ShopWAG Commemorates Ceramicist Robert Archambeau With Sale Series

Robert Archambeau in Memoriam: A Retrospective Sales Series launches at ShopWAG November 30

Winnipeg, Manitoba, November 23, 2023: The Winnipeg Art Gallery (WAG)-Qaumajuq is pleased to offer a series of sales commemorating famed ceramicist Robert Archambeau at ShopWAG. Archambeau worked and taught with clay for over sixty years and is celebrated for his studio excellence, academic prowess, and profound mentorship. Now, in honour of his legacy, a limited release from the artist’s personal collection is being made available for purchase exclusively through ShopWAG. The series of releases will begin with his famous teapots and continue throughout the winter.

Born in Toledo, Ohio in 1933, Archambeau studied at Toledo University, the Toledo Museum of Art, and Bowling Green State University, where he received his BFA in 1959. He went on to New York State College of Ceramics in Alfred, New York where he received his MFA in 1964. Following his graduate work, he taught at the Rhode Island School of Art and Design in Providence; and in 1968, he accepted a position in the School of Art at the University of Manitoba. Archambeau’s work as Professor, Head of Ceramics at the School spanned 23 years, until his retirement in 1991, at which time he was appointed Professor Emeritus.

Archambeau held his studio practice in the rural community of Bissett, Manitoba as well as at the School of Art, and continued to fire ceramics every year in Iowa City. His many years of production lead to a large variety that can be seen in the selection of works available to purchase at ShopWAG.

These special sales will take place at ShopWAG every two months, beginning at 12pm on November 30. Shoppers who are eager to add a piece to their collection are encouraged to arrive at 11am on sale days, as opportunities will be first come, first served. There will also be festive drinks and light snacks available for customers. A portion of proceeds from the sales will go towards a book covering Archambeau’s career which is being written by Dr. Stephen Borys, WAG-Qaumajuq Director and CEO.

Quick Facts: 

• Robert Archambeau in Memoriam: A Retrospective Sales Series at ShopWAG launches on November 30, 2023.
• The sales series will feature a limited release of Archambeau’s personal collection, available for purchase exclusively at ShopWAG and will begin with his famous teapots.
• Archambeau’s functional vessels are immediately identifiable from their confident profiles, subtle wood-fired glazes, and meticulous finishes. His work exhibits a quiet, masterful command of form and technique, with textures and glazes influenced by Asian ceramics and by the rural Manitoba landscape.
• In 1968, Robert Archambeau arrived in Winnipeg to teach ceramics at the University of Manitoba. The Ohio-born potter became a leading figure in Canadian ceramic art.
• Archambeau was honoured with a Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts in 2003, the first Manitoban artist to be recognized for the prestigious award. Archambeau has also received many other honours and accolades throughout his career, and has been widely celebrated locally, nationally, and internationally.
• The artist has exhibited internationally, including four solo exhibitions at the WAG dating back to 1986. His work is held in numerous collections with 37 pieces at the WAG, which holds the largest and best representative collection of his oeuvre.

Quotes:  

“I met Robert shortly after I started as Retail Operations Manager in 2011. I was fortunate to work closely with him on a sales exhibition that coincided with his WAG show, Drawn and Fired in 2013. We were proud to work with Robert for several years as one of the few galleries privileged to carry his collections. Over the years, Robert became a dear friend to me and my family, as he was to the Gallery. He was a very generous person, and seeing so many pieces from his collection here at the Gallery brings back special memories. We are honoured to be surrounded by his work at ShopWAG and share these pieces with the public.”

— Sherri van Went, Retail Operations Manager, WAG-Qaumajuq

“I am very fortunate to have visited with Robert and his wife, Meridel in his studio and to talk about his art, ideas, passions, and process. Over the years, they both became special friends and I cherish the time I was able to spend with Robert. This past fall, I visited his studio in Bissett with Sherri van Went and ceramic artist Alan Lacovetsky to see more of Robert’s vast collection, which is much of what you will see in the sales at ShopWAG. I am excited for the public to experience Robert’s art and have the opportunity to take home with them an original Archambeau and create new memories with these pieces.”

— Stephen Borys, Director & CEO, WAG-Qaumajuq

Associated Links

Robert Archambeau in Memoriam – A Retrospective Sales Series at ShopWAG

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For more information or to arrange interviews, please contact:  

Katryna Barske
Public Relations Officer
Winnipeg Art Gallery
204.789.1295
kbarske@wag.ca

About Winnipeg Art Gallery (WAG)-Qaumajuq
WAG-Qaumajuq is a cultural advocate using art to connect, inspire, and inform. Playing a dynamic role in the community, we are a place for learning, dialogue, and enjoyment through art. Opened in March 2021, Qaumajuq connects to the WAG on all levels, celebrating the largest public collection of contemporary Inuit art in the world. The new WAG-Qaumajuq cultural campus is now one of the largest art museums in Canada. To learn more visit wag.ca.

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