Contestants Announced for 'The Great Canadian Pottery Throw Down'

CBC today revealed the 10 amateur potters from across the country who will compete in the debut season of Frantic Film’s THE GREAT CANADIAN POTTERY THROW DOWN, premiering Thursday, February 8 at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT) on CBC TV and available to stream that morning from 9 a.m. ET onwards on CBC Gem. Over the course of eight episodes, this group of talented potters will step up to the pottery wheel in a state-of-the-art studio on Vancouver’s Granville Island and take on creative challenges that will test the contestants’ skill and technique, with one ceramicist eliminated by the judges each week.

The 10 potters who will be competing to create beautiful pieces inspired by their personal lives and showcase their skill and passion for clay are:

Elsa Valinas , 43 (Fredericton, NB) - Elsa has been potting for more than three years. She used to be the manager of a medium-production pottery studio, but is now self-employed, using her apartment as her workspace to create her art. She hopes to eventually set up her own studio and sell her pieces, as well as give back by facilitating workshops and teaching others about the craft.

Jen Sonnenberg , 39 (Stonewall, MB) - Jen is a substitute teacher and hockey coach. She has 15 years of experience as a potter, taking her first pottery class at the University of Manitoba. She aims to create a sustainable pottery practice one day, as well as teach pottery classes and sell her pieces.

Renu Mathew , 49 (Olds, AB) - Renu is no stranger to competition-based shows: she was a finalist on The Great Chocolate Show Down, proving her multi-talented capabilities when it comes to art. She majored in sculpture as a university student and currently teaches high school art, as well as an Edible Arts Chocolate course. On top of that, she also teaches Cosmetology and works in the film industry during her summer downtime when school is not in session!

Thomas Haskell , 35 (Toronto, ON) - Thomas hails from Trinidad, which heavily inspires his ceramic work, and now lives in Toronto. He is a self-taught potter with 11 years of experience, which he puts into practice as the manager and teacher at Create Art Studio, a studio on the Danforth in Toronto. His ultimate goal is to have his work showcased in museums and to share a realistic perspective on the Caribbean and its stories through his ceramic pieces.

Kiefer Floreal , 27 (Winnipeg, MB) - Kiefer is originally from Kenora, ON, but now lives in Winnipeg, where he works from a single-stall garage that he turned into a workshop. He has eight years of experience as a potter and is known to experiment with the application of “the Japanese art of Gyotaku,” using real fish as prints on his pieces. With a love of travel and a yearning to teach, Kiefer hopes to help young people find opportunities to succeed artistically and follow their dreams.

Alice Gibson , 21 (Penticton, BC) - Alice has been potting for three years. She recently graduated from a Ceramics Program at Selkirk College’s Kootenay Studio Arts and hopes to be a full-time ceramist one day, turning her love of making beautiful objects into a career. Her work is heavily influenced by mid-century modern design, finding beauty in simplicity and echoing that mentality in the pieces she creates.

Susan Johnsto n, 67 (Surrey, BC) - Susan was first introduced to pottery as a teenager, then found her way back to it seven years ago when she completed a University ceramics certificate program. Now a retired high school arts teacher, her passion for art hasn’t diminished, and she is always looking for opportunities to create meaningful pieces. Susan created a 12-foot-high conceptual art piece titled “Here we have no lasting city,” with large canopic bird jars signifying the fall of societies, which was exhibited at the university.

Andrew McCullough , 32 (Fredericton, NB) - Andrew works as the Parliamentary Editor for the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick. He flexes his creative muscle through pottery and has 11 years of experience, working out of a shed beside his house. He studied at the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design and currently creates pottery under the name Nu Ceramics, taking inspiration from minimalist Japanese ceramics, mid-century modern design, Scandinavian design, and the arts and crafts movement.

Jackie Talmey-Lennon , 39 (Vancouver, BC) - Jackie has worked in pottery for a decade, both as a wheel-throwing instructor and as a studio technician. After taking a pottery class at a studio in Vancouver, she was immediately hooked and went on to graduate from Emily Carr University of Art and Design. Jackie has previously taken her talents into the world of animation, where she sculpted for her brother’s stop-motion film.

Michael Wood , 35 (Salisbury, NB) - Having left his restaurant job of 12 years to pursue pottery, Michael now has six years of experience and recently graduated with a diploma in ceramics from New Brunswick College of Craft and Design. He currently works with several stores that order from his brand, Wood Stoneware, and dreams of working in pottery full-time.

The previously announced hosting and judging team includes the THE GREAT CANADIAN POTTERY THROW DOWN comedian, actor and host Jennifer Robertson (Schitt’s Creek, Ginny & Georgia), and Seth Rogen, award-winning actor, producer, director, and co-founder of Houseplant, serving as a guest judge and an executive producer courtesy of Point Grey Pictures. The open-hearted competition series will also feature Vancouver-based, award-winning artist and ceramics instructor Brendan Tang and renowned ceramicist and educator Natalie Waddell from Toronto, who will serve as judges.