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canada's national living treasures

updated mon 12 nov 01

 

clennell on sun 11 nov 01


Tom: Canada does have a register of National Living Treasures -it's called
the Saidye Bronfman Award. It is the highest honour bestowed upon a
craftsperson annually. sometimes a jeweller, sometimes furniture, fabric and
yes the clay folks have won it several times- Robin Hopper,Harlan House,
Walter Dexter, Steve Heinneman, Wayne Ngan and an excellent clay sculpture
woman I will be teaching with this year at Sheridan- Susan Low Beer. Unlike
Japan it doesn't ensure you of millionaire status, it is a mere $20,000
Canadian, but it is our highest honour and carries alot of status in the
crafts community.
there are many great potters out there that will never receive this award
for many reasons. It's called "the Pissing contest" and the maker of cups,
plates and the like is at a disadvantage.
The Pissing contest
four Grade 6 boys walk into the boys washroom to take a pee. As they line
up at the urinals one boy says mine is the biggest, the other boy says mine
is the widest, the other boy says mine has more hair around it and the last
boy says I can pee the farthest. They back up in military fashion and begin
peeing to see who can pee the farthest.
the pissing contest is going on in every high brow gallery in this country.
Who can make the biggest, who the widest, the most shocking- what place has
the cup maker in the pissing contest.
John Baymore has the right answer again _Depends- except these ones you
wear. You might as well go piss yourself.
To the maker of pots everywhere here's your reward- you get to do again
tomorrow and that's not such a bad thing.
cheers,
Tony