Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts welcomes visitors to their campus during Maine Craft Weekend from Sept. 30 through Oct. 2. Guests will have the opportunity to meet Watershed artists-in-residence and local ceramists who fire work in the Center’s kilns, enjoy an exhibition opening and artist talks, and tour Watershed’s state-of-the-art ceramics studio.

The weekend events kick off Friday, Sept. 30 with the opening reception for Mentors + Apprentices, an exhibition featuring work by 10 Maine makers who took part in the Maine Craft Association’s 2022 Craft Apprentice Program (CAP). The apprenticeship provides a seven-month intensive for emerging Maine artists who are looking to deepen their creative practices. Apprentices pair with skilled mentors who share their expertise and offer guidance during the program. Artists featured in the exhibition include several pairs of Maine ceramists: Tim Christensen and Lisa Shepperd, Tyler Gulden and Rachel Herzer, and Siem van der Ven and Jennifer Connor. Fiber arts pairs Emily O’Neil and Grace Foxen, and Alice Seeger and Amanda Affleck will also have exceptional work on display. Guests can visit Watershed’s Barkan Gallery from 5 - 7 p.m. on Friday evening to see the work and meet the artists.

Over the weekend, the Barkan Gallery is open during special hours 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Guests can learn more about the CAP’s impact on the participating craftspeople during a gallery talk with Jennifer Connor and Siem van der Ven on Saturday at 1 p.m. For those unable to visit this weekend, Mentors + Apprentices is on view through Oct. 24. Gallery hours are weekdays from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. and by appointment.

On Saturday, guests can connect with Maine ceramic artists Tim Christensen, Janna DeWan, Zachary Fields, Ellie Barnet, and Aidan Fraser who will be selling handmade pieces on Watershed’s kiln pad 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Watershed’s 2022 fall artists-in-residence will also sell pottery and ceramic work during the event. At noon, visitors can enjoy an insider’s glimpse into the workings of Watershed’s ceramics studio during a guided tour with Watershed Executive Director Fran Rudoff and Studio Manager Reeder Fahnestock.

“After two years of not hosting our Fall Residency during the pandemic, we’re thrilled to have artists living on campus and working in our new studio this October,” shared Rudoff. “Guests can join us to see and purchase exceptional work being made at our facility and other local studios, and learn more about the programs that Watershed offers.”

Maine Craft Weekend is a statewide self-guided tour that provides the public with an opportunity to explore the lives and work of Maine artisans. The weekend happens in conjunction with American Craft Week, a nationwide celebration of craft. The Maine Craft Association organizes the tour in partnership with Maine Made. For more information on MCW visit www.mainecraftweekend.org.

Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts’ studio is located at 19 Brick Hill Road in Newcastle while the Center’s Barkan Gallery can be found nearby at 103 Cochran Road in Edgecomb. Masks are required in all of Watershed’s indoor spaces.

Learn more about Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts at www.watershedceramics.org.