About

Wild Cove Pottery is a ceramic art studio, gallery, and shop located in Port Union, Newfoundland and Labrador. Established in 2015 by owner Michael Flaherty, Wild Cove Pottery offers hand made pottery and sculpture inspired by the culture and environment of Newfoundland. The well-known Rain Drizzle Fog pottery series, glazed with subtle greys and blues, is a long-time favourite of visitors and locals alike, while limited edition and one-of-a-kind work is also available. There is always something new to see at Wild Cove Pottery.

If a hands-on visit is more to your liking Wild Cove Pottery has you covered. On offer are pottery courses and studio tours where you can get your hands dirty and make something to bring home with you. Wild Cove Pottery has the only wood-burning kiln in Newfoundland, located outdoors directly on the harbour, where pottery is fired three to four times per summer. The firings are community events where visitors and neighbours gather.

While Newfoundland is not known for its abundant natural clay resources, Flaherty makes use of unconventional local materials for his glazes. Beach sand, sea salt, and sea shells are gathered from the nearby shoreline to be processed for their minerals. Even seaweed, wildflowers, and berries are sustainably harvested and used to decorate the pottery. He aims to make work that is fundamentally connected to the nearby forest and ocean.

Flaherty's work has been widely exhibited across North America in public galleries and museums including The Rooms Provincial Art Gallery, Confederation Centre of the Arts, The Esplanade Arts and Heritage Centre, the McMichael Gallery, and numerous others. He is a published author on the subject of ceramics and his art has appeared in many publications in the past 20 years. His recent awards include an Arts and Letters Award from the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador (2020), and the Award for Design and Innovation from the Craft Council of Newfoundland and Labrador (2019). His work and research have been supported generously by the Canada Council for the Arts, the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council, and the Saskatchewan Arts Board. He is currently part-time faculty at Haliburton School of Art and Design in Ontario where he teaches for one month per year, and spends the rest of his time in Port Union where he is dedicated to the revitalization of rural Newfoundland.

Wild Cove Pottery is open year round, with regular hours during the summer and by-appointment visits during the winter. See more art by Michael Flaherty at www.ceramicfundamentalist.com