Great Canadian Pottery Throw Down airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. starting Feb. 8
A Stonewall artist is showcasing her pottery skills in Canada-wide competition that will air on CBC next month.
Jen Sonnenberg is sharing her talents with the nation on The Great Canadian Pottery Throw Down, a new CBC series hosted by Jennifer Robertson of Schitt’s Creek and Ginny & Georgia.
Seth Rogan serves as a guest judge and an executive producer for the show, which is based on a British format created and owned by Love Productions. The other judges are Brendan Tang, a Vancouver-based artist and ceramics instructor, and Natalie Waddell, a Toronto-based ceramicist and educator.
The passion for pottery first sparked for Sonnenberg while she was a student at the University of Manitoba.
“I was taking a fine arts degree and needed a 3D course. I wanted to take sculpture but it didn’t fit into my schedule, so it had to be ceramics. I loved the class so much and took all that the university offered,” said Sonnenberg, who is also known in the community for her roles as a substitute teacher and hockey coach.
“I love that you can make artwork that is functional — something that you can hold and eat out of each day. I love that it’s made from the earth, and when fired in a wood kiln like I do, it captures so much of the warmth and energy of the firing on each surface.”
When she became pregnant with her first child, Sonnenberg stopped making pottery and firing her wood kiln. And while she was on maternity leave with her second child, she came across the British version of The Great Pottery Throw Down.
“Watching the competitors and their challenges was a big push for me to get back into making pots. I told myself that if the show ever came to Canada, I would have to apply for it,” she said.
“Well, this spring when a friend told me about the call for applications, I knew I had to follow through with that promise I had made myself.”
Sonnenberg made the cut, and she’s one of 10 potters who met in Vancouver to vie for the title of best at the wheel.
“The Great Canadian Pottery Throw Down is modelled after the British show where a group of amateur potters competes over eight weeks in different challenges. There is a main make each episode, where the potters are given a theme or required item to create, and then also a second challenge that tests the potters’ skills,” she said.
“At the end of each episode, one potter leaves the pottery until the finale, where the final three see who will be the winner of Season 1. There are generally a lot of things that can go wrong when creating pottery, so adding in time factors definitely adds a few curveballs and surprises to the show.”
Even if someone isn’t interested specifically in pottery, Sonnenberg thinks the show will appeal to broad audience because of the risk involved and the competitive spirit.
“A big part of the British and Canadian show is that it is a friendly competition, unlike a lot of other reality-type shows. And the people on this show were absolutely amazing, both talent-wise and just as people,” she said.
“The cast became so close, it was so hard to lose a friend each week. I think viewers will be absolutely blown away by what the potters are able to create in the timeframe. There really were so many amazing potters.”
For Sonnenberg, it’s been a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
“As a mom of two boys, John and Tom, the hardest part for me was thinking of leaving them. But I thought of the lessons that I try and teach them every day, about doing your best and trying your hardest, so that helped make leaving them easier. I am a pretty competitive person, too, so having the challenges and the timeframes added such a fun element to making pots,” she said.
“The best part about being on the show was definitely meeting the other contestants. They are such great people, and we still stay in touch regularly, which is amazing. I learned so much from all of them. It was such a great experience.”
For those who are wondering, Sonnenberg won’t reveal how she fared in the competition. Instead, curious viewers will need to tune in to the program to find out.
The Great Canadian Pottery Throw Down airs on CBC and CBCGem on Thursdays at 8 p.m. starting Feb. 8.
To check out some of Sonnenberg’s pottery, follow along on Instagram @jensonnenbergwoodfiredpottery. Pots are also added regularly to her website and online store at www.woodfiredpottery.ca
Tribune Photo by Jo-Anne Procter
