Part 8. Meet the Potter. Mary Borgstrom interview.

some buildings stand in our towns and we don't know the story of who lived there what they believed what they did and who they were a short time ago I purchased a house but it was filled with someone else's memories through renovations I learnt the story of the previous owner but also learned that so many into her community didn't know her either thankfully I could still meet her and chat with her and now so do you well I can see that going through the house I feel almost like I know you know after seeing your art and hear your legacy hears you managed to get a round of those yeah there was a wish peeper down at the corner of the cabinet and in that bunch of paper weather a bunch of poetry poetry did you notice it so I found I found some boxes with some writing and some artwork that you've done and I kept all that aside I saved that yeah I did find something yeah I did yeah we tried to save as much as we could so any of the family pictures or things like that so I've been pretty careful as I go through to make sure that I try and protect and keep and preserve as much as I can and I can understand that basically I didn't want to talk too much about the house today I wanted to talk about you and and to learn more of your story because as I've gone through that's a terrible place oh it shouldn't know it was for anybody and everybody that asked for me okay Lockheed hired I didn't even less graph let's grab to set up the arts and crafts program in the promise this graph did you bet it did you do you know yeah he's the one you should be interviewing not oh no I don't know about that there's a lot of people who think your art is very beautiful that have come across it now [Music] there's quite a few pieces of the hoax there was a little bit here and a little bit there yeah and so I put it all together and I'm going to see with your permission if we might be able to do a little exhibition at some point somewhere to get your art back out on display I said you were a very talented artist well Judy tell me but I never thought of leather all my firing without side so what inspired you where did where did you get your inspiration for your artwork up here everything came from up there I had no special training it all came from up here I was one of four people that represented Canada Alberta [Music] [Music] [Music] [Laughter] [Music] anyway I was surprised that I was asked it was overwhelming no more I didn't that that large vase at the Museum of you seniors that was gee Europe and it was coming back I had one part where the Alberta said about warehouse in London England I had one part that was there for several months and when and they said up at the same time they said about how her a house in Japan and I had another one there for several months but then they returned him to Canada and they were in that Museum in Deadwood but this graph could tell you more about my activities as a Potter then you know I can now so I had heard that you would travel around and find really good clay from all different areas I did all my own claim just any worse but you get sort of it you know all clay is legal some has sand in it some has good sand in it that you can use that goes that you use it for drink but there's also sad that's the pottery won't hold together and you get so you know your clay you know your soil is simply when something comes out of here it's not the same as something that you studied you studied it it's sort of and a half memory coming back to you and the different stages different so so whenever I was polishing either stolen or and they were all fired talk to the crowd that's much different than using a proper kill isn't it Carlin brought some pictures here so that looks like that's you yeah and shiny look at the look at what a nice finish is on those well I was targeting charge of ice crafting Provost I saw a book on how to learn cream and I wondered if you've learned it you might I bet you've merger word huh well there's probably a lot of kids out there that have good memories of learning from you I guess they'd be grown-ups now yeah that's that was one oh that's my very first one that one is well for your first one that turned out pretty darn good this one went to your the big one Alberta host and this one also to Zenith and we around Jimmy and Heather there so now I was going to ask you about your drawings so I've seen lots of these little drawings so what what are they and now she's drawn freehand yep and I could do hey it's perfect those are very symmetrical everything is what I would do here I would just go close my eyes and just run my hand and he wish wait but then I looked to see what I could see it so that's what you see is what I saw in did not scroll a big deer so well I see and that was only a few years ago so do you still draw I can t even used my hands that's what happens when you vehicle well I traveled so much I resemble that you called me crazy to the space and that's why you phoned the house the way it is because I didn't have time for those I guess I don't have to tell you that you don't have a choice depends on how strong the urge is but was your whole family creative your mom or your sisters or well I don't know my mother from the Ukraine - I don't know she's about 20 18 or 20 when she came to this country so I don't know whether she but you created people are quite clever so I really don't know she didn't talk about her life she was the only one in her family that came to this country for a while we lived in provost well enough interest to polish duty but she didn't know that I believe clever mate I had two sisters two sisters three sisters but they didn't they were called early and I'm wondering why I'm still here because I was ready to go live here well I'm still wondering if I'm going upward or if there is enough room down I'm getting curious about the other side there's a loner all my life I had three sisters but I [Music] didn't spend too much time with my I was off telling myself stories and then dreaming Oh God hi Mindy and Newton for a while and they didn't care dude Jennifer earlier as a young lady what a mode yes ma'am well he was law age right head man well I worked for him wherever he sent me that's where I went he found all my work for me he brought me into old classes spend it with a week to teach how to make pottery and then I move on to the next one well I'm sure that people became Potter's for me I had no choice you need to do to create the Padre so strong that I would did not have resistance I just had to do it it was in you [Music] well if you came from a family of artists to like either sin and you yourself are an artist you would understand I wanted to create you know our dukes yes yes the inner man yeah well if you don't do it for summary the other you're nothing you're just nothing that maybe we can encourage people to live their lives more fully I read a quote that you had said something along the lines of when you're making pottery it becomes everything to you that you almost can't think of anything else do you still feel if you had some clay in front of you would you still be inclined to try and make and form and create or the urge you're so strong you can't really resist it I regret that I didn't work out after I came here and I haven't done anything but I can't use my hands and that between not being able to walk and I walked up and down up and down digging clay hunting for clay well I was very happy but but that but well I think that what you've what you've left and what people will see from your artwork is quite remarkable and so I wanted to tell you what the plans are for the house so you have an idea I think that the work you did was pretty extraordinary and I don't think there's many people who grow up in a small town that do things like you did huh sorry about the lecture Bert I don't stick around do anything with it no well I I look at the house and I I see potential for it to represent your art and who you are so we are repairing and cleaning and trying to make it a nice space that people can maybe visit well you sort of you know look how I left the house because you couldn't understand where I'm coming from of course that's why it didn't bother me one bit to roll up my sleeves and do the work and in a sense I'm glad that it was me then ended up with the house because I can pull out the things that I know we're very honored I just I'm still in shock I'm applying to get your house designated as a historical site in your honor so that they would say and have to protect that home and say that this was Mary Bergstrom's house the artist well I think that is such a great honor that you're doing that I was utterly shocked when they told me I want to do something to respect your legacy and something for the town to remember you what I'm hoping to do is to have a little plaque put in front of the house with your name we're sprucing up the old house and it's looking good thank you very much for you my daughter can take on here once in a while is here she's big she sure can however there we go the way I collected I'm you invited it to the house I declined because there's no way I could no no you stay upright for sure is a lot of 52 jeweled meadows there is I'm up for it so bad I'm so glad to have the chance to be Mary who survived the depression and came out stronger found her passion for art later in life and excelled at a time when most people would have been winding down that's when she worked the hardest at her craft and kept learning and teaching for many years and it goes to show that sometimes you have to look a little deeper and dig to understand the whole story [Music]

Channel: Curiosity Incorporated

Views: 382,429

Keywords: iMovie, mary borgstrom, potters house, pottery, art, doccumentary, alex archbold, curiosity inc, history channel, discovery channel, american pickers, hoarders, hoarding, property brothers, home renovation, renovate, cleaning house, elderly, kindness, caring, decorating, hoarder house, alexander archbold, borgstrom, ceramics, alberta, les graff, leslie graff

Id: NGXFhhpaTc4

Length: 19min 9sec (1149 seconds)

Published: Wed Feb 20 2019