Artist: Cathi Jefferson
Cathi Jefferson, CANADA
View Artist's Products
Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, I grew up in North Vancouver playing in forests always enchanted by their beauty. Throughout my life this feeling continues to strengthen within me affecting the way I touch clay and create from its malleable being. The tall trees, varied grasses, wildflowers, water
polished rocks, and majestic mountain ranges of BC are my inspiration. The organic earthy colour tones l need to work with are enhanced by my favorite type of kiln firing. Salt Firing creates textured and varying tones capturing light within the surface. The outcome with each piece unique, enhanced by the
unpredictable nature of the process.
Since childhood I have always known I would be a potter and realize how blessed I have been to continually grow and create work that comes from within. I strive to make dishes that are comfortable to hold and use every day with a calming presence. Sculptural pieces strong in form that enrich the space they contain. These pursuits keep me engaged, continually growing and evolving pushing ideas of what is possible.
Teaching and contributing to the clay community I have been fortunate to be a part of all these years has always been an integral part of my being. I have been fortunate to be involved with guilds, art tours, organizing conferences, and mentor apprentices. I'm a co—founder and current president of the
volunteer run clay community center the 'Clay Hub' in the Cowichan Valley. Interacting and being a part of all these endeavors over the years have been very fulfilling experiences.
Education
2019 Residency ‘The Sculpture Factory’, Jingdezhen, China
2014 Fully funded residency Watson Arts Centre, Canberra, Australia
2014 Residency SODA, Perth, Australia
2013 Awarded fully funded residency collaboration Cowichan Valley Arts Council & ‘OAIR’ Tokyo, Japan
2013 Residency ‘The Pottery Factory’, Jingdezhen, China
2012 Residency Shaw International Centre for Contemporary Ceramics,
Medalta, Medicine Hat, Alberta
2010 Residency Sanbao Art Institute, Jingdezhen, China
2007 Residency Archie Bray Foundation, Helena, Montana
2006 Residency Banff Centre for the Arts, Banff, Alberta
2005 Awarded Canada Council Grant
2004 The Proyecto Arte Del Fuego’s Cuban Ceramic Art Collective, Resident
Artist, Kwantlen University College, Surrey, BC
2002 Participant ‘Aormori International Wood fire Festival 2002’, Aormori, Japan
2000 Residency Banff Centre for the Arts, Banff, Alberta
1997 Awarded the Tucker Pottery Supply/Pottery Supply House fully funded
residency at Watershed, Newcastle, Maine
1996 Awarded Canada Council Grant for a Residency, Archie Bray
Foundation, Helena, Montana
1993 Accepted participant IWCAT (International Workshop for Ceramic Art in
Tokoname) Tokoname, Japan
1992 ‘Ceramics’, Jeff Oestreich, Emily Carr College of Art & Design, Vancouver
1991 ‘Form and Function’, Jeff Oestreich, Banff Centre, Banff, Alberta
1986-88 Fine Arts, Fraser Valley College, Abbotsford, BC
1980-81 Fine Arts, Kwantlen College, Surrey, BC
1974-90 Initial clay courses/studio with mentor Herman Venema, Matsqui, BC
Professional Experience
Present – 2014 Co-founder, Director, current President, ongoing Instructor Clay Hub,
Duncan, BC
2019 10-day hands on ‘Atmospheric Immersion’ workshop; Metchosin International
Summer School of the Arts (MISSA), Victoria, BC
2019/16/12/11/9/6/5 Red Deer College ‘Series’, 1 wk. Hands-on Workshops, Red
Deer, Alberta
2019 2-day hands on workshop Aberthau Potters Guild, Vancouver, BC
2018 Demo Workshop, Art League, Alexandria, Virginia
2018 Juror ‘Table Top’ Exhibition, Alexandria, Virginia
2018 Demo Workshop, Albert Community Centre, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
2017 Soda Firing Credit Course Hood College, Frederick, Maryland
2017 Hands-on Throwing Workshop, Kirkland Art Center, Kirkland, Washington
2016 Studio Salt Firing Workshop with Chris Weaver, Duncan, BC
2016 5-day Hands-on ‘Tea Set’ Workshop, Pinecroft Centre for the Arts, Aylmer,
Ontario
2016 Demo Workshop, Parkgate Community Centre, North Vancouver, BC
2016 ‘Form’ 2-hour Lecture, Island Woodturners Guild, Victoria, BC
2016 Soda Firing Hands-on Workshop, Prince George, BC
2015 Salt Firing Workshop, Metchosin International Summer School of the Arts
(MISSA), Victoria, BC
2015 Hands-on/Demonstration Workshop, Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, Kalamazoo, Michigan
2015 Hands-on Weekend Workshop, Yellowknife, Yukon
2014 – 2008 Instructor, ‘Ceramics 303 A&B’, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC
2014 Hand-building Weekend Workshop, Ft. St. John, BC
2014 Weekend Demo Workshops: Matsqui, BC; North Mount Pleasant,
Calgary, Alberta; Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario
2013 Hands-on/ Demonstration Workshop, ‘The Flipside of Bowls’, Metchosin International School of the Arts (MISSA), Victoria, BC
2011 2-day Demonstration / Hands-on Workshop, Tucson, Arizona
2011 5-day Soda Firing Clay Workshop, Western New Mexico University, Silver
City, New Mexico
2011 5-day Hands-on Workshop, ‘Put A Lid On It’, Places des Arts, Coquitlam,
BC
2011 Hands-on / Demonstration Workshops: Salt Spring Island; North Island
College, Comox; Kwantlen College, Surrey, BC
2011 Studio Salt Firing Workshop with Fraser Valley Potters Guild, Duncan, BC
2010 11- day Hands-on Salt and Soda Firing Workshop, Shaw International
Center for Contemporary Ceramics, Medalta, Medicine Hat, Alberta
2010 Workshop Demonstration Nepean Art Centre, Ottawa, Tucker’s Clay
Supply, Richmond Hill, Ontario
2009 Hands-on / Demonstration Workshops, Terrace and Quesnel, BC
2008 Workshop Demonstration, New Brunswick Collage of Craft and Design,
Fredericton, New Brunswick
2008 Workshop Demonstration, Nova Scotia College of Art and Design
(NSCAD), Halifax, Nova Scotia
2008 Key note speaker, Masters Series 2008, Parksville, BC
2008 Workshop Demonstration, Cedar Lakes Conference Centre, Ripley, West
Virginia
2008 Hands-on/Demonstration Workshop, ‘Altering and Connecting…’,
Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario
2007 Presenter, 4th Pun Choung Festival of Kyeryong Mountain, Korea
2006 Co-instructor with Laura Way Lay Laq ‘Atmospheric Firings’, Emily Carr
University of Art and Design, Vancouver, BC
2006 ‘Functional Ceramics’ Workshop Demonstration, Wooster, Ohio
2005 ‘Fusion’ Workshop Demonstration, The Ontario Clay and Glass Assoc.,
Waterloo, Ontario
2005/99 1 week Instructor/ Demonstrator KSA (Kootenay School of Art),
Nelson, BC
2003 Presenter, Kelowna Clay Festival, Kelowna, BC
2003 Co-workshop Instructor, Colorado State University, Pueblo, Colorado
2002 Salt-Firing / Hands-on Workshop Instructor, Bird Creek, Alaska
2002 Co-Instructor, Medalta 4-week Residency Program, Medicine Hat, Alberta
2001 Presenter, 1000 Miles Apart Conference, Alberta College of Art, Calgary
2001 Salt/Soda Kiln Firing Workshop, Hood College, Frederick, Maryland
2001 Workshop Instructor, University of Findlay, Findlay, Ohio
2000 Workshop Instructor, Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design in conjunction
with Potters’ Guild of B.C., Vancouver, BC
1999 Presenter, International Potters Festival, Aberystwyth, Wales
Exhibitions / Selected Awards
2020 ‘Strong, Resilient, Feminine’; ‘The Plate Show III; ‘Imbibe’; Tea and Flowers’,
Schaller Gallery, Baroda, MI
2020 ‘Elements’, Cowichan Valley Arts Council Gallery, Duncan, BC
2019 ‘Malleable’; Il Museo, Italian Cultural Centre, Vancouver, BC
2019 ‘Bonspiel’; NCECA Exhibition, Minneapolis, Mn
2019 ‘Feast of Pots’, Bannerman Brewery, St. John’s, NL
2019 ‘Simply Cups’; Seward Park Clay Studio + Kobo Gallery, Seattle, Wa
2019 ‘Beyond the Garden Wall’; Schaller Gallery, Baroda, MI
2019 ‘Fired Up! Monumental’, Circle Craft Gallery, Vancouver
2018 Solo exhibition ‘Beauty in Nature’, Schaller Gallery, Saint Joseph, MI
2018 ‘Making Matters: Fresh Perspectives in Fine Craft’, Peters Valley Gallery,
Layton, NJ
2018 ‘Vessels for Flowers’, Black & Smith Country General, Ancaster, ON
2017 ‘Fractal Nature: Works Exploring the Theory of Chaos’, NCECA, Skutt
Kiln Warehouse Gallery, Portland, Oregon
2017 ‘The Art of Kiln’n It’, Ladysmith Waterfront Gallery, Ladysmith, BC
2016 Cone Box Show Purchase Award, Baldwin City, Kansas
2016 ‘TEA I’, ‘Form II’; ‘Beautifully Brown’; ‘Painterly’, Schaller Gallery, Saint
Joseph, MI
2016 Salt Spring Island Ceramics Awards, Ganges, BC
2016 Sooke Fine Arts Show, Honorable Mention, Sooke, BC
2016/15/14/13‘Steinzeugkrug: Present Day Interpretations I & II Claymakers,
Durham, North Carolina
2015 ‘Design in Canada’ Outstanding Achievement from BC, Canada House
Gallery, London, England
2015 ‘Mud, Hands, Fire, Wheel Thrown – The Legacy of Canadian Studio
Pottery’, School of Art Gallery, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba
2015 ’30 Years’, Seymour Art Gallery, North Vancouver, BC
2015 ‘Post China: A Ceramic Journey’, College of the Redwoods, Eureka, CA
2015 ‘Serviceability’, College of Lake Country, Grayslake, Illinois
2014 ‘Fired Up! 30th Anniversary Show, Jonathon’s, London, Ontario; Gallery of
BC Ceramics, Vancouver, BC; Potter’s Place, Courtenay, BC
2014 ‘The Cup II’, Robert T. Wright Gallery, Grayslake, Illinois
2013 ‘A New Attitude Excavated’, Paros Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
2013 ‘Roses are Red, Pots are Brown’, Appalachian Center for Craft, Smithville,
Tennessee
2013 Circle Craft’s Pendulum Gallery Show, Vancouver, BC
2013 ‘OutPour’, Robert T. Wright Gallery, Grayslake, Illinois
2012 ‘Fireworks’ Works by selected Carter Wosk BC Creative Achievement
Award Recipients, Seymour Art Gallery, North Vancouver, BC
2012 ‘Celebrate the Salish Sea’, Fraker Scott Gallery, NCECA, Seattle,
Washington
2012 Award Winner Contemporary 3-D, Cowichan Valley Arts Council annual
juried show, Duncan, BC
2012 Cowichan Valley Arts Council Award Winners Show, Portals, Duncan, BC
2012 ‘Table Salt’, Gallery of BC Ceramics, Vancouver, BC
2012 Brucker’s Ceramics Purchase Award, 2012 International Orton Cone Box
Show, Baldwin City, Kansas
2011 ’30 x 5 Invitational Show’, Akar Gallery, Iowa City, Iowa
2011 ‘Matter of Clay III’, Jonathon Bancroft Snell Gallery, London, Ontario
2011 Solo exhibition, The Potters Place, Courtenay, BC
2010 Awarded Carter Wosk BC Creative Achievement Award for Applied Art
and Design
2010 Solo Installation ‘Reflecting Nature: Reflecting Spirit’, Cowichan Valley
Arts Council (CVAC) Gallery, Duncan, BC
2010 ‘Northeners’, Akar Gallery, Iowa City, Iowa
2010 ‘Integration’ with fine furniture markers Sandra Carr and Joe Gelinas,
Circle Craft Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2010 ‘Flora’, Schaller Gallery, Red Lodge, Montana
2010 ‘3 Views’, Circle Craft Gallery, Vancouver, BC
2009 ‘What The Rains Bring’, Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery, Waterloo,
Ontario
2009 Fired Up! 25th anniversary show, Jonathon’s, London, Ontario
2009 ‘Compressed’, North Vancouver Island Potters Guild, touring juried
show, Courtenay, Union Bay, Gallery of BC Ceramics, Vancouver, BC
2008 ‘Thrown and Altered Functional Stoneware’, The Gallery at the New
Brunswick College of Craft and Design, Fredericton, New Brunswick
2008 ‘Urban Nature’, with painter Kari Minchin, Comox Valley Art Gallery,
Courtenay, BC
2008 ‘Table of Elements’, Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild, NCECA conference,
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
2007 Solo Installation ‘Reflecting Nature: Reflecting Spirit’, Seymour Art Gallery,
North Vancouver, BC
2007 ‘Potters and Pitchers’, Crafthouse, Craft Assoc. of B.C., Vancouver, B.C.
2007 Featured Artist, Akar Gallery, Iowa City, Iowa
2007 ‘On the Table: 100 Years of Functional Ceramics in Canada’, Gardiner
Museum, Toronto, Ontario
2006 ‘New Growth: Synthesizing Clay’, Clackamas Community College,
NCECA, Portland, Oregon
2006 ‘Functional Ceramics 2006’, Wayne Centre for the Arts, Wooster, Ohio
2005 ‘Vapourware’, Pottery Northwest Gallery, Seattle, Washington
2005 ‘Transformation - The Potters Guild of BC at 50’, Burnaby Art Gallery,
Burnaby, BC
2005 ‘BC Tajimi Exhibition’, BC Potters Guild, Tajimi, Japan
2005 ‘Gas It Up: Salt, Soda and Slip’, Baltimore Clayworks, Baltimore, Maryland
2005 ‘Fire Women’, Seymour Art Gallery, North Vancouver, BC
2004 Proyecto Arte Del Fuego ‘Art of Fire’, Cityscape Community Art Space,
North Vancouver, BC
2004 ‘Pots in the Kitchen’, touring international invitational, Galerie Du Don,
Montsalvy, France and Keramiekcentrum Tiendschuur Tegelen, The
Netherlands
2004 ‘The 2004 Sydney Myers International Ceramics Award’, Shepparton Art
Gallery, Shepparton, Australia
2004 Juror’s Choice Awards, The 2004 International Orton Cone Box Show,
Baldwin City, Kansas
2004 ‘World Tea Party’, Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Victoria, BC
2004 ‘An Exhibition of Sodium Vapor Fired Wares, Salt and Soda’, Blue Dome
Gallery,’ Silver City, New Mexico
2004 ‘Fired Up! Celebrating 20 Years’, Gallery B.C. Ceramics, Vancouver, BC
2003 ‘21st Century Ceramics’, invited participant, Canzani Centre Gallery,
Columbus College of Art and Design, Columbus, Ohio
2003 ‘Pots in the Kitchen’, international invitational, Rufford Craft Centre,
Ollerton, Newark, Nottinghamshire, England
2003 ‘Just a Passion for Clay’, 8 Women Potters Present Recent Work,
Kwantlen University College, Surrey, BC
2002 ‘Functional Ceramics ’2002’, Wayne Center for the Arts, Wooster, Ohio
2002 Brook Street Pottery, invitational exhibition, Hay on Wye, Wales
2002 ‘4 Voices’, Gallery 611, Toronto, Ontario
2001 ‘Salt and Fire’, 4-person International invitational exhibition, Chungnam
University in Taejon and To-Art Gallery in Seoul, Korea
2001 ‘Sojourn: Sketches of Utility’, 1 person show, The Croft, Calgary, Alberta
2000 ‘Below the Salt: Echoes Across a Century’ International invitational
Exhibition, University of Derby and Portsmouth Museum, Derby, England
2000 ‘ Gallery 611’ Invitational Exhibition, Toronto, Ontario
1999 ‘Different Stokes - The 1999 International Juried Wood-fire Exhibition’,
Studiolo, Iowa City, Iowa
1999 ‘Contemporary Canadian & Quebec Ceramics’, Hammond Harkins
Galleries, NCECA, Columbus, Ohio
1998 ‘Fired Up!, Stephen Lower Gallery, Victoria, BC
1998 ‘Off the Wall - Onto the Table’, 3- person show, Ferry Building Public
Gallery, West Vancouver, BC
1997 ‘5th Annual Teapot Exhibit’, invited participant, Craft Alliance, St. Louis,
Missouri
1997 ‘West Invites East to Dinner’, 1 person show, Circle Craft Gallery,
Vancouver, BC
1996 ‘Vessels in Celebration’, juried touring show, Alberta Potters’ Assn., Alberta
1995 ‘Excellence in Craft’, Bronze Award, Circle Craft Market, Vancouver, BC
1994 ‘Jugs’, juried exhibition, Canadian Craft Museum, Vancouver, BC
1992 ‘Salt-fire Revisited’, 5-person feature, Gallery of B.C. Ceramics,
Vancouver, BC
Publications
2017 ‘Tips, Tools, & Techniques’, pub. The American Ceramic Society, Westville, Ohio
2017 ‘Ceramics Monthly Pottery Making Illustrated’, “Stacking Jars”, Jan/Feb Issue
2015 ‘Ceramics Monthly’ magazine No.2, Vol. 63, article “Movement and
Tranquility: The Work of Cathi Jefferson”
2012 ‘Best of 500 Ceramics’ pub. Lark Crafts, New York, New York
2009 ‘Ceramics Art & Perception’ magazine article, issue 78, ‘Requiem for a
Forest’
2009 Co-editor ‘Fired Up! Contemporary Works in Clay, pub. Fired Up!
Publishing, Victoria, BC
2009 ‘Surface Design for Ceramics’, pub. Lark Books, New York, New York
2008 ‘Fusion’, magazine article, ‘ West Coast Therapy in Thunder Bay’,
Toronto, Ontario
2007 ‘Arts Alive’, magazine article, ’Reflecting Nature: Reflecting Spirit’, North
Vancouver, BC
2005 ‘The Teapot Book’, pub. A&C Black, London, England
2004 ‘Making Marks: Discovering the Ceramic Surface’, Krause Publications
Inc., Iola, Wisconsin
2004 ‘The Complete Potter’, pub. Quarto Publishing, London, England
2003 ‘500 Cups’, & ‘500 Bowls’, pub. Lark Books, Asheville, North Carolina
2002 ‘Pots in the Kitchen’, pub. The Crowood Press Ltd., Ramsbury, England
2002 ‘Salt-Glazing’, pub. A&C Black, London, England
2002 ‘Salt-Glaze Ceramics’, pub. The Crowood Press Ltd, Ramsbury, England
2001 ‘The Ceramic Spectrum’ 2nd edition, pub. Krause Publications Inc., Iola,
Wisconsin
2001 ‘Smashing Glazes’, pub. Guild Publishing, Madison, Wisconsin
2001 ‘Ceramics Monthly’ magazine No.6, Vol. 49, article “Bread, Butter, & Salt”
2001 ‘Throwing Pots’, 2nd edition, pub. A & C Black, London, England
2001 ‘Object Lessons’, pub. Guild Publishing, Madison, Wisconsin
2000 ‘Functional Pottery’ 2nd edition, pub. Krause Publications, Iola, Wisconsin
1999 ‘Ceramics Monthly’ magazine No. 8, Vol. 47, article “International Potters
Festival”
1998 ‘Made of Clay’ pub. jointly ‘98, Potters Guild of BC / Douglas and MacIntyre
1997 ‘Contact Ceramics’ magazine No. 107, article “Reminiscences on Being a
First-time Kiln Builder”
1996 ‘The Best of Pottery ’ pub. Quarry Books, Rockport, Massachusetts
Collections
2014 Watson Arts Centre, permanent collection, Canberra, Australia
2011 Museum of Anthropology, ‘Encoded Megabean’ permanent collection,
Vancouver, BC
2010 Sanbao Art Institute, Jingdezhen, China
2004 Shepparton Art Gallery, permanent collection, Shepparton, Australia
2002 Aormori City permanent collection, Aormori, Japan
1999 Aberystwyth Art Gallery, permanent collection, Aberystwyth, Wales
1996 Archie Bray Foundation permanent collection, Helena, Montana
1993 Tokoname City permanent collection, Tokoname, Japan
Associations
Co-founder, current President ‘Clay Hub’ Community Clay Centre, Cowichan Valley
Founding member Cowichan Artisans
South Vancouver Island Potters Guild member
Fired Up! Collective of 11 clay artists established in 1984 (member since 1996)
Circle Craft Cooperative member
Tozan Society Director (4-year term)
Craft Association of BC member
Potters Guild of BC member
Co-chair Canadian Clay Collective Triennial Canadian Clay Symposium
(18-year term)
Board member North West Ceramic Foundation (5-year term)
Honorary life-time member Fraser Valley Potter’s Guild –Past President