Ceramic Studio Tour 2017: A Field Guide to This Weekend's Event in Metro Phoenix

Once a year, ASU Art Museum gives artists and ceramics fans a chance to connect and converse with a free, two-day, self-guided tour. For those who appreciate decorative or functional ceramics, it’s a rare opportunity to see artists making such works — and to talk with them about their art.

The 16th Annual Self-Guided Ceramic Studio Tour happens Saturday and Sunday, February 25 and 26, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. More than a dozen artists in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, Mesa, Chandler, and Gilbert will open their studios to the public for this year’s tour.

Every participating studio hosts several artists, which means the tour includes more than 50 artists. And it includes several additional sites, including the ASU Art Museum’s Ceramics Research Center, Shemer Art Center, and Grant Street Studios.

For those who want to learn more about how these artists create their works, the tour includes more than 100 demonstrations on everything from making animal sculptures to creating handmade tiles and mosaics.

With so many great options, we’ve put together a field guide by geographic region to help you get started. If you’re all about efficiency, start at the studio located farthest from your home, and get there promptly at 10 a.m. That way you’ll spend less time driving during tour hours, which ups your odds of taking in a lot more art.

Most of the artists will have works for sale, so bring money along if you want to shop for gifts or home and office décor while you’re out and about.

Phoenix Studio Tours
Patricia Sannit hosts guest artists Heather Couch and Miro Chun at 2631 East Cortez Street. Demonstrations take place Saturday and Sunday at 11 a.m., noon, and 2 p.m. Get more info at www.patriciasannit.com or call 602-510-6971.

Char Applen hosts guest artists Kaori Fujitani, Stephen Bunyard, and Thomas Kerrigan at Treehouse Studios, located at 1402 East Highland Avenue. Demonstrations take place Saturday at 10 a.m., noon, 1:30 p.m., and 3:30 p.m., as well as Sunday, 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m., and 2:30 p.m. For details, e-mail [email protected] or call 480-213-7286.

Deborah Hodder hosts guest artists Susan Risi and Danielle Wood at 1515 West Catalina Drive. Demonstrations take place Saturday and Sunday at noon, 1 p.m., and 2 p.m. For details, e-mail [email protected] or call 602-750-0268.

Halldor Hjalmarson hosts guest artists Tom Budzak, Jon Yukio Higuchi, and Frank Krevens at 45 West Lynwood. Demonstrations take place Saturday and Sunday at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 2 p.m. Visit www.claybeware.com or call 602-254-1222.

Katheryn Sins hosts guest artists Constance McBride and April Watt at ARTizona Clay Studio, located at 1402 West Tuckey Lane. Demonstrations take place Saturday and Sunday at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. See www.kathrynsins.com or call 602-841-9618.

ASU Graduate Ceramic Studio hosts guest artists Laura Korch Bailey, Brandi Lee Cooper, Bill Jamison, Elliott Kayser, Carlos Kessler, Hakyoung Kim, Shane Lutzk, Mario Munguia, Jr., and Priya Thoresen at Grant Street Studios, located at 605 East Grant Street. Demonstrations take place Saturday at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., noon, 1 p.m., and 2 p.m., as well as Sunday at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 2 p.m. Call 480-965-0478.

Scottsdale Studio Tours
Jan Peterson hosts guest artists Sylvia Fugmann Brongo, Jaye Lawrence, and Les Lawrence at 6726 East Thunderbird Road. Demonstrations take place Saturday and Sunday at 11 a.m., noon, 1 p.m., and 2 p.m. E-mail [email protected] or call 480-998-1596 for details.

Nicholas Bernard hosts guest artists Lisa Harnish and Larron Lerdall at 6234 North Cattle Track Road. Demonstrations take place Saturday at 10 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m., as well as Sunday at 11 a.m., 2 p.m., and 3 p.m. See www.nbernard.com or call 480-998-1541.

Julius Forzano hosts guest artists James C. Gamble and Linda Painter at 3030 Civic Center Plaza, #6. Demonstrations take place Saturday and Sunday at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 2 p.m. For more info, call 480-295-5519.

East Valley Studio Tours
Tiffany C. Bailey hosts guest artists Jason Bohnert, Magda Gluszek, and Ben Roti at 37 East 14th Street in Tempe. Demonstrations take place Saturday and Sunday at 11 a.m., noon, 1 p.m., and 2 p.m. See www.tiffanycbailey.com or call 715-225-9915.

Sandy Blain hosts guest artists Esmeralda DeLaney, Jane Kelsey-Mapel, and Sandra Luehrsen at 491 West Courtney Lane in Tempe. Demonstrations take place Saturday and Sunday at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 2 p.m. Visit www.sandyblain.com or call 480-893-2133.

Beth Shook hosts guest artists Sarah Brodie, Sam Hodges, and Genie Swanstrom at Dessadog Studio, located at 1410 West Guadalupe Road, Building 1, Suite 103, in Gilbert. Demonstrations take place Saturday and Sunday at 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2 p.m., and 3:30 p.m. Contact [email protected] or call 602-292-1485.

Diane Watkins hosts guest artists Jeff Heeg and Paula Weiss at 6301 South Four Peaks Place in Chandler. Demonstrations take place Saturday and Sunday at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. For details, e-mail [email protected] or call 602-571-5025.

Farraday Newsome/Jeff Reich host guest artists Jesse Armstrong and Rod Kolhouse at Indigo Street Pottery at 6931 East Indigo Street in Mesa. Demonstrations take place Saturday and Sunday at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m., and 3 p.m. E-mail [email protected] or call 480-310-9426.

Ceramic Exhibitions
The ASU Ceramics Research Center presents “Flowing Beyond Heaven and Earth,” featuring works by 35 contemporary artists rooted in pottery traditions from various regions of China. The exhibition continues through Saturday, April 8.

Grant Street Studios presents an exhibition of ceramic works by ASU graduate students, which will be on view only during the 2017 Ceramic Studio Tour.

Shemer Art Center presents “Mud Works MMXVII,” which features works by artists participating in the 2017 Ceramic Studio Tour. The exhibition continues through Thursday, March 2.

The 2017 Self-Guided Ceramic Studio Tour takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, February 25 and 26 at various locations. Find more information on the ASU Art Museum website.

Editor's note: This post has been corrected from its original version, which included incorrect dates for the tour.