A Pottery Collective is Born in the Berkshires!
The newly formed Berkshire Potters Collective (BPC), in collaboration with IS183 Art School of the Berkshires, brings together a vibrant community of potters of all levels to meet each other and share ideas, ceramic techniques, creative energy, and love of all things clay. Membership is open to anyone with a passion for working with clay.
IS183 Art School’s mission to grow and sustain artists through hands-on participation in the visual arts is strengthened by this volunteer-led, passionate group of local ceramic artists. The Berkshire Potters Collective believes that meeting and interacting with other artists can bring your work to a new level and, most importantly, is fun. Led by five founding members - Donna Bernstein, Julie Buyon, Lorimer Burns, Anne Ferril, and Paula Shalan - the BPC will host regular member meetings, offer and solicit pottery demonstrations/skill sharing, as well as have group activities such as visits to area studios, firing events (raku, pit fires, barrel firings) and pottery workshops. This is a great way to meet people and broaden the scope of your work.
The BPC has a Facebook page, Berkshire Potters Collective, where members can interact and learn about planned events within and beyond IS183’s Community. It provides a virtual “meeting place” for those who would like to kiln-share, learn about various exhibition opportunities, participate in group purchases of clay and glazes, and join in group critique. It also contains a wealth of curated online resources: videos illustrating pottery techniques, member posts with photos of pottery and announcements for upcoming pottery events in the area.
The first event planned for the Berkshire Potters Collective is a “Meet and Greet” on Saturday, June 11, starting at 1:30 p.m. at IS183 Art School, 13 Willard Hill Road, Stockbridge, MA. Artists are encouraged to bring a piece they have made as a conversation starter and to get feedback from other potters. Artists must register to attend this free event, currently, there is no membership fee to join the BPC. Visit the Berkshire Potters Collective webpage to become a member and sign up!