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Painting with Clay
January 18 to May 25, 2025
Featuring Carl Beam (1943-2005), Ann Beam (1944-2024), Anong Migwans Beam, Riel Migwans Beam, and Lux Migwans Beam
Curated by Anong Migwans Beam and Elka Weinstein
Online Programs
Anong Migwans Beam in Conversation with Franchesca Hebert-Spence
February 18 from 12-1pm
Click here for more information and to register.
Anong Migwans Beam in Conversation with Mikinaak Migwans
April 22 from 12-1pm
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Painting with Clay features ceramic works made by the Beam family from M’Chigeeng First Nation on Manitoulin Island. Carl (1943-2005) and Ann Beam (1944-2024) both had an interest in creating decorative paintings on pottery pieces, partially inspired by Carl’s lifelong search for Anishnaabe pottery. The Beam family’s creative legacy in ceramics continues through Carl and Ann’s daughter, Anong Migwans Beam, and her sons, Riel Migwans Beam, and Lux Migwans Beam. Anong’s lifelong practice of making paint with local natural materials springs from her parents’ practice in making paint and pottery on Manitoulin and in the Southwestern United States.
Painting with Clay walks viewers through three generations of pottery-making, some of which are inspired by the Mimbres and Ancestral Pueblo pottery that Carl and Ann encountered in the Southwest, where the family settled just after Anong was born. Recurring themes in the works are supported by family and archival photos, as well as illustrations from an unpublished children’s book by Ann Beam.
This exhibition is generously supported by:
Peindre avec l’argile nous présente les œuvres de la famille Beam de la Première Nation M’Chigeeng de l’ile Manitoulin. Carl (1943-2005) et Ann Beam (1944-2024) étaient tous deux intéressés par la création de peintures décoratives sur pièces de poterie, s’inspirant en partie de la poterie Anishnaabe que Carl a recherché toute sa vie. Le leg créatif de la famille Beam en céramique se poursuit grâce à la fille de Carl et d’Ann, Anong Migwams Beam ainsi que ses fils, Riel Migwans Beam et Lux Migwans Beam. Anong se consacre à la fabrication de peinture à partir de matériaux naturels se retrouvant dans les sources d’eau locales, s’inspirant du travail de ses parents qui fabriquaient de la peinture et de la poterie sur l’ile Manitoulin et dans le sud-ouest des États-Unis.
Grace à Peindre avec l’argile, le visiteur découvre les œuvres de trois générations d’artistes, certaines étant inspirées de la poterie Mimbres et ancestrales Pueblo auxquelles Carl et Ann ont été exposés pendant leur séjour dans le sud-ouest où la famille s’était installée juste après la naissance d’Anong. Des photos d’archives et familiales ainsi que des illustrations d’un livre inédit pour enfant d’Ann documentent les thématiques récurrentes de leurs œuvres.
Fruits: Julie Moon
January 18 to May 18, 2025
Through vessels, florals, and fruits, Julie Moon engages the intersections between ceramics and the natural world. In her most recent body of work, Moon explores munbangdo, or scholar’s study paintings, a style of Korean art first started in the late eighteenth-century. A type of still life, these paintings often depict a range of objects, fruits, and flowers that might be found in a typical study.
Julie Moon adapts this practice to ceramics, creating three-dimensional, decorated, and abstracted forms influenced by the symbolism and meanings of these distinctive works. With histories connected to Qing dynasty duobaoge, (literally, “many treasure shelf”), and auspicious symbolism, Moon delves into lush forms and bold design.
Par la création de ses récipients et représentations de fleurs et de fruits, Julie Moon s’engage dans l’intersection où céramique et monde naturel se rencontrent. Dans ses œuvres récentes, Moon explore le munbangdo, la peinture de livres et d’objets, un style artistique coréen qui est apparu vers la fin du dix-huitième siècle. Cette forme de nature morte représente des objets, fruits et fleurs que l’on pourrait typiquement retrouver dans un bureau.
Julie Moon adapte ce style de peinture à la céramique, créant des formes décorées, abstraites et en trois dimensions, influencées par le symbolisme et signification de ces œuvres. Avec des histoires reliées au duobaoge (qui signifie ‘cabinet de trésor’) de la dynastie Qing et le symbolisme de bon augure, Moon explore les formes luxuriantes et les designs audacieux.
Jamie Kroeger, These are the toes I knows that Froze, 2018. Enamel. Collection of the Artist.
In The Outside:
Jamie Kroeger
January 18 to May 25, 2025
With a background in environmental and avalanche science, Jamie Kroeger is an artist who uses the materiality and tactile qualities of enamel to explore complex relationships humans forge with our outdoor environments. Kroeger’s exploration of art jewelry seizes the opportunity to express diverse narrative themes, symbolism, memories associated with equipment and outdoor work, as well as the contradicting dichotomy between art and object. Each object Kroeger presents plays a piece in a larger narrative, constructing both personal and accessible dialogues.
This exhibition is presented as part of the Emerging Talents Series and is generously supported by The Musagetes Fund held at Waterloo Region Community Foundation and The Pottery Supply House.
S’appuyant sur une formation en sciences de l’environnement et des avalanches, l’artiste Jamie Kroeger utilise les qualités physiques et tactiles de l’émail pour examiner la complexité des relations que les humains établissent avec l’environnement extérieur. Par son exploration de la bijouterie d’art, Kroeger saisit l’opportunité d’exprimer diverses thématiques, symbolismes et souvenirs associés à l’équipement et au travail en plein air ainsi que les contradictions, la dichotomie entre l’art et les objets. Chacun des objets présentés par Kroeger s’insère dans un tissu narratif plus grand, créant ainsi des dialogues à la fois personnels et accessibles.
Cette exposition fait partie de la Série des Talents Émergents et bénéficie du support du Musagetes Fund, sous l’égide de la Waterloo Region Community Foundation, ainsi que de la Pottery Supply House.
Twelve Collaborations
January 10, 2025 to March 1, 2025
Gary Evans & Timothy Laurin’s Collaboration, 2024. Enamel. Collection of the artist.
In early 2024, Timothy Laurin made the decision to embark on a series of collaborative works with makers from a variety of disciplines. The sole parameter for the project was that each resulting object would incorporate some form of enamel process. After identifying the collaborators, Laurin initiated each partnership by asking for a starting point, whether it be a drawing, a previous piece of work, a writing, or even just a simple concept.
Each project evolved uniquely, shaped by the individual creative process of the collaborator. The development of the works involved studio visits, conversations, and numerous exchanges of emails, all contributing to the evolution of the pieces. Throughout this endeavor, Laurin was compelled to explore new techniques and push his own aesthetic boundaries. His comfort zone was often stretched, which became an unexpected benefit of the experience.
Laurin is excited to present the twelve collaborative works and extends his gratitude to the talented makers who participated in this creative journey.
Ceramic Morphologies
Curated by: Isabel Ochoa, James Clarke-Hicks, David Correa
and the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery
January 30 to May 25, 2025
Ceramic Morphologies showcases the creative potential of 3D printing in architectural ceramic design. Featuring works produced through robotic fabrication alongside traditional methods of craft, the exhibition explores new form languages that emerge from the interaction between clay’s fluidity and precision-driven tools.
The exhibition features prototypes designed and fabricated by students at the University of Waterloo School of Architecture. The works on display include a series of ceramic columns designed as formwork for precast concrete elements. Building on experiments with tool path design and material deformation, participants developed their columns by addressing conceptual, functional, and technical considerations, including scalability and constructability.
Ceramic Morphologies invites viewers to reflect on how digital tools and material practices can redefine the landscape of contemporary ceramic building systems.
This work and exhibition has been generously sponsored by the Masonry Council of Ontario.
Participants: Ali Hasan, Alisa Lau, Alison Yu, Angeline Reyes, Areeba Akhtar, Candace Haddy, Cindy He, Derek Shin, Derrick Clouthier, Eva Yang, Gillian Marsh, Jinhong Rioux, Kenyo Jacob Musa, Khadeejah Kazi, Mrsal Rashed, Penn Bolourchi, Selcen Aydar, Snow Jia, Syed Bahroz Ali, Tina Lin, William Guinane
Every Piece Tells a Story
Located at the Waterloo Public Library – Main Branch
Sylvia Hyman, Peach Basket #1 with Packages, 1997.
Porcelain, stoneware, glaze, cotton, jute. Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery Permanent Collection. Gift of the Artist, 1998. 1998.019.001.
In the Spring of 2024, the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery invited students from the FR470 course at Wilfrid Laurier University to explore pieces from our Permanent Collection. In turn, these students wrote French fairy tales inspired by a selection of artworks. All of the objects in Every Piece Tells a Story are either directly featured in those tales, or they helped to inspire the visuals, characters, and settings of the stories. This exhibition is a reminder that we can get inspired from all sorts of different places, and that there are stories to be told everywhere that we look.
Copies of these stories are available through the Waterloo Public Library. We hope you stop by and experience the creativity of our local students, and some wonderful pieces from the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery Permanent Collection.
In the Studio
Have you ever looked at a work of art and wondered how it was created? How can glass be blown into wonderful vessels? How can you build a strong, sturdy ceramic teapot when the raw clay is so soft? How does enamelling transform metal into decorated works of vibrant colours?
With this permanent exhibition, we invite you to discover and uncover some of the mysteries around the work of clay, glass, and vitreous enamelling. Grab a brochure to identify the tools and materials. Learn about techniques and tricks of the trade that artists use in their studios. Then, see the products of these techniques in the artworks on display, each pulled from the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery’s Permanent Collection. From time to time, we will change them so that you, too, can discover the treasures we have and care for.
Take a step into the studio and explore each of these tools, techniques, and artworks.
Vous êtes-vous déjà demandé comment on crée une oeuvre de métiers d’art? Comment le verre peut être soufflé pour devenir un magnifique vase? Comment l’argile mou peut se muer en une résistante théière en céramique? Comment l’émail peut changer une simple pièce de métal en une explosion de couleurs vibrantes?
Cette exposition permanente vous invite à explorer et découvrir les mystères du travail de l’argile, du verre et de l’émaillage. Saisissez une brochure qui vous aidera à identifier les outils et les matériaux. Familiarisez-vous avec les techniques et les trucs du métier que les artisans utilisent dans leurs ateliers. Puis voyez des exemples de produits finis tirés de notre propre collection permanente. Nous renouvellerons périodiquement ces oeuvres afin que vous aussi puissiez apprécier les trésors que nous conservons précieusement ici.
Entrez dans l’atelier, et penchez-vous à loisir sur chaque outil, chaque technique et chaque oeuvre.