Artist Story
I became passionate about pottery as a teenager. I love that the medium combines multiple art forms (sculpting, paintings, carving, etc.)while also being functional. Pottery brings art and beauty into the everyday. I believe a beautiful handmade pot can improve the taste of the food or drink it is holding.
My work is inspired by the imperfect curves and bumps of the human body. I am committed to representing diverse body shapes and sizes. I am also inspired by forms found in nature, including the materials of ceramics, the earthiness of the clay, minerals in glazes and the fire of the kiln.
I believe that the process of making pots is equally as important as the final product; bringing an idea from a concept in my mind into the world to be shared and enjoyed by others. I am drawn to pottery for the mindful centering it requires of me and am passionate about creating spaces for people to come together around their creativity, to learn a new skill that they can master. The goal of my practice is to create these moments of creativity and mindfulness. Also, for the user to find glimmers of beauty in the everyday and for my community to have meaningful ways of engaging with one another.
Artist Bio
Meredith Wylie grew up in Toronto and has been living in Fort Smith since 2020. She has a diploma in Social Entrepreneurship from the International Youth Initiative Program in Sweden, an undergraduate degree from the University of Toronto majoring in Social Science and Visual Studies (Studio Arts), she also has a Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy from Queens University. Meredith was first introduced to pottery in an elementary school gardening class and quickly fell in love. She completed a twelfth grade project in ceramics, a pottery apprenticeship at The Pottery in Toronto and spent 3 years at the Kawartha Potters Guild in Peterborough. In 2021 she founded the Art Space in Fort Smith with a few artists from different disciplines. Meredith has experience working in many mediums including knitting, weaving, woodworking, sewing, basket making, metalwork, printmaking and painting. She is passionate about increasing access to ceramics and shared art spaces in Fort Smith.