Ardmore

"Ardmore: We Are Because of Others" by Fee Halsted, photography by Roger de la Harpe is an exquisite coffee table book about the Ardmore Ceramic Art of Kwa-Zulu-Natal in Africa. Fee Halsted, a white woman who grew up in Africa and loves the people, is an accomplished artist, but she realized about 30 years ago as she was teaching that the real, meaningful art she could help create with her talents was the young artists themselves. One day David Middlebrook, an American artist, appeared in her studio in Africa and introduced her to paints and clay that gave the talented artists new media that made the way of producing the works of art much simpler. She has helped educate many young artists in Africa and became one of their sponsors/patrons, along with other charitable organizations she has connected them. She, and one of the other artists, began the Ceramic Arts Studio in a small, poor village, to empower the women there. Through the years, a huge AIDS epidemic which took the lives of many of the community, and through enormous difficulties the studio has grown to esteem throughout the world, with the exquisite pieces, created by these African artists to show their country, their customs, and the natural world they live in, has gained international fame. The highly prized pieces are now in museums and collections around the world and Ardmore artists have shows at their own headquarters and around the world. The book is a beautiful story of the jubilation of art triumphing over many impossible situations so that the free spirit of these lovely people is exalted, enriching thousands of lives, not only of the artists and their families, but also of those collectors around the world. You will REALLY WANT THIS BOOK! ~Bonnie Neely, Real Travel Adventures

In art history, ceramics and ceramic art mean art objects such as figures, tiles, and tableware made from clay and other raw materials by the process of pottery. Some ceramic products are regarded as fine art, while others are regarded as decorative, industrial or applied art objects, or as artifacts in archaeology. They may be made by one individual or in a factory where a group of people design, make and decorate the ware. Decorative ceramics are sometimes called "art pottery". Ardmore Ceramic Art was established by Fee Halsted on Ardmore Farm in the foothills of the Drakensberg Mountains of KwaZulu-Natal. "Ardmore: We Are Because of Others" is a superbly illustrated, 216 page compendium showcasing an impressive roster of ceramic artists and their equally impressive creations. The ceramic art examples are elegant, exquisite, graceful, and works of enduring beauty. Enhanced with an informed and informative commentary on the artists and their represented works, "Ardmore: We Are Because of Others" is very highly recommended as an enduringly popular addition to personal, community, and academic library Art History reference collections and supplemental reading lists. ~Midwest Book Review