Get an insider’s look into the lives and work of ceramic artists during an event at Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts this summer. Every year, Watershed hosts more than 100 artists from around the country and world for residency sessions and workshops. Guests are invited to visit, tour the Center, meet the artists, and learn about their work.

Public slide talks will be held in Watershed’s Thompson Hall at 7:30 pm on July 11, July 25, and Aug. 8. Watershed also offers free tours of the campus every Tuesday at 2 p.m. in July and August.  

In partnership with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Sea Grant program, Watershed is also hosting a series of talks with artists, scientists, and others working in natural resource-based fields.

On July 7:  UMaine marine scientist Robert Steneck joins Port Clyde lobsterman Gerry Cushman and artist Nancy Selvin for a discussion on art and contemporary environmental concerns. The group will look at the work of master ceramicist Paula Winokur, whose towering sculptures reference the striking glacial forms she has witnessed on multiple trips to Greenland, and discuss the ways that melting Polar ice is effecting the Gulf of Maine. This talk is facilitated by award-winning radio producer Julie Burstein and will be held at 5:30 pm at St. Patrick’s Church, 380 Academy Hill Road, Newcastle. The venue is fully accessible and funding for the program has been provided in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.

On Saturday, July 8 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., visit Watershed for Salad Days, an annual celebration of local food and handcrafted ceramics.

The day’s main attraction is a delicious buffet lunch featuring salads donated by more than 25 local restaurants or expertly prepared by Watershed’s cooks. Guests get to choose a handmade ceramic plate of their choice to keep and enjoy a relaxing picnic on the grass or under a shaded tent. Throughout the day, artists perform demos, provide lessons on working with clay, and offer a wide range of pottery for sale. Visitors can also take a guided tour of the studio and grounds, listen to live music, sample local brews, and win collectible ceramic pieces in a raffle. Tickets to the Salad Days fundraiser are $40 and include lunch and a handmade ceramic plate; $15 for lunch only, and children five and under may eat free of charge.

Watershed is located at 19 Brick Hill Road in Newcastle. For more information on all of the Center’s summer programs and events, visit www.watershedceramics.org or call (207) 882-6075.