Watershed Center For The Ceramic Arts

The mission of Watershed Center for the Ceramics Arts is to provide artist's with the time and space to work in clay.

Description:
Watershed is a residency/retreat which provides artists with time and space to create in clay. We serve artists from across the country and abroad as well as communities around the state of Maine, The Mudmobile is a travelling resource center in a van that allows Watershed to bring clay art education to diverse sites and populations throughout the state of Maine.

History:
The history of Watershed begins with the geologic gift of clay which is found along the banks of the local rivers of mid-coast Maine. Waterstruck brick had such historical appeal that in 1974, an attempt was made to re-establish its manufacture in Edgecomb at the Watershed Brick and Clay Products Company. Unfortunately, high production costs and insufficient demand necessitated the closing of the facility after only one year of operation.
Inspired by an idea, Margaret Griggs, an artist and investor in the brick factory, enlisted artists George Mason, Lynn Duryea and Chris Gustin in 1986 to organize a pilot project to utilize the site in a new way. Twelve artists from the United States and Britian came to live and work in the facility over the course of the summer. That fall, a second group of artists comprised of students and graduate faculty from the Ceramics Department of the Swain School of Design were invited to live and work for ten days at the former brickyard. The rustic and open-ended aspects of the facility encouraged the artists to approach their work with a new vigor and awareness. As a result, an enlightened community of artists came together to establish Watershed's philosophy and shape its future.

Contact people:

Jeniffer Cooley, Administrative Assistant, (phone), (email) Tyler Gulden, Executive Director, (phone), (email)

Office fax number: (207) 882-6045

Address:

19 Brick Hill Road Newcastle, ME 04553 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.watershedceramics.org

Directions:

Watershed Center is located in Newcastle/Edgecomb, Maine, 50 miles northeast of Portland in the mid-coast region. Watershed is just off Route 1, one and one half miles NE of Wiscasset. After crossing the Wiscasset bridge, go one mile to Cochran. . . (more)   Nearest Bus Stop: Huber's Market, Wiscasset & Skidompha Library, Damariscotta

Last updated on July 9, 2009