Makers and Making Clay Art Center

Clay Art Center: A place to ignite a passion for clay, experience clay, and work with clay.

This summer has been vibrant at Clay Art Center, with students and artists exploring clay in countless ways. Our mission to ignite a passion for clay in people of all ages, every day was evident in the work and the smiles in the classrooms and studios. As July winds down, we're looking forward to fall and gearing up for the new season of programming in our classrooms and Gallery at Clay Art Center. Make sure to stay informed by checking our Events page regularly, or signing up or our weekly newsletter.

In our classrooms, adult students are honing their skills and perfecting their techniques, while our youth programs offer younger students a journey of discovery, teaching them how to use the potter’s wheel and bring their ideas to life through handbuilding. Students have also been experimenting with alternative firing methods, such as the recent Obvara Raku workshop with instructor Eileen Sackman. This ancient firing technique creates unique patterns and surface qualities, expanding their creative horizons.

Our artists are deeply immersed in their work, eagerly anticipating the results from our gas kilns. Just this past week, we had the pleasure of witnessing one such moment as artist Bob Clyatt uloaded the kiln to reveal the flame-haired portrait sculpture of "Lola." Bob shared some of his inspiration and process saying, “Lola is inspired by the lead character in a terrific German indie movie called Run Lola Run, starring Franka Potente. The work is sculpted in a stoneware paper clay with grog, and glazed with a special mix of inclusion stains to get the orange-red in a cone 10 satin base. The skin has a very simple iron oxide wash but no glaze. After reduction firing she got a little makeup of cold wax medium with some metal powder to integrate the feeling of the skin so it will refract light in a way similar to actual skin.” Enjoy some before and after shots of the firing and finishing process.

Additionally, we were thrilled to host a visit from News12, who will feature Clay Art Center in an upcoming segment of "Made In The Hudson Valley." This segment will showcase our Shop, Gallery, and classrooms. We can’t wait to share more with you soon!

The Salvation Army Backpack-To-School Supplies Drive

Clay Art Center is happy to share that we are partnering with The Salvation Army Port Chester Corps to help support local families in need as they prepare to go back to school this year. Last year, The Salvation Army Corps were able to provide over 80 kids in the local Port Chester, Rye, and Rye-Brook communities with brand new backpacks. This year, their goal is to help provide 150 backpacks to local kids from 5 to 13 years old whose families have a low income. You can help get the school year off to a great start by donating items from the list provided to collection boxes located at Clay Art Center, now through August 16th.

Items needed include:

  • Backpacks

  • #2 Pencils

  • Colored Pencils

  • Pencil Sharpener

  • Erasers

  • Pencil Cases

  • Glue Sticks

  • Crayons

  • Washable Markers

  • Blunt Tip Scissors

  • Pocket Folders

  • Watercolor Paint

  • Construction Paper

  • Wide Ruled Notebooks

  • Highlighters

  • Index Cards

  • Ballpoint Pens

  • Spiral Notebooks

  • 1 Inch 3 Ring Binders

  • Protractor

  • Agendas

  • Subject Dividers

  • White-out

  • Graph Paper

  • Drawing Paper

  • Calculator

Regina Farrell-FaganClay Classes, Pottery, Sculpture, Westchester