You're invited to view the students studying the NZ Diploma of Arts and Design in Ceramics end of year work.

16th November at Otaki Pottery Club Class Rooms from 3 - 6pm

Nibbles and drinks provided. All welcome.

For those of you who don't know, the Otaki Pottery Club has run this community event each year for many many years.  COVID stopped us from doing this for a couple of years and we are excited that we can now welcome back the public to this event and of course to our new venue.   

The event is where members of the public buy a piece of bisqueware, decorate it with Raku glazes and we fire it on the spot and they can walk away with a lovely piece of pottery.   

This is a particular favourite event of the local children.  Sue Wilson is organising this and would like to get together a team of volunteers to make this happen. Please contact Sue if you are interested in being involved.

We have created the new role of "Classroom Booking Manager" which Derryn Robson is taking on.  This role will begin at the beginning of next year.   If you are looking to use one of our classrooms for anything, please contact Derryn.

The club is looking for someone who will take on the role of Promotions/Publicity Manager for our events.  This will involve arranging newspaper ads, radio coverage, TV coverage (if you have connections although not necessary if you don't) and generally in getting the news out there to advertise our upcoming events etc.  Our Social Media coverage is already covered by Wendi Lindsay.

The gas firing scheduled for June 16th has been postponed because there are not enough pots available to make a kiln load. Hopefully this advance notice will save members from a last minute rush to get glazing completed for firing on that date.

The new date set for a firing is Thursday July 28, work to be on shelves by noon on Monday 25th for loading Tuesday 26th, 2pm. Unloading Saturday 30th 2pm.

It is good to have the work on the shelves a week in advance of the above dates so we can confirm that there is demand for a firing.

We have rearranged the committee structure for the club which will see a Management Committee and an Administration Team.  Caitlin will have more about this in the newsletter.  There will be a list on the wall in the kitchen, in a couple of days, as to who is doing what.

The club's COVID Mandate regarding Vaccine Passports has been lifted and mask wearing has been made optional.  It goes without saying that it may change again if we go back to "Red" under the traffic light system, let's hope we don't.

At our committee meeting last night it was decided that the club would continue with our COVID mandate at the present time.  We understand that the Government has lifted the mandates but it is entirely up to each organisation as what they think is appropriate. This will be reviewed again when we go to “green” under the traffic light system.  This means that all persons entering the clubrooms must be vaccinated and wear a mask.

We understand that for some of you this is not what you wanted to hear but for the safety and wellbeing of the majority of our membership we feel that this decision is the correct one.

If you wish to have work fired, please contact the club on otakipotterclub@gmail.com and we will arrange for this to be done.

We are postponing the gas firing scheduled for May 4th as there have been very few pots received so far. The updraft kiln is quite large and typically requires about 140 pots to warrant a firing. There is nothing to indicate that the additional pots still needed will be delivered by the Monday 2nd deadline.

The May firing has been rescheduled as follows:

·         all work on shelves by 12 noon, Monday 9th May

·         loading will be completed Tuesday 10th May from 2pm

·         firing Wednesday 11th May (all day, starting 7.45am, completed about 5pm)

·         unloading Friday 13th May 2pm

​This firing will still be dependent on there being sufficient work to fill the kiln.

Otaki pottery Club is looking for more teachers to run classes, additional to the eleven that we already have in place. 

We have spaces to run beginner Wheel Classes on Mondays during the day and on Thursday nights. 
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We have spaces to run beginner Hand Building Classes on Monday and Tuesday nights. Night classes usually start at 7 .00pm but 6.30pm is also a possibility. 
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If you are interested please contact Emily Friedlander - OPC Adult Class Coordinator by using the form below.