Resident potter sought for The Kilns at Te Horo

The Kilns at Te Horo are looking for their next resident potter.

The Kilns are home to the relocated and restored bee-hive kilns of the late Mirek Smíšek, now open as a resource for the local community and visitor attraction.

“Smíšek’s contribution to ceramic arts imparted strength and freedom with a purpose, the bringing together of function and aesthetic,” said the Mirek Smíšek Art Trust’s co-chair Jane Manthel.

“Smíšek was accredited as the first craft potter in New Zealand to earn a living from his work.”

The residency at The Kilns offers a ceramic artist a location connected to the community to advance Smíšek’s legacy.

The resident will work in the Doreen Blumhardt Pottery Studio and live in the adjacent old Te Horo Railway Station which has been fully restored as living accommodation. The six-month term will begin in September, and as the second residency of a six-month duration it follows the current resident potter and artist, New Zealand-born Adrienne Riseley, who came to Kā piti for the residency from her home in Sweden.

An exhibition of her work will open at Toi Mahara in early May.

Applicants need to provide an outline of what they hope to achieve during the residency, including the type of work they want to undertake. Applications close on April 29.

The Kilns, located at Jim Winiata Lane, Te Horo, are open to the public every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

i Further information on The Kilns can be found at www. thekilnsattehoro.co.nz or email Thekilnsattehoro@gmail.com