Jack Troy, teacher, potter, and writer, retired from Juniata College in 2006, where he taught for 39 years. He has led over 230 workshops for potters at colleges, universities, and art centers in the U. S. and abroad. His career has taken him to 13 countries, and his work is in many private and public collections, including the Smithsonian Institution, Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park (Japan), Auckland (NZ) Museum of Art and the Kalamazoo Institute of Art.

His first book, Salt Glazed Ceramics, was published in 1977. In 1978 he built Pennsylvania’s first anagama-style kiln at Juniata College, and personal anagamas at his home in 1987 and 2006. In 1995 he published Wood-fired Stoneware and Porcelain. His collection of poems, Calling the Planet Home, was published in 2003 and more than 60 of his articles, book reviews, and exhibition catalogue essays have appeared in the major periodicals in his field. The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts awarded him two Craft Fellowships for his work in ceramics, and a Fellowship in Literature for his poetry. He was selected by the Council to make the awards for the 2005 Governor’s Awards for the Arts. In 2012 he received the Excellence in Teaching Award from NCECA, the National Council for Education in Ceramic Arts.

Membership is one of the easiest and most effective ways to support our mission! Learn more about it's benefits and discounts! 

Join master potter, teacher, and writer Jack Troy for this immersive two-day hands-on workshop exploring the transformation of wheel-thrown forms through alteration and intuitive process. Using the potter’s wheel as a starting point, participants will create a range of bottle forms that evolve beyond their original shapes through paddling, shaping, and manipulation at both soft and leather-hard stages.

Through guided demonstrations and studio exploration, participants will develop sensitivity to clay’s changing responsiveness while learning how enclosed forms can be altered around trapped air pockets into dynamic organic and geometric shapes that are both sculptural and functional.

The workshop will also introduce Troy’s ongoing exploration of ishi no sasayaki—Japanese for “stone with secret voice.” These enclosed ceramic forms contain hidden rattles that create subtle, shifting sounds unique to each finished piece, bringing an unexpected sense of life and mystery to the work.

This lively workshop encourages curiosity, experimentation, and the expansion of personal form vocabulary beyond familiar approaches.

Participants should be comfortable throwing bottles 6" tall or larger.

Please bring a ceramic object you have lived with for several years that holds personal meaning and that you would be willing to share with the group.

Join Historic Yellow Springs for a guided visit to the Wharton Esherick Museum, home and studio of pioneering artist and designer Wharton Esherick. Often considered the father of the Studio Furniture movement, Esherick transformed wood into sculptural furniture, interiors, and architectural elements that blurred the line between art and everyday life.

Participants will experience the museum’s signature guided tour, exploring Esherick’s remarkable studio-home, grounds, and creative legacy. Along the way, you'll discover his deep connection to nature, innovative approach to design, and lasting influence on contemporary craft, furniture, and sculpture.

Participants will drive independently to the museum. Plan to meet at the visitors center 9:45. This unique field trip offers inspiration for artists, makers, designers, and anyone interested in the intersection of art, craft, and daily life.

• We believe art should be accessible to all. Scholarships are available for those who qualify. 
• Membership is one of the easiest and most effective ways to support our mission! Learn more about it's benefits and discounts! 

Join Historic Yellow Springs for a guided visit to the Moravian Pottery & Tile Works Museum, the historic workshop founded by historian and artist Henry Chapman Mercer. Participants will tour the site, learn about Mercer's tile-making legacy, and take part in a hands-on sgraffito tile-making workshop.

Finished tiles will be fired and glazed by the studio and available for pickup approximately 3–4 weeks after the visit.

Participants will drive independently to the museum and should plan to arrive by 10:50 AM for an 11:00 AM tour.

Scholarships & Membership: 

• We believe art should be accessible to all. Scholarships are available for those who qualify. 
• Membership is one of the easiest and most effective ways to support our mission! Learn more about it's benefits and discounts! 

Open Studio is available exclusively to students (ages 16 and up) enrolled in a full-semester ceramics class. Students must register for Open Studio at the same location as their class to avoid transporting pottery between studios. Use this time to continue working on class projects. Tech support is offered during select Open Studio hours. 

• Monday: 9:00-12:00
• Tuesday: 1:00 pm - 3:30 pm
• Wednesday: 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
• Thursday: 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
• Saturday/Sunday: 1:00 pm - 6:30 pm

Note: There will be no open studio the following dates

• Sunday, October 11 for HYS Fall Festival
• Saturday, November 14 for Veteran's Art Day
• Sunday, December 13 for Holiday Stroll

Continue your artistic journey in this supportive studio class designed for those with drawing and painting experience. Work from still life arrangements, personal reference photos, or your own subject matter while refining composition, color, light, and form. Individual guidance and demonstrations will help you strengthen your technical skills, develop your personal style, and explore new creative challenges in oil or acrylic at your own pace.

Click HERE for a materials list for this course!

• We believe art should be accessible to all. Scholarships are available for those who qualify.
• Membership is one of the easiest and most effective ways to support our mission! Learn more about it's benefits and discounts!

In this immersive eight-week journey, we invite you to explore the profound dynamics between the world around us and the stories within us, viewed through the lens of nature and history.

Just as the mineral springs here have carved their way through the earth over centuries, our personal histories are shaped by the environments we inhabit. We will look to the surrounding landscape—the ancient trees, the weathered stone architecture, and the medicinal springs—as a mirror for our own lived experiences. Participants will be encouraged to explore how their personal history intersects with the broader legacy of Yellow Springs, finding where individual memory meets collective heritage.

A Multi-Sensory Approach to Storytelling Writing a memoir is often seen as a solitary act of pen and paper, but true expression often requires more than words alone. This course introduces creative free-writing as a foundation, but we break the boundaries of the page by incorporating mixed media. All artistic abilities are welcome!

• We believe art should be accessible to all. Scholarships are available for those who qualify.
• Membership is one of the easiest and most effective ways to support our mission! Learn more about it's benefits and discounts!

Immerse yourself in this handbuilding class to uncover new approaches to enhance your finished glaze work. Discover special techniques, including applying textures and engaging in insightful demonstrations. Whether you are a beginner honing basic skills or an advanced student crafting individual projects this class will help tailor your style.

This class is scheduled to be held in CCS, which is only accessable by stairs.

• We believe art should be accessible to all. Scholarships are available for those who qualify.
• Membership is one of the easiest and most effective ways to support our mission! Learn more about it's benefits and discounts!