Greenbarn Potters Supply Ltd

Description

Greenbarn was originally started by Stan Clarke. He was involved with different art media for many years, with a focus on painting. In 1948 Stan switched from painting to pottery when his wife Jean came home with a kiln after taking a course at the Art Institute of Chicago. They set up a studio producing mostly functional items that Stan made and Jean decorated. In 1953 Stan and Jean started a pottery supply business called "Reagh Studios" to provide modelling and pottery making materials to Vancouver schools. In 1967 they sold this business and moved to a farm in Surrey where Jean switched to sculpture and Stan to stoneware. During this time Stan also established the pottery department at the UBC Dept. of Education while carrying on a full-time career at Air Canada. In 1971 the horses were thrown out of the barns and Greenbarn Pottery Supply was formed, originally to sell Plainsman clays. However, Greenbarn rapidly developed into a complete pottery supply business servicing all of B.C. In 1979 with five employees and too much paperwork, John Porter of Plainsman Clays in Medicine Hat was persuaded to come out to the coast and take over Greenbarn. A new company "Greenbarn Potters Supply Ltd." was formed. A year later we moved to Port Kells in North Surrey to a store and warehouse. Working together, John and Stan developed the business further over the next 10 years. John retired in 1990 to pursue other interests while Stan stayed active with us until retiring in 2005. These...

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