A popular pottery workshop in Knaresborough is moving to a larger studio in what is fast becoming the town’s thriving art hub.
Northernline Arts is relocating from its current home on platform 2 at Knaresborough railway station to new premises on Kirkgate.
Run by former pottery teacher Maria Dawbarn, Northernline Arts is a workshop space that gives people the opportunity to take part in a diverse range of creative clay and potters wheel sessions.
Since opening its doors almost exactly three years ago, the business has grown steadily, attracting increasing numbers of people either trying pottery as a one-off experience, or taking it up as a regular hobby.
Owner Maria set up the workshop after first training in ceramic at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design at Dundee University and then spending 23 years teaching at Henshaw Arts and Crafts Centre before moving into a management role.
She said:
“I first tried pottery at school and have been hooked ever since, I still get real joy working with clay every day.
“My career saw me moving from teaching into a management role, after more than a decade doing that, I was missing being hands on so I decided the time was right to embark on a new adventure and set up my own studio.
“I’m sure the popularity of the Pottery Throwdown on TV has had a positive impact, but it’s been great to see so many people coming along to try the potter’s wheel sessions. We also have a thriving community of regulars.
“I’m delighted I can work with people every day to share my passion for ceramics and continue to make my own wheel-thrown work.”
Maria hopes the new studio, which is due to open on Tuesday, April 2, will become an exciting art hub for Knaresborough.
As well as giving her and other potters a chance to display and sell their work, she also plans to expand the range of classes available and hold demonstrations of other crafts.
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Harrogate’s visually impaired showcase their sculpture
Visually impaired people from a Harrogate charity are showcasing their art alongside professional sculptors at an exhibition in Leeds.
Nine members of Vision Support Harrogate District’s ceramics class will join other sculptors displaying their work at the Sculpture Show North this month.
The show, at the Corn Exchange in Leeds from October 22 to 31, includes work by 16 local, national and international sculptors.
Members of Vision Support Harrogate District have created sculptures of animals, teddy bears’ picnics and heads.
Their tutor, sculptor Kay Latto, is also exhibiting at the show. She said:
“The class is really excited to be able to show their work to a wider audience, and we are very grateful to Sculpture Show North for giving us this opportunity.”
Vision Support Harrogate District president Pauline Nolan (left) holds her sculpture alongside Kay Latto.
Besides ceramics classes, Vision Support Harrogate District members are offered a variety of other arts and crafts classes as well as IT.
The charity works with over 300 visually impaired people regularly and is a point of contact for 400 more.
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The charity’s director, Tanya Stimpson said:
“Art can make a real difference to people experiencing sight loss, giving them a creative outlet and helping them to understand their capabilities and build their confidence for independent living.
“As a charity that depends on the support of our volunteers and trustees, we can’t thank Kay enough for her commitment to providing such enjoyable and valuable art classes for our members alongside her own work as a sculptor.”
The wonderful, whimsical and colourful worlds of butterflies and bees have inspired the rise of this hidden gem of a ceramic artist in Pateley Bridge.
Fiona Mazza Ceramics is based in the King Street Workshops. It was once a base for bin lorries and rat catchers, but is now a crafts hub where people work on and sell their creations.
She has perfected her craft over the past two decades, starting in the garage of her home in Harrogate but working at a dedicated workshop for the past six years.
It takes a lot of different skills and plenty of time, something people do not always appreciate when they are more used to the quick and cheap products from a factory line.
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“I think people are quite detached from the process as well. TV shows can open people’s eyes a little bit but then they see them rushing things through.
“The turnaround for me is around four weeks from start to finish. If you drive clay too quickly things can start to crack and warp.
“I like to work intimately with each piece. There are all sorts of people who do enjoy what I do though. It’s always nice to meet the people buying your work.”
Customers who find the workshop, which is not far from the high street, will likely find Fiona sitting at her wheel moulding out a lump of clay.
Most of her work has at least a subtle nod to her love of nature, normally butterflies and bees.
“I am not an expert but I do love butterflies. I enjoy the colour so that sparked that interest. My grandfather was a big beekeeper as well, with more than a hundred hives.
“A few years ago now I tried to keep some bees as well but it is quite a lot of hard work so I have stepped back from that.
“The bees and butterflies are fascinating creatures so I just want to capture their beauty.”
This is part of the Stray Ferret’s ‘hidden gem’ series, highlighting small, independent businesses. They need to be tucked away but growing in popularity with an eye-catching and unique product or approach. Send us an email with your nominations.
Gallery aims to ‘put Harrogate on the map’ for artA contemporary art gallery has relocated from Kirbymoorside to Harrogate.
Bils & Rye on John Street specialise in 3D works such as sculptures and ceramics, as well as abstract paintings. The owner said there’s room in the market and he hopes the move will add to Harrogate’s rich culture scene.
The owner, Nick Bentley, decided to move his gallery to Harrogate as a result of taking part in an arts festival in 2015. He told the Stray Ferret that Harrogate has great competition for art galleries and he would much rather position himself among his idols in the business.
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He said:
“Harrogate has always been a top destination and the strength of the competition here is brilliant. I think there’s room in the market. We have a very different offering to other galleries, yet I think we can work quite well together and put Harrogate on the map as an art destination.
The gallery will be selling sculptures by Simon Gudgen, as well as internationally acclaimed contemporary British painter Dion Salvador Lloyd.
Despite opening up during a pandemic, Nick told the Stray Ferret that covid has given him more opportunities. He said:
“For me, corona was like a gift of time – it really gave me time to think and realise that this is what I want to do. Because I am relocating the business it gave me chance to say ‘lets do it, but let’s do it right’.”
The gallery will open its doors for the first time in Harrogate this weekend and visitors are advised to pre book an appointment.