The Moments That Shaped You:
A youth studio residency with Cal Spinelli
Let’s explore the physical act of shaping clay as a reflection of how we’ve been shaped by life.
Over four Thursday sessions, participants will learn foundational hand building techniques including pinch, coil, and slab construction. We’ll focus on creating functional pieces — such as bowls, cups, or small plates — with added elements that feel personal. Along the way, we’ll experiment with surface texture, carving, and mark-making, incorporating impressions or designs that connect to a meaningful memory or turning point in your story.
You don’t need prior experience with clay. This workshop is about process over perfection — learning how touch, time and pressure transform something soft into an everlasting object.
We’ll close the series with a shared dinner and reading, using the finished pieces as part of a meal together. This will be a tangible reminder that stories and handmade objects are shaped through experience, and better when gathered around a table.
Dates: Thursdays, March 26, April 2, April 9, April 16
Time: 3:30 pm - 5 pm
Dinner & Share-out: April 30, 5 pm at the Old Firehouse
This clay workshop is the second workshop in our spring series. Designed for teens, but open to participants of all ages, Cal will explore the same prompt that writer Sean Prentiss explores with his young cohort in his writing workshop. On April 30, both groups will gather together for a community dinner, and to share their clay forms and writing with each other.
Read about Sean’s writing workshop here.
Participants may register for both the writing and the clay residencies.
About Cal and Her Studio
Deep Woods Pottery is a fusion of craftsmanship and love, shaped by decade-long partners Cal Spinelli and Kyle Schlosser. After graduating from the University of Vermont together in 2015, we took our first pottery class and have embraced a shared passion ever since. Now residing on Kyle's family farm in the hills of Northern Vermont, our journey merges art, agriculture, food, and community. We believe that true craftsmanship lies in quality, durability, and the genuine touch of a human hand. You won't find us over embellishing or decorating our pots in a way that scream for attention. Our work is intended to be proudly displayed and fit effortlessly into your home.