Queenston Pottery hosted Niagara artist Barbara Polc for its Visiting Artist Program, displaying her multimedia and nature-inspired paintings alongside the studio’s pottery.

The program offers local artists a venue to show off their creations and grow their customer base by introducing pottery shoppers to their art style.

For Polc, that means hanging some of her paintings on the walls of Queenston Pottery. She specifically chose some of her nature-inspired pieces to match the garden outside the gallery.

“I thought the tree series was nice because when you look out all their windows, they have such beautiful trees and gardens,” Polc said. “I thought the florals […] suited the pottery.”

Polc also brought a painting directly inspired by a Queenston Pottery piece — a common theme throughout the display. Polc’s paintings were hung next to pottery pieces with similar patterns and colours to bridge the gap between the art styles.

Last Saturday was “Meet the Artist” day, giving guests a chance to learn about and participate in Polc’s creative process.

The artist writes words and short phrases onto blank canvases to inspire ideas. Sometimes she uses oracle cards to find the right words. Other times, she uses her imagination and surroundings for inspiration.

At the event, Polc brought a blank canvas for guests to write on, serving as inspiration for her next painting. One of her pieces displayed among the pottery originated from the same concept.

“‘Nude’ is one that everybody signed at a studio tour two years ago, and then I painted over all their words of wisdom,” she said.

Polc said it’s easier to start a painting with this technique because she has her own, and sometimes others’, words to work around, rather than starting from scratch.

Some guests said they attended the event because of their familiarity with Polc’s work, while others said they were already visiting the pottery gallery and saw the paintings for the first time that day.

This mixing of communities is the goal of the Visiting Artist Program, said Lisa Dahl, daughter-in-law of Queenston Pottery owner Eva Mlcak.

“We just want this place to be a destination,” Dahl said. “We ask the artist to invite their friends on this day […] and we get our customers to come and see.”

The Visiting Artist Program launched last December for Queenston Pottery’s holiday show, and the success of that collaboration inspired its permanent place at the studio.

Dahl said she is happy to see how many artists are interested in participating — the waitlist has extended into next year.

“No matter whose artwork is here, it warms our walls and the space […] it’s inviting, it creates conversation, and we want people to have a reason to come and visit with us,” she said.

This engagement and dedication to building artistic relationships is something that sets Queenston Pottery apart, said Dahl.

The participating artist is switched every six weeks, giving visitors a regular chance to meet and see the work of new local creatives.

Polc said the team at Queenston Pottery did a “wonderful job” at curating an exhibit mixing pottery pieces and her art, and is happy to share her art with new people.