About Rotorua Potters Group
Rotorua Potters Group is a community-led club based in Studio 3 at The Arts Village in Rotorua. Our welcoming, well-equipped studio includes three kilns and offers pottery classes for all skill levels. We run annual and special exhibitions, host community events that share the joy of clay, and invite visiting potters to lead workshops and share their expertise. The club is governed by a dedicated team of volunteers and pottery enthusiasts committed to nurturing creativity and connection through clay.
We’re fortunate to call The Arts Village our permanent home. This vibrant community hub supports a wide range of arts-based initiatives and provides the day-to-day facilities and support that make our work possible. We’re deeply grateful to the team at The Arts Village for their ongoing support and partnership.
If you're visiting our studio, take the opportunity to explore the wider village. It’s home to numerous arts and cultural groups, a co-op-run shop selling locally made art and crafts, and an independently run café. The Arts Village also hosts three galleries with regularly changing exhibitions that showcase local and national artists.
Our Story
Rotorua’s pottery journey has humble beginnings. The original club was based at Wychwood Nursery on Wychwood Crescent, where members worked with an “interesting” diesel-fired kiln—until it collapsed. The kiln’s demise seemed to mark the end of the club itself, which never fully recovered.
Years later, former club president Selwyn Hatrick arrived in Rotorua and joined a pottery class at Boys’ High, alongside around 40 others. While the teaching was minimal, the experience sparked a passion for pottery that left many wanting more. Bev Cave stepped in to help channel that enthusiasm, and with her support, the club gained momentum. It moved from a rented scout den to a double shed at The Arts Village, and membership flourished, surpassing 40.
In the early 2000s, interest in pottery dipped nationwide, and club membership dropped to just eight. But thanks to the perseverance of dedicated members like Betty Millar and Selwyn Hatrick, the club held on—offering night classes and specialist workshops to keep the clay alive in Rotorua.
Today, Rotorua Potters Group is thriving with a well-equipped studio and over 100 members. Our long-time potters continue to lead beginners’ workshops and help keep the doors open, ensuring everyone in the community has the chance to experience the joy of clay.