Mission Accomplished!

Here are some photos of the finished works created by the other Canadian artists in Fuping. In the end, after all the struggles and successes, the ten Canadian artists managed to stage an impressive showing of works for the Canadian Museum, which is part of the Fule International Ceramic Art Museums (FLICAM) project in Fuping, China.

As a “living museum” project, the idea is for other Canadian ceramic artists to travel to Fuping in the future to participate in the residency and create additional works for the Canadian Museum. In this way, the artistic and cultural exchange between east and west remains active and the museum remains dynamic. Since we were the first group of artists from Canada to participate in the residency, having established the charter collection of Canadian works, the ten of us are now considered to be official “citizens” of FLICAM and are welcome to return to Fuping anytime we wish.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the FLICAM organizers and all the people in Fuping who made it possible for us to focus all of our time and attention on our work, and helped us bring it to fruition. This includes Dr I-Chi Hsu, Chairman Xu Dufeng, General Manager and Curator of FLICAM Fu Qiang, Brother Xu, all the assistants working at the factory, all the interpreters, and all the hotel and residency staff. We could not have done it without you! Hope to see you all again.

I would also like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our Canadian organizer Les Manning, ceramic artist and Director of the Medalta International Artists in Residence Program in Medicine Hat, Alberta, who did an excellent job of putting the Canadian contingent together and spent countless hours looking after all the details required to organize our participation in the residency in China. Les was unflagging in his encouragement and support throughout the whole process. The FLICAM organizers said “the Canadians set the example.” I would like to thank all the other Canadian artists and international artists, whose professionalism, expertise, hard work, and overall good nature and humour helped to make it a very special experience.

I am sincerely grateful for the support I received from the Canada Council for the Arts in the form of a travel grant, which made my participation in this important cultural and artistic exchange possible.

With sincere thanks to all,
Grace

Sally Michener, Vancouver, B.C. – works being assembled in the studio (photo by G. Nickel); works installed in the Canadian Museum (photo by A. Mortimer)

Susan Collett, Toronto, Ontario – finished work photographed in the tile yard (photos by S. Collett)

Jim Thomson, Ottawa, Ontario – work installed in Canadian Museum; installation view of works in the Canadian Museum (photos by J. Thomson)

Katrina Chaytor, Calgary, Alberta – work in Canadian Museum with her poster in the background; work installed in the Canadian Museum (photos by S. Collett)

Ann Roberts, Waterloo, Ontario – with her works in the Canadian Museum; work installed in Canadian Museum (photos courtesy of FLICAM)

Ann Mortimer, Newmarket, Ontario – works being transported to the Canadian Museum (photo by S. Collett); work installed in Canadian Museum (photo courtesy of FLICAM)