Making something by hand gives people the satisfaction that comes from producing something unique and beautiful as well as fostering an appreciation for the work and skill that goes into creating fine crafts.

Our CraftStudies program provides opportunities for people of all ages and experience levels to work with knowledgeable and experienced instructors to explore, experiment, and express themselves in the arts of clay—both wheel throwing and hand building, metal smithing—jewelry and small sculpture, and various mixed media—such as glass bead making, mosaics, basket making, and so on. Our classes for children take place in all three studios and are listed on the children's page.

Brochures listing the upcoming classes are mailed twicea year. Please call 603 643 5384 or email info@craftstudies.org to be added to our mailing list.

Each winter we host a guest artist series where local craftspeople show slides and talk about the art of their craft.

Clay
Our clay studio is equipped with seven electric pottery wheels, one kick wheel, two electric kilns, space for hand-building, and a glazing area. We offer ongoing classes for beginners, intermediate, and advanced potters as well as one- and two-day workshops on specific techniques and alternate firings. There are as many ways to create a clay “crock” as there are ceramicists: our three regular instructors each teach their unique method of working in clay. Please click on the "clay" button at the top of the page, or on "clay" at the top of these paragraphs to see the current list of classes and workshops.

We offer an opportunity for students to not only learn the basics of working in clay, but to engage in all the functions of a clay studio including making glazes, recycling clay and firing electric kilns.

Ample “monitor” times make it possible for adult students enrolled in a clay class to have access to the studio outside of class time each week.

Metal Smithing
Our metals studio is one of the best-equipped metal in the area. We have space for eight students to learn basic through advanced jewelry making and metal smithing. We offer classes, open studios and, one- and two-day workshops. This studio used to be refered to as the jewelry studio, hence the remaining button name at the top of the page.

Consistent with CraftStudies’ goal to encourage experimentation, exploration, and artistic expression, metal is a versatile media used to translate ideas into wearable art. While we primarily teach jewelry making, the same techniques can be applied to sculpting in metal. Please click on the "jewelry" button at the top of the page, or on "metal smithing" at the top of these paragraphs to see the current list of classes and workshops.

Mixed Media
What is mixed media? Almost any media that is not clay or metal, for example baskets, paper, felt, wood and surface decoration. Previously, this studio used to be called the fiber studio, hence the remaining button name at the head of the page.

The bright and sunny studio on the top floor of the building is a space open and ready for a huge variety of adult classes and workshops and many children’s classes. The particular media offered vary from semester to semester, but remain true to our goal of offering people an opportunity to explore, experiment, and express their creativity while discovering the fun in the art of craft. Please click on the "fiber" button at the top of the page, or on "mixed media" at the top of these paragraphs to see our current list of classes and workshops in this studio.

Children, Youth and Teens
Our goal in the children’s studio is to enrich the lives of young people by introducing them to the sheer joy of creating craft. While children engage in the craft making process they develop artistic skills, as well as refine emerging problem solving, critical thinking and social skills. Creativity explodes in the supportive studio environment and our young artists learn to develop their ideas at their own pace over an extended period of time. Math skills come into play in the decision making process and children become articulate communicators as they learn new ways to put words and form to their ideas.

We offer classes for pre-schoolers (4 to 6 years), children (7 to 12 years), youth (9 to 13 years) and teens (12 and up) in all three studios. During the school semester we host a pre-school art class and a parent and child craft class in the early afternoon and after-school programs for children and teens in clay and metalsmithing. During school vacations we offer half-day “camps.” Please click on the "children" button at the top of the page, or on "children, youth and teens" at the top of these paragraphs to see the current list of classes.