Save the date for the CT Clay Guild

2026 Clay Crawl

May 2-3 2026

What Is Clay Crawl?

Clay Crawl is an open studio tour of pottery studios in Connecticut. Each studio on the trail will host several ceramic artists to showcase and sell their work. Visitors will have opportunities to ask artists about their work, process, and also tour and learn about the studio spaces and what they have to offer.

Event poster for Connecticut Clay Guild Clay Crawl on May 2 and 3, 2026, announcing host studio applications now open with a deadline of August 18, 2025.

Host Studio Benefits

Increased Visibility & Exposure

Events like this significantly boost exposure for both artists and studios, fostering community connections and driving new sales and customers. We project a marketing budget of $4,000 - $6,000 to attract potential new customers to your doors.

Direct Sales and Revenue Generation

Tours provide an excellent platform for direct sales of your personal work and other items in your existing gallery space, allowing visitors to purchase unique, handcrafted pieces they appreciate firsthand.

Workshop and Class Enrollment

Increased visibility and engagement within the local community and art scene can ultimately boost your studio's visibility and revenue. Visitors who enjoy the tour are more likely to sign up for pottery classes or workshops offered by your studio.

Showcasing the Creative Process

Studio tours provide an inside look at your workspaces, offering insight into the techniques, tools, and inspiration behind your pottery. This new insight can lead to an increased appreciation for the craft and all the work that goes into our pieces, ultimately increasing the perceived value of handmade pottery to a wider audience.

Building Community and Connections

Studio tours offer a chance to connect with other art enthusiasts, potential students, and fellow artists, fostering a strong sense of community around your studio. These connections can lead to collaborations, workshops, and ongoing support. This event will give customers a reason to visit your studio who may not be aware of everything you have to offer.  

This is a unique opportunity to showcase your studio's atmosphere and offerings to a wider audience. This direct interaction with potential customers is often more effective than traditional advertising. Unlike other New England studio tours, which are primarily showcasing private or home-based studios, the Clay Crawl will stand out by featuring community studios, potentially leading to greater local community engagement in addition to the existing arts community.


Marketing & Promotion

Studio tours are a great way to promote your studio's unique selling points, highlighting what makes it stand out from the growing number of studios in the area. This can attract new customers and build a strong brand identity. Host Studios must host a minimum of two Guest Artists to help draw more customers to the event. However, beyond that studios have the freedom to set up their spaces for the event in any way that they choose. Studios may elect to have artist demonstrations, more formal tours of their space or kilns, customer activities or projects that allow them to get their hands in some clay, food vendors, or anything else that may draw in more people and showcase your unique offerings.


Important Info For Artists & Studios

  • CTCG Member Rates

    • Host Studio Fee: $225  

    • Guest Artist Booth Fee: $150

    • Guest Artist with Student Discount Booth Fee: $120

    Non-Member Rates

    • Host Studio Fee: $325

    • Guest Artist Booth Fee: $250

    • Guest Artist with Student Discount Booth Fee: $200

  • Clay Crawl Open Studio Tour is a great way to bring new customers into your business!

    APPLY HERE

    • Host studios must be open to the public for the full duration of the Clay Crawl. 

    • The Host Studio Fee includes individual participation in the Clay Crawl for Studio Owners to also sell their individual work.

    • Studio Owners are welcome to set up their space as they wish in terms of presenting & selling their own work, holding demonstrations, and hosting event partners. 

    • Host Studios will be promoted on our Event Map and in marketing materials.

    • Each Host Studio must be able to accommodate at least 2 additional CT Clay Guild Guest Artists. The CTCG Event Committee will assign Host/Individual Artist pairings based on input from both parties.   

    • Studio Owners are also welcome to dedicate a small area to their studio’s student/member work however, registered Guest Artists should be prioritized in the space. 

  • Guest Artist applications will open on September 1, 2025

    • Guest Artists MUST be present during both days of the event.

    • Guest Artists are responsible for their own sales and sales tax. No sales will go through the Host Studio’s Point of Sale System.

    • Each Guest Artist will be allocated space for at least one 8ft table (or equivalent space) inside the Host Studio, or a 10 × 10 ft space outdoors for a standard tent.

    • Artists will be featured in online and print marketing provided by CT Clay Guild. In addition to Guild marketing campaigns we will also distribute print material as well as online graphics that we will ask all participants to distribute within their communities and post to their social media and email lists. This will help us cast a wider net to draw more traffic to each Host Studio during the event.

Clay Crawl 2026 Important Dates

5/18/26 - Host Studio Applications Open

8/18/25 - Host Studio Application Deadline

8/18/25 - Event Committee Meeting at Bliss Pottery House, Glastonbury CT

8/25/25 - Host Studio Announcements

9/1/25 - Guest Artist Applications Open

11/1/25 - Guest Artist Applications Deadline

11/3/25 - Event Committee Meeting

11/10/25 - Event Committee Meeting

12/1/25 - Guest Artist Announcement

1/11/26 - Host Studio Meeting

More Coming Soon…

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