Upcoming Workshops
Workshop Cost: $650 (non-credit)
University Credit: 3 hours of undergraduate or graduate-level credit is available to both MI residents and non-residents. Non-WMU students wishing to take the workshop for university credit are responsible for determining how WMU credits will transfer to their home university or college.
Week 1: Down-draft Kiln Construction with Michael Lorsung
May 18-22, 2026. 9:00am – 4:30pm.
Gain hands-on experience designing and building a working down-draft gas kiln in this intensive one-week workshop. Participants will learn the complete process of kiln construction, from foundational design principles and material selection to structural assembly, burner configuration, and firing preparation. Working collaboratively, participants will help construct a functional down draft kiln while developing a clear understanding of airflow dynamics, combustion, heat distribution, and firing efficiency. The workshop will address practical decision-making at every stage, including site preparation, brick layout, arch construction, flue design, and safety considerations. In addition to construction, participants will learn how to prepare a kiln for firing, monitor temperature rise, and evaluate performance.
Instructor: Michael Lorsung is a transmedia artist based in Muncie, IN. He is a practicing artist, tinkerer, and experimenter whose work investigates human questions through the lens of industrial production and technology. Lorsung holds an MFA in Ceramics from Ohio University and a BFA in 3D Studies from Bowling Green State University. Lorsung has held positions in ceramics manufacturing, electronic programming and was the Studio Coordinator of Sculpture at Anderson Ranch Arts Center. Lorsung is currently an Assistant Professor of Sculpture at Ball State University and an active board member of the Dandelion Refuge Center for Creative & Environmental Projects, Meigs County, OH.
Week 2: Vessel and Foliage
May 26-29, 2026. 9:00am – 4:30pm
Join Rain Harris and Paul Donnelly for an intensive, hands-on ceramics workshop focused on building vessels and developing life-like floral sculpture. Rain shares approaches rooted in color, pattern, and decoration to examine ideas of excess, consumption, and class, drawing on decorative histories and an eclectic visual language to push surfaces beyond the purely ornamental. Paul brings a studio focus on functional pottery as a vehicle for expression in the domestic landscape, emphasizing intentional design decisions and the intimate relationship between object and user.
Instructors:
Rain Harris is a sculptor and installation artist who lives in Kansas City. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Rhode Island School of Design and her MFA from The Ohio State University. She has participated in residencies at the Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA; Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts, Newcastle, ME; The Pottery Workshop, Jingdezhen, China; The International Ceramic Research Center, Guldageraard, Denmark; and The Fabric Workshop and Museum, Philadelphia, PA. Her work has been exhibited in numerous group exhibitions, including ones at the US Chamber of Commerce, The Ferrin Gallery, and the Garth Clark Gallery. She had a 3-person show at the Wexner Center in Columbus, Ohio, and she has had solo shows at the Philadelphia International Airport, the Portland Craft Museum, the Duane Reed Gallery, and Sherry Leedy Contemporary. Rain has presented many lectures at colleges, museums, and conferences. She has received many grants and fellowships, including an American Craft Council Emerging Artist Grant, an Independence Foundation Fellowship, three Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Special Opportunity Stipends, a Leeway Foundation Achievement Grant, and two Window of Opportunity Grants. Her work is in private collections and over a dozen national and international museums.
Paul Donnelly is a studio potter who uses slip-casting and wheel-throwing techniques to create decorative yet functional pottery. His work navigates between architecture, nature, and popular culture to reveal notions of history and fashion and their place in the domestic landscape. He received his B.F.A. degree from Edinboro University, Pennsylvania, and his M.F.A. from The New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. Before earning his master’s degree, he managed the ceramics department facilities at the University of Pennsylvania and participated in the Artist-in-Residence Program at the Clay Studio in Philadelphia. His work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally. He is currently Professor & The Kathleen Collins Chair of Ceramics at the Kansas City Art Institute.
Workshop Cost: $90
*not available for university credit
Explore the power of repetition, precision, and surface imagery in this hands-on workshop focused on jiggering, jollying, and screen printing. Participants will learn the complete technical process for producing multiples, from designing profiles and creating plaster molds to proper setup, forming techniques, and demolding. Working with both jigger and jolly methods, each participant will produce functional forms—including bowls and plates—while gaining a clear understanding of how to adapt these processes for personal studio production. The workshop also introduces DIY screen printing for clay surfaces. Participants will develop original imagery, prepare and burn screens, and experiment with multiple image transfer techniques to enhance their work with layered graphic surfaces.
Instructor: Jacky Denaway is a ceramic artist who creates functional pottery that explores the feminine domestic and shared human experience. She has an MFA in Ceramics, an MA in Art Education, a BFA in Graphic Design, and a BFA in Art Education and is a part-time instructor at Western Michigan University. She has exhibited at Highland Studio and Gallery (IN), Michigan Mud Presenters Exhibition (MI), Motherhood Divided: Kerr Gallery (MI), and Michigan Biennial Ceramics Exhibition MI.
Required Tools:
- Rubber ribs soft, medium and hard
- Metal rib
- Brushes of various sizes small to large
- Trimming tools
- Needle tool
- Small sponge
- Scissors
- Sketchbook or notebook
- Pencil
- Sharpies of various widths
- Plastic bags (to cover pottery)
- Optional: Ware board or box to transfer greenware home