Touchstone Center for Crafts

06/03/2026

Congratulations to our award recipients in America 250: Craft Today.

🏆 First Place: Sophie Glenn for Rump Shakers, a sculptural work in painted and rusted steel that expands traditional ideas of furniture and form.

🏆 Second Place: Cheri Dunnigan for Corsage #2, a handwoven and fabricated sterling silver piece that reflects her exploration of fiber techniques in precious metal.

America 250: Craft Today remains on view through July 25 in Touchstone’s Bea Campbell exhibition gallery in Farmington PA. Check the website for gallery hours.

06/01/2026

🔥 Forge welding and forging with purpose.

Flux Burns and Objects of Importance with Pete Braspenninx focuses on strengthening technical blacksmithing skills while developing work shaped by personal ideas and perspective.

Through instructor-led assignments and individual project development, participants will practice a range of forging methods with a strong emphasis on forge welding and construction techniques. The week will move toward creating projects of your own design, followed by critique and presentation.

Intermediate blacksmithing experience required.

📅 June 22–26
📍 Touchstone Center for Crafts • Farmington, PA
🔗 TOUCHSTONECRAFTS.ORG

05/29/2026

✨ Small scale. Lasting meaning.

Create a handcrafted locket or small box while learning fabrication, soldering, hinge-making, and clasp construction in Lockets and Small Boxes with Maureen Duffy

Beginning with a hollow-form shape, participants will build a functional piece that can hold a photo, keepsake, or other small personal object while gaining experience with tools and techniques used in metals and jewelry studios.

📅 June 22–26
⏳ Register by June 1 so we can count you in.
📍 Touchstone Center for Crafts • Farmington, PA
🔗 TOUCHSTONECRAFTS.ORG

05/28/2026

🏺 Figures, forms, and finding your own approach.

Create expressive ceramic work inspired by the human form in Creating Figurative Pottery with Ryan Myers

Working with both hand-built and wheel-thrown forms, participants will learn ways to alter, combine, and build dynamic figurative pieces while gaining insight into Ryan’s creative process and construction methods. Individual exploration is encouraged along the way.

A basic understanding of hand building and wheel throwing is recommended.

📅 June 22–26
📍 Touchstone Center for Crafts • Farmington, PA
⏳ Register by June 1 so we can count you in.
🔗 TOUCHSTONECRAFTS.ORG

05/27/2026

A conversation about craft, creativity, and what’s ahead at Touchstone.

Thank you to Commissioner Scott Dunn and Fayette Centric: The Podcast for sitting down with Touchstone’s Executive Director and Communications Director to talk about workshops, exhibitions, and plans taking shape in Ohiopyle.

A meaningful week for our organization—and we’re excited to keep sharing more as things develop.

Give it a listen.

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

05/26/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us on Saturday for the reception celebrating ‘America 250: Craft Today’

It was wonderful to spend time in the gallery with artists, guests, and conversations around craft.

Special thanks to exhibition juror Judy Barie and to artists Lesley Swanson (Morton) and Peggy Quinn for attending and sharing in the afternoon.

Presented in conjunction with Handwork 2026, presented by Craft in America, ‘America 250: Craft Today’ remains on view through July 25.

Thank you to all participating artists:
Cheri Dunnigan
Amy Edwards
Casey Engel
Frankie Flood
Sophie Glenn
Janna Gregonis
Lisa Hamilton
anne havel
Jillian Heusohn
Glenn Horr
Hannah Litt
Mary Lucking
Ana M. Lopez
Susan Madacsi
Mia Martin
Adam Nelson
Kirsten Olson
Peggy Quinn
Jóh Ricci
Greg Shelnutt
Lesley Swanson (Morton)
Hadley Wiktor

05/21/2026

✏️ What happens when drawing becomes something you can hold?

In this five-day workshop with Maggie Boyd, participants will begin with drawing and use those ideas to shape ceramic forms and surfaces—creating work that responds, interprets, and evolves through clay.

And if drawing sounds more like a nightmare than a way to relax, don’t worry—Maggie offers prompts, support, and guidance to help participants loosen up and build confidence before bringing those marks into clay.

🏺 Drawing with Clay w/ Maggie Boyd
📅 Jun 15–19
✨ All Levels
⏳ Hurry! Register before May 26 so we can count you in.

📍 Farmington, PA
🔗 TOUCHSTONECRAFTS.ORG

05/20/2026

🌿 Wood carries its own color, texture, and story.

Create wearable pieces while learning techniques for shaping, finishing, and embellishing wood in this five-day workshop with Julia Harrison.

Inspired by the natural world and designed for makers at any level, participants will create jewelry while building skills that can translate into almost any workspace.

📿 Wood Jewelry w/ Julia Harrison
📅 Jun 15–19
✨ All Levels
⏳ Hurry! Register before May 26 so we can count you in.

📍 Farmington, PA
🔗 TOUCHSTONECRAFTS.ORG

05/19/2026

🧺 Basketry — with a twist.

Build sculptural forms from reed and experiment with techniques that create movement, curves, texture, and unexpected surfaces.

In Sculptural Basketry with Sarita Westrup, participants will explore twining methods, different basket starts, and surface treatments using materials like mortar, graphite, and paint to transform traditional basketry into something entirely new.

Bring curiosity. Leave with new skills and a one-of-a-kind body of work.

📅 June 15–19
📍 Touchstone Center for Crafts • Farmington, PA
⏳ Register before May 26 so we can count you in
🔗 TOUCHSTONECRAFTS.ORG