Many of life's best things involve the word glazed: doughnuts, expressions of bliss, and the pottery for sale at the Spring Arts Bazaar.
The big spring party at Studio 2880 (2880 15th Ave.) is always awash in weaving and wood and songs. There are painters and sculptors and musicians causing happy havoc all over the headquarters of the Community Arts Council (CAC). But there is a dominant medium - an art form that dominates the day. There is so much pottery it'll make your head spin.
Into much of that pottery goes chili. The Prince George Potters Guild members turn out 450 bowls each year especially for the event. These bowls are your ticket to sample and vote on the chili champions vying for the public's favour.
"It's the potters guild's biggest fundraiser, and I think it's successful because of all the different groups that participate," said guild member Leanna Carlson, also a member of the CAC executive.
It was the potters guild that started the event back in 1975. It used to be held on Mother's Day but after about 30 years the dates slid deeper into the season to avoid conflicts with any lingering winter weather and the 24-hour Relay For Life. The guild also asked for the organizational help of the CAC, to make it even bigger.
"It is really collaborative with the CAC, a good fit, and they have the resources to bring in the other groups," Carlson said. "I think many kitchen cupboards have a lot of those bowls. It has become a family tradition for a lot of people to go down and enjoy that day, because of all the music and singing and artists. As far as the guild members are concerned, we potters spend all year organizing for this. It's a big deal for us - something we look forward to."
The participating potters are supposed to work all year for it, said longtime guild member Joanne Mikkelsen, but she admitted there is always a flurry of activity to finish up all the bowls needed for all that chili.
This year there was the added pressure of the 100th anniversary mugs. Fourteen potters were involved in the bowls and seven of them also volunteered to create the mugs.
"We hope people will consider them collectibles," said Mikkelsen of the clay mugs, no two the same. "They are so personal - any handmade mug is. That's why there is such a variety of choices. Some people like a handle made a certain way, or they like the bottom to sit the mug a certain way. It can be even more special if you know the potter who made it."
The process of making the mugs was multi-layered. First, the potter throws the wet clay on the potter's wheel and makes the basic shape. Then it is left to dry, and the bottom trimmed. Next, the handle is shaped and attached. Again, it has to dry for a period of time. That's when the mug is given its first firing in the kiln - eight to 10 hours at 1,888 degrees. Once that is done, a glaze is painted on. It is put back in the kiln for another six to nine hours. Following that firing, the bottom is sanded, the 100th anniversary decal is peeled on, and it is fired for a third time (this time at 1,400 degrees for a shorter duration).
"It's a lot of work, sure, but that's what we love to do. Making mugs - making anything out of clay - is a lot of fun. It really lets us be creative and make something with our bare hands," Mikkelsen said.
The guild is frequently approached by companies, agencies, even individuals, to make commemorative mugs or bowls or other items for their office reward system or VIP gifts or anniversary mementos. It is one of the ways the guild makes operational money to buy supplies, instruction, pay their rent at Studio 2880, and other activities.
"I'm addicted to pottery, I swear, and it all has to be different, so no matching stuff," said Community Arts Council projects co-ordinator Lisa Redpath. "I hand-wash all my dishes and I even love doing the dishes when all the pottery is there being its beautiful self."
One of the biggest money makers of the year for the Prince George Potters Guild is the chili cook-off event, and not just because of the chili bowls. Guild members also provide tables full of their year-long work that didn't quite measure up to their expectations. The term for such items is "seconds" as opposed to first-choice pottery the potter would sell for premium prices in their home studio or at a major event like Studio Fair in fall.
"We are often designing, trying something out, playing with a new idea," said Carlson. "And if it's the start of the idea, the experiment leads on to other things, but those first one-off pieces are not what you wanted. The potter often has a vision in their mind of how they wanted it to turn out, and when you open the kiln and it is not what you wanted, the potter will often consider that a second. Every piece is an adventure, when you heat something up to 2,000 degrees. So you can get a great deal on pottery by checking out the seconds table, but those pieces are not really flawed."
The price to buy a chili bowl is about $20, and a little more for a commemorative 100th anniversary Prince George mug. The mug gets you free coffee, and the bowl gets you free chili you can vote on.
Nine teams are vying for this year's chili supremacy. Five-time and reigning champions MLAs Shirley Bond and Mike Morris are putting their winning recipe on the line against contenders like the Community Radio Society.
"It has been confirmed that our legendary Crossroads Chili will be make an appearance at Saturday's annual Spring Arts Bazaar and Chili Cook-Off," said station manager Reg Feyer. "I encourage all volunteers to attend, help out if needed, and, of course, vote for our soon-to-be championship batch."
Redpath said, "It's a kickoff to the spring season, and 40 years, wow, that is a lot. It has meant a tremendous amount of community support to bring any event to the point of 40 years. We are so happy to have the bazaar enlivening our community each year."
The forecast is for great weather. The event opens at 10 a.m. (the chili contest starts at 11 a.m.) and runs until 3 p.m. It is free to attend, but there are many purchase opportunities available so a cash supply is encouraged.
