Born from our 20th anniversary celebration, our Clay Conversations Speaker Series continues as an ongoing celebration of ceramic arts excellence. We bring innovative ceramic artists and tradition-bearers directly to our community for intimate conversations that reveal the stories, techniques, and insights behind a lifetime of working with clay.

These are rare opportunities to learn from artists whose work has shaped the ceramic world. From multigenerational pottery families to contemporary innovators, our speakers share not just their techniques, but the wisdom that comes from decades of dedication to their craft.

Each carefully curated evening offers something you can't find in books or videos: direct access to master-level knowledge in an intimate, community-focused setting where real learning happens.

Join us for experiences that change how you see, understand, and work with clay.

  • Sunshine Cobb

    On Friday, May 15, 6:30-8:00pm as part of our Clay Conversations Series, Helena-based potter and author Sunshine Cobb will join us our next thoughtful exploration of the creative practice.

    As a a full-time studio potter, touring artist, and author who has spent over twenty years making functional work that explores memory, nostalgia, and the objects we keep close, Sunshine brings a distinctive voice to our series.

    Sunshine is considered an important contemporary functional potter in both academic and commercial circles, with work featured in exhibitions throughout the country. She has also authored two books on hand building with Voyager Press: “Mastering Hand Building” and “A Beginners Guide to Hand Building”.

    Sunshine’s lecture "Why Do We Make?" promises to illuminate something all artists question: why we create, and how we keep going when life makes it hard. Drawing on her own journey through transitions in studio work and in life, she'll explore the hurdles artists face and how creativity can sustain us even in difficult times.

    Tickets Go on Sale Monday, April 20, @ Noon

  • Ben Owen III

    Master potter Ben Owen III will share 40 years of clay mastery and family tradition.

    Friday, September 12, 2025

    6:30-8pm - Clayworks Classroom #2

  • Pete Pinnell

    Join ceramics professor Pete Pinnell as he explores how drinking vessels transform our most mundane moments into opportunities for art, meaning, and beauty.

    Friday, October 24, 6:30-8pm - Clayworks Classroom #2

    $10 per person

    Clayworks is thrilled to announce the next speaker in our Clay Conversations Series: Professor Pete Pinnell will join us on Friday, October 24, 6:30-8:00pm for a fascinating exploration titled "Drinking and Thinking."

    Pete brings a unique perspective to our series - a master potter who spent 12 years making his living at the wheel before becoming Professor of Art at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. His work has been exhibited internationally across the U.S., Netherlands, South Africa, Japan, China, New Zealand, and Australia, with more than 120 exhibitions since 1995 alone.

    Pete's talk promises to reveal the surprising artistic potential hidden within one of life's most ordinary acts - drinking. From religious ceremonies to social rituals, from ancient vessels to modern aesthetics, he'll illuminate how pottery has long been concerned with finding art in the mundane.

    Want to level up your experience? Click here to join us for the Social Hour (5:30-6:30pm) before the lecture! Mingle with fellow clay enthusiasts, meet Pete in an intimate setting, and enjoy wine and refreshments. It's the perfect way to deepen your connection to our community and the evening's conversation.