Auckland Studio Potters - Sponsored Awards

Awards

The ASP administers two sponsored awards

The Les and Sonia Andrews Cultural Foundation Award
The Auckland Studio Potters Domestic Ware Award

The Les and Sonia Andrews Cultural Foundation Award

Sonia and Les Andrews are veterans of stage and radio in New Zealand. They have had a life-long association with music and entertainment in this country, and are a much respected couple by all in that industry. They contributed hugely while working in the field and have continued that in their retirement with the establishment of the Les and Sonia Andrews Cultural Foundation.

For some years they have provided scholarships for the New Zealand School of Music and in 2003 concluded an arrangement with Auckland Studio Potters to provide a generous Annual Scholarship. It goes to an emerging potter of promise. Since that time the Executive has had a small committee which selects a student each year to receive the Les and Sonia Andrews award which is presented by them at the Big Clay Day Out in December. The grant of $2,000 is provided to help the successful person develop their career in ceramics.

The award for 2009 was shared by Yuko Takahashi and Jacqui Brown.

While I am enjoying experimenting with forms and glazes, I still return to traditional Japanese forms. After seven years working in Auckland, I really appreciate the atmosphere at the ASP: there is continuous support and encouragment from friends and teachers. Recently, I have become conscious of how lucky I was to grow up in Kyushu, (southern Japan), where pottery was a big part of my everyday environment.
These pots are taken from my 2009 exhibition.

My ceramic career started in Japan where I was fortunate to work under some master potters in Seto and Tajimi. From there I moved to Italy and gained some technical experience making majolica ware. On returning to New Zealand I joined ASP and have just spent four years completing the Otago Diploma of Ceramics which I completed in 2009. My first love is making domestic ware on the wheel but I'm expanding into sculpture. I have to keep my studio spotlessly clean as my preferred clays are terracotta or porcelain.

Recipients to date have been:
2008	Helen Perrett
2007	Al Wheldale
2006	Jo-Anne Raill
2005	Charade Honey
2004	Simon Leong
2003	Alex Whyte

The Auckland Studio Potters Domestic Ware Award

This is an annual competition sponsored by Tony Bacon to promote and reward excellence in the creation of high-quality domestic ware in clay.

Entry is open to any financial member of the ASP, including students.

The work must be fully functional domestic ware, including (but not limited to) cooking vessels, tableware, bowls, vases, storage vessels.

2010 Domestic Ware Award

Opening and Award Presentation: Friday 17 September 2010, 7:00pm

Judge: Graham Ambrose

Principal Award: $500
Merit Awards: $500 (total)

Entry forms are available in the ASP Office. You can also email us for an entry form. Entries should be submitted at the Centre from Monday 13 September – Thursday 16 September between 9:30am and 4pm.

2010 Judge: Graham Ambrose

Strongly influenced by the modernist movement, his primary interest is in creating minimalist forms. He is particularly known for his mastery of a bold red glaze that complements these unadorned shapes. Graham’s work can be found in select national and international galleries and is increasingly being collected by private buyers in New York, Hong Kong, Sweden, London and Australia. Naturally, thanks to the vagaries of the fire gods, each piece will always be unique.

“Before I became a ceramist, I had spent most of my working life designing and making furniture, along with musical instruments, TVs, audio equipment, boats and other products. I see my involvement with clay as a continuation of this background and the real thrill of method and problem solving has caught my attention as no other medium could. It allows me to use the creative spark from beginning to end, although I do not see the end product as the end in itself but as the beginning of the next piece of work, and so on and so on…”

Previous Years

2009

2008

2007