With no upcoming pottery shows on account of COVID-19, Shuswap artisan Bruce Nyeste has been pouring his creativity into helping those in need.
The owner of Sorrento’s Mud, Sweat and Tears Stoneware and Porcelain Pottery has created a collection of unique, colourful bowls that he will be delivering to DeMille’s Farm Market in Salmon Arm. There, people can purchase the bowls for a suggested $20 donation apiece, with 100 per cent of the proceeds going to the Salmon Arm food bank.
“They just came out of the kiln this morning; they look pretty bloody amazing actually,” said Nyeste in an April 22 interview.
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Nyeste explained how normally at this time of year, he’s preparing wares for his summer sales, pottery shows, etc., but with restrictions around the virus, all his usual retail outlets have dried up.
“So I thought, why don’t I just make some bowls for the food bank,” said Nyeste, who used the time to experiment and work with different glazes he hadn’t used before. “I did a whole lot of experimenting, a whole lot of playing, and it’s worked out really quite neat.”
Bruce and Laura Nyeste organize the popular, annual High Country Pottery Sale that usually takes place over the B.C. Day long weekend in August at the Sorrento Memorial Hall.