Fraser Valley Potters’ Guild Annual Juried show takes place at Coquitlam’s Evergreen Cultural Centre every third year. The current show opened on Sunday afternoon and because it is in my neighbourhood this year I managed to get there.

On Sunday April 28 Medicine Hat potter Jim Etzkorn juried the show. I’m sorry not to have attended his ‘juror’s remarks’ and taken the chance to say hello again but at least I was able to see his selections for Clay 2013.

When Alan and I arrived we found lots of old friends. FVPG president Pat Schendel and member Lucille Webster were on our tour of UK pottery and archaeology eight years ago. Local clay people in the show Gloria Barkley,  Kay Bonathan and Carleen Akester also belong to TriCity Potters.  Gay Mitchell is a member but will also be guiding school groups around the show, with several other employees and volunteers. The show has been very well arranged with informative placards on the walls.

I simply walked around the show, finding and photographing my favourite pieces, the honourable mentions and prize-winners and the work of past-president Cathi Jefferson and a huge pod-form by Connie Glover. Pat Schendel kindly invited me, along with the other lifetime members of FVPG to show a piece or two (I guess I have the honour of being a l-t member because I am a founding member). It is good to be included as a local clay artist in a big show that is in Coquitlam, even though I rarely drive to South Surrey for FVPG meetings. Cathi’s, Connie’s and my work was not juried, just displayed to show our techniques.

I have many photos and they won’t stay next to anything I might write about the work so I have attempted to caption each one with name of artist etc. I hope that those of you who are registered to get this blog in your email will be able to read captions too. If not just go to my website  www.gillianmcmillan.com and click on ‘blog’ to see the photos with the text and with captions (you glide your cursor over the image, don’t click).

Please let me know any details such as who got honourable mention or titles of pieces – for posterity!

May 9. Thank you Eliza for the following details.

Gloria has taken some photos too, including some with people in them so I’ll add those to a separate blog next.

The show will stay up until June 1st. Do try to get over there before then to see an impressive variety of clay work. You might also enjoy the pleasant 10-minute walk around Lafarge Lake right next to the Cultural Centre.