Wheel Throwing for Teens

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.

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.

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.