As part of the Craft Council of BC’s mandate to promote artistic practice of all stages in the province, we are partnering with the Mary Fox Legacy Society for Mary’s Legacy Studios, a shared studio space designed to support Vancouver Island’s potters for decades to come.
Born in 1959 in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Mary Fox moved with her family to British Columbia in 1966. Since her unexpected “love at first touch” encounter with ceramics in a junior high school class, she has pursued a life of endless creation. A self-taught artist, she has exhibited her work around Vancouver and Victoria, BC, as well as in Italy, Australia, and the US, among other destinations. In 2020, she published My Life as a Potter: Stories and Techniques, with royalties benefiting the legacy society. Developing Glazes: Low-Fire Reduction and Oxidation followed in 2025. From 2022 to 2025, she offered an apprenticeship program for young potters. Now she is focusing on her new project: three potting studios, a kiln room, and a public gallery, all housed within a heritage building in Ladysmith, BC.
The public gallery will showcase the resident artists’ work and offer visitors a window into its creation, with one studio visible from the gallery. Her gift to the potters of the future, the whole building is envisioned by Mary as a “hive of creativity,” with renovations to begin in the spring of 2027.
Mary is currently seeking three experienced potters who would like to be a part of creating Legacy Studios. Interested potters and those who wish to donate to the project can reach out to Mary through her website.
