Local pottery studio and gallery makes use of historic church

Located on the edge of Moose Jaw on a service road just off Highway #1, a little church with “POTTERY” written across its roof promises exactly that — a unique display of local, handmade pottery from artists Wendy Parsons, Zach Dietrich, and Devon Dietrich.

Parsons Dietrich Pottery has made a home in Moose Jaw since 1980, when the couple moved into the studio space in the lower floor of the little church.

Since then, Parsons Dietrich Pottery has only expanded. The upper floor of the building is now a gallery filled with a range of different functional ware glazed in nature-inspired colours, and two of the studio’s three kilns are located outside on the property.

Their gallery space always has a wide selection of different pieces available to view and purchase, from teapots and cups to plates and bowls — all the way to the hand-sculpted monster jars that are a trademark of Wendy Parsons’ work.

Each piece is made using Saskatchewan clay and glazes, featuring earth-inspired tones from the prairie landscape. Parsons Dietrich Pottery is always experimenting with new techniques and glazes, which means there’s always something new to see at the gallery. Both artists have been featured in shows and exhibitions all over the province, and their work is available to purchase in storefronts across Canada. The artistic couple are always working on new items, and occasionally take on custom requests from those looking for a specific kind of piece. Parsons Dietrich Pottery is always happy to have visitors stop by the studio and gallery, where they offer a welcoming tour of their workspace to those curious about the process of creating ceramics.

The gallery is located at 1200 Lakeview Service Road. Operating hours may vary due to the pandemic, so be sure to check parsons-dietrich-pottery.com or call 1 (306) 693-4212 to confirm before visiting.

L-R: Zach Dietrich, Devon Dietrich, and Wendy Parsons, the creative hands and minds behind Parsons Dietrich Pottery.

One of Wendy Parsons’ favourite things about the studio space is the wonderful view of the Wakamow Valley she has from her spinning wheel. Handsculpted monster jars such as this one are a trademark of Wendy Parsons’ work.

Down in the studio, all of the bisque pieces are stored just above the area where Parsons and Dietrich hand mix all of their own glazes. The “Bubble glaze,” as Zach Dietrich describes it, on the bottoms of these mugs is something new that Parsons Dietrich Pottery has been trying out lately.

Parsons Dietrich Pottery has a wide variety of pieces to choose from, including these small bowls glazed with a technique that uses a Saskatchewan mineral from Ravenscrag