The Centre Ceramique Contemporaine de Giroussens !!!

Posted in Europe, France

I am back in my road warrior mored in one of my favorite regions of my belle France, this is deep Tarn dept 81 in region of Occitanie. As I do every couple of years as cousins are around and came into this picturesque town. This is new text and links with older pictures for you and me, Therefore, let me tell you a bit on the Centre Ceramique Contemporaine de Giroussens !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.

The village of Giroussens sits above the Agout valley between Lavaur, Graulhet and Saint-Sulpice –la-Pointe at about 40 km from Toulouse. The village was originally located 1 km from its current location. We came from Graulhet as family cousins are there on the D681 road but you can come from Toulouse on the A68 (autoroute de pastels) and get off at sortie/exit no 7 direction Giroussens/Glaulhet and then on the D12 direction Graulhet to Giroussens ; about 11 km.

The contemporary ceramic center of Giroussens was built in 2000 in the center of Giroussens, next to the castle of Lucie Bouniol, thanks to the common will of three partners, the Association Terre et Terres, the Association Arts et Poteries de Giroussens and the city hall. Its objective is to promote openness to art, the work of small workshops and the maintenance of know-how.

giroussens-maison-de-la-ceramique-contemporain-jul10

The story goes that at the beginning of the 17C, they were 72 masters, companions and apprentices to found the brotherhood “Sainte Rufina”, Spanish martyrdom, patron saint of potters, who assured them spiritual and material help and to which a chapel was dedicated in the village .The 91 potters of the village, present in 1735, enjoy the most flourishing era of their industry. Their fame was the production of dishes and plates reminiscent of the Italian ceramics glazed with lead, colored with yellow, green and blue. The sets then evoked a simple and stylized vegetation, an animal fauna most often reduced to birds and caricatured human portraits. The centuries passing, the ceramics of Giroussens was forgotten. It was not until the 1990s that the village remembered its glorious past by organizing the first of its ceramic markets, which brings together many years later still as many followers and curious people, every first weekend in June. In 1999, the city hall acquired the old commons of the village castle with the idea of ​​opening a center dedicated to ceramics.

For more than 20 years, the center has been hosting visitors and has presented 4 exhibitions: two permanent heritage exhibitions and 2 temporary exhibitions dedicated to contemporary ceramics. The latter change four times a year and the rooms are then adorned with new works, French and/or international artists, small and large workshops.  The permanent exhibitions reveal some ancient ceramics of Giroussens as well as the works of the artist Lucie Bouniol. It was within these walls that Lucie Bouniol had her workshops. Artist of the village who studied in Marseille, then with Bourdelle before going to Paris where she will become, among other things, Colette’s friend. Painter, designer and sculptor, Lucie liked to represent the world around her, traditions as well as the inhabitants of this small village that she loved so much. On her death an important legacy was made to the town which now holds most of its collection and exhibits it in one of the rooms in the center. A ceramic boutique as well as a specialized bookstore complete the course by offering works by local artists.

giroussens-maison-de-la-ceramique-contemporain-display-room-jul10

The official centre ceramique contemporaine de Giroussens: https://www.centre-ceramique-giroussens.com/

The village of Giroussens on the centre ceramique : https://giroussens81.fr/vie-pratique/culture/#cera

The Terre en Terre assoc of ceramists of the Midi Pyrénées of which centre is adherent : https://www.terre-et-terres.com/qui-sommes-nous/

There  you go folks, another dandy in my belle France, and wonderful territory of many memories , always looking forward to be back in these lands. A small village but loaded! Again, hope you have enjoy the post on the Centre Ceramique Contemporaine de Giroussens !!! as I.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!

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Published by pedmar10

I am a lover of travels to Europe , Americas , Africa and Asia as well ,who like to share my experiences of the last 53 years with the world, visiting so far 81 countries; living in 6, working in 5, and Citizen of 4, speaking fluently 4 languages. I can deal with sports especially football/soccer and love music, arts, wine collector/drinker, and go out to restaurants, and just visit the world. My background comes all the way from Candelaria and Pajara in Tenerife, Spain where my grandparents came from ;not knowing each other then, to Punta Brava, west of Havana, Cuba. There , my parents born in Cuba met and later on I was born there too. 100% guanche (annexed Tenerife to Spain on April 10 ,1496). I left Cuba as many have to Madrid, Spain where I lived for 4 years. Then, move to Perth Amboy ,New Jersey USA (living there 13 yrs) ; where I completed high school, became a US Citizen, learned to drive a car, and learned English. Afterward, went to the university in Florida, ERAU, and upon graduation decided to moved there to Ormond by the Sea, near Daytona Beach, finally moving North Miami, then Hialeah, then another moved to Silver Lakes division in Miramar, Broward county, Florida; in Florida I lived a total of 18 years. Finally , moved to France in 2003 ,Versailles call me for its royalty, and working in Paris was great. It was time to seek frontiers again and moved to Brech near Auray, Morbihan in Brittany , and later move to not too far Pluvigner. Total so far in France has been 20 years, and counting. Moving average a home every 5.5 years hopefully this will be my last. Cheers All rights reserved. No part of this blog may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means or stored in a retrieval system of any nature, without the written permission of the copyright holder, me. No part of this work may be modified, without the written permission of the holder, me.No part of this work may be exposed to public view in any form or by any means, without identifying the holder as the author, and with the before mentioned permission.

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