Elke Blodgett | Fire In Her Hands

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Elke Blodgett, “Moon Rocks,” 1992-1993

raku (courtesy of the Artist)

Reception: July 18 from 6-8 pm

The Art Gallery of St. Albert (part of the Arts and Heritage Foundation) is launching its newest exhibition in the beautiful main gallery space. Fire in Her Hands is the first retrospective of Elke Blodgett’s visionary ceramics and was imagined, planned and curated in collaboration with the Blodgett family.

Born in Europe, but living in St. Albert for most of her life, Blodgett left a permanent mark in the community. Honing in on her raku creations, the exhibition shares the story of the works that gave form to dreams. Elke unapologetically forged her own path as a potter for more than 40 years before passing in 2018. Experimentation, discovery and passion drove her practice. Her vessels were a conversation of contrasts – a delicate balance between stability and precarity. Soft yet solid, her works took what was familiar and pushed it towards the mystical.

“In the minds of those who continue to hold her memory close, Elke was an artist, kiln builder, mother, teacher, community organiser, friend, passionate environmentalist and a force of nature,” says Art Gallery of St. Albert Curator, Emily Baker. “We are delighted to share her story.”

By all accounts, she was someone who needed to work with her hands. Elke would sculpt her works by adding small strips of clay one at a time, a process that could be traced in her creations long after she finished. She poured her entire self into her work, breathing life into each vessel before surrendering it to the kiln.

“Being a potter is a constant journey of discovery and chance happenings. My hands discover and make visible the inside of me. They take what I do not know and give it form,” Elke Blodgett once said.

• In-person tour: July 11 from 6:30-7:30 pm & July 25 at noon

• Virtual tour: July 31 at noon on Facebook Live