About Us
The Ceramic Study Group is a Sydney, Australia based, non-for-profit group which strives to
“encourage the study of ceramics by means of presentations, demonstrations, excursions, projects,
workshops and occasional practical classes”.
As a ceramics course was drawing to completion back in 1963, a group of the graduating students, conceived the idea of forming a society in order that they could continue to keep in touch.
Some 34 students met, formed a Committee and the name “Ceramic Study Group” was proposed and accepted. Their then tutor, the highly distinguished Peter Rushforth (1920-2015), was invited and accepted to become the Patron of the Group.
At that time, the annual subscription was £1 and 4 shillings for meeting entry and the committee met monthly in the home of a committee member and general meetings at Federation House in Sydney. To date, the committee continue to meet monthly and general presentation/demonstration meetings are also held monthly for members and friends.
As interest in ceramics and our group increased, so did the number of memberships and the need to find a larger venue to hold monthly, presentation and demonstration meetings. After 4 such moves over the years, the Ceramic Study Group has recently moved to our latest premises at Balcombe Heights Estate, Sydney, allowing the space to be used committee meetings, presentations, demonstration, workshops and for an extensive range of exhibitions and display of our Permanent Collection.
At each presentation meeting, there is an invited guest speaker or demonstrator with topics ranging from “the history of pottery”, “glaze technology”, “hand building” and many, many more but the most popular being our “throwing demonstrations”.
We have been fortunate to have National and International potters such as Len Castle N.Z., Peter Hayes U.K., Mattias Ostermann, Canada and Janet Mansfield, Greg Daly, Mitsui Shogi, Australia, to name just a few who have willingly imparted their knowledge across a broad range of topics. It is not possible to list the hundreds of potters who have presented and demonstrated at our evening meeting and workshops.
The Ceramic Study Group proudly houses our Permanent Collection of ceramic works. These are works which, over the years, we have been fortunate enough to have accrued from eminent Australian and International Potters. This collection is now recognised as one of the most extensive Permanent Collections of ceramics in Australia and include works by Michael Cardew, Lucy Rie, to mention a few.
Our members can join the wood-fire group and meet on firing days at our own wood-fire kiln. A monthly newsletter full of interesting articles, tips and tricks and much more is available to our members along with access to our extensive library and DVD collection on ceramics. The Ceramic Study Group hold raku firing days and other workshops throughout the year and children’s classes are organised during the school holidays.
The Ceramic Study Group is run and operated by a volunteer Committee and is funded by the group’s membership fees, workshops, donations, sponsorships and fees from the Gallery hire. The Group prides itself in providing great opportunities for Ceramic Artists to meet with professional potters, exchange ideas and skills with the like-minded souls whose passion is clay.
The CSG committee for 2023
President:
Leonard Smith: [email protected]
Vice President:
Nicky Coady: [email protected]
Secretary:
Helen Howe: [email protected]
Treasurer:
Margaret Hall
Assistant Treasurer:
Meena Blesing
Membership:
Margaret Hall
Librarian:
Pauline Ryan
Publications:
Mary Margereson
Workshop Coordinator:
Kay Alliband
Technical Assistant:
Debbie McClure
Wood Fired Kiln Coordinator:
Glynnis Condon
“encourage the study of ceramics by means of presentations, demonstrations, excursions, projects,
workshops and occasional practical classes”.
As a ceramics course was drawing to completion back in 1963, a group of the graduating students, conceived the idea of forming a society in order that they could continue to keep in touch.
Some 34 students met, formed a Committee and the name “Ceramic Study Group” was proposed and accepted. Their then tutor, the highly distinguished Peter Rushforth (1920-2015), was invited and accepted to become the Patron of the Group.
At that time, the annual subscription was £1 and 4 shillings for meeting entry and the committee met monthly in the home of a committee member and general meetings at Federation House in Sydney. To date, the committee continue to meet monthly and general presentation/demonstration meetings are also held monthly for members and friends.
As interest in ceramics and our group increased, so did the number of memberships and the need to find a larger venue to hold monthly, presentation and demonstration meetings. After 4 such moves over the years, the Ceramic Study Group has recently moved to our latest premises at Balcombe Heights Estate, Sydney, allowing the space to be used committee meetings, presentations, demonstration, workshops and for an extensive range of exhibitions and display of our Permanent Collection.
At each presentation meeting, there is an invited guest speaker or demonstrator with topics ranging from “the history of pottery”, “glaze technology”, “hand building” and many, many more but the most popular being our “throwing demonstrations”.
We have been fortunate to have National and International potters such as Len Castle N.Z., Peter Hayes U.K., Mattias Ostermann, Canada and Janet Mansfield, Greg Daly, Mitsui Shogi, Australia, to name just a few who have willingly imparted their knowledge across a broad range of topics. It is not possible to list the hundreds of potters who have presented and demonstrated at our evening meeting and workshops.
The Ceramic Study Group proudly houses our Permanent Collection of ceramic works. These are works which, over the years, we have been fortunate enough to have accrued from eminent Australian and International Potters. This collection is now recognised as one of the most extensive Permanent Collections of ceramics in Australia and include works by Michael Cardew, Lucy Rie, to mention a few.
Our members can join the wood-fire group and meet on firing days at our own wood-fire kiln. A monthly newsletter full of interesting articles, tips and tricks and much more is available to our members along with access to our extensive library and DVD collection on ceramics. The Ceramic Study Group hold raku firing days and other workshops throughout the year and children’s classes are organised during the school holidays.
The Ceramic Study Group is run and operated by a volunteer Committee and is funded by the group’s membership fees, workshops, donations, sponsorships and fees from the Gallery hire. The Group prides itself in providing great opportunities for Ceramic Artists to meet with professional potters, exchange ideas and skills with the like-minded souls whose passion is clay.
The CSG committee for 2023
President:
Leonard Smith: [email protected]
Vice President:
Nicky Coady: [email protected]
Secretary:
Helen Howe: [email protected]
Treasurer:
Margaret Hall
Assistant Treasurer:
Meena Blesing
Membership:
Margaret Hall
Librarian:
Pauline Ryan
Publications:
Mary Margereson
Workshop Coordinator:
Kay Alliband
Technical Assistant:
Debbie McClure
Wood Fired Kiln Coordinator:
Glynnis Condon