Genet Hodder’s romance with clay was cemented following a chance encounter with London potter Margery Cartwright whom she met shortly after moving to the Forest City in 1970. Born in New York and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, this mother of two had always felt a special affinity for the arts, but when she got her own potter’s wheel, clay history was made! Genet can be described as a “passionate overachiever.” In her younger years, she worked as a newspaper reporter, taught high school English, and with her geologist husband, raised a family of two boys. For many years, she has been a member of the Architectural Conservancy of London, Ontario, Heritage London Foundation, and is an avid supporter of heritage building restoration in the city. She was also part owner and operator of a business called, Market Crafts, which succeeded for 30 years selling Canadian handcrafted work in the Covent Garden Market. Moving to London inspired Genet to connect with the community. During her interactions, she met several others who shared a similar passion for clay art. She is one of the founding members of The London Potters Guild (LPG), which owns and operates London Clay Art Centre (LCAC). She has tirelessly volunteered thousands of hours to the organization in various roles such as its President, a member of the committee that built LCAC, and as the Centre’s first class and retail store coordinators. Reminiscing about her experience, Genet recalls such a positive and electrifying change that occurred upon formation of the Seize the Clay Committee in 2003. She says “so many talented artisans came together, united with the purpose of creating a dedicated space where clay artists could gain knowledge and exposure to the artform, practice their craft, and, help one another develop and generate their own community.” Genet admits that while many LPG members were fuelled by the committee’s passion, a few others didn’t echo their sentiments. “One city politician, while supporting the project in principal, suggested that clay wasn’t very sexy for fundraising,” says Genet. Nevertheless, the group relentlessly pursued its big vision for over five years. The turning point came when they finally got buy-in from the local community. Genet fondly recollects several innovative fundraising activities held in the early years of the LPG, as well as during the campaign to raise funds to build LCAC. Events such as silent auctions, the Coffee Challenge, and The Ultimate Blue Plate Dinner proved quite popular with participants and developed broad-based support. Genet herself creates artistic ceramic pieces in soft and neutral colours. For this LPG stalwart, clay was and continues to be the secret ingredient that attracts and binds everyone. As a raw material, she is fascinated by its plasticity and tactile nature. She says “It pleases me to drink out of a hand-crafted mug, to use soap from a dish made by a friend, or to transfer jam into a container with a funnel made in my studio. I am surrounded in my home by beautiful objects, that remind me everyday of the people who made them.”
But, it is the human connection that keeps Genet returning to LCAC, to see her friends, and continue building relationships with existing and new people from different walks of life. Says Genet about LCAC, “There’s a smooth familiarity that comforts you upon entering the building. I cannot imagine my life without clay.” The London Potters Guild has definitely overcome many obstacles and Genet shares a collective pride in how far it has come. “We started with a dream and when I remember how much we all went through and still managed to pull off, it is amazing!” She continues, “We’re a wonderful group who love what we do. We also really enjoy creating awareness of the LCAC brand and convincing others to join and/or avail themselves of our many programs. It brings great joy when artists learn so much at our workshops and then go on to operate their own studios. Everyone learns here, that knowledge is shared and the cycle continues. We have helped put London on the map and we’ve got so much more in store!” Genet is certain that London Clay Art Centre will continue to increase in importance as long as people are made aware of, recognize and appreciate the immense value of what’s being offered. She highly recommends a visit to the retail store, where buyers can find hundreds of attractive, eccentric, functional and non-functional clay pieces lovingly crafted by LPG members. “So many people aren’t aware of the versatility of clay until they visit and see its true magnificence.” Genet believes the educational aspect of LCAC’s offerings will continue to enlighten others and create vast opportunities for the organization. For example, she believes the Centre’s new Clay 4 Kids Program is a fabulous initiative. She says, “As long as we keep instilling an appreciation for the art form by demonstrating what we do, more and more people will become interested. Our passion keeps us going.”
