CRAFT SCHOOLS

Craft schools are educational institutions with no full-time teachers: instead, they bring in studio artists and university faculty from around the world to teach workshops, which typically last from one to eight weeks. In addition, some craft schools provide short- or long-term residencies.

Work-study programs and craft school assistantships have played an irreplaceable role in developing my technical skills and sense of community. The following are several craft institutions which I highly recommend. I encourage makers of all stages to get involved in any capacity.

Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. Gatlinburg, TN. Quirky, friendly craft school in the woods just off Parkway in downtown Gatlinburg. Arrowmont’s tremendous six-week work-study program in summer and fall is highly accessible: accepted work-study students pay only for materials and travel. I was a work-study student in summer of 2018, worked in the kitchen during the Pentaculum residency in January 2020, and took another workshop in summer 2021.

Penland School of Craft. Penland, NC. Sixteen impressive studios and a gallery overlook a picturesque knoll in rural North Carolina. Work-study scholarships provide lowered tuition in exchange for hours in the kitchen. I was a work-study student twice in 2019 and a studio assistant to Ben Carter in 2021. Penland never fails to activate a sense of awe.

Haystack Mountain School of Crafts. Deer Isle, ME. Consisting of historic wooden studios connected by walkways on the rocky Atlantic coast, Haystack possesses a uniquely egalitarian spirit. The community, landscape, and ocean are deeply affecting. I was a technical assistant to Isaac Scott during an end-of-summer workshop in 2022, and a member of the first Artist Grant Initiative Cohort from 2025–2026 .

Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts. Newcastle, ME. More a residency hub than a craft school, Watershed’s cabins and spacious studio are nestled on a farm in wooded Mid-Coast Maine. Communal meals and daily rhythms foster camaraderie and lots of late studio nights. I participated in The Color Network’s inaugural mentorship residency at Watershed in 2021.

Pilchuck Glass School. Stanwood, WA. As a novice in the glass world, I admit I felt a bit out of place at Philchuck when I attended the Neon Symposium in 2023! That being said, there is nowhere that brings the glass community together like this place, and I hope to return in the future.