Barry Brickell Play with Clay Day

The spirit of the late great Barry Brickell will be alive and well in Coromandel Town on Anniversary Weekend when talented potters and clay artists from around the country will come to share their craft with one and all.

With a celebratory atmosphere, including live music on the Barry Brickell Memorial Stage, the inaugural clay day attracted and estimated 250 visitors throughout the day.

The second annual Barry Brickell Play with Clay Day on Saturday, January 25th, will take place at the Hauraki House Theatre, Kapanga Road, in historic Coromandel Town, with the aim of keeping alive the memory of the legendary artist and visionary who contributed so much to the town and the wider peninsula. Organiser, Pete Sephton, says the small team behind the event all had a close association with Barry and started the Play with Clay Day as a fun tribute. “This year was the first one and we had such a fantastic response. Obviously we only have a small number of potters here on the Coromandel but, when they heard what we were doing, people who knew Barry from Whangamata and even as far as Auckland came to help us out,” he says.

Reflecting on what his friend, Barry, would have made of it all, Pete has no doubt. “He would have loved it. He used to do this sort of thing back in the day. He’d set up out in the car park – it was mostly aimed at potters, but people would come along to check out what they were up to and join in. This is just a small way to help ensure that the inspiration he gave to so many is carried on.”