“I think pottery has just had a real big resurgence,” Carolyn Williamson says.

She’d know best: as a member of the St. Albert Potters Guild and a coordinator for the Guild’s annual Spring Sale, Williamson sees what both potters and pottery fans are interested in, and, in particular, how varied those interests can be.

“It's not just bowls and plates and cups—there's all kinds of things that you can do with pottery,” Williamson continues. “It's something that can be functional, something that can be very beautiful that can fit into a space in your garden or in your home. People are lined up for classes and it's hard to get in. So there is a real love for pottery out there right now.“

Case in point: the Spring Sale frequently finds its eager audience lined up and waiting for the doors to open on Friday. It’s a seasonal highlight for all things kiln-fired: Members of the Guild fill tables with their hand-crafted delights, and people browse, shop, and chat all things pottery.

“People are looking for something that's unique, and done by local artisans,” Williamson says.

“They're willing to spend their money on something that's not gonna be found anywhere in stores. They value that a little bit more.”

Admission to the Spring Sale is free, though the Guild is accepting donations of non-perishable food items for the St. Albert Food Bank, and selling some of its pottery to benefit the food bank as well.

For those curious to see how it all gets made, there will be demonstrations: the Guild’s potters will show how they make their wares, giving a behind-the-scenes look into the craft behind the finished products.

“We will put out a wheel that we throw the clay on, and there's also a hand-building table,” Williamson says. “It's just real neat for people to come and see and talk to the potter, and see the technique that goes into making a mug or a bowl or whatever they're throwing on the wheel.”

She’s had that experience first-hand: last year, working on a fairy house for a garden at the hand-building table, Williamson found passersby fascinated with how it all comes together.

“Having kids come up and [say] ‘Wow, what are you making?’,” She recalls. “ They see the different process in it and realize, ‘Okay, [it’s] not just forming the clay, but there's other things that go into the technique of pottery’.”

The hands-on nature of the medium might just be its biggest draw: whether holding a finished mug in your hands or making a new one yourself, it’s a tactile experience, one that hooked Williamson about ten years ago.

“My daughter and her friend were taking pottery classes and they said, ‘Why don't you come along?’ And the first time I put my hand on the wheel I was like, ‘This is something I love,’” she laughs. “I’ve loved it ever since.”

Article Written by: Paul Blinov

The St. Albert Potters Guild Spring Sale runs May 1st to 3rd in the main lobby of St. Albert Place. More information at stalbertpotters.ca.

Pottery pictured above by Ruth McConnell.

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