Clay Works, held annually by St Columba Church in Grey Lynn since 2015, has become an institution in Auckland, a ‘go to’ event in our arts calendar.
Word of mouth ensures that hundreds of people turn up over the two days, and there have even been stories of people timing their visits from the South Island and Australia to coincide with the Clay Works weekend. That will be a bit more complicated this year.
In 2020, the event was postponed twice and finally took place in October - but the crowds of buyers and browsers were no smaller, and the St Columba site was buzzing with people, inside and out. Although pottery was the primary order of the day, the legendary Nell’s chutneys, jams and relishes, Kiwi Tucker mussel fritters, and barbecued sausages were hot sellers in the garden.
It’s the quality of pottery that draws so many people. Forty-plus potters, from Auckland and beyond, from emerging to established, display their work in the community centre. The space is full of tables groaning (in a nice way) with pottery, and the selection is diverse in size, form, clay, colour and price. There is something for everyone.
This year Clay Works is again scheduled for Mothers Day weekend, providing an ideal opportunity to find a wonderful gift for the mother in your life - or yourself, or anyone, really. Added to the joy of being able to buy beautiful, handcrafted pieces is the satisfaction of knowing that the proceeds of this fundraiser enable St Columba to continue its work in the community, the most well-known of which is their Friday Community Lunch, now in its fourth year.
In these times of intermittent Covid lockdowns, this support is essential to an increasing number of individuals and families. So, fingers crossed that Clay Works can go ahead as planned - keep the days free: Friday 7 and Saturday 8 May, 10am - 4pm. Nau mai, haere mai - all welcome!
Contact: lizcaughey@xtra.co.nz
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