By CAAWA President Bernard Kerr
President’s report CAAWA AGM 2024 and for PYRE
Hello lovers of Ceramics
The past year has been busy as always!!
IDENTITY and STYLE
Our CAAWA logo and “style ‘with our iconic colours of turquoise and orange is being recognised internationally. The Website is constantly being upgraded. We would love to have more images and information about members, and images of member’s work. There are only 27 images on member’s work currently on the CAAWA website (see Members Gallery). Please submit your profile and images via the website.
ANNUAL EXHIBITION:
2023 Exhibition
Held at Moore’s Building in Fremantle. Emma Bitmead, associate curator from AGWA as was our invited judge.
There were 47 artists with 84 ceramic pieces entered.
The Kusnik Award was awarded to Kim Gillespie for her piece Home Ground II
Thanks to our sponsors Potter’s Market, Ceramicraft, Happs Winery and Gage Roads
Australian Ceramics Association (TACA): Emerging artist award of a year’s subscription
Artists were from across the state of Western Australia with a predominance of metropolitan based artists. Approximately 250 people attended the opening with an average of 120 people per day attending during the week.
Over 30 sales to a value of over $10,000 were made
2024 Exhibition:
This year it will be at the Earlyworks Gallery in Fremantle with Judge TBT.
The most exciting aspect of this years exhibition has been the sponsorship that we have obtained from Midland Brick Company who have been most generous and have agreed to sponsor our annual exhibition for the next three years to the amount of $10,000.
They have also agreed to Sponsor the Australian Ceramics Triennale!
Submissions for the exhibition close Friday 27 September. No late entries will be accepted.
Selected artists will be notified via email on Monday 7 October, or as soon as possible thereafter.
Unsuccessful artists will also receive email confirmation.
The 2024 CAAWA Members’ Selective Exhibition opening night will be on Friday 1 November, at Early Works Gallery, Fremantle.
Prize List
- Kusnik Award for Excellence in Ceramics $7,500.00
- Kusnik Runner Up Award $1,000.00
- Highly Commended $500.00
- Emerging Artist – Prize package to be confirmed
- People’s Choice Award – to be confirmed
INTERNATIONAL CONNECTIONS
After our Online Meeting Committee held with Indian Ceramics Triennale in January 2023
Follow up visit in May met Anjani Khanna, Falghuni Bhatt and Khanjan Dalal
Indian Ceramics Triennale “Common Ground’ New Delhi January – March 2024
Committee members applied for a Travel Fund Grant from ‘Creative Australia (formerly the Australia Council and we were successful. Matt, Janet, Katrina, Jenny and myself travelled to attend the Indian Ceramics Triennale held in New Delhi in Late January.
I presented a paper about Ceramics conferences, symposia, biennales and triennales and specifically about Our Australian Ceramics Triennale Wedge and the concept of the “Indian Ocean Rim with Perth as a cultural centre. We made some fantastic connections with the Indian Ceramics Community as well as international ceramic artists and curators and members of the International Academy of Ceramics.
Australian taxpayers money was well spent as these connections have resulted in a number of Indian ceramic and IAC members applying to attend Wedge and deliver papers and demonstrations.
More milestones with International connections
CAAWA became a member of WOCCA and access to Garland Magazine
Member Njalikwa Chongwe was awarded an international certificate of excellence for craft by the World Craft Council.
Our Association is working with the Indian Ocean Craft Triennale (IOTA) to help foster international connections and craft in our region.
image credit: Heli Donaldson
IOTA has been a major catalyst to developing contemporary ceramics in Western Australia and the Indian Ocean Rim region.
We are proud to be associated with their amazing programme and vision.
A number of major ceramics exhibitions are part of IOTA this year:
Albert Yonathan Setyawan (our guest speaker at the AGM) at John Curtin Gallery,
Alfred Lowe Arrente and Vipoo Srivilasa at Fremantle Arts Centre
Madoda Fani at Bunbury Regional Art Gallery
Warrick Palmateer at Rockingham Arts Centre
‘Glimpse’ at Gallery Central
’Woven Together’ at FORM Gallery
‘When we come Together' at Perth Studio Potters Burt Street Gallery
‘Coincident’ Bernard Kerr (me!) at Midland Junction Arts Centre
‘Codes of Peel: an investigation through contemporary ceramics’ at Contemporary Art Spaces Mandurah
Listening Geographies: Portraits of Mirage Country at The Courthouse Gallery, Port Hedland
Talismans: Power and Charm at the Old Sailmaker’s Shed Broome
Details of exhibiting artists and venues may be found on the IOTA website or in the IOTA 24 catalogue that is available at most Arts Centres and Venues in WA.
REGIONAL CONNECTIONS;
We have held online meetings with CAAWA Regional representatives and helped facilitate connections between practitioners.
Workshops CAAWA as facilitator have been held in a number of regional centres.
PYRE and What’s on in Clay WA
Louise Rae (formerly Jeanne Armstrong) is to be congratulated on the fabulous job she is doing in publishing these online communications with members.
Exhibitions, workshops, news, reviews, books and other things of interest to our ceramics community can be sent to pyre@ceramicartswa.asn.au
MUD events Make Understand Demonstrate
Mud events this year were: (links to blog posts included here)
Pit firing Workshop with Naryani Palmer at Liz’s Berry’s Studio
Slip casting workshop with Melanie Sharpham at her studio
A talk at NM TAFE by myself, Matt Russell and Jenny Wood about the Indian Ceramics Triennale
Australian Ceramics Triennale 2025 2-5th October 2025
WEDGE
Midland Brick Company have agreed to sponsor Wedge with a $15,000 sponsorship.
Discussions with DLGSCI have commenced and we will apply for a grant.
Steering committee has grown and been very active.
The Call for submissions has closed and we have had over 60 applications to present papers or demonstrations and performances.
We have been holding regular meetings with the TACA (The Australian Ceramics Association) with TACA CEO Diamando Koutsellis and the TACA board.
Our four Keynote speakers are now confirmed, another outcome of our visit to the Indian Ceramics Triennale.
The Exhibition committee: Jenny Kerr, Mel Statham and Fleur Schell formed and they have been researching exhibition venues, meeting with gallery owners and receiving expressions of interest. CAAWA will only be liaising with FAC and holding our own Selective show at the Moore’s Building.
The Indian Ceramic Arts Foundation will launch an edition of their magazine Mrin at the conference and has embraced the idea of the Indian Ocean Rim as a site of collegiality and connection. The issue will have sections about ceramic practice from India and Pakistan, South East Asia and Indonesia and specifically Western Australian ceramics. Please put your hand up if you can write about an aspect of Western Australian ceramics (contact admin@ceramicartswa.asn.au if you would like to participate).
The Wedge Steering Committee has held meetings at John Curtin Gallery with new director Susannah Castledine about a possible ceramics show to coincide with the Triennale.
We have also held two meetings at Fremantle Arts Centre.
Next task will be to review expressions of interest and formulate a programme.
It will be fabulous!
Bernard Kerr August 2024
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