Create a personalized ceramic house number plaque that’s both functional and beautiful. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll use slab-building techniques to design and construct a custom address plaque, incorporating natural textures from leaves, flowers, and stems pressed directly into the clay.

Participants will choose their plaque’s shape, layout, and number style, then add surface details that reflect their own aesthetic. With step-by-step guidance, you’ll learn how to cut, shape, and attach your design elements while exploring texture and composition.

All tools and materials are provided. Finished plaques will be fired and ready for pickup at a later date.

• 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 the mission of HYS.

Join a unique collaborative firing experience that brings together local ceramic artists and students from Montgomery County Community College (MCCC). Participants will work side by side with college students and their instructor, sharing in the full wood-firing process—from loading and firing to unloading and kiln maintenance.

Learn to manage each stage of the firing: building the fire, reading the kiln atmosphere, maintaining even heat, and adjusting dampers and air flow. Discussion will include wood selection, stoking rhythm, and the effects of salt introduction on both clay and kiln surfaces.

This collaborative firing offers a valuable opportunity to exchange ideas across experience levels while contributing to a shared creative process. Participants should be comfortable working in a group setting with MCCC students.

Note: this is a half share size: 12" x 24" x 15"

Bring a touch of handmade charm to your garden with a ceramic bird feeder crafted by you! In this beginner-friendly workshop, participants will learn slab-building techniques to construct a functional and decorative feeder that birds will love.

You’ll roll and shape clay into a teardrop form, add texture using stamps or natural materials, and attach end caps and hanging holes to complete your design. Along the way, you’ll explore surface decoration and handbuilding basics while creating a piece that’s both artistic and useful.

All tools and materials are provided. Finished bird feeders will be fired and ready for pickup at a later date.

• 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 the mission of HYS.

Step off the canvas and into clay! This advanced workshop welcomes artists of all backgrounds—potters, painters, and illustrators alike—to explore the decorative technique of Sgraffito (skrah-FEE-toh). You’ll design, glaze and carve your own imagery onto unfired ceramic plates. This 4-hour workshop has been put together for potters that wish to elevate the surface design of their own pieces, but also for artists that enjoy painting and/or drawing and want to experiment with it on a new medium. Plates will be made ahead of time (so no 'pottery skills' are required for this workshop). Carving tools will be provided.

• 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 the mission of HYS

Paint a layered, imaginative forest scene using techniques pioneered by Eyvind Earle for his work on Disney's 1959 animated film Sleeping Beauty. Using opaque gouache paint, we will learn to layer colors into an intricate, woven texture resembling Medieval tapestries and Persian miniature paintings. 

Clcik HERE for a materials list for this workshop

• 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 the mission of HYS.

"They say 'Go Big or Go Home'... and while the world of Zentangle is usually under 4 inches, we are going big for this workshop. This mega Zentangle-inspired mandala will be done on a 12x12 inch 'tile".  Perfect for framing. Bring your Zentangle kit, or purchase a kit for $13 from the instructor. Previous Zentangle experience is not required, but is helpful. There will be some additional supplies needed for this class. List will be sent after registration.

• 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!

Learn the wonderful art of needle felting with natural fibers as you create your own adorable penquin. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll follow step-by-step guidance to shape, layer, and build your sculpture using wool sourced locally from Locust Hollow Sheep Farm in nearby Coatesville. No experience needed, just bring your creativity.

Materials fee: $15

• 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!