BARRY ACE MENTORS WITH ANISHINAABE MASTER POTTER DAVID MIGWANS IN M’CHIGEENG

To view photo images scroll right on laptop or down on Iphone

In preparation for his upcoming solo exhibition in 2020 at the Ojibwe Cultural Foundation, Ace is mentoring in his home community of M’Chigeeng First Nation with master Anishinaabe potter David Migwans. David learned to hand-make pottery without a wheel and further developed and refined his pottery techniques working along side his late cousin and artist Carl Beam. Reigniting his interest in pottery years after his ceramic studies at the Kooteney School of Art, Beam focused on southwest pueblo pottery, in particular Santa Clara pottery and Anasazi mimbres bowls, while living in Santa Fe, New Mexico with his wife and artist Ann Beam. Upon their return to M’Chigeeng in the early 1980s, Carl and Ann along with David developed a prolific body of painted pottery works. Working exclusively with locally sourced clay from Manitoulin and surrounding area, they experimented with different firing techniques and additives such as sand, minerals and other materials to give the clay strength, texture, colour, refractive qualities and to abate shrinkage. Decoration of the pottery included mineral and slip based natural paints and hematite polished surfaces in lieu of commercial paints and glazes.

More info on the project and gallery of images here.