Ceramics Workshops

2022 Workshop Season Update:

Touchstone is again offering a modified workshop season due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Please review our COVID-19 policy* and our cancellation policy* prior to registering for any workshop.

*Subject to change, check back for up-to-date information. Registered participants will be notified of any changes.

Weekend Workshops: AUG 27 through SEPT 26

AUG 27-29 | 3-DAY (SAT-MON)  
From Slab to Fab: Lidded Boxes 
Instructor: Jen Allen 

Intermediate 
$445 Member | $475 Non-Member 
$35-$85 Materials and Studio Fees

Download Materials List

This workshop is no longer open for enrollment.

This workshop will focus on transforming two-dimensional slabs into three-dimensional lidded forms. We will start the class with a texture toolmaking intensive! Jen will demonstrate various types of handmade stamps which you will be able to use on your pots to create texture and/or pattern. We will be trying out several lid styles on various box forms – from tiny keepsake boxes to your favorite kitchen storage container. Clay experience helpful but not necessary. 
 
Jen Allen is a studio potter, mother, and educator in Morgantown, WV. She received her BFA from the University of Alaska, Anchorage, and her MFA from Indiana University, Bloomington. In 2008, she moved to West Virginia to join her husband, Shoji Satake, who teaches ceramics at WVU. In 2019, Jen founded the Mo'town Studio Tour, an annual tour of art studios in her hometown of Morgantown. You can find her pottery in homes and kitchens across the U.S. 
 
Website: jenniferallenceramics.com
Instagram: @jenallenceramics

SEP 3-4 | 2-DAY (SAT-SUN)  
From Mud to Mugs: An Introduction to Pottery 
Instructor: Anthony DeRosa

No Experience/Beginner 
$320 Member | $350 Non-Member 
$35-$85 Materials and Studio Fees

Download Materials List

This workshop is no longer open for enrollment.

Participants of all skill levels are invited to come explore the many possibilities that wheel-thrown ceramics has to offer. Whether it’s your first time touching clay or you are a veteran in the Mud Militia, there is something to learn during this mini mud throwdown. Participants will learn how to make various forms like mugs, bowls, bottles, and even clay instruments as we explore the potter’s wheel. Come get down and dirty with the Mud Monkey! 
 
Anthony DeRosa, also known by his “claylias” the Mud Monkey, lives and works in Slippery Rock, PA. His works are a response to the interactions he has with the local geography, often processing raw materials to formulate unique clay bodies and glazes to be wood fired. Anthony holds a BFA from Slippery Rock University. After being introduced to ceramics on the banks of Wolf Creek in Slippery Rock, Anthony continued to study and work with potters both locally and abroad - in Japan, Costa Rica, the Netherlands, Italy, and the Dominican Republic. He currently teaches Commercial Art and Graphic Design at the Lawrence County Career and Technical Center in New Castle, PA, and leads workshops on atmospheric firing across the United States. 
 
Website: mudmonkeypottery.com
Instagram: @mudmonkeypottery

SEPT 10-12 | 3-DAY (SAT-MON)  
Figurative Gestures 
Instructor: Mac McCusker 

Intermediate 
$445 Member | $475 Non-Member 
$35-$85 Materials and Studio Fees

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This workshop is no longer open for enrollment.

Participants will learn to use gestures in figurative ceramic sculptures to make them more interesting and dynamic. We will explore multiple methods of construction such as slab building, coil, and making solid work to hollow. You will discover new ways to use texture, movement, form, and surface decoration to inform your work. 
 
Mac McCusker is currently the Ceramics Studio Manager at Union Project in Pittsburgh, PA. They are a former studio manager at Claymakers in Durham, NC, and a former resident artist at Odyssey Clayworks in Asheville, NC. Mac holds an MFA in Ceramic Arts from Georgia State University. They were an Emerging Artist in Ceramics Monthly in 2018 and have also been published in The Studio Potter Journal. Mac has been a lecturer at The National Education for Ceramic Arts conferences. They exhibit and teach nationally. 
 
Website: macmccuskerceramics.com
Instagram: @Mac_Art_Ceramics

SEP 17-18 | 2-DAY (SAT-SUN)  
Staying Centered: Introduction to Wheel Throwing 
Instructor: Julia Castor 

No Experience/Beginner 
$320 Member | $350 Non-Member 
$35-$85 Materials and Studio Fees

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This workshop is no longer open for enrollment.

In this workshop, you will learn how to use the wheel as a tool for an equally technical and artistic foundation in ceramics. You will explore a variety of wheel-throwing techniques that you can then apply to making your own functional vessels. Surface and finishing concepts, as well as decoration techniques, will also be explored to help you find your unique voice in the art of functional pottery making. 
 
Julia Castor is a ceramic artist and fine art painter from Bucks County, Pennsylvania. She has spent most of her life studying ceramics and fine art through many different educational institutions and opportunities, and continues to actively study and advance her knowledge in both fields. Julia teaches art and art history at a classical private school, and her work can be found both online and in shops and galleries. 
 
Website: castorartandpottery.org
Instagram: @castorartandpottery

SEP 24-26 | 3-DAY (SAT-MON)  
Clothing the Vessel 
Instructor: Sam Briegel 

Intermediate-Advanced  
$445 Member | $475 Non-Member 
$60-$110 Materials and Studio Fees

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This workshop is no longer open for enrollment.

In this 3-day workshop, you will create an 8.5''x11''x1'' plaster slab from a swatch of low-relief fabric. You will learn a transfer technique with the plaster slab to add layers of colored slip onto a slab of clay. After a slab of colored textured clay has been created, you’ll learn basic soft slab building techniques to turn the slab into a cup or leave it flat to create a tile. You will come away from this workshop with your very own plaster slab of fabric texture and a new technique to take your surface designs to a whole new level. 
 
Sam Briegel grew up in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains in Knoxville, TN. She received her BFA in Three-Dimensional Arts from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, where she focused on ceramics. Briegel was awarded her Master of Fine Arts in Ceramics from Ohio University. She has been a represented artist by the Smithsonian Craft Show in 2020 and 2021 and has given workshops and been a visiting artist across the country. Briegel is currently working out of a home studio at her farmhouse outside of Baltimore, MD, and is a current part-time faculty member at the Maryland Institute College of Art. 
 
Website: samanthabriegel.com
Instagram: @sambriegel

SEP 24-26 | 3-DAY (SAT-MON)
OCT 21-23 | 3-DAY (FRI-SUN)

Community Wood Firings
Instructors: Meghan Burke & Daniel Tomcik

$270 Member | $300 Non-Member
$190 Stand-In Fee (required if not working your kiln shifts)
Includes Materials and Studio Fees

*5 cubic feet per share/ all glazes, wadding, and wood will be supplied.

Register for October

The Touchstone Center for Crafts wood kiln is a two-chamber noborigama, originally built by Kevin Crowe in 1997. Thanks to the support of the Fayette County Tourism Grant Program, Kevin will be rebuilding the kiln in 2022.

The first chamber is fired exclusively with wood and the second chamber is wood and soda. Each participant is encouraged to bring 5 cubic feet per share. A variety of slips and glazes will be prepared, with the formulas available to participants upon request. Firing will begin after loading the kiln and will continue for approximately 40 hours. We will work around the clock in shifts. If you would like to buy a share but are unable to work your shifts, an additional ‘Stand-In Fee’ is required in order to have someone cover your shifts. All firings are led by Meghan Burke and Daniel Tomcik. For questions on how much work to bring, please contact Dan Tomcik directly (412) 773-2682 or noborigama1@gmail.com

**Please note, this workshop description was updated after the printed catalog was prepared.

Meghan Burke is from Manasquan, New Jersey.  She graduated in 2015 from Saint Joseph's University with a Bachelors of Art and then traveled to several residencies across the U.S. Meghan now resides and works in Pittsburgh. There she discovered Touchstone Center for Crafts and has worked there in various roles since 2017. She is an avid animal lover, nature enthusiast, and novice gardener, using her passion of plants and flowers to inspire her hand pinched and coiled pottery.

Instagram: @meghanburkestudio

Daniel Tomcik is a functional potter, born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. Daniel started working in clay at California University of Pennsylvania, where he earned his BFA with a concentration in ceramics. Daniel has worked as the lab tech intern at Standard Ceramic Supply Company, wood kiln assistant at Baltimore Clayworks, seasonal studio staff at Watershed Ceramics, as well as various roles at Touchstone Center for Crafts including resident artist, studio assistant, and current Studio and Grounds Manager.

Instagram: @tomcikpots 

Touchstone Center for Crafts prohibits discrimination in employment, educational programs, and activities on the basis of race, national origin, color, creed, religion, sex, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or association preference. Touchstone Center for Crafts also affirms its commitment to providing equal opportunities and equal access to its facilities and programming.

Previous Ceramics Workshops

Weeklong Workshops: JUNE 20 - AUGUST 19

JUN 20-24 | 5-DAY (MON-FRI)
Figuring Out
Instructor: Kensuke Yamada

All Levels
$620 Member | $650 Non-Member
$60-$110 Materials and Studio Fees

Download Materials List 

This workshop is no longer open for enrollment.

In this five-day workshop, Kensuke will demonstrate his coil building and other handbuilding techniques to construct a figurative sculpture using stoneware clay. We will build the “Rider,” combining multiple figures or objects and learning how to work form and surface to create your own narrative. Some handbuilding experience is necessary, and figure drawing experience helpful. Discussions will focus on anatomy, proportion, posture, and gesture along with glazing techniques. Facial features, hands, feet, and clothing will be added to animate the figures. Surfaces can be enhanced by texturing and detailing to create additional personal imagery. We will also create small samples and test tiles for experimentation using slips, underglazes, stains, and glazes to be fired as reference materials for future use after the workshop.

Kensuke Yamada was born in Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan. He received his MFA from the University of Montana in 2009 and has a BA from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. Kensuke has participated in artist residency programs at the Archie Bray Foundation, The Clay Studio Philadelphia, Cheekwood in Nashville, TN, and more. He is currently teaching at University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Website: yamadakensuke.com
Instagram: @Kensuke_Yamada

JUN 27- JUL 1 | 5-DAY (MON-FRI)
Thoughtful Pottery
Instructor: Linda Christianson

All Levels
$620 Member | $650 Non-Member
$55-$105 Materials and Studio Fees

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This workshop is no longer open for enrollment.

This workshop focuses on the skill building, curiosities, and aesthetic development of your individual interests. Through daily demonstrations, discussions, fun exercises, and personalized attention, participants will create well-crafted and thoughtful pottery. Pots that are dry are bisque-fired as part of the class. With an atmosphere of fun and hard work, the goal is for you to experience personal growth in your work. Both wheel throwers and handbuilders are welcome.

Linda Christianson is an independent studio potter who lives and works in rural Minnesota. She studied at Hamline University and the Banff Centre School of Fine Arts. An itinerant educator, Linda has taught at colleges and universities, including Carleton College, Hartford Art School, and the University of Georgia-Athens. She has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the McKnight Foundation, and the Minnesota State Arts Board.  Her work is included in museums and kitchens around the world. One of her goals is to make a better cup each day.

Website: christiansonpottery.com
Instagram: @lindachristiansonpottery

JUL 11-15 | 5-DAY (MON-FRI) | EDUCATORS' RETREAT
Finding Your Voice in Clay
Instructor: Yoko Sekino-Bové

All Levels
$620 Member | $650 Non-Member
$60-$110 Materials and Studio Fees

Download Materials List

This workshop is no longer open for enrollment.

The artist’s voice is often constructed with the materials, structures, colors, surfaces, and techniques they choose. This workshop will be about discovering and developing your voice and telling your stories through clay. Materials, functions, tools, and firing methods will be discussed and demonstrated to improve your technical skills. Since ceramic work often presents stories of its own, your creative challenge in this workshop will be to establish a conversation with it and discover where that dialogue leads.

Yoko Sekino-Bové was born in Osaka, Japan. After receiving an MFA in Ceramics from the University of Oklahoma, Yoko moved to Washington, Pennsylvania, and started working from her home studio. Her porcelain work has been exhibited in galleries, museums, and – most importantly, in many private homes (mainly kitchens) all over the world. She approaches ceramic art as a way to share stories, using function as a design element to enhance the experience. Her ambition in art is for her work to serve people in many different ways, bringing joy and excitement.

Website: yokosekinobove.com

Instagram: @yokosekinobove

JUL 17-22 | 6-DAY (SUN-FRI) | TEEN WEEK
Layered Stories: Collaging in Clay 
Instructor: April D. Felipe

All Levels (Ages 14-17)
$75 Materials and Studio Fees

This workshop will explore how to combine clay and mixed media materials to translate your stories into works of art. Participants will create ceramic wall tiles that will be used as a base for their work. This workshop will cover hand building techniques, ceramic and cold surface techniques.

April Felipe was born in, Queens, New York. She received her B.F.A from Alfred University and her M.F.A in Ceramics from Ohio University. In 2017 she was named one of Ceramic Monthly’s Emerging Artist and began the ceramic jewelry line babyGrapes Designs that is carried in galleries though out the United States. April is a co-founder of The Color Network.org. She has set down roots in Albany, Ohio with a home studio.
 

Website: aprildfelipe.com
Instagram: @aprildfelipe

Due to unforseen circumstances, 'The Narrative Figure' with Kyle and Kelly Phelps has been canceled. We are sorry for any inconvenience.

JUL 25-29 | 5-DAY (MON-FRI)
Throwing for Discovery
Instructor: Malcolm Mobutu Smith

Intermediate
$620 Member | $650 Non-Member

$70-$120 Materials and Studio Fees

Download Materials List

This workshop is no longer open for enrollment.

This course will focus demonstration and instruction by finding interesting points of entry for asking questions and generating "problems" on the potter's wheel. We will engage exploration with daily cues and prompts for invention and discovery. The wheel and vessel making will form the foundation and backbone of our journey, but we will approach building using both wheel and hand-building methods for the creation of novel forms. Experimentation, drawing, problem solving and play will be primary modes of this experience.

Malcolm Mobutu Smith is associate professor of ceramic art and director of graduate studies in the Sidney and Lois Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. He earned his MFA degree from the New York College of ceramics at Alfred University in 1996. As an undergraduate, he studied at both the Kansas City Art Institute and Penn State University where he received his BFA in ceramics in 1994. Smith’s professional activities include workshops, lectures and residencies. His works are represented by the Wexler Gallery in Philadelphia and are also held in numerous private and public collections including, New Taipei City Yingge Ceramics Museum, the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, and Indiana State Museum.

Website: malcolmmobutusmith.com
Instagram: @cercomgraf

AUG 1-5 | 5-DAY (MON-FRI) | NATURE WEEK
Taking Risks
Instructor: Kevin Crowe

Intermediate
$620 Member | $650 Non-Member
$120-$170 Materials and Studio Fees

Download Materials List

This workshop is no longer open for enrollment.

This workshop will encourage participants to work outside their comfort level, to explore what was once their limits.  We will work at the edges where the bones of creativity live.  The forms that we have held at arm's length will be our teachers.

Kevin Crowe has been a studio potter for 40 years.  He operates Tye River Pottery in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Nelson County, Virginia.  His work ranges from 4" tea bowls to 48" jars which are fired in an anagama wood fired kiln for seven days.  He has taught workshops throughout the United States and in England and Wales, focused on large forms and wood firing.

Website: kevincrowepottery.com
Instagram: @tye_river_tea

AUG 8-12 | 5-DAY (MON-FRI)
Pots and Other Objects
Instructor: Melissa Weiss

All Levels
$620 Member | $650 Non-Member
$50-$100 Materials and Studio Fees

Download Materials List

This workshop is no longer open for enrollment.

Imagine the home of your creative dreams and make odd, interesting objects to go inside it! In this workshop, we will explore the various handbuilding methods of pinching, coiling, slab and mold, carving, and combining multiple methods to build pots and other functional objects for the home. You will not be limited to traditional objects and methods.

Melissa Weiss is a full-time studio potter located in Asheville, NC. She received a BFA from

the School of Visual Arts in NYC in 2000 for photography. She has attended community classes and some workshops but is mainly self-taught in ceramics. Melissa makes a custom stoneware from clay she digs from her land in the Arkansas Ozarks. She makes all her own slips and glazes, and fires to cone 10 in a gas reduction kiln and reduction cools the kiln with wood.

Website: melissaweisspottery.com
Instagram: @melissaweisspottery

AUG 15-19 | 5-DAY (MON-FRI)
Monoprinting on Clay: Slip Transfer
Instructor: Lakyn Bowman

All Levels
$620 Member | $650 Non-Member
$50-$100 Materials and Studio Fees

Download Materials List

This workshop is no longer open for enrollment.

In this workshop, you will learn how to use a monoprinting technique, transferring hand drawn images onto leather-hard clay using underglazes and colored slip. Lakyn will demonstrate her particular methods to achieve timeless, aged, and weathered surfaces. Learn how to apply handles post decoration without messing up the design. Leave the workshop with tips on how composition and spacing play an important part in the end result of this diverse technique. The possibilities for images are endless!

Jackson, Tennessee-based ceramic artist, Lakyn Bowman, has been honing her skills in functional pottery since 2014. She received her BFA from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 2018 and has been a resident artist at Companion Gallery since graduating. With interest in thrifting mid-century modern furniture and collectables, she uses this decade’s colors and patterns for inspiration on her surfaces. Referencing vintage wallpaper, the work emanates the colors, patterns, and textures of the 1970s. Lakyn is captivated in finding new life, value, and joy from preloved items by giving them new life.

Website: lakynthrifts.com
Instagram: @lakynbowman_art