The

Aberystwyth University , mottoeng = A world without knowledge is no world at all , established = 1872 (as ''The University College of Wales'') , former_names = University of Wales, Aberystwyth , type = Public , endowment = ...

Ceramic Collection & Archive is located in

Aberystwyth Aberystwyth () is a university and seaside town as well as a community in Ceredigion, Wales. Located in the historic county of Cardiganshire, means "the mouth of the Ystwyth". Aberystwyth University has been a major educational location in ...

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

. It holds one of the major collections of studio ceramics in Britain and is particularly noted for its studio pottery of the period 1920–1940. The permanent and temporary exhibitions from the collection are on display in the Ceramic Gallery in

Aberystwyth Arts Centre Aberystwyth Arts Centre (Welsh: ''Canolfan y Celfyddydau Aberystwyth'') is an arts centre in Wales, located on Aberystwyth University's Penglais campus. One of the largest in Wales, it comprises a theatre (312 seats), concert hall (900 seats), s ...

and the archive office is located in the School of Art, Aberystwyth University. The ''Ceramic Bulletin'' is produced every two years by the university and it features news of activities including exhibitions, new acquisitions, research, awards and grants.

Ceramic Collection

The main collection was formed between 1920–1936 and since 1974 there has again been an active acquisitions policy and there is now a major collection of contemporary ceramics. The collection also includes a fine body of nineteenth century

slipware Slipware is pottery identified by its primary decorating process where slip is placed onto the leather-hard (semi-hardened) clay body surface before firing by dipping, painting or splashing. Slip is an aqueous suspension of a clay body, which ...

and examples of work from many periods, from archaeological specimens to

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

porcelain Porcelain () is a ceramic material made by heating substances, generally including materials such as kaolinite, in a kiln to temperatures between . The strength and translucence of porcelain, relative to other types of pottery, arises mainl ...

Nantgarw Nantgarw is a village in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, near Cardiff. From an electoral and administrative perspective Nantgarw falls within the ward of Taffs Well, a village some south, but historically fell within the boundari ...

and

Swansea Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe). The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...

. In 1986 the display area was extended and a purpose built gallery was created on the ground floor of

. The principal parts of the collection are permanently on display in the back gallery while the front gallery is used for changing displays and exhibitions from the permanent collection and touring exhibitions. The collections have been supported in recent years by funding from

Arts Council of Wales The Arts Council of Wales (ACW; cy, Cyngor Celfyddydau Cymru) is a Welsh Government-sponsored body, responsible for funding and developing the arts in Wales. Established within the Arts Council of Great Britain in 1946, as the Welsh Arts ...

, the Council of Museums in Wales, by loans of work by the

Crafts Council The Crafts Council is the national development agency for contemporary craft in the United Kingdom, and is funded by Arts Council England. History The Crafts Advisory Committee was formed in 1971 to advise the Minister for the Arts, David Eccles ...

and by purchase grant funding from the Victoria and Albert Purchase Grant Fund and the

Art Fund Art Fund (formerly the National Art Collections Fund) is an independent membership-based British charity, which raises funds to aid the acquisition of artworks for the nation. It gives grants and acts as a channel for many gifts and bequests, as ...

. There is a regular schools and family learning program run in conjunction with

Ceramic Archive

The Ceramic Archive was developed in the late 1980s, when a new home was needed for the

Craft Potters Association The Craft Potters Association (CPA) is an association of potters formed in 1958 in London. It has two wholly owned operating companies: Craftsmen Potters Trading Company Ltd and Ceramic Review Publishing Ltd. It owns a shop and gallery, the Con ...

archive, which was initiated in the early 1970s by Robert Fournier, a CPA member. The aim was to collect documents which would maintain a record of the origins, organisation, activities and development of the Craft Potters Association (founded in 1958). By 1988, the CPA archive had grown into a substantial body of material which needed a more permanent and larger location, and its holdings were offered and accepted by Aberystwyth University Ceramic Archive, based at the School of Art, Aberystwyth. The main paper documents in the Ceramic Archive were deposited in the

National Library of Wales The National Library of Wales ( cy, Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru), Aberystwyth, is the national legal deposit library of Wales and is one of the Welsh Government sponsored bodies. It is the biggest library in Wales, holding over 6.5 million boo ...

in 1997. However, any information relating directly to the makers in the Ceramic Collection was retained at Aberystwyth University Ceramic Archive.

Archive Content

*Files containing published information on all makers in the collection *Back catalogues of published material on British ceramics *

Auction An auction is usually a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bids, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder or buying the item from the lowest bidder. Some exceptions to this definition ex ...

catalogues *A worldwide range of reference books *An extensive range of foreign journals *British ceramic exhibition catalogues *A collection of audio-visual material relating to ceramics and studio pottery *Ceramic Series- almost one hundred articles commissioned by

*Documents and photographs relating to the International Ceramics Festival *Documents relating to the

*Documents relating to the touring exhibitions of the collection *Documents relating to educational courses/modules in ceramics (including

) *Administrative documents

References

External links

Ceramic Collection & Archive, official websiteAberystwyth Arts Centre Aberystwyth University ResearchArchives WalesInternational Ceramics FestivalCeramic Archive on Culture ColonyAberystwyth University Ceramics Gallery at Culture24
{{authority control 1920s establishments in Wales Decorative arts museums in Wales University museums in Wales Aberystwyth University Art museums and galleries in Wales Ceramics museums in the United Kingdom