Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts welcomes visitors to their campus during Maine Craft Weekend , Oct. 1-3. From a kiln opening and sale, to an exhibition, artist talks, and tours of their new studio, Watershed’s suite of events offers an inside look at the organization’s bucolic 54-acre campus and an opportunity to connect with makers from around the state.

The weekend begins Friday, Oct. 1 with an exhibition opening in Watershed’s Barkan Gallery from 5 to 7 p.m. “Mentors & Apprentices” features work by artists and craftspeople who took part in the Maine Craft Association’s (MCA) 2021 Craft Apprentice Program (CAP). Organized by MCA in partnership with the Maine Arts Commission, CAP provides a seven-month intensive for apprentices looking to deepen their craft practice. Emerging artisans pair with skilled mentors who share their expertise and offer guidance and support. The exhibit includes work by master printmaker Karin Otto and printmaking apprentice Karin Eberhard; mixed media and basketry by Lissa Hunter and apprentice Ashley Page; along with pieces by two clay-focused pairs — sgraffito aficionado Tim Christensen worked with apprentice Aidan Fraser on wood kiln firing, and Elaine Xenelis Fuller of Red Door Pottery paired with apprentice Sheridan Cudworth.

Christensen and Fraser will give a gallery talk on their experience working together during the CAP program on Oct. 2 at 2 p.m. Hunter and Page will offer insights about the apprenticeship’s impact on their practices on the 3rd, also at 2 p.m.

Visitors can view “Masters & Apprentices” Oct. 29. Regular gallery hours are Monday through Friday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Visitors can also view the show during special Maine Craft Weekend hours on October 2 and 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Masks are required in all of Watershed’s indoor spaces.

Just up the road on Watershed’s main campus, regional artists Janna DeWan, Ellie Porta-Barnet, Jon Ho, and Keann Petrie will join Tim Christensen and Aidan Fraser to un-brick the wood kiln’s door and sell their work hot off the shelves on Oct. 2 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Visitors can catch a first-look at the brand-new work as it emerges from the kiln’s inner chamber during the kiln opening at ten sharp.

Adjacent to the kiln pad, guests will find Watershed’s shiny new Windgate Studio. Completed in June of this year, the 7,500 sq ft building offers a state-of-the-art space for artists working in clay. Visitors can explore the facility during guided tours scheduled for 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on the 2nd and 3rd.

“After years of planning, months of construction, and reopening our residency program during a pandemic, we’re finally able to welcome the public to this transformative new studio,” shared Watershed Executive Director Fran Rudoff. “We look forward to sharing this new space with our community.”

Maine Craft Weekend is a statewide, self-guided tour that provides the public with an opportunity to explore the life and work of artisans around the state. The weekend happens in conjunction with American Craft Week, a nationwide celebration of craft that features events across the country. 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. Learn more about Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts at www.watershedceramics.org