As an artist that loves to learn new things and expand my skills, I love craft schools. Craft schools are schools that offer courses in ceramics, metals, paper crafts, drawing, printmaking, painting, fiber arts, glass, etc. The classes cover different topics, usually focusing on a specific style or technique. I am always looking through brochures of places like Penland, Peter’s Valley, Haystack, etc. – window shopping and wishing I could take all the workshops. They all look like fun! They can be expensive, but oftentimes scholarships and/or work study opportunities are available to help the programs be accessible for people without the means to pay. This summer, thanks to one such scholarship, I was able to attend an extended workshop with an artist I really admire named Melissa Weiss.
I don’t remember the first time I came across Melissa’s work, but I remember thinking wow this woman is such a badass! She digs her own clay, she’s a mom just like me, she runs her own business and to top it off she advocates for equity in ceramics! She doesn’t just talk about it either, she puts her money where her mouth is. When I found out she was teaching a 9 day workshop at Snow Farm School of Craft I was happy to learn that there were BIPOC scholarships available, which Melissa worked to help raise funds for. The scholarship was substantial – it covered all class expenses, food and housing. I rushed to submit my scholarship application because without it I wouldn’t be able to attend.
In the middle of organizing Bronx Clay’s community workshops this Spring, I received an email letting me know that I got one of the scholarships! It had been so long since I had taken a workshop like this. I was excited and nervous at the same time – would I come across folks with big nasty egos? People who try to make you feel smaller than? How would I fit in?
When I got to SnowFarm I was surprised to see everyone was so nice and welcoming. (You have to remember I’m coming from NYC – I will forever be surprised when people are nice and welcoming.) Everything was green and the air smelled so good, so sweet. Class started right away. I was happy to see that there were other BIPOC students in the class. We talked about COVID safety measures, made sure everyone felt comfortable and introduced ourselves. That day and throughout the week Melissa demonstrated how she makes everything she makes, including her carved cups, carved boxes, large coil built potluck dishes, pitchers, bowls, coffee drip cones and even whistles. There was no detail spared. We even learned how she makes her ash glaze and how she reduction cools the glaze kiln. I learned so much during my time there and the other participants were so funny and sweet – no big nasty egos! I made soo much work and got to experiment freely, without worrying about whether it will sell – just making for fun and exploring surfaces, noticing patterns, practicing new decorating techniques. Most of all, I truly value the connections I made at the workshop. It has widened my network within the ceramic community at a critical time for me as we try to grow Bronx Clay.
If you’re into the arts and creating, I would 1000% recommend looking into the various craft schools across the US. Don’t let lack of money hold you back! It’s worth it to look into whether they have workstudy or scholarships available and if they don’t have it listed call and ask!
Some places to look into include Touchstone Center for Crafts, Penland School of Crafts, Peter’s Valley School of Craft, Sonoma Community Center, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, and the Idyllwild Summer Arts Program. I know there are many more that I haven’t mentioned and have yet to discover.
Do you know of any craft schools you would recommend?
