Clay Art Center

This is just a review of the gallery. We stopped by Clay Art Center for the first time to view the current exhibition yesterday and were impressed by the friendly and enthusiastic greeting. Located a couple of blocks from the commercial hub of Portchester, Clay Art Center offers a wide range of lectures, workshops and classes at multiple levels for children and adults. We spent some time in their (small) well lite gallery enjoying the current show of work by tri-​state area potters. Parking is available in the municipal lot out front, just look for an unrestricted spot. They also have a small gift shop selling ceramic work by potters associated with the Center.

ArtsWestchester is the umbrella for the arts in all of Westchester. Hence, leading me to Clay Art Center.
There is an inconspicuous art gallery deep in the heart of this humble community in Port Chester. If you’re on the outside, looking in, it almost seems like «one of these things doesn’t belong» and Clay Art Center may be in its own separate world. Clay Art Center is a non-​for-​profit arts center which has been successful for almost 60 years. Offering clay art classes in an adjacent location. The nucleus of CAC, showcases art work from many local artists in neighboring towns of Westchester.
Adjoining Clay Art Center’s gallery, is their gift shop. Where you’ll find a wide selection of art. Some, fairly reasonably priced and some, unsuitable to others. Yet, the thoroughness in their art work either presented or sold, is unique and visible. (CAC has set up a mailing list for individuals who would like to receive the latest information about their gallery or volunteer opportunities).
For a moment, I really thought, that I didn’t need to trek to Museum Mile in NYC and visit one of the many fine art institutions. CAC has tasteful and distinct pieces in the world of clay in their gallery.
What a wonderful benefit it is to have an arts program in a location such as Port Chester, where you never thought you’d find.

My friends and I recently went for Cladies Night. The ticket price was $ 50 per person. The website provides minimal information on the event. When we arrived we were not greeted for some time. Finally the instructor introduced herself and showed us where to hang our belongings. Unfortunately the entire room, which is quite large, is covered in plaster dust. There were no smocks or aprons provided. We were asked to take a seat at a wheel but assigned seats were not given. At first we were not going to be able to sit together because another group would not move. Finally we worked out a suitable seating arrangement. After a very brief demo, we were left to figure the process out. There was only one instructor for 12 inexperienced students. She could it possibly help us all and boy did we need help. My first piece collapsed completely. My second piece was decent but collapsed. Finally I started on a third piece. I really didn’t want to, but I didn’t want to get nothing for my $ 50. It came out terribly. My friends felt similarly so we began to clean ourselves up. We were completely covered in wet clay. After attempting to clean our hands and arms in an already filled dirty basin, we were ready to call it quits. We were then informed by the instructor that we were responsible for cleaning up our own work area. We had to get covered in wet clay again and wait in line to use one of only two basins. We did not go out on a Friday night to wash dishes. For the price of the ticket the instructor should have handled clean up. The piece requires 4 – 6 weeks to cure and receive the glaze. There are only 3 glazes to choose from and all were ugly. The website recommended bringing your own food and drinks. I’m so glad we didn’t because there was no way to get clean enough to handle food. When we finally went to leave, even our coats were dirty from the dust and they were at least 25 feet away from the main work area. If you are looking for a fun light out I would not recommend this experience. Paint Night is much more fun, easier to do, and much cleaner!

I’m new to the area and have a passion for the arts, not only is it my day job but my hobby. When I heard about the Clay Art Center just down the street I knew I needed to go visit. The Clay Art Center is tucked away just to the side of Port Chester’s «downtown» area. I pulled up and there was a gigantic parking lot with ample amounts of 3hrs or less free parking. Right when you walk into the entrance there is an adorable little shop with hand crafted goods for sale. I couldn’t help but buy an adorable jewelry dish. I’ll definitely be coming back if for nothing else but to get unique gifts here. Moving on though… to the side there is a gallery which houses shows and students work. It’s small but free and interesting to look at! I talked with the nice gentleman at the front desk and he explained all of the classes they offer. I totally plan on coming back to take a class ASAP!
If you are in the area or looking for something fun to do take a trip to Port Chester and visit the Clay Art Center.

I’ve been a student here for a year now. Never was much of an artist, but I fell in love with throwing pots on the wheel at the Clay Art Center. Every teacher is amazing in their own way/​style. I have loved working with Matt Smith, Harriet Ross, and Chris Pricket.
This studio is a most amazing place. Wonderful people and art
If you are looking for a new relaxing hobby; get over there ASAP.

So I went here yesterday for a beginner «check it out» class. I thought that there might be a bit of dabbling with working on the wheel, but was disappointed to discover that we would only be working with clay at tables for the day. Back in high school, I took two ceramics classes, and above all else, I loved throwing. I’d pretty much bribe my classmates to let me take their throwing day. There’s this rush I would get as the wheel picked up speed and my fingers gently began molding the lump of clay into a piece of pottery. And if whatever I was working on sucked that day, it was equally satisfying to rip it off the wheel and smash it against the table. Good de-​stresser.
Yeserday was still a fun experience, despite my initial disappointment, and was a great opportunity for my mother and I to spend the afternoon doing something new and different. The class was small, with five of us total. The instructor was nice, was able to keep us talking, and encouraged anyone who suddenly felt discouraged with their piece of pottery.
The check it out is a great class for anyone new to clay. It was also a great reintroduction for me, after years of not working with it. Would I do it again? Probably not. I wish they had an introductory throwing class instead of only offering the class packages, but I understand why that would be something they would offer over the span of 1.5−2 months. The nice part is that they offer these classes throughout the week, so you’re not stuck just choosing a Saturday or Sunday class. If your schedule only allows you to go on, say, a Wednesday, you’ll be happy to see that there are classes offered on Wednesdays.
As for CAC itself, the classroom was spacious, bright, and very welcoming. I didn’t feel like I was stuffed in some high school classroom. The tables were intact and high. I still hunched over my piece, which hurt my back after three hours, but that’s what you get when you do this kind of stuff. I was surprised that the tables were in such good condition after hearing that CAC offers many classes to children from schools in the area. Usually, you’ll start to see the wear when some child gets bored. Not the case here.
The only problem is that the building is not instantly noticeable. If you’re from the area, you may drive by and see it if you look past the parking lot; otherwise, the only way you’d hear about it is probably via the internet. They’re working on making their presence known, though.