in 1996 he spent five years working at the Bauhaus Academy in Post-Berlin-Wall East Germany.

Currently Ian is an Artist in Residence at Red Deer College in Red Deer Alberta.

Carola Zee

After her education at the Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, Carola Zee mainly worked as graphic designer.

Since 2004 she is completely oriented towards her passion: designing and producing ceramics.

Currently she is an Artist in Residence at Red Deer College in Alberta. She maintains studios in both the Netherlands and Jingdezhen, China.

Her work in general stands out by her use of graphic decorations in the material and the form of the objects, combining modern production techniques with craftsmanship.

Work by Carola Zee.

Work by Ian Johnston.

Our websites are now up!!!

As part of our commitment to our resident artists, we provide professional support where possible. As an extension of this we have collaborated with a designer to produce websites for some of our artists. Check them out. If you click on the website photos, you’ll be taken right to their website.

Aaron Nelson

Kelsie Risling

Les Manning

Koi Neng Liew

Susan Knight

Xanthe Isbister

Full Year residencies are ideal for students just graduating from school and looking for a transition into a full time studio practice.

A full year in our studios allows for intensive engagement with ideas and techniques. We are able to offer our full year artists some teaching and employment opportunities provided they have the necessary documentation to work in Canada.

In addition, we are able to accommodate a small number of special requests for short-term residencies at certain times of the year.

Work by Koi Neng Liew.