Exhibition Description

In 1975, a group of six potters – Gillian Lewis, Kay Boyd, John Prosser, Utta Bein, Suzanne Welsby and Louise Garnett – gathered together in the Coach House at Glenhyrst Art Gallery and gave themselves a name: the Brantford Potters’ Guild. Incorporated as a non-profit organisation in 1978, the Guild was founded on the principles of connecting individuals and communities in their appreciation of ceramic arts, innovating contemporary pottery practices, and educating future generations to maintain interest in the craft. For decades, the Guild has also been a staple of community initiatives and fundraising efforts for a variety of charitable organisations including the Brantford Food Bank, Camp Molly, and the W. Ross Macdonald School. In September of 2014, the Guild opened ClayWorks Studio in Brantford’s Artisan Village as a teaching facility that offers year-round pottery classes and workshops for adults and children. And since 2022, Glenhyrst Art Gallery has hosted a permanent retail space to support and promote the Guild’s work. From its humble beginnings, the Guild has grown steadily in membership and influence, reaching an enrollment of over 100 active members. This exhibition is not a survey of the last fifty years but marks the Guild’s continuance and enduring legacy in the City of Brantford, Six Nations of the Grand River, and Brant County. For many centuries, this place has held a strong relationship to pottery and this history is, thankfully, still unfolding.