Tale of Woe

The Mexican clay artist, Elizabeth Ross had what can only be described as an eventful visit to the UK. She tried on a pair of Vivienne Westwood designer shoes on her first evening and promptly fell over, breaking her leg. She underwent emergency surgery at St. Thomas's Hospital in London, where the bones were pinned and she was filmed and interviewed by the BBC. Not having any travel insurance, there is now a bill for over £2,000 to meet. This represents a considerable amount to anyone, but is an insurmountable problem for an artist from a Third World country.

At Bangor Station the lift was out of order, so our guest had to struggle up the stairs on one foot. A wheelchair was soon hired from the Red Cross in Criccieth and Elizabeth quickly learned to ascend and descend stairs easily -- on her bottom, not the hop-and-jump method recommended by therapists.

The Friends and others who attended the very interesting Ceramica Mexicana event at  The CoA were asked to help and generously donated almost £100, which The CoA doubled. This money did not help reduce the medical expenses, but made travel around London by taxi and down to Southampton for another lecture much easier.

During the brief visit, Mary-Ellen Jones kindly drove Ms Ross to Aberdaron and four artists took her to Harlech for the day, so she could view their studios and talk. They also put their signatures to an invitation to Miss Westwood to help pay the outstanding hospital costs and a second which was addressed to the Almoner at St. Thomas's. Hopefully this difficult situation will be resolved without too much hardship. Now back in Mexico, Elizabeth is planning to take part in the 2005 Harlech Biennale. Her pilgrimage to Bardsey Island • Ynys Enlli was naturally out of the question, but work based on impressions of her journey to Penlleyn and Ywchmynydd are already being composed.

Clay & Path News
Another part of The International Potters' Path will be added this spring. There simply are not enough suitable new tiles to complete Phase II, but those which are, come from countries as far afield as Japan and Uruguay. It is a great shame it is taking so long, but judging by the promises made during the autumn, more are on the way. Meanwhile, The CoA is increasingly well-known for the high standard and breadth of contemporary ceramics on exhibition. Not everyone appreciates or understands how important it is to provide a specialist exhibition venue for working potters and clay artists. But the ascendancy of 'conceptual art' and the educational policies of government as currently implemented by institutions of higher education, deprives students of a proper grounding. But knowledge and skills must be preserved for the future and The CoA actively pursues an exhibition policy, which will hopefully help ensure the survival of individual makers as well as the rural pottery making tradition of Wales and the UK beyond the extinct 'Potteries' of Stoke-on-Trent and elsewhere, who have relocated production to the Far East.