Artist Emily Kerr is looking forward to what she calls a diverse event at PottersPopup! Photo: Emily Kerr.
Eighteen potters are set to descend on Gundaroo in May to showcase and sell their work at an artist-run event named PottersPopup!
Taking place over two Sundays and featuring emerging and established ceramic artists alike, Gundaroo and visitors will have access to unseen and new works in a wide range of styles.
The location of the pop-up in Gundaroo is not arbitrary, with the region fast becoming a hub for artists within the niche of ceramics.
The artists’ hub is centred on Ian Jones and Moraig McKenna, who are based out of Old Saint Luke’s Studio in Gundaroo and act as mentors to the ceramics community, with many of the artists involved in the pop-up having trained under Ian.
Work by Trevor Heldt will be available to buy at PottersPopup! Photo: Trevor Heldt.
While not directly involved in this event due to commitments with building a wood kiln in Jingdezhen, China, Ian and Moraig run regular classes in the 1840s church they’ve converted into a studio and gallery. Three times a year, the ceramics community gathers there to fire their works in the nine-metre-long “anagama”-style wood-fired kiln at the studio.
The Old Saint Luke’s Studio is not to be confused with the location of the pop-up, which will take place at St Mark’s Anglican Church, a former petty sessions court in the centre of the village and built in 1874.
“There’s something special about showing work in a place that’s part of the community fabric,” participant and local ceramicist Trevor Heldt says.
Trevor is a recent finalist in the Ceramic Arts Queensland Award for Ceramic Excellence and will be joined by artists of note such as Lee Nelms, an emerging sculptor fresh from the Craft + Design Canberra Emerging Contemporaries exhibition.
Artist Jacqui Keogh will be showcasing her work and be available for a chat at the PottersPopup! Photo: Jacqui Keogh.
Gundaroo’s own Joey Burns of Sawpit Studios will also be attending the event. Joey takes advantage of the wood-fired kiln at Old Saint Luke’s and has his own premises in town, in a shared space with printmaker Helen Daley.
Canberra ceramicist Emily Kerr, who is stocked in stores like POP Canberra, Craft and Design Canberra and Aranda’s Meet, Gather and Collect, will also be showcasing her work at the pop-up.
Another fan of Old Saint Luke’s woodfired kiln, Emily also takes advantage of other kilns built by Ian, including a biodiesel one that was recently featured in The Journal of Australian Ceramics and runs on waste cooking oil.
While many of the artists have trained under Ian, the pop-up prides itself on the diversity that sets it apart from similar events, with Emily explaining that it hasn’t been curated to fit a specific aesthetic.
“This event will be far from beige, with a diversity of styles that reflects each potter’s personality and flair,” says Emily, excited to be collaborating with her fellow artists.
Ceramicist Emily Kerr will be featured among the diverse artists at the Gundaroo pop-up. Photo: Emily Kerr.
Fires, wood and bio-oils aside, the public can expect sculptural statement pieces, finely crafted functional ware and a rich tapestry of ceramic styles, techniques, and voices, with opportunities to speak to the makers and purchase pieces.
“It’s a great chance to connect with other makers and with people who genuinely love handmade things,” Trevor says.
The ceramicists also enjoy the support of local businesses like Cork Street Cafe, which uses locally made ceramics in its popular wood-fired pizzeria, also in the main street of Gundaroo. Attendees of the pop-up are encouraged to make a day of it and drop into the cafe for a pizza lunch.
PottersPopup! is taking place out the front of St Mark’s Anglican Church on 4 and 11 May from 10 am until 3 pm. Admission is free, and the works will be available to buy.
