To Teach, To Learn, To Share

Special Sculpture/Mural Class!

We are in the fortunate position of being able to run a pilot project to investigate teaching remotely through on-line avenues. We are looking for new and experienced hand building students to learn from a teacher outside of our community and give us feedback about the online learning experience. This is a great opportunity to help our Guild and learn from an experienced teacher you might not otherwise have an opportunity to engage with.

The E-Clay Project, in partnership with The Kawartha Potters Guild is working with a team of teachers and eight Guilds/ Not -for- Profit studios to develop ways to teach online, interactive pottery courses. Each course is being taught by an experienced teacher who is part of the team developing the best ways to teach pottery online in an interactive and dynamic way. As a student, you too will be part of this exciting project offering your insights and experience about your experiences of taking this course. When you complete the session and the evaluation you will be given a $100 rebate. We value your input and hope you forgive any hiccups we may encounter.

An 8 week Hand-building pilot project session is being offered at our Guild location, February 10 – March 31 from 11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. by Aitak Sorahitalab. (Please note date change).

Aitak Sorahitalab is a contemporary ceramic and mural artist, an art educator, also a public art researcher. Her sculptures and installations narrate societal and political challenges drawn from personal and collective incidents and observations. Using background knowledge, Aitak incorporates elements of Iranian and Mesopotamian epics, artifacts and motifs as part of her practice through creating surrealist figurines and compositions. In her work, aesthetic discourse is in equal importance with methods and the process undergoing.

Aitak has more than two decades of experience in art education, specifically ceramic, working with art organizations and institutes such as Gardiner Museum, Good Sheppard Creative Studio, ArtStarts, and Etc.

As a doctoral candidate at York University’s Environmental and Urban Change, Aitak is investigating the position of public art in contemporary culture and its connection to the right to freedom of expression.

If you, or someone you know might be interested in this course, please pass this information along.

To register and review the course information and requirements please visit our classes page or contact our Administrator. For more information about the e-Clay Project , please go to https://www.e-claylearning.ca/

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts. 

 

Covid-19 Update – January 5, 2022

Kawartha Potters' Guild logo

The Provincial Government announced new Covid restrictions effective Jan 5th for 21 days; we are back to a modified Stage 2 which means KPG will be closed for all in-person activity.

The classes slated to start the week of January 10th have been postponed to the week of January 24th.

We can keep the Gallery Shop open for retail therapy, with a maximum of 3 people in the facility at a time (not including staff/volunteer), with 6’ distancing, full mask and sanitizing on entry.

Members can do drop off and pick ups, purchase clay, tools, etc., however, we ask them to call or email to confirm date and time to ensure we don’t exceed our numbers. We will have either Kristina, Donna or Noreen at the Guild Tues – Fri from 1-5 for customers to shop and members to do their drops/pick ups.

If you have any questions, please contact Donna directly.

Member Class Registration

Image of Darlene Malcolm-Moran at her wheel

The perks of membership!  If you are a member and wish to sign up for the next session of classes (beginning the week of November 1st), you can do so via an e-transfer payment and by emailing Donna before the end of day, Monday, October 11, 2021.  General registration will go live after that.   

Also, as a reminder, if you have not yet renewed your membership, it is now overdue.  Please renew immediately to avoid any loss of privileges.

 

Covid Update – February 18, 2021

Kawartha Potters' Guild logo

From our Administrator, Donna:

Thank you for your patience while we confirmed what we are able to do as a Yellow Zone area, in relation to COVID-19. We have spoken with Peterborough Public Health and have confirmed their recommendation that people who live in an orange, red or grey zone be restricted from entering the KPG.

To ensure we all remain safe and to keep it fair for all members, students and staff, the Guild will remain closed until March 22nd when the next 6 week class session is slated to start. This of course is dependent on what zone we are in at that time. Flex Clay classes will not be offered at this time.

You are welcome to email us to arrange for drop off of items to be fired, or pick up of fired items, based on curbside service.

We will be reviewing changes as they happen. Please know that this information is only as good as today’s knowledge – everything is very fluid, changing daily. Do not hesitate to email me with any questions, your positive suggestions and comments are welcome!

For our Pottery Shop customers, our online store is still accessible and shipping and curb-side pickup are options.  

Once again, thank you for your understanding and support. We are all in this together!

Covid Update – February 4, 2021

Kawartha Potters' Guild logo

Due to the extended lockdown, the Guild has opted to delay the beginning of regular classes until the week of March 22nd.  Please see our classes page for details or to register.  

If we are allowed to open in February, we will be running wheel flex clay classes to tide folks over until the regular classes begin.  These will be on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons and evenings.  Registration is via email to our Administrator with payment via e-transfer.  Further details are also on our classes page (link above).   

Please note that the suspension of regular classes does not apply to the Tuesday and Friday Intermediate/Advanced classes.  These will begin the week we are allowed to open.  If you haven’t registered for this and wish to do so, registration is available on our classes page.  There are spaces available in the Tuesday evening and Friday afternoon classes.

We are also hoping to run our popular Summer Camp again this summer.  Currently it is being planned with the same smaller ratios that we offered last summer to maintain distancing and safety for our campers and our staff.  The weeks we will be offering are: July 5, 12, 19, August 9 & 16th.  We plan to offer a Teen Week the week of August 3, which may include the wheel if we feel it is safe to do so.  Registration and more details will be available on our camp page soon. 

As a reminder, non-medical masks, or face coverings are required to be worn at all times while inside the Guild facility.  Acceptable styles fit securely to the head with ties or ear loops, be made of at least two layers of tightly woven material (such as cotton or linen), best if a filter can be added, and be large enough to completely cover the nose and mouth without gaping.  Masks with any type of valve are not acceptable.

 

Classes, Workshops & Covid

Wayne Cardinalli discussing calipers

The January lockdown has pushed our class starting dates back yet again and further post-poned any in house workshops.  If there is a workshop that interests you, please contact our Administrator, Donna with any suggestions you may have and we will work on bringing these to you as soon as we are able.  With regards to our classes, please keep our main or classes page bookmarked.  We will update with further details as soon as we know more.  

Covid19 – Update March 24

Kawartha Potters' Guild logo

Further to Premier Fords announcement this afternoon, please be advised the KPG will be closed to ALL visitors, members, Studio Members, Teachers and staff, effective 5:00pm today, Tuesday March 24th.  It is very important that all members abide by this, as we could face stiff fees for appearing open.  This breaks all our hearts as a not-for-profit is only as successful as the participation by it’s members, and for us, our classes, shop and community events.  We do not know how long this will last, and will update you more as we can.

For those of you in the midst of classes, or have private classes booked and paid for, we ask for your patience during this time.  If you have questions regarding classes, please contact our Administrator, Donna.

We thank all of you in advance for your understanding and we hope that all of you stay safe and healthy during these unusual times.

KPG Covid19 Class Policy

Picture of student hands on clay with teacher's hands nearby for assistance

As of March 15, 2020, all currently booked classes at KPG will be running as per the regular schedule.  Our priority is the health and safety of our Members and our Guests / Students. We have posted Symptoms and Guidance notices throughout the Guild as a reminder of proper hygiene protocols, for your information.  Please do your part to wipe down areas you are working in and on; a little due diligence will go a long way! 

Please note, if you have been out of the country, please do not come to class.  The Canadian Government recommends self isolation for 14 days.  After that period, you are welcome back.  If you feel unwell for any reason, please do not come to class.  KPG will make the utmost efforts to credit you the classes missed, as soon as this situation is resolved.  Please keep an eye on our website for any further updates or class cancellations.  We will attempt to contact you, in this event, via email as well.  Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact our Administrator, Donna either via phone at 705-742-4979 or via email

Kawartha Potters' Guild