Wendy Parsons and Zach Dietrich first realized they could make a living as functional potters in the spring of 1976, after participating in a successful department craft sale at the University of Regina.
“As students, we didn't have much money and we had a lot of pottery, so we advertised a sale,” laughed Parsons. “And there was a lineup a block long, and we realized we can make a living from this.”
Now, over 40 years later, the husband and wife duo are doing exactly that, still deeply entrenched within the Saskatchewan arts community and working out of their studio and gallery space here in Moose Jaw.
The couple first moved to Moose Jaw in 1980, where Parsons was welcomed as the Saskatchewan Arts Board artist in residence at the Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery, and Zach rented a studio space in a small church on the edge of the city.
“At the end of the year, we loved Moose Jaw so much that we just thought, ‘let’s buy the place and stay,’” said Parsons. “And so we did.”
Parsons Dietrich Pottery originally shared the building with a partner, Diana Clark, who set up an antique store in the upstairs while the pottery studio remained downstairs. In 2000, Parsons and Dietrich bought out the whole building and transformed the upstairs into their personal gallery.
The little church and surrounding property still house Parsons and Dietrich’s entire operation, from the downstairs studio where they build their pieces, to the wood-fired kiln and gas-fired kilns outside, to the gallery on the main floor of the building. It’s a unique set-up that has allowed them to continually experiment with their craft.
“It’s really just the perfect setup, and we’re able to have the kilns right outside,” said Parsons.
Parsons Dietrich Pottery has only grown over the decades since the couple settled in Moose Jaw. They build their pieces on a fairly large scale, as they regularly ship their work to storefronts all over the prairie provinces — and even as far as B.C., Ontario, and the Maritimes.
Even with so many storefronts featuring their work, the gallery at Parsons Dietrich Pottery is always full of functional pieces of all shapes and sizes as well, built with graceful curves and glazed in earthy, nature-inspired tones. Plates, mugs, vases, bowls — the range of pieces is nearly endless.
The “bubble glaze,” as Zach Dietrich describes it, on the bottoms of these bowls is something new that Parsons Dietrich Pottery has been trying out lately.The more whimsical pieces, such as the intricate monster jars and wall-mounted tiles, come from Parsons imagination, who hand-sculpts the decorative embellishments.
All of their work uses as many Saskatchewan or prairie-sourced materials as possible, said Dietrich, including their clay which comes from East End.
When their son Devon Dietrich joined them in 2013, the studio became even more of a family affair. After completing a Bachelor’s of Computer Science, Devon decided to return to the family passion of pottery after spending so much of his childhood surrounded by the craft.
“As a kid, I would come out here [to the studio] and make little coiled cups and things, and playing with it right from the start,” said Devon.
“He’d been doing it since he was [young], helping us go to craft sales and setting up and all that. I really didn't realize how much we’d been training him,” laughed Parsons. “There was no getting away from it.”
Specializing in hand-thrown work, Devon also brought with him a vast scientific knowledge that has only expanded the slip and glaze techniques that all three potters use in the studio.
“He’s developed a couple of really innovative, nice glazes and he keeps us right on track,” said Parsons. “Every third kiln firing [used to be] just a mess because we didn’t measure the glazes right or calculate the chemistry right, but when Devon came in, he straightened all that out.”
The creativity has never waned in the Parsons-Dietrich studio, either. All three potters are constantly experimenting with new shapes, techniques, and colours, pushing the boundaries of their clay in every direction — including the technique of 3-D printing pieces with clay.
For a craft that the two accomplished potters “just fell into,” as Dietrich puts it, both Parsons and Dietrich have made an impressive impact on the arts community in the province. Both artists are widely respected for their work and have received numerous art grants from the Saskatchewan Arts Board over the years.
Parsons and Dietrich have also played an important role in bolstering the pottery scene just in the Moose Jaw community — showing their work in exhibitions, teaching classes around the province, and keeping in touch with other local artists.
“I think we really expanded the pottery base [in Moose Jaw],” said Dietrich, adding that they’ve worked very closely with the Moose Jaw Pottery Club, among other artists.
“Yeah, we’ve taught a lot of classes throughout the years and made a lot of good friends with those lovely people,” continued Parsons.
The couple has nothing but good things to say about the art community of Moose Jaw, describing it as a very tight-knit and supportive group of people.
“I think that was part of the reason we loved it here so much, because we had such kindred spirits right away,” said Parsons. “We would have these huge potlucks and kiln firings [in the wood kiln], and loading and unloading parties, and that’s just the way pottery is, it's a very sociable thing.”
Parsons and Dietrich plan on celebrating the 40th anniversary of their Moose Jaw studio space on June 27, right down to the day, with an open house and giveaway at their studio just off Highway #1.
“We’re thinking of putting a few tables outside, if it's a lovely day, with some balloons and having a giveaway [with every piece purchased],” said Parsons. “And we’ll also open up the studio, for people to wander about too.”
The June event will also double as a re-opening celebration of sorts, as the gallery has been closed during the recent retail shutdowns.
Parsons Dietrich Pottery is hoping to see plenty of people come out for the anniversary, especially given that the support they’ve received from Moose Jaw so far has been phenomenal.
“We have such good customers that have supported us for 40 years. People have so much of our work, it’s crazy,” said Dietrich.
Visitors from all over have stopped to visit Parsons Dietrich Pottery in the little church with “POTTERY” stamped on the roof in white, and the Parsons-Dietrich family has certainly loved doing what they do for the last forty years — and don’t plan to stop.
