Entertainment
4 December, 2025
Local artist hosts exhibition
A NEW ceramics exhibition by local artist Jean McMaster is now open to the public, with visitors getting the rare chance to meet the artist while she practices her craft.
Jean McMaster is a wood-firing potter and her new exhibition, Earth Poems, brings together three years of research into the clay and rocks of the Herberton Hills.
Jean will be an artist-in-residence, inviting the community to drop in, ask questions, and witness her creative process firsthand.
Her arts practice begins at the front gate of her property, where she collects “front gate” clay. From there, she tests, refines, and fires these materials in her wood-fuelled kiln, exploring how heat, ash, and flame transform the local materials into functional, expressive ceramics.
The exhibition presents vessels and practical pieces that celebrate the natural character of these materials – iron-rich clays of the Tablelands, and glazes made from ash and porphyry stone. Each piece carries the quiet story of its origins.
During her residency, Jean will work with local clay and offer a unique opportunity for visitors to see how familiar landscape materials can become beautiful, handcrafted objects. The community is warmly invited to visit, observe, and engage with the artist and her process.
Earth Poems: Wood-Fired Ceramics is on show at the Old Post Office Gallery, Atherton (86 Atherton-Herberton Rd) and will run until 24 January. The exhibition will be open to the public Wednesday through Saturday from 10am-2pm.
Jean will be artist-in-residence from 10am-2pm next Thursday to Saturday (11-13 December), and 10am-2pm from 15-17 January 2026.
Additionally, an official exhibition opening and artist talk will be held this Saturday at 10.30am.
This exhibition was made possible through the Regional Arts Development Fund – a partnership between the Queensland Government and Tablelands Regional Council to support local arts and cultural projects in regional communities.
For more information, visit www.jeanmcmaster.com.au/events/
