WEDNESDAY MORNING & AFTERNOONS
I was first introduced to clay at summer camp at the age of 6.  I then went to art camp at Interlochen Arts Center for 5 years which gave me a solid foundation of all of the arts, visual, dance, theatre and music.

At Interlochen I had found my “people” and finished my highschool education as a Senior at the Interlochen Arts Academy graduating with a specialty in ceramics and weaving.

Moving to Montreal in 1987, I began my time there with CEGEP and then Concordia University where I studied ceramics and painting. After many years of schooling I took a GAP 4 years back in Toronto.

It was during this time 1993 that I got hired by The Avenue Rd Art School to teach ceramics and run the ceramics studio and kilns. This eventually led to going back to school to finish my BFA at NSCAD in Halifax. After graduating in 1997 I did a year living in Korea and traveling then returning to Toronto in 1998.

I returned to teaching at the Avenue Rd Art School and many more Toronto Institutions such as The McMichael Collection in Kleinberg, The Toronto School of Art among others.

Then the pandemic……

I was very prolific during the pandemic as I could create all day long and not have to go to work retail anymore!

I realized that it was time to open my own studio in the neighborhood where I lived and raised my kids. Hence The Riverdale Hive Artists Collective was born. The Hive had a great 3 years but the lease has ended so I must move on.

I'm excited to be working for such a long standing Co-op which has a strong reputation and membership. The studio and facilities are beautiful and I look forward to meeting new artists and students!

WEDNESDAY EVENINGS
Helen graduated with a BDes from OCAD and worked as a jeweller for two years before moving to Japan to teach language for three years. There, she immersed herself in a culture that embraces craft and began studying Chado (The Way of Tea), which led her back to working with clay.

Now based in Scarborough, Helen runs Secret Teatime, a clay makerspace specializing in tea-wares for Japanese and Chinese tea rituals. Deeply rooted in Chado and her Chinese heritage, she draws inspiration from tea as a grounding force through life’s and art’s challenges.

In addition to studio work, Helen teaches, mentors, and collaborates with local communities and businesses. Her projects include The IchiGo-Ichi-E Tea Project (Nuit Blanche Toronto 2022), a residency at the Banff Centre titled Meeting for Teas, and ongoing exhibitions with Icha Tea.

With 13+ years of teaching experience, Helen views working with clay as a collaborative process—much like tea—requiring patience, humility, and deep engagement. She looks forward to connecting with students through clay.

MEMBER SUBSTITUTE TEACHER
Dale Roddick has a B.A.A. in photography from Ryerson University and worked as a photographer for over 30 years at Sunnybrook Hospital. He has taken and then taught pottery classes through the Toronto Board of Education at Northern Secondary School for 10 years.  He also studied ceramics at George Brown Collège, Sheridan College and Cedar Ridge Creative Centre.  He has had classes with Martha Maybee, Pauline Harman, Monica Jonstone, Susan Card and Michael Sheba. Has been a member of the Potter's Studio for 23 years and has been a supply instructor for studio pottery classes.  The inspiration for his work comes from an interest in anthropology and tribal design, as well as episodes from his personal life, experience during the course of wilderness camping, hiking and canoe trips.