South Bear School is a Fine Arts Folk School in rural Northeast Iowa, committed to passing on the skills and artistic values set down by the Bauhaus and previous artistic masters of that legacy.

Throughout the year, South Bear hosts arts, nature, and cultural events such as music fests, makers markets, studio tours and film showings.

The school’s mission is to teach students the life skills of fine arts, appreciation of nature’s beauty and artistic value, and foster community connection, while also giving students the freedom to branch out and develop their personal artistic vocabulary.

South Bear stands apart for its commitment to tradition, its inspiring natural setting, and its vibrant community of artists and learners. Our lineage traces back to Marguerite Wildenhain and the Bauhaus movement, and before that a lineage of 500 years of the German Potters’ Guild system.

South Bear maintains a profound respect for craftsmanship and functional beauty.

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Pilchuck Glass School is an international center for glass art education. Our serene campus in Stanwood, Washington, is nestled in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains amidst a working tree farm.

From May through September every year, Pilchuck’s progam offers a series of courses as well as residencies for established artists in all media. Summer sessions vary in length and offer concurrent courses in a variety of glassworking processes for artists of all skill levels. Small workshops taught by world-renowned artists emphasize experimentation and teamwork while fostering individual initiative and expression.

Pilchuck also offers residences for both emerging and established artists during the fall and spring.

New and experienced artists alike often make tremendous conceptual and artistic progress in their short time at Pilchuck. Combining a deep focus on glass, access to a variety of resources, a picturesque Pacific Northwest setting and an ever-expanding international community of artists, Pilchuck has become the most comprehensive educational center in the world for glass artists.

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The Craft Village at the Ozark Folk Center State Park is a community of working artisans dedicated to showcasing the Ozark craft traditions of the past, present, and future.

Open from March through November, the village is a place where craftspeople focus on creating, demonstrating, and selling their unique handmade items. Visitors can witness the daily production of high-quality functional art, from pottery and knife making to wood carving and printing. This active working environment supports a rare level of artistic freedom, allowing artisans to earn a living directly from their talent and passion.

While the primary focus is on creation and sales, the village honors its original vision as a teaching center. Classes and apprenticeships are available for those with the aptitude and desire to learn these traditional skills. The Craft Village remains a supportive community that values hard work and welcomes all to experience and appreciate the beauty of Ozark craftsmanship.

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The Appalachian Center for Craft is a unique state-of-the-art educational facility and cultural center combining teaching, research, cultural outreach and crafts marketing all operating in partnership. The Center operates academic programs, workshops, outreach programs and exhibitions and sales galleries as well as facilities for meetings and conferences.

The Center exists at a crossroads between urban and rural, academic and folk, high art and domestic life. Born of the vision and initiative of the people of TN and a group of remarkable advocates for fine craft, the Center opened in December of 1979. The complex was originally developed by the TN Arts Commission and funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission, and is now a division of TN Tech University.

Spectacularly located in Middle TN on the Highland Rim of the Cumberland Plateau, on the wilderness tract overlooking Center Hill Lake, the Center’s facilities are spacious and well equipped. The location was chosen with both regional and national service in mind, centrally placed in the U.S., in the middle of a rich Appalachian craft tradition. The wilderness setting is ideal for total immersion in the educational programs, and yet the location offers easy access from around the U.S.

This fusion of traditional crafts and creative education reaches from the grass roots to the international craft world. The Appalachian Center for Craft is a vital expression of the rich contribution of the unique character of Tennessee.

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Lillstreet Art Center is an art school, art gallery, and artist studio space in Chicago, Illinois. We offer classes and workshops in Ceramics, Metalsmithing & Jewelry, Textiles, Printmaking, Digital, and Drawing & Painting. Founded in 1975, Lillstreet is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year!

We provide a creative retreat from the noisy world around us, where you can relax, find inspiration, enjoy meditative creative time, make friends, and reach your artistic goals. We foster a community where artists of all backgrounds, ages, and skill levels can learn together. We promise good vibes in the studio and a supportive space to explore your practice and learn new skills.

Through our annual Artist-in-Residence program, we offer career opportunities and workspace for emerging to mid-career artists. We remove barriers to art education through our growing Scholarship Programs and Free Visiting Artist Program. We are committed to giving back to the art community and beyond, with a portion of our profits going to local humanitarian organizations monthly.

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The mission of Center for Metal Arts is to maintain a high-quality educational forging program, providing the best equipped facility deeply rooted in the traditions and history of this craft, reaching and serving the broadest possible audience of artists, craftspeople and students in the U.S. and abroad. Core to this mission is the preservation through use of the historic Cambria Iron Company facilities in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

Center for Metal Arts offers beginner through advanced forging workshops in our state-of-the-art facilities and provides specialized tools and equipment for each student. Our workshops vary in length of time from weekend, one-week, two-week, to six-week long workshops and we frequently run private lessons. We are confident with the variety of topics, levels, and lengths of our workshops there is a class for everyone interested in forging.

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Berea College’s Student Craft program exists as part of the college’s Labor Program and is not part of a degree program. In addition to providing a tuition-free liberal arts education to all students, Berea College provides every student a work position. One hundred students have positions in Student Craft, where they learn about craft from start to finish, engaging in production, achieving quality control, selecting materials, managing deadlines and collaborating on design.

Craft students arrive with a wide variety of creative skills and experiences. Some have significant experience gained from family members, school, or community programs; others have their first formal exposure to a design-education experience after they arrive. Regardless of students’ background or academic major, staff provide them with the education, skills and tools needed to engage in the design and creation of hand-crafted objects in five areas: Weaving, Woodcraft, Broomcraft, Ceramics and Outreach. In addition, Student Craft supports fellowship and artist-in-residence programs and classes given by the Woodworking School at Pine Croft that spread the College’s commitment to craft beyond the Berea College community.  All of these elements combine to make Student Craft an offering like no other.

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The Baltimore Jewelry Center is an educational nonprofit building a vibrant creative community for the study and practice of metalsmithing and art jewelry.

We educate and inspire new and established artists, as well as promote metalsmithing and art jewelry to the general public through exhibitions, community and educational outreach.

We envision Baltimore reconnected to its rich history of metalsmithing and jewelry, valuing contemporary art jewelry and metalsmithing as visual art forms and craft.

New generations of metalsmiths and art jewelers will preserve and evolve the field through practice and education.

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We envision the Wendell Castle Workshop (WCW) as an internationally significant organization celebrating the intersection of art, woodworking, and furniture design by educating the public about Wendell Castle, teaching skills inspired by his work, and encouraging makers and designers to keep his legacy alive through their own practice. Located in Castle’s former studio, the WCW is a creative hub where people come from around the globe to learn, create, and connect.

Our mission is to provide classes and resources to help people experience and expand the creative legacy of Wendell Castle.

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Yucca Valley Material Lab (YVML) is a nonprofit arts organization committed to hands-on making, material experimentation, and meaningful exchange. Through residencies, workshops, and public programming, we support underrepresented artists while cultivating an inclusive creative ecosystem rooted in collaboration, discovery, and shared knowledge.

We do this work because we believe art shapes a world worth living in.

We envision a future where arts education is accessible to all, where risk and experimentation are celebrated, and where artists are supported not just as makers, but as leaders, collaborators, and catalysts for change.

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Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts is a nationally recognized center for craft education and creative exploration. Located in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains, Arrowmont offers a wide range of workshops, residencies, and gallery exhibitions to inspire creativity and foster community.

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Craft Alliance, located in St. Louis, is an inclusive community for artists, enthusiasts, and students to explore and celebrate craft in all its forms. We offer studios for blacksmithing, ceramics, fibers, glass, metals, print & paper, and woodcraft.

At Craft Alliance, we believe craft can inspire, connect, and transform lives. Our students, from beginners to experts, learn from our professional artist faculty. We are also dedicated to providing craft exhibitions, programs, and events to the public to make arts experiences more accessible to all.

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Art Workshops in a Classic New England Setting

North Country Studio Workshops offers five-day intensive workshops for artists and craftspeople in an atmosphere of discovery, energy, collaboration, and inspiration.

Clay, fiber arts, printmaking, drawing, jewelry, paper and book arts, painting, sculpture, basketry, encaustic, mixed media, and photography are taught by nationally and internationally-known artists and instructors.

Nestled in the foothills of the Green Mountains of Vermont, the classic New England campus of Bennington College provides workshop facilities, accommodations, and an inspirational setting.

Explore, expand, and create in a community of fine craft and fine art professionals.

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Belger Arts has three locations in Kansas City, MO where contemporary art exhibitions are presented and a range of programming in ceramics and glass education is provided.

Since 2000, the Belger Arts Center has encouraged viewers to explore, question, and deepen their understanding of art and of the world around them. Drawing upon the extensive Belger Collection as well as a rich variety of local, national, and international artists, the Belger Arts Center has staged over 100 large-scale exhibitions that represent some of the best in contemporary art.

Belger Crane Yard Studios, an arts complex dedicated to providing studio and exhibition space for artists, opened in 2013. The range of programming in ceramics education for all ages, in addition to an artist in residence program, has made Belger a center for contemporary art.

The Belger Glass Annex is the third Belger Arts location and opened to the public in October 2021. It is the first public glassblowing studio in Kansas City of its scale and scope. The facility boasts state-of-the-art glass blowing equipment and tools, a furnace that holds 300 pounds of molten glass, and three workstations. The Belger Glass Annex is primed to be a Midwest hub for glass art, education, and appreciation, strengthening Kansas City’s reputation as an arts destination.

Admission to exhibitions is free and public programs offer a diverse array of opportunities for engagement.

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Sebastopol Center for the Arts is a vibrant hub where creativity, integrity, and belonging come together. As a multidisciplinary arts organization, we offer a rich spectrum of programs, events, and exhibitions. SebArts is a place where artists and community members alike can connect, learn, and thrive.

SebArts produces around 8-9 exhibitions year round, some off site, curated, or juried. We produce, promote, present, and uplift artists – local, national, international – through gallery exhibits, artists open studios, art lectures, poetry readings, concerts, adult and youth education, a state of the art ceramics studio, our acclaimed documentary film festival, and our incubator program – running twice a year, SebArts supports emerging artists to build sustainable careers and develop the confidence to thrive from their artwork.

With opportunities to share, collaborate, and grow, SebArts stands as a home for artistic exploration and innovation, welcoming all who believe in the transformative power of the arts. We are dedicated to honoring diversity, encouraging creative excellence, and providing a welcoming gathering place for the community.

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