Hawke's Bay Today reporter Mitchell Hageman tries his hand at Pottery as a local club celebrates 70 years of ceramics and smiles.
Video / Mitchell Hageman
When some people think about pottery class, their minds immediately jump to Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore’s romantic escapades behind the clay wheel in the 1990 hit Ghost.
Instead of Unchained Melody and tears, Hawke’s Bay Today witnessed Elvis hits and smiles when it visited Napier Pottery Club Inc. in Marewa.
This year the club celebrated its 70th birthday, and Mitchell Hageman asked why people stayed so long and even had the chance to see what all the fuss was about.
“I’ve always dreamed of making my finest pot and falling in it,” Hawke’s Bay clay artist Penny Madden says.
You can tell this is someone who lives and breathes pottery, understandably so after committing more than 50 years of her life to it.
“In those days, you could not get into a pottery club, you had to go on a waiting list until either someone either died or didn’t want to pot any more.
“I’ve been president twice and secretary, but I’m well over that now.”
Penny Madden has been part of the Napier Pottery Club for more than 50 years of its 70-year existence. Photo / Mitchell Hageman
Plenty has changed in 70 years, with one of the biggest things being the glazing and the associated costs and techniques.
“Like everything, it moves on, and people find new and interesting ways of doing things,” Madden says.
One thing that hasn’t changed, however, is the positive impact it has on the small community.
The club offers two club days on Tuesday morning and Thursday night, and Madden says she has seen a “resurgence” in younger people wanting to get into the craft.
About 20 people were working on various projects at Tuesday’s club day, from wheelwork to pounding and painting. Every one of them had a smile on their face.
“We’ve been in the same premises for close to 70 years. You look at the faces of the people around here, and they get into the clay and just lose themselves,” Madden says.
For Madden, a “real excitement” is seeing people take it up for the first time and enjoy themselves while also witnessing the positive mental health impacts.
“People just sit, relax, and enjoy what they are doing, forgetting what’s going on at home and everything else that’s going on.”
It's been 70 years of smiles and ceramic smudges for the Napier Pottery Club. Photo / Mitchell Hageman
As a private pottery teacher herself, she works closely with people involved in mental health and continues to evaluate the effectiveness of classes.
“I think the biggest mistake was the Government stopping night school classes, for mental health,” she says.
The club days are also a great opportunity for retirees, like secretary Mike Rose, to learn a new skill later in life.
A member for three years, he has spent a lifetime in the technical ceramics industry but wants to switch from being a technologist to a craft potter in his retirement.
“I was a technical support person for the creative people, but I wasn’t creating anything myself. Since I retired and moved to Hawke’s Bay, I’ve been able to get into all these projects I’ve been wanting to do for years.”
Echoing the club president’s words, Rose says the club has a warm and welcoming environment and that he loves its social and creative elements.
“I think we’ll be passing it on to the next generation,” he says.
Speaking as a member of the next generation, this reporter can say he might very well be hooked. A small try on the wheel to make a cup felt almost as if I was doing a mental tango with the clay.
“I know other clubs aren’t taking new members, but we are,” Madden says.
“We’re also doing beginners courses, so we’re encouraging everyone to come down and have a go.”
Hawke's Bay Today reporter Mitchell Hageman tries out the wheel. Photo / Mitchell Hageman
Mitchell Hageman joined Hawke’s Bay Today in January 2023. From his Napier base, he writes regularly on social issues, arts and culture, and the community. He has a particular love for stories about ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
