A SPECIAL exhibition which opens next weekend at Court Barn Museum in Chipping Campden celebrates the centenary of the pioneering studio pottery at Winchcombe.
Mastering the Craft: Winchcombe Pottery at 100, explores Britain’s only craft pottery with an unbroken 100‑year history established in 1926 by Michael Cardew after a visit to the area.
Cardew, who was the assistant of studio potter Bernard Leach, known as the ‘father of British studio pottery’ had come to the area with his employer to participate in an Easter weekend of rural activities.
Stoneware from 1988. s
He expressed a desire to set up his own pottery and was taken to see the former Becketts Pottery on the outskirts of Winchcombe.
This traditional country pottery serving the local community had closed in 1914 – taking it on provided Cardew with an opportunity to develop his own ideas.
The pottery was run first by Cardew, then from 1939 by Ray Finch and, in more recent years, by Ray’s sons Mike and Joe.
The exhibition will show an important private collection of Winchcombe Pottery including pieces not normally available and some which have never been exhibited publicly.
It will cover the pottery’s development looking at Michael Cardew’s pioneering work, and its continuation under the thoughtful leadership of master potter Ray Finch with his belief in the power of the team.
Sarah McCormick Healy curator at Court Barn said: “This exhibition promises to be a wonderful opportunity for visitors to the north Cotswolds to explore the remarkable work produced by Winchcombe Pottery throughout its 100-year history.
“By working in partnership with other venues in the area, we can showcase a range of stories from potters past and present.
“I am particularly looking forward to the symposium which promises to deepen our understanding of the pottery’s cultural significance and spark new conversations about its future.
“The exhibition and symposium aim to honour the legacy of Winchcombe Pottery while inspiring a new generation of ceramic artists and enthusiasts.”
Themes such as Winchcombe’s role as a training ground for young potters, will be explored and the way its pots reflected changes in society, alongside its impact on studio pottery in Britain and the wider world.
The exhibition at Court Barn will be the centrepiece of connected shows in the area at the Winchcombe Museum, the Edgeler Collection, Winchcombe, the Gordon Russell Design Museum, Broadway, Nature in Art, Twigworth and events at Winchcombe Pottery itself.
The exhibition which runs from 27 June to 20 September has received grants from The Summerfield Trust, The Dent-Brocklehurst Family Charitable Trust and support from Kinghams Auctioneers & Valuers.
There will also be a pottery symposium on July 4.
See: courtbarn.org.uk/whats-on/ for more information.
