Ceramics
Code: C0102-21
-
O
Open to All
Students of any skill and knowledge level.
Making it Personal – Pots and Objects
Jun 7 - 18, 2021
9AM-5PM
Concept
Does art come from the head, the heart, or both? What questions help the artist dig deeper into their unique vision? This course explores these questions and more through demonstrations and group exercises which lead to a deeper understanding of the work. Ample time is provided for individual discussions and deeper reflection on one’s work. Students fire reduction and salt kilns. With an open heart and a seeker’s spirit all are welcome in this shared search for meaning.
Media & Techniques
Wheel-throwing handbuilding, porcelain, stoneware, reduction and salt firings, charcoal drawing
Supply ListFaculty
Chris Staley
Chris Staley is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Art at Penn State University. He was selected to be the Penn State Laureate for 2012-2013. In 2021 he received a NCECA Excellence in Teaching Award. Chris was once rejected to all the graduate MFA programs he applied to. His work is in many collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and friends’ cupboards.
Chris Staley, Still Life - Detail
Workshop Details
Workshop Supplies
For general information about studio access, shipping, and more, please visit our info page.
If you have any questions regarding your supplies for your workshop, please contact Joanne Seongweon Lee, [email protected].
Lodging & Meals
Housing is limited and includes shared and private lodging options. Reservations will be managed on a first-come, first-served basis. The earlier you reserve housing, the better your chance of receiving your preferred option. Please note: Workshop costs do not include accommodations.
NEW: Course fees includes a welcome dinner and lunches. In our effort to foster a stronger sense of community and accessibility at Anderson Ranch, we include the welcome dinner and all lunches as part of course fees for summer workshop students. Our hope is that this adjustment will encourage all students to come together to share meals and engage in meaningful conversations. The Ranch Café Meal Plan, which is included with Room and Board fees, strives to provide healthy, creative meals that will nourish your artistic creativity. Learn more.
We have established a Business Safety Plan with added layers of precaution that prioritize the health and safety of our staff, students, faculty and guests while continuing to provide you with the Anderson Ranch experience that you know and enjoy.
Ceramics
Ceramics Studio at Anderson Ranch, Aspen / Snowmass
The ceramics studio at Anderson Ranch Arts Center, located in Snowmass Village near Aspen, Colorado, is a fully equipped professional ceramics studio designed to support immersive workshops and advanced studio practice. The facility offers dedicated workspaces, high-quality kilns, glazing areas, and technical infrastructure for artists working in clay across a range of processes and firing methods.
Interested in enrolling? Explore the full schedule of Ceramics Workshops at Anderson Ranch.
In 1966, American ceramicist Paul Soldner selected the site for what is now Anderson Ranch Arts Center, forming the foundation for a thriving ceramics program. Then and now, Anderson Ranch is a place where students exchange ideas and examine ceramic art and pottery techniques. It has always been a place where seminal moments of growth happen in an artist’s creative and critical thinking. Here, both beginning and emerging artists gain strong fundamental support, while established artists achieve new perspectives and advance their techniques.
The Ranch Ceramics team provides support, feedback and technical problem-solving, giving each artist the freedom to experiment and grow. Our primary focus is on personal advancement through a process of creative discovery.
The Soldner Ceramics Center makes up more than 10,000 square feet in three buildings with 3 studio spaces and 1 kiln yard; Soldner Studio, Long Studio, Sorenson Studio and Lyeth/Lyon Kiln Building. Soldner and Long studios are used for wheel-throwing, hand-building, or general ceramics creativity. Sorenson studio is equipped with five PotterBot 3d clay printers. The Lyeth/Lyon kiln building is equipped with gas, electric, soda and wood kilns for both oxidation and reduction firing at all temperature ranges. The Ranch offers three wood kilns including a gas/wood hybrid kiln, three gas reduction kilns, one soda kiln and eleven high-temperature electric kilns.
Don’t know where to start? View the skill levels for ceramics workshops.
Anderson Ranch Arts Center is a historic, rustic campus that features gravel pathways and uneven terrain that may pose challenges for individuals using wheelchairs or other mobility devices. We strive to provide accommodations to ensure all guests can access and enjoy our programs and facilities. With advance notice, our staff can offer personalized assistance and coordinate access to studios and campus spaces. For questions or to request an accommodation, please contact us at (970) 923-3181 or [email protected].
Anderson Ranch is happy to extend a 20% tuition discount for summer one- or two-week adult ceramics workshops for NCECA members at the student membership level or above. Please email [email protected] with your NCECA membership information prior to registering and we will send you a promo code to complete registration with your discount applied. You are also welcome to call 970-924-5089 to register after verifying your membership with us. **Please note, this discount must be approved prior to registering and cannot be applied retroactively. NCECA discount does not apply to Advanced Mentored Studies programs or Destination Workshops, nor can it be combined with any other discount, scholarship or special offer.
Scholarships, College Credit & Discounts
Making Art Accessible
Applications for scholarship support are encouraged. Specific scholarships are funded by Ranch supporters, either through endowed funds or special gifts.
Many colleges and universities offer college credit for workshops taken at Anderson Ranch. Discounts are available for students and teachers.
You Might Also Be Interested In
-
I
Level I
Students are new to ceramics and have no formal training.
Aug 31 - Sep 4, 2026
9 AM - 5 PM
Basic Mold Making for Slip or Slab Casting
Betsy Alwin
Tuition $1,300
Code C1416-26
This basic mold-making workshop focuses on plaster piece molds for slip and press-mold casting. Students are guided through the technical aspects of design of an object for casting, development of a plaster mold, and methods of casting. Discussion and demonstration give insight to how artists use this practice to create a catalog of forms and objects to use again and again in their work. Participants come away with knowledge of best practices, functioning piece molds, and a bisqued cast form.
-
I
Level I
Students are new to ceramics and have no formal training.
-
II
Level II
Students have a basic understanding of forming techniques, such as throwing and hand building. Students have taken one or two ceramics classes or workshops.
Aug 31 - Sep 4, 2026
9 AM - 5 PM
Beginning Adult Wheel: Back to Basics
Anne Goldberg
Tuition $1,300
Code C1421-26
This workshop is designed for beginning students who have never touched clay before, and intermediate students wanting to improve their throwing skills. Students start by centering the clay and work their way to creating forms: cylinders, bowls, mugs, and vases. This workshop focuses on wheel-throwing, though participants are able to experiment with underglaze and slip decoration, and glazing. Work finished early in the week will be glaze-fired to cone 6; work completed later in the week will be bisque-fired.
-
III
Level III
Students have significant experience with clay forming techniques, such as throwing, hand building and modeling. Students are comfortable with ceramics equipment, such as wheels, extruders and slab rollers. Students are self-starting with some formal training and have taken a minimum of three classes or workshops.
-
IV
Level IV
Students have advanced skills and knowledge of the ceramics field. Students are highly motivated, have a minimum of five years experience in the field and have a portfolio of their artwork. Typical students are academics and professional artists.
Sep 7 - 18, 2026
9 AM - 5 PM
Studio Farm Table: The Art of Dining
Peter Beasecker, Barclay Dodge
Tuition $2,300
Code C1518-26
This intensive workshop focuses on thinking, forming, and exploring new possibilities with utilitarian pottery. The guest artist, Chef Barclay Dodge, discusses presentation, creative decision-making, and seasonal influences, sharing a menu to inspire participants in the creation of tableware. Studio work and firings culminate in a multi-course meal—served on the dishes we make in the workshop — at the acclaimed Aspen restaurant Bosq. Demonstrations, discussions, and presentations focus on personal expression in pottery as it moves between both service and display.