What to See: A Safari for the Soul Ardmore Ceramic Art at WMODA in Dania Beach, FL

A Safari for the Soul Ardmore Ceramic Art at WMODA:

The Ardmore studio was founded in 1985 by Fée Halsted, a young graduate ceramicist who started teaching local people how to sculpt and paint on pottery. Awards and accolades in the early years led to the expansion of her enterprise and an international market for the studio’s ceramic art, which pulsates with vitality and originality. There are now more than 80 artists earning a living through their work at Ardmore. They are known by their Zulu neighbors as the Isigweli, the fortunate ones.

Not only has the Ardmore community been uplifted socially and economically by their ceramic art, the natural exuberance of the artists lifts the spirits of everyone who encounters their fanciful animal creations. Their whimsical sense of humor is contagious and invariably inspires joy and happiness in audiences around the world. The scope and imagination of Fée and the artists knows no bounds now that their ceramic designs are being interpreted for silk wearable art by Hermès, wallpapers by Cole & Son, and fabulous fabrics for table linens and scatter cushions.

The Ardmore Studio helps create awareness of the plight of endangered animals in Africa and the need to protect the environment. Their designs address issues such as ivory poaching, illegal hunting and trafficking are represented in sensitive studies of rhinos, elephants, leopards, and pangolins.