The Canadian Guild of Potters was a non-profit organization of Canadian ceramic artists that was active from 1936 to 1978.

Foundation

The founding members of the Canadian Guild of Potters were Nunzia D'Angelo, Robert Montgomery and

Bobs Cogill Haworth Bobs Cogill Haworth (1900–1988) was a South African-born Canadian painter and potter. She practiced mainly in Toronto, living and working with her husband, painter and teacher Peter Haworth. She was a member of the Canadian Group of Painters ...

. Howarth was the first honorary president, Montgomery was chairman and Molly Satterly was secretary. Although representing itself as a national organization, most of the early members were based in Toronto. The Guild held its first meeting on 20 March 1936.

Mary Dignam Mary Ella Dignam (Born Mary Ella Williams; 1857–1938) was a Canadian painter, teacher, and art organizer best remembered as the founder and first president of the Women's Art Association of Canada (WAAC). Life Mary Ella Williams was born in P ...

's representative invited them to become an affiliate of the

Women's Art Association of Canada The Women's Art Association of Canada (WAAC) is an organization founded in 1887 to promote and support women artists and craftswomen in Canada, including artists in the visual media, performance artists and writers. At one time it had almost 1,000 ...

(WAAC) and to hold their meetings in the WAAC building at 23 Prince Arthur Avenue in Toronto. Shortly after being founded, in 1936 the Canadian Guild of Potters decided to join the

Canadian Handicrafts Guild The Canadian Handicrafts Guild (now known as La Guilde) was an association of Canadians involved in handicrafts that was founded in Montreal in 1906. At first the goal was to preserve and market traditional home crafts that were seen as being at ri ...

, based in Montreal.

Activities

In the early years most of the members were amateurs and quality was a concern. In 1943 Pearl McCarthy wrote in ''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...

'', "If this art craft is to advance in quality and number of workers it will need the kind of new member who is willing to take both chemistry and art seriously." Outside Quebec, this amateur image was an ongoing problem, although professionalism grew steadily over the years. Nunzia D'Angelo made great efforts to ensure that members could exhibit on the Ceramic National exhibitions organized by the New York State College of Ceramics. The Canadian sculptor

Elizabeth Wyn Wood Elizabeth Winnifred Wood (October 8, 1903 – January 27, 1966), known as Elizabeth Wyn Wood, was a Canadian sculptor and advocate of art education. A notable figure in Canadian sculpture, she is primarily known for her modernist interpretation ...

gave a speech on "Handicrafts in Relation to Community Art Centres in Canada". at the National Arts Club in New York City on 21 March 1945 that was reproduced in part in the summer issue of ''Canadian Art''. She noted the important role of the Canadian Guild of Potters, and of ceramic educators such as

Peter Haworth Peter Haworth (1889 – 7 May 1986) was a British-born Canadian painter. He was known for his stained glass work. Early years Peter Haworth was born in 1889 in Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, England. During World War I (1914–1918) he served in th ...

and

at the

Central Technical School Central Technical School (CTS or Central Tech) is a Canadian composite high school in Toronto, Ontario. The school is run by the Toronto District School Board (TDSB); before 1998, it was run by the Toronto Board of Education (TBE). Central Tech ...

in Toronto. An exhibition was held in the

Art Gallery of Toronto The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO; french: Musée des beaux-arts de l'Ontario) is an art museum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The museum is located in the Grange Park neighbourhood of downtown Toronto, on Dundas Street West between McCaul and Beve ...

in March–April 1950 for the 50th anniversary of the gallery. All the visual art schools, styles and media were represented. The Canadian Guild of Potters was among the eight art societies that contributed to the show. The guild held exhibitions of ''Canadian Ceramics / Céramiques canadiennes'' in Montreal and Toronto every two years from 1955 to 1971. Ceramics selected from the second national Canadian Guild of Potters exhibition in 1957 were selected by jury for the ''Canadian Fine Crafts'' show that year, the first national juried crafts show in Canada. The Guild sent three representatives to the First World Congress of Craftsmen, held on 8–19 June 1964 at

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

. The Guild eventually lost momentum, and was replaced around 1975 by an organization named Ceramic Masters Canada, later renamed Ceramists Canada.

Members

Noted members of the Guild included

Florence Wyle Florence Wyle (November 14, 1881 – January 14, 1968) was an American-Canadian sculptor, designer and poet; a pioneer of the Canadian art scene. She practiced chiefly in Toronto, living and working with her partner Frances Loring, with whom she ...

(1881-1968),

(1900-1988) and Eileen Hazell (1903-1984).

References

Citations Sources * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Canadian Guild of Potters Arts organizations based in Canada Arts organizations established in 1936