Medalta’s Artists in Residence invites pottery and ceramic artists from around the world to live in the historic IXL Industries, which is said to be Alberta’s oldest industrial site, and create inside Medalta in the Historic Clay District, which is a National Historic Site.
In the early 1900s, Medicine Hat’s Historic Clay District distributed one-third of all clay in Canada. It withstood many misfortunes during its rebirth, including two fires and a flood, but there was always a group of passionate people to pick up and rebuild the broken pieces.
Since the Artists in Residence started, over 500 students have called the space home for up to one month to one year.
The established and up and coming artists learn, create, and teach inside Medalta, while having access to personal studio space, an array of kilns (gas, salt, soda, wood, raku), and materials, as well as the inspiration of the coulee-scape, desert-like land (in the summer), waterways, and wildlife.
Read more about Medalta's Artists in Residence here
Francophone and Indigenous Ceramic Artist Experiences Artists in Residence Program at Medalta
Throwing, sculpting, glazing, creating a timeless piece that can be used functionally or sit as decor is why Solange Roy continued ceramic art eight years ago.
And she now finds herself living in a century-old historic clay district in Medicine Hat, creating ceramic art inside the National Historic Site, Medalta Potteries.
“What Medalta does well is take inspiration from the past while moving to the future. We are on historic ground, and Medalta has been a tool for contemporary ceramic artists to make themselves known and grow their artistry,” says Solange.
The francophone, Indigenous ceramic artist from Winnipeg, Manitoba will focus for five months on her solo exhibition project, “Rester sur sa Faim," a French saying that means to be dissatisfied or disappointed in what you expected or hoped for. Solange’s exhibition will run from March 20th until May 22nd, 2025 in Winnipeg, Manitoba at the Centre Culturel Franco-Manitobain.
Solange was ready to fully invest herself in her work, to stand proud while welcoming guests on her exhibition’s opening day, knowing she did everything she could to make it happen during her residency at Medalta.
“Having my own studio space and kilns at my disposal, I can work at the scale I want to.
It’s been nice to be able to let the reins free and have the space, time, resources, and community support,” says the artist.
Solange is living and creating alongside other national and international ceramic artists. The Artist in Residence Program at Medalta in the Historic Clay District invites artists to create from one month to one year.
Artists have access to a number of kilns and a variety of materials and supplies to help their vision become real. Solange says it’s this and the other artists and program coordinators that make the program so special.
“I feel like Medalta provides a really good foundation taken from history, because there are a lot of important people that have made this place what it is. We certainly wouldn’t be here at Medalta the way it is now without the past. It’s built as a welcoming space for emerging and upcoming ceramic artists to make their body of work here, while learning the rich history,” she says.
On top of growing as an artist, Solange is experiencing a new community, a new city to explore when she’s needing an inspirational break. From nearby nature, to roaming wildlife, Medicine Hat has been a comfortable home for her.
There are museum tours to learn names and see faces of those who also produced pottery at Medalta in the 1900s. A peek into Hycroft Potteries for even more insight into Medicine Hat’s early clay industry.
Medalta is one of few still standing, but the district was home to a handful of pottery factories. It produced ⅓ of all clay being distributed in Canada in the early 1900s.
“There is so much history to learn which you can certainly take a lot of inspiration from, and respect and appreciate how far things have come in the ceramic world. It’s special to be working where so many people worked and made their mark.”
The eight-year artist is excited to officially open her first solo exhibition to show what she can do. Her style is colourful, vibrant, and sculptural focused, with intention to make art that is relatable to people.
It wasn’t until high school that Solange found her niche with pottery. Her late high school teacher Roberta Decock inspired Solange to continue the journey throughout the classes, and Solange fell in love more and more with the three-dimensional aspect of the craft.
“There’s a timelessness about ceramics. Once it’s fired, it’s here forever.”
