2008 - London's New Clay Art Centre - 664 Dundas
2009 - Heat, electricity, plumbing
2010 - Classes Begin
2011 - Finishing the building
2012 - Façade work begins
2013 - 2nd Floor Restoration
2009 - Heat, electricity, plumbing
2010 - Classes Begin
2011 - Finishing the building
2012 - Façade work begins
2013 - 2nd Floor Restoration
click images to enlarge
March 2010
A Full Winter
The London Clay Art Centre was full of activity throughout the winter of 2009-2010. Our classes were full, we ran several weekend workshops and a March Break camp for kids.
We've attracted new potters to our program as we began our second set of classes at the new centre. Our experienced teachers worked with beginner, intermediate and advanced students to sharpen their skills and techniques.
Two weekend workshops brightened up the winter months for southwestern Ontario potters. Jessica Steinhauser shared her passion for kachelofen, a beautiful, energy efficient way to heat your home. Workshop participants learned some of Jessica's masterful wheel techniques.
Scott Barnim spent a weekend in March at the Clay Art Centre, Scott talked about his brightly coloured decoration technique, use of press molds and other additions, and what goes into developing a commercial line of work. Check out the London Free Press video on the workshop.
March Break was a lot of fun for kids who participated in our camp, led by teacher Penni Stoddart.
The London Clay Art Centre was full of activity throughout the winter of 2009-2010. Our classes were full, we ran several weekend workshops and a March Break camp for kids.
We've attracted new potters to our program as we began our second set of classes at the new centre. Our experienced teachers worked with beginner, intermediate and advanced students to sharpen their skills and techniques.
Two weekend workshops brightened up the winter months for southwestern Ontario potters. Jessica Steinhauser shared her passion for kachelofen, a beautiful, energy efficient way to heat your home. Workshop participants learned some of Jessica's masterful wheel techniques.
Scott Barnim spent a weekend in March at the Clay Art Centre, Scott talked about his brightly coloured decoration technique, use of press molds and other additions, and what goes into developing a commercial line of work. Check out the London Free Press video on the workshop.
March Break was a lot of fun for kids who participated in our camp, led by teacher Penni Stoddart.
August 2010
Our First Year
This summer the London Clay Art Centre was bustling with activity, including seven classes filled to capacity, summer clay camps for kids, studio members hard at work, and a raku workshop led by internationally known artists Robert and Gail Piepenburg that attracted potters from all over Southwestern Ontario. Feeling this creative buzz, it is amazing to realize that we opened our centre only ten months ago, and that renovations only began just over a year ago – May 2009!
Since March 2008, when we purchased 664 Dundas Street, the dream of the London Potters Guild to create a home of its own has been unfolding with tremendous results!
To date we have fully renovated the first floor of our facility at 664 Dundas Street in the heart of Old East Village to become the London Clay Art Centre. Since the LCAC opened, it has been busy on many fronts. To date we have run 28 classes for 220 students, a year of monthly membership meetings, several workshops, both internal and from visiting artists, and we opened our store at the south end of the building.
The last weekend of November 2009 we hosted the annual LPG Christmas Sale for the first time in our new home. It proved to be our most successful sale, both in terms of attendance and sales, in the almost 30-year history of the guild! Upward of 35 clay artists displayed and sold their wares to an estimated 1500 customers who visited the London Clay Art Centre between Friday evening and Sunday afternoon.
Over March break 2010, we had 10 children enrolled in Clay Camp and we are running three summer clay camps for kids in July and August. We are also offering a program called Clay Power - a clay ambassador program for seniors, which involves outreach to four organizations in the community to provide an enjoyable introduction to pottery for seniors. It is part of the New Horizons for Seniors Program funded by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) and involves eight participants.
We have been running birthday parties and corporate team building days, as well as a series of clay experiences for children staying at Merrymount Children’s Centre. The LPG executive is continually working to assess and initiate new programming where opportunities present themselves in the community.
In fact, a group of five intrepid executive members plus the administrative assistant for LCAC trekked to Philadelphia for a few days in mid-June. They toured The Clay Studio, a large state-of-the-art facility successfully operating for the past 35 years, which has succeeded in implementing programs now being developed here in London. The group gathered information and helpful materials to aid the LPG in its future program delivery and long-term planning for our facility. The ongoing dedication of this group is propelling the London Clay Art Centre to greater success!
Members are using the studio at all hours of the day and the centre enjoys substantial daily walk-in traffic from people attracted to the pottery shop or who are interested in finding out about classes and membership. All in all, the centre is living up to the projections outlined in our original business plan created in December 2007.
We are now poised to begin the next phase of our plan. We will be constructing an addition on the northeast corner of the building that houses a lift as well as a staircase to the second floor. This phase of the project will fulfill our vision of making the London Clay Art Centre fully accessible to all. It is our desire to complete the overall renovations to 664 Dundas Street as soon as possible. Our fundraising efforts continue with a view to refurbishing the façade to its former 1910 glory. Plans to renovate the second floor will also proceed once we have sufficient funds in hand.
We welcome all donations, large and small!
September 2010
Ground-breaking, onward and upward
In September 2010, the London Potters Guild broke ground on a small addition that will house a lift to our second floor. We celebrated our first year occupying the London Clay Art Centre and the beginning of Phase II of our renovations with a ground breaking ceremony. Read more about it in this London Free Press article. The addition and lift are funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation, the Enabling Accessibility Fund, the Good Foundation, and the City of London. Thank you to these organizations and agencies that are helping us make the London Clay Art Centre fully accessible!
As the building of the addition and installation of the lift proceeds, we are shifting our focus to the final two major projects that remain: restoration of the façade, and renovation of the second floor. We are making many requests for funding from government, private, and corporate donors. The façade restoration will present a welcoming face to the public, and continue our investment into the future of the Old East Village. The second floor restoration will allow expanded programming and more space for artists, our sales, and public meeting space.
In September 2010, the London Potters Guild broke ground on a small addition that will house a lift to our second floor. We celebrated our first year occupying the London Clay Art Centre and the beginning of Phase II of our renovations with a ground breaking ceremony. Read more about it in this London Free Press article. The addition and lift are funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation, the Enabling Accessibility Fund, the Good Foundation, and the City of London. Thank you to these organizations and agencies that are helping us make the London Clay Art Centre fully accessible!
As the building of the addition and installation of the lift proceeds, we are shifting our focus to the final two major projects that remain: restoration of the façade, and renovation of the second floor. We are making many requests for funding from government, private, and corporate donors. The façade restoration will present a welcoming face to the public, and continue our investment into the future of the Old East Village. The second floor restoration will allow expanded programming and more space for artists, our sales, and public meeting space.
Holiday Show and Sale
We had another great Fall Show and Sale November 26-28, drawing over a thousand visitors during the three day show. With over 35 artists participating, there was something for everyone.
We had another great Fall Show and Sale November 26-28, drawing over a thousand visitors during the three day show. With over 35 artists participating, there was something for everyone.
2008 - London's New Clay Art Centre - 664 Dundas
2009 - Heat, electricity, plumbing
2010 - A Full Winter
2011 - Finishing the building
2012 - Façade work begins
2013 - 2nd Floor Restoration
2009 - Heat, electricity, plumbing
2010 - A Full Winter
2011 - Finishing the building
2012 - Façade work begins
2013 - 2nd Floor Restoration
