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LESLIE, Bailey (Bayla Stern)
- Born
- Lodz, Poland, 1904
- Died
- Toronto, Ontario, 1998
- Biography synopsis
- Bailey Leslie (nee Stern) Immigrated to Cobalt, Ontario with her family in 1910 from Poland. After graduating from the University of Toronto with a B.A. in child psychology (1926) and an M.A. (1928), she worked in public schools as an art teacher where she first experimented with clay. She subsequently took a ceramics class at the Central Technical School in Toronto where she studied with Bobs Cogill Haworth. After World War II, she took summer classes at Alfred University (New York) and the Rochester Institute of Technology to expand her knowledge of glazes and also began working with porcelain. She later attended workshops with renowned English potter Bernard Leach in Toronto. In 1936, she was a founding member of the Canadian Guild of Potters (1936-1978) serving as president for two years. In 1957 along with four other women, Leslie established the artist co-operative Five Potters. Her work was selected for inclusion in numerous national and international exhibitions including the International Ceramic Exhibition in Syracuse (1958) and Prague (1962) where she won a silver medal. The Burlington Cultural Center held a retrospective exhibition of her work in 1993. She is represented in the Canadian Handicraft Guild (Montreal), Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery as well as other permanent collections in Europe.
- Media used
- Ceramics
- Pottery
- Education
- Central Technical School, Toronto (under "Bobs" Coghill Haworth)
- Alfred University (New York)
- Rochester Institute of Technology
- Memberships
- Canadian Guild of Potters, 1936 founding member
- File & Archive locations
- London Public Library
- Montreal Museum of Fine Arts / Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal, QC
- National Gallery of Canada, ON - Library and Archives
- BIBLIOGRAPHY
Writings about- "Modern Potters Display Art born 5,000 Years Ago." The Globe and Mail 03 Apr. 1948
- "Plan Canada Pottery at Czech Exhibition." The Glove and Mail 27 Jan. 1962: 16
- "Potters' Guild Opens Permanent Quarters." The Globe and Mail 22 Nov 1962: 15
- Crawford, Gail. A Fine Line: Studio Crafts in Ontario from 1930 to the Present Toronto: Dundurn Press, 1998
- Crawford, Gail. Studio Ceramics in Canada Fredericton: Goose Lane Editions, 2005
- Crawford, Gail. "Bayla (Bailey) Stern Leslie. (obituary)" The Globe and Mail 15 Feb 1999: A.20
- Crawford, Gail. "Lives Lived." The Globe and Mail 15 Feb 1999: A20
- Crawford, Lois. "Pioneer Ceramist's BCC Visit a Nice Surprise." The Hamilton Spectator 20 Apr 1993: T6
- Jukes, Mary. "New Pottery Designed to Suit Modern House." The Globe and Mail 27 Dec. 1957: 12
- MacDonald, Colin S. The Dictionary of Canadian Artists. (Volumes 1-8 by Colin S. MacDonald, and volume 9 by Anne Newlands and Judith Parker) Ottawa: National Gallery of Canada, 2009
- Simmons, Renee. "Five Potters joined Forces 25 Years Ago." The Globe and Mail 25 Nov 1982: 12
- Smith, Jonathan. "Bailey Leslie: A Tribute." Fusion Magazine (Ontario Clay and Glass Association) 17.4 (Autumn 1993): 13, 15
- Surette, Susan. "La Toundra Life: Marketing Identities in Craft." Journal of Canadian Art History 39/40.2/1 (2018/2019): 81-103
