Haida Pacific Northwest BC Pottery buy Ruth Meecham Gene Barker

Plate by Ruth Meechan. In excellent condition, no chips or cracks. Measures approximately 6"x5"x1". Neat item, which apparently Ms. Meechan was well known for in the area.

Gene Barker was a woman who worked with another woman named Ruth Meechan out of the Maple Ridge neighbourhood called "Webster's Corners". They dug their own clay in the area and had a kiln. Most of their designs were of the raised First Nations style and their work was sold as tourist ware as far away as Banff. You can sometimes tell which woman made a particular plate by what is written on the underside. If it says "Handmade of BC clay", that's Ruth's work. If it says, "Handmade in BC Canada", that is Gene's work.


MEECHAN Ruth 1914 - 2007 Ruth passed away peacefully on August 29, 2007
after a long and well lived life...Ruth was born in Glenavon, buy Sask., and moved to
Vancouver in the 40's to attend art school... She was incredibly
creative throughout her life and expressed herself through drawing,
painting, textile arts and later as a potter. Her work was accepted in
juried shows in Vancouver and across Canada. Ruth was always able to earn
her living from her art, first as a graphic artist and illustrator, and
later as a potter. She established a pottery studio in Maple Ridge, designed
and built the first studio-car kiln in B.C., taught pottery and mentored
many young potters. As one of the original members of the B.C. Potters
Guild, she served a term as president and edited their magazine the "Western
Potter" for many years. Published in the Vancouver Sun and/or The Province on 9/29/2007.