The Art of Raku

Raku is a dramatic pottery firing process in which a piece is quickly brought to a high temperature and then rapidly cooled.

Potter and gallery owner Cathie Cantara will share an inside look at several raku techniques, including American raku, horsehair raku, and more. Join us in the studio to learn about this tradition and see why raku continues to captivate artists and collectors alike.

This off-site studio visit is part of Maine by Hand: Celebrating American Craft

…

Founded by American artist Edith C. Barry in 1936, the Brick Store Museum ignites personal connections to local history and arts through exhibitions, education and programs illustrating the human experience in Kennebunk and the southern Maine region. For 90 years, the Museum has inhabited a campus of five historic buildings, including an 1825 dry goods store built of brick (hence our name!).

The Museum presents a blend of history and art exhibitions and related programming for all ages and learning levels; including arts workshops led by regional teaching artists. The Museum offers a hands-on learning gallery for young visitors, a contemporary arts gallery, and six main galleries to explore. The Museum is located in the heart of downtown Kennebunk, providing a gateway to engaging with the seacoast region and its deep history and artistic heritage.

In 2026, the Museum’s contemporary art gallery, the Bauman Center, will host rotating exhibitions of York County artists presenting their work in a variety of media such as fiber, glass, metal and wood.

…

The Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts is a dynamic nexus for artists who create with clay, offering time, space, and deep creative connection. Since 1986, Watershed has championed artists at every career stage through internationally recognized residencies that prioritize community, collaboration, and artistic exploration. On our rural Maine campus, artists work side-by-side in an open-concept studio, forging lasting bonds and pushing the boundaries of their practice in dialogue with one another and with the surrounding coastal landscape.

Our peer-to-peer, artist-organized residency model creates an environment where complicated ideas are valued, innovation is championed, and creative vision expands. Beyond residencies, Watershed enriches the broader community through professional development workshops for K–12 educators, public programs and artist talks, ceramic exhibitions in our Edgecomb gallery, and the beloved annual Salad Days festival. Watershed is a place where artists come to be inspired and leave transformed.

…

Mentors + Apprentices: Work from the 2026 Craft Apprentice Program.

The Maine Crafts Association, in partnership with the Maine Arts Commission and the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen, announce the opening of the 11th annual Craft Apprentice Program Capstone Exhibition at Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts, opening October 2, 2026 from 5-7pm.

The exhibition features new work made over seven months by mentors and apprentices in Maine and New Hampshire.

…

Haystack connects people through craft.

The Haystack Mountain School of Crafts is an international craft school located on the Atlantic Ocean in Deer Isle, Maine. Founded in 1950 as a research and studio program in the arts, Haystack offers one and two-week studio workshops to participants of all skill levels as well as the two-week Open Studio Residency program, exhibitions, tours, auctions, artist presentations, and shorter workshops for Maine residents and high school students. In 2026, Haystack celebrates 75 years since the School’s founding.

We support visiting artists and scholars from a variety of fields, including science, literature, music, and the visual arts, who are invited to spend two weeks at the school focusing on their work. Haystack also functions as a ʻthink-tankʼ in looking at craft—publishing annual monographs and organizing a variety of conferences and symposia that examine craft in broader contexts. These include collaborations with other institutions such as the MIT Center for Bits and Atoms and the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, Smithsonian Institution. The award-winning campus was designed by noted American architect Edward Larrabee Barnes and opened in 1961 when the school relocated to Deer Isle.

…

Founded in 1921 by Castine summer resident and geologist Dr. J. Howard Wilson, the Wilson Museum invites you to forge connections across history, places, and cultures.

From million-year old fossils to Bagaduce River horseshoe crabs, from the tools of early humans to Castine’s local history, from the shores of Penobscot Bay to people around the world, the collections, exhibits, and programs at the Wilson Museum feed curiosity and provide multi-sensory, immersive learning experiences.

Visitors of all ages can tour an early Castine home, watch craftspeople and artisans demonstrate traditional skills and tools, and engage in hands-on learning.

…

Founded in 1983, the Maine Crafts Association works to sustain and celebrate craft as a cornerstone of Maine’s culture and economy.

Through education, mentorship, storytelling, community events, artist promotion, and income-generating opportunities, MCA connects artists with one another and supports the growth and longevity of Maine’s craft sector.

Representing more than 500 multidisciplinary artists and small business members, MCA also partners with cultural institutions and engages the public, ensuring that craft remains a vital cultural and economic force in Maine.

ANNUAL PROGRAMS:

• MCA Weekend Workshop @ Haystack Mountain School of Crafts
• Craft Apprentice Program
• Pollinators Mentorship Program
• Craft Content Project
• Craft Classifieds
• Maine Craft Artist Award
• Cooperative Advertising Program
• Maine Craft Weekend
• STITCH: Runway Show + Style Market  
• Educational Workshops
• Center for Maine Craft: Retail Gallery & Exhibition Space
• Webshop: Online Gallery Sourced from the Center for Maine Craft
• Guild Fine Craft Shows
• Portland Fine Craft Show
• Found Object: Seconds & Supply Market

…