Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 February 2024
Hi everyone,
First and foremost, thank you to everyone who participated in the 2023 Pottery Expo, to all the potters who brought their stunning ceramics and helped create a very special event, showcasing excellence in contemporary studio ceramics.
Great to see the West Australian Potters, thanks for making the effort & taking part.
Thank you to the hard working team who enabled the event to happen. In particular to Janice Keen and Rosemary Irons who put in an enormous amount of time and
effort to make it all run so smoothly.
Thank you to Steve Dale and his off siders Patrick, Henry and Elsa, also Mary Lou Pittard, Liz Bishop, and Sam McKenzie the sound tech.
Thanks also to the many volunteers who helped throughout the weekend.
Congratulations to our prize winners:
Natasha Chant and Gillian Martin who won the INCA award for Innovative New Ceramics with a prize of $250 each, donated by the Warrandyte Riverside Market.
Wonki Kim for winning the Lions Club Award for the Best Presented Stand, also at $250.
The Potters Prize, nominated by ceramics peers at the Expo, was awarded to
Minna Graham. Her prize was a piece by last year’s winner Steve Williams. Next year’s winner will receive a piece from Minna.
We had a very successful Expo this year with total sales of $330,000.
The weather was on our side and we welcomed large crowds of enthusiastic
ceramics buyers. Visitors came from all around Victoria plus many from interstate. We had one from as far away as Broome. Potters reported commissions, offers of exhibitions and opportunities with galleries.
It is now time to think about preparing for the 2024 Pottery Expo.
Our guest artists for 2024 will be South Australian ceramic artists represented by the Jam Factory in Adelaide.
I am inviting you to submit your photos and contact information to apply to participate. Please send good photos!!!
Studio potters need to apply online, noting the dates and deadlines given in “Application Information for Exhibitors”.
As we have more potters than places, unfortunately not all applicants will be able to participate. We have a maximum number of 62 sites and we have been receiving nearly double this number of applications. We may need to consider a rotation of ceramic artists, whereby some may need to miss a year to allow new artists to participate.
Selection will be based on excellence, innovation and variety, as an overview of the best of Australian contemporary studio ceramics. A panel of professional ceramic artists with the organiser will select the exhibitors.
We require 3 high quality images of work intended for exhibition at the Expo, and a current head shot for our website and social media.
Application Information for Exhibitors
Timelines
Deadline for all applications is Friday 20 October 2023.
Applicants will be notified by email, by 10 November 2023, of their acceptance or otherwise.
Deadline to confirm acceptance and payment of exhibitor fee 24 November 2023.
Fees:
Site for individual potter is $330.
Fees have increased this year to cover the Expo’s newly incurred infrastructure costs.
Insurance: The Pottery Expo takes out public liability of $20,000,000 for the exhibitors at the event.
Prizes:
The Warrandyte Community market offers an award of $500 for the Michael Hallam INCA Award- for innovative contemporary ceramics
The Lions Club will present an award for $250 for the Best Presented Stand.
There will be a ‘Potters Prize’ a peer selected award to the favourite 2024 potter.
Information for Exhibitors:
Each exhibitor needs to provide their own marquee/ shelter of 3m x 3m.
Sites will be outdoors, on the grass, there will be some uneven ground. You will need to bring chocs.
There will be food and coffee on site and live music.
There will be a ‘Cups to Go” stand next to the coffee, where every exhibitor can sell cups. Volunteers will run this stand.
Clay activities will be run all weekend for the public, for adults and children.
Potters Parking will be available in the designated paddock in Police St. All potters are required to park there, freeing up the very limited parking spaces in Warrandyte for customers. It is a short walk along the riverbank to the Expo site.
There will be toilets on site specifically for the potters.
Volunteers will assist with looking after you site when you need a break & with bringing potters pre ordered lunches to avoid waiting in queues.
Save the date Saturday evening for dinner on site, to catch up with all our ceramic colleagues, friends and family.
Event Timetable
Arrival and setup:
Friday 23 February 2024, 10am- 6pm. You will be greeted by our friendly supervisor who will check you in and direct you to your site to unload. When unloaded, park your car in the designated paddock in Police St and return to set up your marquee and stand.
Event times:
Saturday 24 February 2022, 10am – 5.00pm
Saturday night dinner 6.00pm onwards at the Expo site with dinner and wine.
Any potters who double as musicians, please bring your instruments.
Sunday 10am – 5.00pm
All potters are asked to be present at their site by 9 am on both days. No cars allowed on site on both days.
Pack up and departure:
Sunday 27 February 2020 5.00pm
You may bring your car on site from 5.00 onwards. There will be supervisors
controlling traffic access and you are asked to be patient and considerate of others.
Marketing:
We welcome Matt Blackwood who will assist us with our social media profile. The Pottery Expo will be promoted widely with print and media advertising and distribution. You will receive eflyers and posted physical flyers for you to distribute to your networks. We have a facebook page, instagram and a website. We ask all exhibitors to extend the marketing reach by posting on these sites and inviting your own contacts. Watch this space for a site plan.We look forward to hearing from you and receiving your application.
Best wishes and good luck for the next Expo, Jane and the Expo team.
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