Riverside Potters
| Company type | Artist collective |
|---|---|
| Industry | Ceramics, pottery |
| Founded | 1969 |
| Founder | Pat Cleveland, Peg Pedley, Betsy Thain |
| Defunct | 1989 |
| Headquarters | Launceston , Australia |
| Products | Pottery, ceramics |
The Riverside Potters was a collective of ceramic artists based in Launceston, Tasmania, active between 1969 and 1989. The members were engaged in creating, displaying, and instructing in the art of pottery.
Foundation
Established in 1969 by Pat Cleveland, OAM (born 1933), Peg Pedley (born 1925), and Betsy Thain (1926–2021), the Riverside Potters operated from a studio that overlooked the Riverside Golf Course. Early contributors to the group included Betty Curtis, Elizabeth Godfrey Smith, and Jill Kirkham.
Activities
The collective specialized in crafting pottery using clays sourced locally within Tasmania, alongside glazes formulated from regional materials. The clay was obtained from locations such as Relbia and the East Coast of Tasmania. Glaze ingredients incorporated granite from Coles Bay and rutile mined on King Island.
Their workspace was equipped with both electric and gas kilns, as well as dedicated areas for drying, glazing, storage, and pottery wheels; however, some artists favored hand-building methods over wheel-throwing.
Pedley, Cleveland, and Thain provided instruction in earthenware pottery through Adult Education initiatives. Additionally, the group organized workshops featuring guest instructors including Shigeo Shiga (1928–2011), Peter Rushforth (1920–2015), Colin Levy (born 1933), and Hiroe Swen (born 1934).
In recognition of her contributions to the development of the Tasmanian arts sector and support for emerging talent, Pat Cleveland was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2010.
Exhibitions
- Group show held at 15 Brisbane Street, Launceston from 5 to 8 December 1975.
- Patches of Light exhibition presented at the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Launceston.
Collections
The Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery (QVMAG) in Launceston holds works created by Peg Pedley as of 21 July 2019.
References
- 1969 establishments in Australia
- 1989 disestablishments in Australia
- 21st-century art groups
- Arts organizations disestablished in the 1980s
- Arts organizations established in 1969
- Australian pottery
- Ceramics manufacturers of Australia
- Australian artist groups and collectives
- Launceston, Tasmania
- Companies based in Tasmania