The Clayathon - a wonderful pottery bus tour!

On Saturday I had the pleasure of joining an all-day bus tour of Auckland, looking at various pottery related topics.  Called the Clayathlon, it is held every year, so be ready to book a place in 2016.  At $65 it is good value, I thought.
First off was a stop at Te Toi Uku, the Crown Lynn museum where the new director Finn McCahon-Jones gave an interesting talk. The museum has a lot more on display since I saw it at the opening - it is looking great.

Then it was on to Te Uru, previously Lopdell House, in Titirangi, where we saw the Portage Trust ceramic award exhibition and heard from the judge Ingrid Murphy from Ireland and the award winner,  Raewyn Atkinson (left in the pic below).  It was wonderful to see such a range of truly amazing hand-created pottery/art. I may yet become a convert to studio pottery!

Then it was on to Corban Estate, then to Brendan Adams front room gallery - what a wonderful range he and Cambell Hegan and Ande Barret-Hegan create.  Here are some hanging lampshades. I omitted to find out who made them.

Then to Objectspace Gallery to see the new exhibition - writers were invited to select a ceramic piece and write about it. I chose the lovely orange Beach Artware jar; another writer chose a McSkimmings handbasin; and there is a huge range of arty-looking pieces with some very interesting writing.  Then it was off to the Masterworks gallery (gorgeous work from two younger potters,  Kate Fitzharris (below) and Emily Siddell.

Then to the Anna Miles gallery for an exhibition and talk by Richard Stratton who struck me as a very interesting thinker. It was lovely to hear these potters talk about their work - all of them in a lovely down-to-earth way. Below are some plates of Richard's - unfortunately the light was very low and my other pics didn't come out.

Then the tour ended at Auckland University's Gus Fisher Gallery for a talk and mini-exhibition by Paul Hartigan, who I have posted about elsewere on this forum.  
What a lovely day, an interesting mix of 'experts' and potters on the bus, plus a few collectors, and we were hosted most kindly and generously all around the circuit.  Would I do this tour again next year?  YES!