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Teen Week

Create, connect, and grow in a creative community!

Touchstone Teen Week (MON-FRI):
July 7-11, 2025

5-DAYS (MONDAY-FRIDAY)
$1350 All-Inclusive Fee
Scholarships available
No Experience Needed!

Please note: Our catalog and previous listings show Teen Week as Monday–Thursday, but we’re confirming that it will run through Friday, July 11. More time to learn, create, and connect!

Teens (Ages 14-17) learn from professional artists in our fully equipped studio spaces while they stay on campus and create with other students from across the country. Evenings are open for demonstrations, group activities or work in the studio. Students are housed in single-sex dormitories or cabins. The dining hall is central to campus where delicious home-cooked meals are served with fresh local ingredients. All students take a turn helping out in the kitchen and keeping the campus clean.

Participants will:

  • Attend a five-day interactive workshop
  • Extend their creative potential
  • Work with other students from around the region
  • Experience art in an immersive environment inspired by nature

Why Participate?

  • Meet other students from the region and work with world-class instructors to improve your art.
  • Touchstone offers an Immersive experience, where you will live your craft for a week.
  • Receive career guidance in areas such as creating a portfolio, applying to college and other topics from guest speakers.
  • Participants broaden their thinking in relation to their craft. 

Students spending a week on Touchstone’s grounds benefit from the natural and artistic aspects of campus life…

  • “I learned that my art is something special that will be with me for the rest of my life, whether or not I decide to pursue it as a career.” 
  • “I increased my understanding of the variety of ways that people continue to make art and/or craft works throughout their lifetimes (professional artist, semiprofessional artist, etc.).”
  • “I learned a variety of techniques in working with this medium that will inform my artistic development in the future.”
  • “My selected workshop at Touchstone enhanced what I have learned and/or experienced at my high school.” 

Instructors

 

Touchstone’s Studio Instructors are accomplished artists and educators from around the country. They bring both technical expertise and real-world experience to the studio.

*The all-inclusive fee covers processing, tuition, lodging, and meals for your session. Additionally, it provides materials required at the request of the instructor for participant use. Some instructors may also require that you bring certain materials with you; if so, a list will be provided in advance of your workshop.

Students who are awarded a scholarship will be provided with a unique code to enter at checkout, which will automatically apply towards the balance. Final payment of fees is due at the time of registration.

ALL teens will be required to attend a virtual orientation session ahead of the program. Details for orientation will be provided at a later date. Information is typically sent via email – Please be sure to add info@touchstonecrafts.org to your safe sender contacts or check your spam folders to be kept in the loop regarding Teen Week.

Teen Week Applications

All teens interested in participating in Teen Week MUST complete an application regardless of whether you are seeking a scholarship or intend to pay for all/some fees.

  • Applications are accepted through SlideRoom.
  • There are no fees to apply for Teen Week.
  • Incomplete applications will not be considered.

REQUIRED FOR ALL APPLICATIONS

  1. Statement of Intent (this is the most important piece of your application). On a separate sheet of paper, please provide a statement (no longer than 1 page), telling us why you are interested in participating and why you should be considered for a scholarship.
  2. Letter of Recommendation with contact information (teacher or administrator at your school preferred)

Optional:

  • Work Samples (limit – 5) Submit as jpg files (300dpi) if emailing *your last name must be in the image title (1_SMITH.jpg) or include printed images if mailing your application

Please call (724)329-1370 with any questions you may have.

APPLY TODAY!

The deadline for submitting applications has been extended to May 1st.

*Please contact us at 724-329-1370 if you prefer a paper/PDF application.

“This camp is probably the most educational and inspiring art experience I’ve ever had. I improved a lot, especially with confidence in my work.” – Teen Week Participant

“I have been to life-altering courses before, but none are like Touchstone. Every second here has molded me into a much better self.” – Teen Week Participant 

“This experience creates a home away from home. I not only learned how to create better artwork but I now also share new core moments with others.” – Teen Week Participant

BLACKSMITHING | CERAMICS | DRAWING & PAINTING | GLASS | METALS & JEWELRY

Blacksmithing for Teens

JUL 7-11 | 5-DAYS (MON-FRI) | TEEN WEEK
Instructor: Anna R. Koplik

No Experience-Beginner (Ages 14-17)
Teens who have been accepted into the program will receive a link to register.

APPLY TODAY!

Swing a hammer at the anvil, work a coal forge, and forge hot steel in a fun, inclusive environment. Learn blacksmithing basics like tapering, twisting, and bending, while creating decorative and functional pieces. Develop responsible habits and skills for continued exploration.

Anna Koplik received her BFA in Jewelry from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY where she discovered her love for metalwork and forging. After graduating she shifted her focus to blacksmithing and began traveling, working at crafts schools and as a journeyman architectural smith, teaching blacksmithing workshops, and going on adventures whenever possible. Her personal work focuses mainly on tool and utensil making, and combining functionality with a refined, delicate aesthetic. Anna has worked at a variety of shops, including Atlas Forge, Caleb Kullman Studio, and Spirit Ironworks, as well as taught at various craft schools such as Penland School of Crafts, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, and John C. Campbell Folk School.

Website: annarkoplik.com
Instagram: @arkoplik

The Portrait in Clay

JUL 7-11 | 5-DAYS (MON-FRI) | TEEN WEEK
Instructor: Jamie Bates

No Experience-Beginner (Ages 14-17)
Teens who have been accepted into the program will receive a link to register.

APPLY TODAY!

Create a complete portrait out of clay, starting with general proportion rules and ending with a detailed image of yourself or someone of your choice. Learn about anatomy, bone structure, musculature, expression, and variations in the human body.

Jamie Bates, originally from Cameron, Missouri, is a ceramic artist known for their exploration of identity and mental landscapes through figurative sculpture. Holding an MFA in Ceramics from the University of Kansas and a BFA in Studio Art from the University of Central Missouri, Bates employs scale, composition, and surface to challenge societal norms and address themes such as mental health, sexuality, and gender. Their work has garnered recognition in solo and group exhibitions and social media, captivating audiences with its thought-provoking depth and emotional resonance. Currently serving as an Associate Professor of Ceramics at the University of Oklahoma, Bates continues to inspire and educate emerging artists while further developing their own practice. Bates has also participated in prestigious artists residencies across the US, further enriching their artistic practice and expanding their creative horizons. Through their work, Bates invites viewers to contemplate the complexities of the human experience, fostering dialogue and introspection.

Website: jamiembates.com
Instagram: @jamiebatesisalone

Plein Air Painting

JUL 7-11 | 5-DAYS (MON-FRI) | TEEN WEEK
Instructor: Joshua Hoffman

No Experience-Beginner (Ages 14-17)
Teens who have been accepted into the program will receive a link to register.

APPLY TODAY!

Experience the joy of painting outdoors. Explore the art of plein air painting—capturing the beauty of the natural world while surrounded by the inspiring woodland campus of Touchstone. Teens will develop skills, observe landscapes, and bring their artistic vision to life.

Joshua has been studying art for over 15 years. He began oil painting in college where he quickly fell in love with landscape and plein air painting. “There is something special about the connection a painter develops with their surroundings when they are routinely practicing plein air painting. Through utilizing this process, I have learned to reflect not only my physical surroundings but also my personal experiences, which often are expressed through my use of enhanced colors and bold brush strokes.” Joshua currently lives in Pittsburgh PA, with his wife and two children. Joshua has been working as a full-time artist since 2021.

Website: joshuahoffmanart.com
Instagram: @josh.hoffman.165


Glass Lab: An Exploration of Process

JUL 7-11 | 5-DAYS (MON-FRI) | TEEN WEEK
Instructor: Meredith Edmondson

No Experience-Beginner (Ages 14-17)
Teens who have been accepted into the program will receive a link to register.

APPLY TODAY!

Explore the glass studio in this fast-paced workshop! Experiment like a scientist with fusing, slumping, casting, torchwork, and cold shop techniques. Uncover exciting ways to work with glass while creating unique and imaginative pieces.

Meredith Edmondson began working with glass in 2005, having first fallen in love with the material during a chance visit to the Appalachian Center for Craft, from which she later received her BFA in 2009.  Her work incorporates a variety of techniques, including glass blowing, fusing and slumping, kiln casting, and screenprinting.  Central to her work is the extraordinary ability of glass to look like what it is not; each object is as beautiful as it is deceptive, and the illusion is the craft.

Website: meredithedmondson.com
Instagram: @meredithedmondsonglass

Jewelry 101!

JUL 7-11 | 5-DAYS (MON-FRI) | TEEN WEEK
Instructor: Ren Higuera

No Experience-Beginner (Ages 14-17)
Teens who have been accepted into the program will receive a link to register.

APPLY TODAY!

Learn fundamental jewelry techniques, including sawing, soldering, texturing, and basic stone setting. Create pendants, earrings, rings, and cuff bracelets, and discover skills like wire wrapping and stamping that can be practiced at home with minimal equipment.

Ren Higuera (they/them) is a jeweler and enamelist. After receiving their BFA in metalsmithing from the University of North Texas in 2022, they split their time designing for an art jeweler in Dallas and attending craft schools across the East Coast. Ren’s main body of work is a line of fidget jewelry designed to aid stimming for neurodiverse individuals. ‘Stimming’ refers to idle, repetitive, and self-soothing gestures such as nail biting or leg bouncing. Ren’s wearable fidget pieces aid stimming through contrasting textures and kinetic parts.


Instagram: @rensart