Classes, Workshops, + Events
Portugal Clay Retreat with Bryan Hopkins 2026
PORCELAIN! + FOOD + FIRE Join us in Portugal this February for an unforgettable 7-day experience with Bryan Hopkins
Portugal Clay Retreat with Sam Taylor and Mark Shapiro 2026
CLAY + FOOD + FIRE! Join us in Portugal this February for an unforgettable 10-day experience with Sam Taylor and Mark Shapiro
POTTERY ON THE WHEEL CLASSES - Tuesday Evenings
Join us in the clay studio this summer for this all-levels, 6-week pottery class. We’ll get our hands dirty and make great pots!
POTTERY ON THE WHEEL CLASSES - Thursday Evenings
Join us in the clay studio this summer for this all-levels, 6-week pottery class. We’ll get our hands dirty and make great pots!
ALUMNI WEEK 2026
Calling all alumni! Craigardan’s alumni return to the Adirondacks for some fun, camaraderie, and rest — as well as help out with our annual Summer Firing Celebration!
(4th) ANNUAL SUMMER FIRING CELEBRATION
Join us for our annual summer event! We’ll celebrate the fire that brings us together, the summer harvest, and the community of artists, scholars, and creatives all around us.
FREE WEBINAR - Portugal Clay Retreat Q & A with Sam Taylor and Mark Shapiro
Free live Zoom Q&A with Mark Shapiro, Sam Taylor and Michele Drozd to answer questions about our 2026 Portugal Clay Retreats.
FREE WEBINAR - Portugal Clay Retreat Q & A with Bryan Hopkins
Free live Zoom Q&A with Bryan Hopkins and Michele Drozd to answer questions about our 2026 Portugal International Clay Retreats.
APPLEBARN TALKS: Lauren McElroy, Elissa Lash, Elise Jeanmaire
Free and open to the public
APPLEBARN TALKS: Carly Marie DeMento, Dr. Lise Deguire, Hannah Plummer
Free and open to the public
FLEECE TO FABRIC with Lauren McElroy
Join 2025 Teaching Fellow Lauren McElroy to learn the timeless techniques for transforming raw wool into beautiful handspun yarn.
Photo Courtesy of The Crafters Box
2025 Wood Kiln Firing Workshop
Join us for a week-long workshop in the Adirondacks to gain hands-on experience learning about the exciting process of wood firing with Kyle Brumsted.
APPLEBARN TALKS: Hannah Apuzzo, Shelby Loebker, Amanda Lichtenberg
Free and open to the public
COOKING CLASS: FOOD STORIES, THE FOOD SYSTEM AND NOURISHMENT with Jenny Breen
Join 2025 Teaching Fellow Jenny Breen for hands-on cooking classes that will bring together stories about our food, where it comes from, how we prepare and experience it, and why it matters for our health and the health of our planet.
APPLEBARN TALKS: Mackenzie Pikaart, Abraham Francis, John Kane, Maya Miller
Free and open to the public
BRIDGING DIVIDES DISCUSSION SERIES: Storytelling; Narrative and Nuance
We will have a discussion with artists Michael “Yoko” Amos, Erica Berry, and Gayle Burnett about their work as writers and storytellers, and about using the power of the medium to have difficult conversations that touch on topics such as climate change, racial inequity, and politics.
(3rd) ANNUAL SUMMER FIRING CELEBRATION
Join us for our annual summer event! We’ll celebrate the fire that brings us together, the summer harvest, and the community of artists, scholars, and creatives all around us.
ALUMNI WEEK 2025
Craigardan’s alumni return to the Adirondacks this summer for some fun, camaraderie, and rest — and they also help us setup and execute our 3rd Annual Summer Firing Celebration!
APPLEBARN TALKS: Kyle Brumsted, Bodi-Yemisi Anton Babatola, Chelsea Dodds
Free and open to the public
APPLEBARN TALKS: E. Caris Rosefield, Erynn Richardson, Sally Pirie
Free and open to the public
LET’S MAKE ZINES! with Sally Pirie
Join 2025 Teaching Fellow and award-winning cartoonist Sally Pirie as we learn how to turn our own small-moment stories into beautiful mini-magazines (or, “zines’).
EMPTY BOWL, FULL HEART MAKERS DAYS IN THE CLAY STUDIO
Come join Craigardan and Empty Bowl Full Heart in creating bowls for the 2024 fundraiser to support local food pantries. No experience is necessary! This is a fun event for adults and teens 12 and older.
APPLEBARN TALKS: Sidney Hale, Susan Hutner, Muriel Luderowski
Free and open to the public
APPLEBARN TALKS: Martha Vining, Macayla Sandusky, Wesley Weissberg
Free and open to the public
TUESDAY BEGINNER MTB RIDES with Mark Nassan
Join us at Blueberry Hill Trails in Elizabethtown every Tuesday evening (weather permitting) for group mountain bike rides with local guru Mark Nassan. This is geared towards beginners but all levels are welcome for this fun, supportive, laid back group ride.
APPLEBARN TALKS: Theresa-Xuan Bui, Jodi Ferrier, Margaret Wiss
Free and open to the public
POETRY: PLAYING WITH WORDS with Theresa-Xuan Bui
Join 2025 Teaching Fellow Theresa-Xuan Bui for an immersive two-week course that invites participants to explore experimental writing practices.
BRIDGING DIVIDES DISCUSSION SERIES with the Uncertainty Academy: Data, Art, and Action
We will have a conversation with artist Tal Beery, scholar Joshua Moses, and this year’s Uncertainty Academy cohort. Science and art have at times been viewed as opposing forces, and at other times, as necessary and even intertwined allies.
SPRING LAMB JAM!
Come experience the sights, sounds, and textures of farm life as we celebrate the arrival of Spring! From meeting our playful lambs to exploring the world of bees, learning about composting, and getting creative with wool, this family-focused event is perfect for all ages.
APPLEBARN TALKS: Lu Chekowsky, Gregory Amos, Kayleigh Woodward
Free and open to the public