Fife pottery’s 100th anniversary donation is the cat’s whiskers!

The world acclaimed Wemyss Ware pottery has had a long-standing association with Kirkcaldy Galleries.

Displays of the beautiful, hand-painted work have featured regularly throughout its history and since production of the famous Wemyss Ware brand was re-started in Fife by Griselda Hill, who opened her studio in Ceres in 1985, it has been a regular feature in the museum exhibitions and gift shop.

As Kirkcaldy Galleries prepares to mark its 100^th anniversary this summer, Griselda Hill Pottery is celebrating its 40^th anniversary milestone – and it is being marked with a weekend of celebrations on 24 and 25 May.

In addition to a 40^th anniversary display on the fascinating history of the Wemyss Ware pottery, which is currently on display, there will be a pop-up shop and drop-in pottery demonstrations throughout the weekend.

And in honour of Kirkcaldy Galleries 100^th birthday, Griselda is making 100 unique, hand-painted Wemyss Ware cat brooches which will be sold in the museum’s gift shop to raise funds for its projects.

Griselda first fell in love with Wemyss Ware during childhood visits to her grandmother’s house in Fife where a decorated pig was proudly displayed in the hearth of her fireplace along with other pieces she had collected.

When Griselda moved to Ceres from Edinburgh, she was delighted to learn that Fife was the birthplace of the celebrated pottery and set about resurrecting it in her own pottery.

She met Andrea Kerr, Curator with Kirkcaldy Galleries at the time, to talk about the Wemyss Ware collection and was given permission to copy one of the cats on display. Her products were then sold in the shop at the museum and art gallery.

Griselda was put in touch with Esther Weeks who had worked as a decorator for Wemyss Ware pottery after its production moved to the Bovey Pottery in Devon in 1932.

And Esther continued to pass on her expertise to the Fife-based pottery over the years.

Griselda acquired the Wemyss Ware trademark in 1994.

To mark the 40^th anniversary of the opening of her Fife studio, she will be working with Kirkcaldy primary schools on a special competition.

All P4 and 5 pupils from the Langtoun schools have been invited to come up with a new design for the celebrated Wemyss Ware cat range. The lucky winner will see their design made for them to keep.

And Griselda is also creating a bespoke cat, decorated in a Nairn’s linoleum design from 1925, for the Friends of Kirkcaldy Galleries to auction off to raise more much-needed funds.

Kirke Kook, Collections Curator with OnFife, has worked hard to bring together the display cabinet depicting the history and artefacts of Wemyss Ware from the past 40 years.

Kirke said: “Griselda's first product range was modelled on the Galleries’ historic Wemyss Ware cat and sold in the museum shop. This close collaboration has continued over the years - from the creation of commemorative trays for the museum's refurbishment in 1996 to the latest donation of a hundred Wemyss Ware cat brooches.

“It is an honour to tell the Wemyss Ware story and to have fabulous pieces from its archive on display, including some old favourites as well as one-off pieces and limited-edition figures.”

Griselda, who recently popped in for a visit to see the finished display, added: “I am delighted to be working with Kirkcaldy Galleries again and continuing our long association.

“The Galleries has been a long-standing supporter of my work so it’s great that I can give something back to the local community.

“I would like to wish Kirkcaldy Galleries continued success for the next 100 years!”

Images:

Image 1: From left, Griselda Hill and Curators Jane Freel and Kirke Kook at the display of Wemyss Ware at Kirkcaldy Galleries.

Image 2: Griselda Hill with the special commemorative Wemyss Ware brooches she has created to mark the Kirkcaldy Galleries 100^th anniversary.

Image 3: The Wemyss Ware pig that sits atop the Friends of Kirkcaldy Galleries’ donations point in the venue.

On Fife Kirkcaldy Galleries Events