McClelland, Margaret
Item
Maker Name
McClelland, Margaret
Studio name
Backdoor Pottery 1980s
Biography
Margaret McClelland studied at the VSA in the early 1970s, with Lenard Epp, Reg Dixon, John Reeve, Sally Michener, and Tam Irving. She taught at the YWCA and at The Earthen Things. She was a volunteer for the Potters Guild of BC and with the Emily Carr Outreach Programme. During the 1980s her studio was at the Backdoor Pottery (previously the Ross Huyghe School of Pottery)
From 2024 obituary:
Born and raised mostly in Cornwall, Ontario, Margaret was an exceptional scholar who loved languages. She attended Havergal College in Toronto, Ontario for her senior High School years where she won the Lieutenant Governor's award several times.
Margaret, known as 'Scorch' to her friends completed an Honours Degree at Queen's University where she enjoyed performing in operetta's and the outdoor skating, playing goalie on the recreational hockey team. She also completed a degree in Social Work at Queen's, where she met Ross McClelland. They were married in 1954, moving to Greater Vancouver a few years later.
After her children were both in school, Margaret fulfilled a lifelong dream of being an artist and graduated from the Emily Carr School of Art, (as it was known at the time) majoring in Ceramics and Sculpture. She became a very successful ceramic artist working out of a number studios in Vancouver and Richmond and was featured in a number of solo gallery shows around town as well as juried group shows, including at Expo 86.
In her retirement, Margaret took up quilting and returned to watercolour painting and sketching. She was an avid sports fan, of figure skating in particular. Her final years were spent at Arbutus Care Centre Margaret's husband Ross passed away shortly after her. Margaret is survived by her son, Hugh and her daughter, Mary along with their spouses and families. Margaret was blessed with three grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild.
From 2024 obituary:
Born and raised mostly in Cornwall, Ontario, Margaret was an exceptional scholar who loved languages. She attended Havergal College in Toronto, Ontario for her senior High School years where she won the Lieutenant Governor's award several times.
Margaret, known as 'Scorch' to her friends completed an Honours Degree at Queen's University where she enjoyed performing in operetta's and the outdoor skating, playing goalie on the recreational hockey team. She also completed a degree in Social Work at Queen's, where she met Ross McClelland. They were married in 1954, moving to Greater Vancouver a few years later.
After her children were both in school, Margaret fulfilled a lifelong dream of being an artist and graduated from the Emily Carr School of Art, (as it was known at the time) majoring in Ceramics and Sculpture. She became a very successful ceramic artist working out of a number studios in Vancouver and Richmond and was featured in a number of solo gallery shows around town as well as juried group shows, including at Expo 86.
In her retirement, Margaret took up quilting and returned to watercolour painting and sketching. She was an avid sports fan, of figure skating in particular. Her final years were spent at Arbutus Care Centre Margaret's husband Ross passed away shortly after her. Margaret is survived by her son, Hugh and her daughter, Mary along with their spouses and families. Margaret was blessed with three grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild.
First name
Margaret
Last name
McClelland
Career dates (start and end)
1974
Date of Birth
1929
Date of Death
2024
Place of Birth
Cornwall, Ontario
Studio location
Formal Education
Major Exhibitions
1980 Retrospect Ceramics 80, PGBC 25th Anniversary
Affiliated organizations
Links to Further Resources
Catalogue of British Columbian Potters - 1977 - Kingsmill
Source
Debra E. Sloan