Nelson has a rich history in ceramics, although that legacy has often remained quietly embedded in studios, community workshops and the homes of collectors rather than widely celebrated in the public eye.

From the post-war studio pottery movement onwards, Nelson attracted some of New Zealand's most influential potters, drawn by the region's natural beauty, strong arts culture, and access to local clay and materials. The work produced here helped shape the identity of New Zealand ceramics, balancing functional pottery traditions with increasingly experimental and sculptural practices.

Over the decades, generations of makers have built a rich culture of clay in the region — sharing kilns, techniques, knowledge, and mentorship through studios, schools, and community networks. Names such as Royce McGlashen, Harry Davis, Jack and Peggy Laird, and Barry Brickell remain deeply connected to the wider story of ceramics in Aotearoa, and their influence continues to be felt in contemporary practice today.

Nelson Clay Week is part of a renewed effort to reassert Nelson as a centre for pottery, by establishing an essential hub that radiates its influence throughout the motu by embracing and sharing the creative knowledge, expertise and passion that will nourish and inspire current and future generations.

Nelson Clay Week attracts hundreds of potters and ceramicists to Nelson for a series of exhibitions, workshops and events, to exchange techniques and ideas, and to show their work. Alongside select invited international artists, Nelson Clay Week brings some of this country's best potters together, to teach and to take part in the workshops.

While many of the workshops are aimed at mid-level and experienced potters, Nelson Clay Week is also committed to engaging with the wider community through events, market days, and the incredibly popular Potter Square with its demonstrations and hands-on activities.

There are also dozens of exhibitions and showcases, with the highlight being the Forsyth Barr Pushing Clay Exhibition and Award, displaying a cross-section of work that demonstrates the more dynamic and experimental aspects of ceramic practice.

• Connection and community – bringing together potters, artists, learners, collectors and the wider public to share knowledge, stories and experiences through clay.

• Celebration of heritage – honouring Nelson's rich ceramic history and the generations of makers who have shaped pottery in Aotearoa.

• Creativity and innovation – encouraging experimentation, contemporary practice and the exchange of new ideas and techniques.

• Learning and mentorship – creating opportunities for education and skill-sharing, from emerging artists through to established practitioners.

• Accessibility and inclusion – making ceramics approachable and engaging for everyone, whether they are professional potters, hobbyists, students, or first-time participants.

• Sustainability and making by hand – valuing slow craft, local materials, handmade processes, and thoughtful, enduring objects in contrast to mass production.

• Cultural exchange and collaboration – fostering dialogue between artists from across Aotearoa and internationally, strengthening connections within the wider clay community.Supporting the arts ecosystem – contributing to Nelson's creative identity, supporting local businesses and practitioners, and helping ensure ceramics continues to thrive as both an artform and an industry.

Long-time friends and fellow potters, Thom Baker and Jamie Smith are passionate about ceramics. 2026 marks their third year as co-directors of Nelson Clay Week. As a commitment to reinvigorating Nelson's creative scene, Thom and Jamie opened Kiln Studio as a centre for courses and workshops, as well as membership and residency access.

Thom Baker's work is influenced by natural ecologies, balance, movement, and the unpredictability of clay and wood-firing. After studying under master potter Seppo Iida and his son Michihisa at Hokutoh Studio in Kanazawa, Thom remains influenced by Japanese and Korean ceramic traditions and styles, playing in the space between traditional studio pottery and experimental sculptures. Prioritising traditional craft practices, Thom focuses on local clays and materials, high firing his work using an Anagama kiln.

Jamie Smith was introduced to clay by his ceramicist mother before finding his own path to a disciplined practice of throwing, glazing, and firing. His functional stoneware balances form, texture, and everyday use, with each piece carrying subtle variations that reflect the rhythm of handwork and the individuality of its user. Beyond the studio, Jamie is dedicated to nurturing community, fostering education, connection, and the celebration of handmade ceramics across Aotearoa.

Arts Council Nelson (ACN) is a long-time champion of artists and innovators across the Te Tauihu Top of the South. ACN has a mission to promote, initiate and support projects and activities that stimulate and strengthen the artistic and cultural life of our local communities.

Highlights of ACN's calendar are Clay Week and Nelson Jewellery Week as complementary biennial events, along with the annual Changing Threads textile exhibition and award, and in 2026, the inaugural Make It Nelson series of workshops in June.

Arts Council Nelson is based at Refinery ArtSpace, which has a diverse year-round programme of engaging community-driven and contemporary exhibitions, projects and events that stimulate and strengthen the artistic and cultural life of Whakatū.