Welcome to our First Ardmore Newsletter

It is really wonderful to be in a position to advise you that Ardmore has a brand new web site that is now in keeping with its corporate image and intent.

Please visit the site on www.ardmoreceramics.co.za

We have included the historical information, brought all the current situations up to date, and begun profiling the artists in a far greater depth by including, where applicable, details of themselves and their achievements. This will be an on going exercise as new artists come to the fore and start identifying their works. A great concept to help school students who continually ask for information about the history and the artists for school projects.

Fèe Halsted- Berning will give us lots of input about ceramics, were she believes the field is going and what her expectations for Ardmore are.

There will be higher visibility promoting the Ardmore Excellence Fund activities. As you may well be aware, this fund has been created to provide for the well being of the Ardmore community and their families. Go to the section on it and just see what already is beginning to happen!

Soon I will be sharing with you how the Fund has secured a whole package for the Ardmore artists. Creating, endowerment, death, disability and funeral cover at NO cost to the individual artists, but sponsored by the Excellence Fund and those people and companies who have contributed generously to it. Thank you very much! Ardmore Ceramic Art continues to contribute a percentage of nett monthly profit as its commitment to the Fund. From time to time as the donations begin to accumulate, I will proudly publish a list of names of benefactors. There is a panel that allows any one to make a donation, and what ever currency they work with; there is a conversion facility to South African Rand.

A new innovation on the site will be bringing interactive options to you the Ardmore buyers and collectors. As the AAA certificate criteria gains momentum and acceptance, collectors are now able to ask for an evaluation of their collections, which means that certain pieces are likely to be released back into the market. As a service to our collectors, the website can now accept "2nd generation" pieces to sell from the site. Go to the " collectables" under the Buy Ardmore section of the navigation panel and follow the process. It is self driven. Have your digital camera ready! The logon will stay up for a period of three months before automatically being erased. In the event of a piece being sold, please advise me so that a manual removal can happen. So! All your details are shown and you conduct the sale of your own Ardmore pieces. Ardmore supporting its collectors!

The website will not carry any new pieces. That is because we do have a network of wonderful retailers around the country, and it would not be right to "compete" with them. However if any collector wants to brief us or see what's new, just contact us on ardmore@icon.co.za and we will send you digitals of new pieces available and their respective information and cost.

Also under Buy Ardmore, you will see a new category called "The Masters Gallery". Sometimes there is an exceptional piece that is determined by design, sculpture and painting. That piece will be viewed on the site, shown at the Lavendula show room, sold from there, with price on request! It will be certified as a Fine Art piece. All enquiries can be made either through the contact on the site or through the e-mail address above.

There will be "News Flash" events. Any experiences, events, happenings or anecdotes that you think are news worthy from around the world, please forward them so we can include them for all to share. Hopefully there will be some light moments as well!

The news worthiness of events will be covered, like for instance the visit to the Ardmore Champagne studio by Her Excellency, The Deputy President, Phumizle Mlanbo-Ngcuka. Or the acceptance as a local community model, into the huge HIV/AIDS programme sponsored by the United States of America "PEPFAR" project in conjunction with Bristol-Meyers Squibb "secure the future" clinical trial scheme.

Some really exciting things happening at Ardmore and through the new website, we want to share them with you and keep you up to date and informed. So make the Ardmore site a frequent visit.

Fèe has asked me to send you all her very kind and personal regards and wants to thank you all for the dedication and support you have show to her and the Ardmore family.

Write to you again soon!

Regards :Alan McGregor