Baltimore Clayworks Opens Winterfest With Pottery You Can Take Home

Decorated plates, cups and dark ceramic vessels sit on white pedestals in Baltimore Clayworks’ Winterfest image.

At Baltimore Clayworks, a cup in the Winterfest exhibition could be holding someone’s coffee the next morning. The Mount Washington ceramics center opens the show to the public Friday, November 13th. Buyers can take purchases home the same day, even though the exhibition runs through December 23rd. That changes the question you bring to the gallery: which piece would you actually want to live with?

Look at the Handle

Start with something familiar. On a mug, look at how much space the maker leaves between the handle and the wall. On a plate, look at where the pattern sits. A design that climbs the rim will still be visible when dinner covers the center. Those small decisions are an accessible way into functional ceramics, the part of the field concerned with objects people can use.

Winterfest is an invitational. Baltimore Clayworks selected artists from across the country to show their work together, giving visitors a chance to compare different answers to the same everyday needs. The exhibition list includes Sara Ballek of Illinois, Peter Karner of Virginia and Kate Waltman of North Carolina. Read the maker’s name as you go. It’s the easiest way to find someone again if a particular form or surface catches your eye.

Two Places to Look

Alongside the national exhibition, the Winterfest Holiday Market carries work by artists connected to the Baltimore studios, including residents and teaching artists. If you’re buying a gift, ask which pieces are by local makers and what care the artist recommends. A bowl intended for display and one destined for the dishwasher can look equally at home on the same shelf.

The gallery and shop are at 5707 Smith Avenue. Posted hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday and Monday. The Mount Washington light rail stop is a short walk away. Drivers can use the paid lot beside the gallery building. Check the visitor guide for accessible parking and directions before you head out.

For another opening this weekend, see PowerPage’s Inner Harbor ice rink guide.