By Arts Burlington
Arts Burlington is looking forward to its big spring show and sale at the Art Gallery of Burlington (AGB), taking place on May 25 and 26, 2024.
Arts Burlington is a committee representing the Burlington Fine Arts Association, the Burlington Handweavers and Spinners Guild, the Burlington Potters’ Guild, the Burlington Rug Hooking Guild, the Burlington Guild of Sculptors and Carvers, and the Latow Photographers Guild, all of which have studio space at the AGB.
Artists from each of AGB’s guilds and associations will be represented at the sale, which will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both days. You’ll find ceramics, photographs, wood craft, paintings, and much more.
Ahead of the sale, get to know some of the talented artists who are members of Burlington’s art community via Arts Burlington’s “Meet the Artist” video interview series.
This week’s featured artist is Monika Schaefer.
An avid gardener, Monika had long admired large ceramic birdbaths she had seen on various studio tours and mused, as one often does, “I could make that!”. In 1998, she finally decided she WOULD make that and took up pottery. She took several courses at the Art Gallery of Burlington and eventually did make that birdbath. After factoring in classes, materials and tools, it cost many times more than ones that she had seen, but by then she was completely hooked on pottery, so it was a good investment.
Monika makes a wide range of whimsical and colourful items for the garden — tree bling (jewellery for trees), dragon tails, totems, birdbaths, bird feeders, bird houses, mushrooms, flowers, critters like frogs, toads, ladybugs, birds and flying fish, etc. She also makes a variety of unique vases, from ikebana-style vases and jar frogs to her signature flower pillows, allowing people to bring the best parts of their gardens indoors to enjoy.
Recently, she has started creating ceramic items for knitters, crochet and sewing enthusiasts, including yarn bowls, stitch markers, buttons, shawl rings and various pins with sheep, alpaca, goats, and other critters.
In 2011, Monika started felting after a felting workshop with Sue Firkser and falling in love with the feel of the wools and silks she uses in her fibre art. Wet and needle-felted works have become another form of expression for Monika to explore and she enjoys the immediacy of the art form compared with pottery.
Monika has given pottery and felting workshops and private lessons in her studio in Carlisle and also conducts workshops for various guilds, schools and organizations. She enjoys sharing her ideas and techniques with others. Monika’s work can be found in private collections worldwide. She sells her work from her studio, as well as at the Art Gallery of Burlington’s spring and fall sales, at the Potters’ Guild of Hamilton and regional spring and fall sales in Dundas. In June each year, Monika has a show and sale in her own garden as well, where people can see her art in its “natural setting.”
IG: https://www.instagram.com/monikapotteryfibre
FB: https://www.facebook.com/monikaschaeferartstudio
Website: https://www.monikaschaefer.com
