April Pearson
Biography
April Pearson emigrated from England to New Zealand in 1955. While training as a primary school teacher at Wellington Teachers College she had her first foray into pottery with well-known ceramicist Doreen Blumhardt.
Making her home in Whanganui in the late 1960s she, like so many at that time, attended pottery classes with Agnes Smith and also worked to establish the Wanganui Potters Society in 1975. Pearson joined the staff at Wanganui Regional Community Polytechnic in 1986 as a part-time casual tutor working with George Kojis, Head Tutor of the ceramics department. As well as teaching community classes, Pearson taught at rest homes and schools – including Wanganui Collegiate for 12 years. Pearson was then appointed to the permanent staff of the Wanganui Regional Community Polytechnic as a part-time tutor in the Ceramics Design and Production course. After the ceramics department closed she continued teaching community classes under the auspices of the Community Education Service and has also conducted beginners’ classes in the Wanganui Potters Society clubrooms until 2020.
Pearson’s teaching career has spanned a remarkable 40 years and during that time she has inspired hundreds of people to discover the magic of clay. While Pearson started her ceramic practice making domestic ware she became well-known for her hand-built forms using a sgraffito technique on terra sigillata, as seen in this exhibition. Pearson’s love of clay has not waned and she is currently hand-building using textured clay bodies, stains and surface decoration that does not involve glazing.
- Exhibition label text 'Lighting the Fire: Whanganui Potters from the Sarjeant collection' shown at the iSite Gallery, Sarjeant on the Quay, 4 July 2020 - 22 November 2020
Making her home in Whanganui in the late 1960s she, like so many at that time, attended pottery classes with Agnes Smith and also worked to establish the Wanganui Potters Society in 1975. Pearson joined the staff at Wanganui Regional Community Polytechnic in 1986 as a part-time casual tutor working with George Kojis, Head Tutor of the ceramics department. As well as teaching community classes, Pearson taught at rest homes and schools – including Wanganui Collegiate for 12 years. Pearson was then appointed to the permanent staff of the Wanganui Regional Community Polytechnic as a part-time tutor in the Ceramics Design and Production course. After the ceramics department closed she continued teaching community classes under the auspices of the Community Education Service and has also conducted beginners’ classes in the Wanganui Potters Society clubrooms until 2020.
Pearson’s teaching career has spanned a remarkable 40 years and during that time she has inspired hundreds of people to discover the magic of clay. While Pearson started her ceramic practice making domestic ware she became well-known for her hand-built forms using a sgraffito technique on terra sigillata, as seen in this exhibition. Pearson’s love of clay has not waned and she is currently hand-building using textured clay bodies, stains and surface decoration that does not involve glazing.
- Exhibition label text 'Lighting the Fire: Whanganui Potters from the Sarjeant collection' shown at the iSite Gallery, Sarjeant on the Quay, 4 July 2020 - 22 November 2020
b.1944, d.2020
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