Past Exhibitions

April 1 to July 5, 2023

The Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery is pleased to present Guardians and Arkangels in its Gordon Barnes Community Gallery. The pieces presented, all from clay sculptor Patricia Brennan, are only a few examples of the collection, which spans an undertaking of more than 38 years. The artist writes:  

The Arkangel Project functions as traveling mythology, reflecting its stories of real people involved in earthly action and inspired by heavenly ideals. From my ever-expanding circle of connections, the models arise, embodying both the reflective and the affective, the repulsive and the enlightening. In the relentless circular movement of coiling and manipulating clay, the life-like terra cotta portraits emerge to echo the process of life in a human form—imaginative possibilities presented through changing positions, intervals and attitudes. 

We would like to thank Louise MacCallum and Michael Barnstijn who shared with us these magnificent works, and to Carolyn Meili who facilitated the whole process. Our thanks to Shelton Deverell who spoke with Pat of her series and who signs the essay presenting them to us.  We all owe a debt of gratitude to Art Historian Sarah Lippert, Pat’s cousin, who first conceived the idea of this show and who, tragically, died before it came to fruition. And of course, a huge thank-you to Patricia Brennan who welcomed me into her house to discuss the project, and shared with us her vision of the world through her work. 

January 28 to May 21, 2023
Matthias Ostermann, Carole Epp, Debra Kuzyk and Ray Mackie (Lucky Rabbit), Richard Mund, Karin Pavey, Jim Smith

This exhibition is presented as part of the Emerging Talent Series and is generously supported by The Musagetes Fund held at Waterloo Region Community Foundation.

January 28 to May 21, 2023
Dauma Stirbyte

September 24, 2022 to January 15, 2023

Could we ever know each other in the slightest without the arts?

Gabrielle Roy (1909-1983)

September 24, 2022 to January 8, 2023

For more information about the Winifred Shantz Award for Ceramics, click here.

For more information about the RBC Award for Glass, click here.

August 13 to January 15, 2022
Guest Curated by Katharine Bourgon

As a former professional dancer, teacher, and choreographer, Katharine Bourgon brings a unique perspective to her selection of pieces from the permanent collection of the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery. First as a volunteer and now as a staff member, Katharine has had ample opportunity to peruse and admire the work in this collection. When asked to curate her own show, she found that the pieces that moved her were literally pieces that contained or embodied movement. After 45 years in the dance world, the chance to combine her abiding passion for dance with her new passion for the Gallery was a priceless gift.

Community Perspectives is a new initiative by the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery that will see members of diverse communities share their interests and experiences through an exhibition comprised of works selected from the permanent collection housed in the Gallery’s vault. For over 30 years, the Gallery has collected works in clay, glass, and vitreous enamel; many have been donated and some have been purchased with funds secured through grants. “Through the Eyes of a Dancer” is the first in this exciting series.

From the Collection: Recent Acquisitions

September 2021 to February 2022

The Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery’s Permanent Collections contains more than 1,000 artworks in glass, ceramics, and copper enamel that are held in public trust. The Permanent Collection has grown largely thanks to the generosity of artists and private collectors who have donated their works so that we can preserve and exhibit these important pieces of Canadian Culture. Visit the Gallery to see some of the most recent additions to our Permanent Collection!

Meet the Artists!

Artists Joe Speck and Teresa Seaton will be at the Gallery on Saturdays through the summer. Come see the exhibition and ask them about their work!

July 9 from 12-5pm, Joe Speck
July 16 from 1-3pm, Teresa Seaton
August 20 from 1-3pm, Teresa Seaton

May 21 to September 11, 2022
James Clarke-Hicks and Isabel Ochoa

This exhibition is presented as part of the Emerging Talent Series and is generously supported by The Musagetes Fund held at Kitchener Waterloo Community Foundation and The C3 Group of Companies.

May 29 to September 11, 2022

Cheryl Wilson-Smith’s Exhibition gallery is lit to simulate dusk and imbued with ambient raven calls. As you move through the installation you are encouraged to select a kiln-fired glass rock from the thousands made by the artist and place it in a spot you are drawn to among the 21 pillows. Your interaction and the collective energy of all other participants will shape the development of the installation and provide everyone the opportunity to contemplate the passage of time and the vulnerability of both humanity and the natural world.

Cheryl Wilson-Smith lives in Red Lake, Ontario surrounded by the boreal forest and the Canadian Shield. 21 Pillows is a reminder of how we affect the natural world over time, and by extension, ourselves.

Organized and circulated by Thunder Bay Art Gallery with support from the Ontario Arts Council.

May 7 to August 7, 2022

Exhibition coordinated by David Correa

University of Waterloo Architecture students test how building facades of the future can be 3D printed with clay. Inspired by nature, ancient architectural traditions and new technology, the students develop new methods and processes that re-envision the clay masonry unit.

Working with a state-of-the-art large-volume clay extrusion 3D printer, Assistant Professor David Correa’s students set out to explore how this highly used building material can be re-envisioned for the future. This fabrication tool allows for an unprecedented level of design freedom when compared with conventional brick-making methods, while still engaging the material properties and characteristics of traditional clay.

The exhibition includes 3 student projects that test the new architectural qualities of 3D printed facades, where each clay brick can be unique. The projects include a wide range of playful wall systems, ornamental and light-modulating cladding systems, as well as rainscreen and solar-shading facades.

February 5 to May 15, 2022

February 1 to May 8, 2022

March 5 to May 1, 2022
Juror: Sequoia Miller

Earthborn is an annual, juried exhibition of works by members of the Waterloo Potters’ Workshop. Established in 1968, WPW is located in Waterloo Park and occupies the historic Jacob Eby farmhouse, which functions as a work/learn space for members and a teaching facility for the public.

April 2022

Kirsti Smith was the second artist to take part in the ongoing artist residency program at the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery. During this eight week residency from February – April 2022, Kirsti also supported gallery programming and led the ‘My Still Life’ project, currently on display in the family centre, with support of the Rotary Club of Kitchener Grand River

Kirsti Smith is a ceramic artist that creates personal narratives through her sculptures. She begins with inspirations from her own family history, sisterhood, and emotions such as grief and innocence to produce physical moments. She creates tactile art that can be touched, as well as emotionally connected to; forming an intimate experience for the viewer. Blurring the lines between fine art and functional ceramics, Kirsti brings familiar emotions into tangible experiences.

View a selection of works from our Permanent Collection by glass artist Michael Robinson and Talking Earth Pottery artists Steve Smith, Leigh Smith, Santee Smith, and Semiah Smith. In glass and porcelain, these Indigenous artists explore vessel forms, textures, and narratives in these striking works.

September 15, 2021 to January 16, 2022
2021 Winner: Jocelyn Reid
2021 Finalists: Mitsuo Kimura, Matthew O’Reilly, & Jessica Sallay-Carrington
2020 Winner: Joon Hee Kim

To view a digital version of this exhibition, click here.

July 17 to December 31, 2021
Co-curated by Dr. Sandra Alfoldy, Shannon Parker, and Dr. Julie Hollenbach

Energy. Enthusiasm. Knowledge. Honesty. Inspired. Ardor for material. These are the terms that describe Walter Ostrom and his relationship with clay. They can also be summed up in one word: Passion.

Passion is a simple word and yet the immense complexity of it as a concept is at the core of Ostrom and from it flows the worldwide mosaic of his relationships, his incredible devotion as an educator, his drive for knowledge, and his love for creativity in all aspects of his life, but particularly for pottery.

Walter Ostrom is one of Canada’s foremost ceramic artists. He revolutionized clay from ethical brown earthenware to colourful, bright maiolica and inspired generations of ceramists who follow him to this day. This exhibition investigates Ostrom’s earliest work in stoneware and porcelain, his conceptual projects at NSCAD University, the many ways his love of gardening—and particularly rhododendrons—influenced his work, the huge impact China and its ceramic traditions and ceramists had on his life and practice, and his lifetime commitment to the exploration and reinvigoration of the ancient ceramic tradition of tin-glaze.

Good Earth examines Ostrom’s practice of altering form, surface treatments, and the rich elements of social commentary, geographic references, art history, and political statements he imbues in his work. An inspired instructor for over 40 years, Ostrom’s influence on a selection of his many celebrated students is also reflected in this exhibition.

Ostrom is celebrated internationally with galleries dedicated to the collection and presentation of his work in Canada, the United States, Europe and China. This bilingual touring exhibition is the first major retrospective to chronicle Ostrom’s career and impact on the field of global ceramics.

This exhibition is presented as part of the Emerging Talent Series and is generously supported by The Musagetes Fund held at Kitchener Waterloo Community Foundation and The C3 Group of Companies.

In Relation is an exploration of the people and situations that give us a sense of family. Family can come down to the moments we spend with the ones we love, whether we are related or not. Connection to those around us is what grounds us and helps give us a sense of who we are. It is the place where we hold each other’s hearts.

The artists, Candice Boese and Nadira Narine, are coming at the topic from the sense of comfort and that of loss. But whether through loss or peace, the memory of family ties these two artists, and us the viewers, together into something bigger.

University of Waterloo Architecture students test how building facades of the future can be 3D printed with clay. Inspired by nature, ancient architectural traditions and new technology, the students develop new methods and processes that re-envision the clay masonry unit.

Working with a state-of-the-art large-volume clay extrusion 3D printer, Assistant Professor David Correa’s students set out to explore how this highly used building material can be re-envisioned for the future. This fabrication tool allows for an unprecedented level of design freedom when compared with conventional brick-making methods, while still engaging the material properties and characteristics of traditional clay. The exhibition includes 3 different project types: Student Investigation, Graduate Thesis Research, and a Research Partnership Commission.

As part of the ongoing series On Collecting, we are presenting a collection of two dinnerware sets, complete with serving trays and bowls as well as two bar sets, manufactured between the 1920s and the 1950s. Production of these pieces started during the Great Depression, giving them the moniker by which they are known to collectors and aficionados today: depression glass. These pieces were relatively inexpensive to produce and were frequently offered as promotional items in cereal and laundry detergent boxes or at service gas stations and movie theatres. It was an easy way to retain loyal customers and have them come back often during the difficult time of the depression. Consumers who had been hard hit by the Great Depression took advantage of these promotions to assemble complete dining sets while using products that were necessary to their day-to-day lives.

November 14, 2020 to March 15, 2021

A Place at Your Table explores artistic expression in ceramics, glass, and enamel, with particular regard to tableware. The function of household objects has expanded from serving a utilitarian purpose to pieces with aesthetic values. Often, the lines between function and art can easily be blurred. While serving either function, aesthetics, or both, tableware can transform the mundane into a memorable experience.

In February 2020 we launched a new outreach program to connect with our communities. On invitation, various groups come to the gallery and communicate a lived experience through a free workshop in clay. The lived experience is based on themes discussed with the leaders and the participants of each community group. The work created is then presented to the community at large with an exhibition and a publication. The first community group we invited was Focus for Ethnic Women, and their exhibition was planned to open April 6, 2020.

Featuring works from the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery Permanent Collection as well as works from a private collection, this Lobby Exhibition brings together ceramics by Quebec ceramists Jeannot Blackburn and Matthias Ostermann.

Recognized as an important queer Quebec ceramist, Jeannot Blackburn died prematurely in 1996 due to AIDS-related complications. He is known for his emphasis on the human form and campy extravagance, bringing political and social issues to the forefront in subtle—and not so subtle—ways through his work. With extravagant colours and patterns as well as whimsical forms, the exuberance of his work immediately attracts attention.

Matthias Ostermann’s colourful, playful and dynamic works are instantly identifiable by their figurative decoration and sgraffito technique. Frequently depicting male and female figures as well as animal and hybrid forms such as mermaids and mermen, his works border between the playful and sexual, particularly in the context of the beginnings of the gay liberation movement of the 1980s and 90s.

Featuring African ceramic works from our permanent collection, these pieces are largely made by artists at Ardmore Ceramics, a studio founded in 1985 in South Africa. Ardmore has gained international attention in the years since, growing to include many artists, international exhibitions, design partnerships, and a fund to support their artists living with HIV/AIDS.

In the nostalgia and mystique of cultural identity, Amee Raval introduces feminist, progressive ideals to her Hindu, Indian heritage. Through traditional temple architectural forms that have been reproduced and altered in lead crystal and clear glass, she balances a respect and acknowledgement of tradition with new opportunities and ways of living for women. Goddesses, Rangoli mandala forms, and decorative panels provide an avenue through which she breaks the mold of patriarchy that defines her heritage and seeks to elaborate on accepted norms that are forced upon women.

Through kiln-formed glass, Raval alters the traditional mediums, forms, and genders of temple architecture in creative and striking juxtapositions of heritage and progress. While maintaining the core elements that she holds dear, her modifications bring older generations together with young, progressive women. It is in the subtle alterations from traditions that we find something special, a hope for new opportunities and ideals.

A digital version of this exhibition can be viewed by clicking here.

The Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery is pleased to present works from its collection as part of A Bestiary. From the beginning of time, the animal world has found its way into the art of humankind in various ways. Animals, fish and birds are, for some, the embodiment of deities; for others they act as metaphors for life experiences. In this exhibition, we look at ceramic, glass and enamel artists who explore the animal world metaphorically, symbolically, with humour and with technical mastery to highlight human concerns and emotions.

The exhibition includes works by: Ardmore Ceramic  Art (South Africa), Rick Ayotte, Baccarat (France), Harold Balazs, Roman Bartkiw, Ann Beam, Carl Beam, Florence Chik-Lau, Daniel Crichton, Ed Drahanchuk, Joe Fafard, David Gilhooly, Jim Hong Louie, Věra Lišková, Janet Macpherson, Leo Mol, Joni Moriyama, Julie Oakes, Orient and Flume Studio (USA), Matthias Ostermann, Perthshire (Scotland), Ann Roberts, Michael Robinson, Ed Roman, Maurice Savoie, Jamie Sherman, Nick Sikkuark, Natalie Silverstein, Steve Smith, Leigh Smith, Paul Stankard, Tim Storey, Jack Sures, Joan Van Damme, Wendy Walgate and Ruth Welsh.

A catalogue for this exhibition is available in the Gallery Gift Shop. 

A Remembering: star stories and waterbodies, represents a creative partnership between artist Shawna Redskye and curator Chloe Blair.

“The exhibition will focus on the experiences of displacement, colonization and navigation that are shared by so many. As we continue to face displacement from our ancestral lands, it is our water bodies, our languages, our food systems, and the stars that continue to hold the sacred role of navigation.

There are many forms of displacement; geographical, cultural, spiritual. Ongoing colonial violence is just that; active displacement of ourselves from our ancestral lands, our bodies, our ways of knowing. All of which are explored in this body of work.

For more information about the Winifred Shantz Award for Ceramics, its sponsor, and previous winners, click here.

The Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition of the ceramic work of artist Joon Hee Kim in the John A. Pollock Family Courtyard.

It is said that the human body is a living vessel. Joon Hee Kim’s work consists of sculptural ceramics that reflect her interpretation of the human form as a vessel. Her work moves the ordinary into symbolic archetype, reconciling tradition from her culture to become a measure of human experience.  She tackles the idea of beauty and joy by juxtaposing classical art and historical heritage with contemporary concerns. She thus creates multiple viewpoints within a global context.

Joon Hee Kim is a Canadian artist originally from Seoul, Korea. She studied Design and Patisserie, then Ceramics at Sheridan College, continuing her practice at Chelsea College of Arts in London U.K., where she received the Cecil Lewis Sculpture Scholarship and an MA in Fine Arts.  Her work has been exhibited in Canada, U.S.A, and the U.K.. After receiving a Canada Council for the Arts grant, she was accepted to the Shigaraki Ceramic Residency in Japan. She had her first solo exhibition at the Art Gallery of Burlington in the summer of 2018. Joon Hee recently completed a residency at the Center for Ceramics, Zentrum für Keramik, in Berlin, Germany this year.

Ann Beam, Anong Migwans Beam, Carl Beam, Michael Robinson, Nick Sikkuark, Darlene Smith, Leigh Smith, Steve Smith

The Gallery is pleased to present a selection of works by Indigenous artists from the collection. The exhibition opened on June 19 in time to celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21.

In this collaborative exhibition, artists Nicholas Crombach and Nurielle Stern explore subject matter derived from the complex, problematic and often mythologized human relationship to the natural world. The centerpiece of their exhibition is Whale Fall, a large sculptural work consisting of an assemblage of furniture and added ceramic components. The work alludes to a decaying whale carcass, providing a visceral visual metaphor for accumulation, loss and the passage of time. 

The artists acknowledge the support of the Ontario Arts Council.

Curated by Sheila McMath and Grace Nickel

PJ Anderson, Gayle Buzzi, Grace Han, Terry Hildebrand, Monica Mercedes Martinez, Alana MacDougall, Chris Pancoe, Mary Stankevicius, Peter Tittenberger

The works in En Route focus on contemporary sculpture, installation and performance in ceramics and glass by nine emerging artists with connections to the University of Manitoba. Curators Sheila McMath and Grace Nickel showcase the level of experimentation that is a vital part of contemporary ceramics and glass practice. Artists in this exhibition explore varied themes including identity, colonization, psychology and urbanization and how these themes are linked to ceramic and glass history.

This exhibition is in partnership with the School of Art, University of Manitoba.

Guest Curated by Jonathan Smith

Harlan House, Diane Nasr O’Young, Kayo O’Young. An extension of the exhibition features the work of Magdolene Dykstra.

When we speak of porcelain, one of the last images to come to mind is that of landscape.  Especially after years of the hand crafted pot, reminiscent of Bernard Leach, one is more likely to think brown and round. But for centuries, the ceramic world was populated with objects bearing bright images of recognizable decoration that added beauty and meaning to what would otherwise be ordinary, everyday chattel.  From the time of the Group of Seven, who wished to instigate a truly Canadian art, it should come as no surprise that Canadian ceramic artists would incorporate the theme of landscape – from rolling geological features to patterns of water, from wind driven rain and waves – as an inspiration for their work. 

Harlan House, Diane Nasr O’Young, and Kayo O’Young each have a different take on their muse that incorporates where they live, but also personal autobiographical details that drive their visions.  Harlan House, born in Vancouver but raised in Calgary, lives in an 1840‘s old stage coach inn on hard rock farmland north of Picton, Ontario.  His garden and his world travels often meet in his sometimes gentle, sometimes politically pointed work.  Diane Nasr O’Young  and Kayo O’Young live on two acres of land snuggled up against the eastern branch of the Humber River, north of Kleinburg, Ontario.  Nasr, born and raised in Trinidad, creates work that is inspired by the lush and fantastical flora and fauna of her childhood.  O’Young carries with him memories of the classic sumi ink drawings of his native China with their veils of colour tinged with the dense woodlands that once surrounded his Ontario house and inspired the work of Tom Thomson. 

This exhibition brings together three different visions, each one personalized, but each rooted in the places, past and present, that inspire them.

Magdolene Dykstra’s Seated Figure (2015), at first suggests a day at the beach, one hundred years ago. This figure is clothed in what appears to be a bathing costume and cap, with only her feet, hands and face exposed. The suggestion of times past, a day at the seaside when life was simpler and time spent in innocent pastimes were the norm, is the first thought that comes to mind. However, the look on the sculpture’s face, the sidelong glance, is telling. One can have an opinion on the interpretation but while the image suggests several scenarios, there is no clear conclusion.

The first glance at the work evokes a nostalgic feeling and a warmth that is seductive – it feels comfortable. Perhaps that is all that is wanted and/or needed. But a longer look questions the element of nostalgia, for nostalgia is a longing for past time or condition that cannot be recovered or perhaps never existed. While evocation and nostalgia are similar, they both are a reminder of the past, and of the two, evocation is the more powerful, as it leads to a more potent understanding of the connection between things and ideas.

The Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery is pleased to partner with the Art Gallery of Burlington for this exhibition.

Earthborn is an annual, juried exhibition of works by members of the Waterloo Potters’ Workshop. Established in 1968, WPW is located in Waterloo Park and occupies the historic Jacob Eby farmhouse, which functions as a work/learn space for members and a teaching facility for the public.

This year’s juror is Bruce Cochrane. He is an internationally acclaimed ceramic artist and recently retired Professor Emeritus of Ceramics at Sheridan College, where he worked for more than 30 years. During this time, he was instrumental in developing the Ceramic Program’s reputation as one of the best in Canada. Bruce’s studies began at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design and continued in Alfred, New York at the New York State College of Ceramics where he received his Masters of Fine Art. Since his graduation in 1978 Bruce has participated in over 300 exhibitions, and shares his knowledge through lectures and workshops throughout North America. His work can be found in the permanent collections of the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art in Toronto, Victoria and Albert Museum in London, England and the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Ottawa to name a few. Bruce resides in Toronto and maintains his studio practice in Grey Highlands, Ontario.

Exhibition coordinated by David Correa and Yesul Elly Cho

Cutting edge 3D printing technology and ancient materials come together to create innovative architectural solutions. University of Waterloo graduate students from the School of Architecture were challenged to consider how clay, a material that has been used in building for thousands of years, can be used to make new and innovative building construction systems.

With both beauty and performance in mind, each group set up to explore how this highly used building material can be re-invented for the future. While employing their design skills, the students also had to learn about different types of clay, pottery, brick production and 3D printing techniques. Using a state-of-the-art large volume 3D printer and direction from Assistant Professor David Correa, the students worked in groups of three to develop their own vision of what 3DP clay can do as a building component.

Juried by Sandra Alfoldy & Ione Thorkelsson

Fireworks 2017 is a celebratory exhibition of hand-crafted works in clay and glass, organized by FUSION: The Ontario Clay and Glass Association. This exhibition stands as a testament to the vitality, originality and inventiveness of today’s practising crafts community – a tribute to those makers who have chosen clay and glass as their mode of self expression, and in some instances, their livelihood.

Curated by Sheila McMath

Our domestic experience is defined by the details – a carefully chosen wallpaper pattern, a table set for an evening meal, a small vegetable garden in the backyard, a balcony with an amazing view, a tree-fort that is perpetually ‘under-construction’. The artists in this exhibition explore where we live and how we define a home.

With a cautious nostalgia, artist Pattie Chalmers borrows imagery from the mid 20th century to create ceramic tableaus that are simultaneously familiar and unsettling. Julia Hepburn creates small dream-like dioramas made of polymer clay and mixed media. Her works are distinctive for their strong psychological quality and elusive narratives. Remembering and re-creating the ‘magical’ spaces of childhood, like blanket and tree forts, Jennie Suddick opens up the definition of home to include communal, ‘do-it-yourself’ spaces whose distinction and power is in their impermanence.

This exhibition has been made possible in part by a contribution from:

In partnership with the Brain Injury Association of Waterloo-Wellington, the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery is pleased to feature the ceramic works of Toronto artist Kanika Gupta. Gupta’s experience of working with clay has mirrored her personal journey of finding her way, following a brain injury that abruptly disrupted her life.

Co-curated by Jasmina Jovanovic and Stuart Reid, Embodiment is a 30-year retrospective of ceramic sculpture by Governor General’s Award-winning artist Susan Low-Beer. The exhibition examines more than three decades of the artist’s practice. Recurring themes include identity and mortality as well as the simultaneous power and vulnerability of the body.

Also on view is an adjoining exhibition of new works from Low-Beer’s Specimen series, curated by Sheila McMath.

Susan Low-Beer received her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree at Mount Allison University and her Masters of Fine Arts in the United States at the Cranbrook Academy of Art with a major in painting. She has exhibited internationally in Europe, United States, Japan and Korea, as well as nationally in both juried and invitational exhibitions and has been the recipient of numerous grants and awards. In 1999 she received the Saidye Bronfman Award for Excellence in the Crafts and in 2000 was inducted into the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. She currently teaches and works in Toronto.

Earthborn is an annual, juried exhibition of works by members of the Waterloo Potters’ Workshop, a non-profit co-operative organization celebrating its 50th Anniversary this year. Established in 1968, WPW is located in Waterloo Park and occupies the historic Jacob Eby farmhouse, which functions as a work/learn space for members and a teaching facility for the public. This year’s juror is Scott Barnim, a Dundas-based potter. Barnim obtained his MFA in Ceramics from the Cardiff Metropolitan University, School of Art and Design, Wales, and in 2016 received the lifetime achievement award from the City of Hamilton Arts Awards.

Participating artists’ artwork is accompanied by the work of past Juror’s, including 2018 Juror Scott Barnim. Juried artists: Rosemary Aicher, Anne Beyers, Carol Blake, Laurie Cowell, Judy Donaldson, Harriet Falk, Stephen Hawes, Hette Hilsdon, Jason L’Abbe, Claudia Lambert, June Macdonald, Joanne Makulski, Marlen Moggach, Trudy Schulz, Indira Singh, Stewart Smith, Connie Straicher, Jacqueline Tate, Eekta Trienekens, Cynthia Trombley, Dorothea Tutte, Nicole Waddick and Daphne Wang.

Established artists Susan Edgerley and Irene Frolic, both members of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, use glass for its inherent metaphorical references to the ethereal qualities of life and its fragility. Their work also utilizes the poetic potential of glass to speak about the human condition and the ephemeral beauty of the natural world. Edgerley and Frolic were both participants in the Gallery’s inaugural exhibition and we are pleased to invite them back to celebrate their accomplished careers.

Artist Peter Powning, recipient of the Saidye Bronfman Award in 2006, is engaged in experimentation with many different materials including ceramic, glass, stone and bronze. Powning’s practice encompasses work at various scales from small vessels to large sculptural objects to a public installation. Powning is viewed as an inspirational leader for his study of the ‘elemental’ aspects of materials, his technical proficiency and the way that his practice appears to move fluidly and seamlessly among various media.Contemporary ceramic artist Samantha Dickie has received attention and acclaim for the quiet power of her installations. For this exhibition, Dickie will debut a new work made of over 1,000 porcelain components. Her work encourages viewers to carefully observe subtle variations of handmade objects and to pause in her immersive environments.

Zachari Logan and Audie Murray have been invited to participate in this exhibition to represent the expansive, interdisciplinary approach embodied by many ‘next‘ generation artists. Logan’s work, Fountain, ismade of multiple, intricately sculpted ceramic flowers, accumulated and assembled into a monumental column. The artist adds new ceramic flowers each time he exhibits the work, continuing his meditations on mortality, memory and loss.

Audie Murray is a multi-disciplinary Métis artist who has received attention for her integration of floral bead work on common, everyday objects. In Murray’s work, Fragments of Language, viewers will be greeted in three languages – French, Cree and Michif. Murray’s work will encourage viewers to consider the simultaneous fragility and resilience of culture, language and nature.

An integral part of this exhibition is also the In Memoriam section, which features work from the Gallery’s collection, and pays tribute to the makers of ceramic, glass and enamel art who we have lost over the last 25 years.

The Opening Reception was held on April 8 at 2:00pm. Irene Frolic presented an artist talk during the official preview of the exhibition on April 7 at 7:30pm. Zachari Logan presented an artist talk on July 4 at 7:00pm.

A Preview of the exhibition was held on Sunday, April 8 at 2:00 pm. The show runs until September 2, 2018.

Explore the archives of The Clay & Glass as it celebrate a quarter century of silica arts. Unearthed from the vaults, this exhibit reflects on 25 years of the people and events that have shaped the Gallery’s history. The exhibition is held at the City of Waterloo Visitor and Heritage Information Centre, located at 10 Father David Bauer Drive, Waterloo, ON.

For the winter 2018 season, the Gallery presented an exhibition of the curated works of seven artists who won the RBC Award for Glass between 2008 and 2016. They are Benjamin Kikkert, Ito Laïla Le François, Aaron Oussoren, Julia Reimer, Brad Turner, Cheryl Wilson Smith, and Rachael Wong. The exhibition featured new work by these artists, illustrating the growth in their artistic practice and output stimulated by winning the prestigious award.

These artists, in addition to sharing the distinction of winning the RBC Award for Glass, also share a commitment to the exploration of glass as an experimental and seductive medium. While some of the artists in this exhibition made use of traditional glass manipulation techniques including casting, blowing, sandblasting and pâte de verre, others incorporated the investigation of 3D printing and digital manufacturing methods into their practice.

As an experimental ceramic artist, Christopher Reid Flock’s work is profoundly influenced by the significant time that he spent in Japan and the mentorship that he received from some of Canada’s most respected potters. Among other accolades, Flock was the recipient of the Winifred Shantz Award for Ceramics in 2014 and was shortlisted for the Gardiner Museum Permanent Sculpture Competition in 2016. Flock lives and has a studio in Hamilton, Ontario.

Although this ambitious exhibition included some works from Flock’s earlier career, it featured more prominently his large-scale, installation-based works that whimsically play with notions of function while merging rapid prototyping with classical clay process. Integration/Disintegration included six main bodies of Flock’s work.