What are the opening hours?

Monday 9am - 5pm Tuesday 9am - 5pm Wednesday 9am - 5pm Thursday 9am - 5pm Friday 9am - 5pm

Silver City CLAY Festival

Name: Silver City CLAY Festival
Address: 1000 W. College Avenue, Silver City, NM, 88061, US
Telephone: +15857034047

Home
United States
Silver City, NM
Silver City CLAY Festival

Sliver City CLAY Festival June 15 - 21, 2026 Silver City is nestled in the Gila Wilderness and home to ancient Mimbreño pottery and contemporary clay artists.

Taking place every summer in Silver City, New Mexico, the CLAY Festival gathers together artists, educators, entrepreneurs, families, youth, adventurers, and life-long learners to explore clay in its many forms as well as its impact on our history, present, and future. Whether you're a seasoned clay artist or want to get your hands dirty for the first time, you'll find your niche at CLAY. Enjoy a

variety of workshops, demonstrations, lectures on everything from using clay in construction to contemporary ceramics; take home a work of art or a book or two from the CLAY Market. CLAY also offers tours of a handmade tile factory and the Gila Cliff Dwellings, a Gala reception, live music, juried exhibitions, and more. The CLAY Festival celebrates the heritage and future of ceramic arts. Founded by Lee Gruber, a cultural entrepreneur and co-founder of Syzygy Tile, CLAY received a seed grant from EPSCoR New Mexico and the Global Center for Cultural Entrepreneurship in 2012. To learn more about the Clay Festival visit http://clayfestival.com/

To sign up for our newsletter, visit: http://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin/ea?v=001OI-KZ-kkeTgFf_63n1WRF52ATKAUe2SOXGjMhl2uWnHFJXOjj3y4EfTuUwzvAVxw9ZkARDHvwWX5k0RxWQDn1dbfAJ65fBG0U6jff63y40uW91gOwu7afeVAb0jjJLoUgukQjJhKY0FVytiObLzPRmL_mf9BGPGiV1A4Tv025AotlDM3VlZ6xFPTJ0RZFdca

06/04/2026

First Friday marks the beginning of a month full of clay exhibitions, workshops, artist talks, and community events across Silver City.

Join us tomorrow evening for opening receptions and a first look at several exhibitions connected to CLAY Festival 2026:

• Convergence — Opening Reception, 5–7 PM at Light Art Space
• Divergence — Opening Reception, 5–7 PM in the Flash Gallery at Light Art Space
• Finding Flow: Impressions and Silhouettes by Mary-Clare Wilkinson — Soft Opening, 5–7 PM at Made in Silver City

These events are free and open to the public.

The full CLAY Festival week takes place June 15–21, with workshops, artist talks, museum programming, community events, and CLAY Market still to come.

Learn more at clayfestival.com

05/29/2026

Kids events are back at CLAY Festival!

Join us at the Bayard Public Library to create and decorate your own clay mask in this free hands-on activity for kids and families.
Participants will use basic handbuilding techniques and add color with underglaze before masks are fired and prepared for pickup during CLAY Market weekend, June 20th & 21st.

📍 Bayard Public Library
📅 Saturday, June 6
⏰ 11:00 AM–1:30 PM

Free to attend • All ages welcome • Children under 10 must be accompanied by an adult

05/26/2026

Save the date for the CLAY Market during Silver City CLAY Festival 2026.

Held inside the historic Murray Hotel, the CLAY Market brings together regional ceramic artists working in both functional and sculptural clay. Browse handmade pottery, sculpture, and unique ceramic work while meeting artists from across the Southwest.

Saturday, June 20 | 10 AM–4 PM
Sunday, June 21 | 10 AM–2 PM

Historic Murray Hotel
Silver City, New Mexico
Free admission
Live Music Saturday 12-2

05/21/2026

Interested in volunteering with CLAY Festival this June?

We’re currently looking for a few volunteers to help support:
• family activities
• CLAY Market setup/support
• community events during festival week

Volunteer opportunities are flexible, and a great way to connect with the CLAY community while helping events run smoothly throughout June.

Volunteer interest form:
https://forms.gle/kFkS755CZQxRpD6x8

More festival info + full schedule:
www.clayfestival.com

05/20/2026

From museum tours and artist talks to hands-on workshops and family activities, there’s a lot happening around the WNMU campus during CLAY Festival 2026.

Check out these highlights of just a few of the events taking place June 15–21, including:
• Artist Talk with this year’s headlining artists
• Guided tours of the WNMU Museum’s Mimbres collection
• Create Your Own Mimbres-Inspired Plate
• CLAY IN THREE DIMENSIONS workshop programming

Some events require advance registration and space is limited for museum tours.
Full schedule + registration info:
clayfestival.com

05/15/2026

Divergence brings together the work of Silver City CLAY Festival 2026 headlining artists Penelope Van Grinsven, Bradley Klem, and Stephanie Seguin in a three-person exhibition at the Flash Gallery at Light Art Space.

Originally studying together in graduate school, the artists have since developed distinct approaches and directions within their individual practices. Divergence reflects that shared foundation while highlighting the unique paths each artist has taken.

On view June 4–20, 2026
Flash Gallery at Light Art Space
Silver City, New Mexico

Join us for:
• Opening Reception — Friday, June 5 • 5–7pm (First Friday)
• Closing Reception — Saturday, June 20 • 5–7pm

Reception events also coincide with the juried exhibition Convergence at Light Art Space.

05/12/2026

Explore multiple hands-on workshop opportunities during Silver City CLAY Festival. From natural plasters and contemplative hand-building to surface design and sculptural techniques, these exciting workshops hosted by our community collaborators offer unique ways to engage with clay and material exploration throughout festival week.

Workshops featured:
• Natural Plasters: Clay, Lime & Tadelakt Workshop
• Creating Quiet Spaces with Patty Countryman
• Clay as Art with Janet Burner
• The Art of Pigment Hunting

Registration details available at clayfestival.com

05/10/2026

Last chance to apply to Convergence, the annual juried exhibition of the Silver City CLAY Festival.

Juried this year by featured artists Penelope Van Grinsven, Bradley Klem, and Stephanie Seguin, Convergence features contemporary ceramic work from artists across varied practices and perspectives.

• Exhibition at Light Art Space
• June 4–20, 2026
• Applications tonight, May 10 at midnight MDT

Learn more + apply at clayfestival.com

05/08/2026

Spend the week working alongside three leading artists in contemporary ceramics.
Clay in Three Dimensions is a 5-day, hands-on workshop exploring concept, form, and surface at WNMU.

Led by Penelope Van Grinsven, Bradley Klem, and Stephanie Seguin.

Spots are limited — registration open now:
clayfestival.com

05/06/2026

The full schedule for CLAY Festival 2026 is here!

Workshops, exhibitions, artist talks, hands-on activities, and more across Grant County— June 15–21.

Download the schedule and start planning your week:
clayfestival.com

Address

1000 W. College Avenue
Silver City, NM
88061

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

+15857034047

Website

http://clayfestival.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Silver City CLAY Festival posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Silver City CLAY Festival:

Shortcuts

Address
Telephone
Opening Hours
Alerts
Contact The Business
Claim ownership or report listing

Want your business to be the top-listed Event/venue in Silver City?