Main Street News

The 12th annual Berkshire Pottery Tour is scheduled to take place on September 27 and 28 from 10am to 5pm, offering a unique experience that showcases the craftsmanship of 16 regional potters. This year’s tour features eight stops and sixteen potters on a self-guided tour. 

The event allows the public to explore active ceramics studios, meet with the artists, and learn more about the creative process behind ceramics. 

About the Berkshire Pottery Tour 

The Berkshire Pottery Tour was founded in 2013 by a group of professional potters affiliated with the Berkshire Art Center and has become a beloved tradition. “People are fascinated with the handmade. So many are turning to clay work for a hands-on, creative experience. Our pottery tour offers a way to see behind the scenes of a working clay studio,” says Ellen Grenadier, a founder of the tour. 

This year’s artists include: 

• Patsy Cowen of Sheffield Pottery will be the guest at Dan Bellow’s new location in Great Barrington
• Karlene Jean Kanter will exhibit garden art at her West Stockbridge studio 
• Sue Browdy (of Hillsdale, NY) will be a guest at Lorimer Burns’ home studio. “One of the great joys of ceramics is the potential for change and growth that it offers. Clay provides an almost infinite variety of forms and expressions,” Browdy says.  
• Michael Marcus will be exhibiting his Nobori Gama wood kiln at Joyous Spring Pottery in Monterey. Marcus is the chef and owner at Bizen Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar in Great Barrington and “brings a deep passion for Japanese pottery, which he studied extensively in Japan.” 
• Studio technician and faculty member Hunter Cady will be available at Berkshire Art Center’s Stockbridge location to show his work for the final time before leaving for graduate school. “Being part of the Berkshire Pottery Tour for the past three years has been both meaningful and inspiring. It’s a rare gift to share work alongside such thoughtful makers and to connect directly with people who truly value ceramics. Each year deepens my gratitude for this community of makers and collectors,” Cady says. 

The self-guided tour will follow a scenic route through Richmond, West Stockbridge, Stockbridge, Housatonic, Great Barrington, and Monterey. Participants in the tour may start at any studio listed and detailed maps and video previews are available on the tour’s website here. Paper maps will be provided at each studio and Berkshire Pottery Tour road signs will guide visitors along the route. Admission is free and families are welcome. A full list of participating ceramicists and studios are available on the Berkshire Pottery Tour website berkshirepotterytour.com.