40 years of clay and community

FMPG receives the Arts Council Wood Buffalo Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing 40+ years of arts leadership. Today, we're home to 50–55 members, 3 electric kilns, a gas kiln, 18 wheels, 2 slab rollers, and 2 extruders. We host 6–8 classes per year, workshops, team-building sessions, and two public sales, all powered by volunteer members.

The studio temporarily closes during COVID, then reopens with capacity limits. Members stay connected through online registration and creative workarounds until classes and sales return to normal.

The Thickwood Arena undergoes major renovations. FMPG members work closely with the RMWB and NAAA to redesign the studio, and the RMWB gifts the guild a new gas kiln. FMPG reopens in 2014 with ~40 members, and launches our Empty Bowls partnership with the Wood Buffalo Food Bank in 2015. To date, we have donated over 3,000 bowls to the cause.

Through grants and fundraising, Bob Blackmore builds the guild's first gas kiln. Membership steadily grows as we host regular classes for adults, teens, and kids, plus 2–3 public sales each year.

Local pottery enthusiasts petition RMWB for a dedicated studio. On April 5, 1983, the Fort McMurray Potters' Guild is formally incorporated as a non-profit society—starting with 10 members, 2 electric kilns, and 16 wheels.