Wild Clay Workshop

Sunday September 28th, 2025

Instructor Bio

Malley Weber is a ceramic artist and educator. She operates a small teaching studio in Augusta, Maine called Kennebec Clay Works, formerly in Hallowell. She holds an adjunct position of Ceramic Art at the University of Maine at Augusta. She is a former resident and current on-call teaching artist with  Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts in Newcastle. Weber is an environmentalist and is passionate about sharing information and respecting locally sourced Glacial marine clay. Clay is just one modality for healing trauma and empowering others to gain trust in their own healing and creating abilities. Her love of community, nature, and respect for the human process drives her creative process.

Workshop Description

Art meets geology, psychology, spirituality, history, humanity and ecology. This course is designed to answer your specific questions about ethically, responsibly locating, processing and creating with your own local clay. 

Join ceramic artist and educator Malley Weber at her teaching studio, Kennebec Clay Works in Augusta, for a hands-on workshop.  Clay has been used in brick making, tile work, pizza ovens, cob building materials, water filter production, pottery/bakeware, cosmetics, as well as therapeutic uses. Malley will answer questions and share resources for locating and utilizing wild clay for your purposes.

Maine sits atop the Presumpscot Formation, a huge Glacial-marine clay deposit commonly known as blue clay. This clay varies in composition, so knowing what your needs are is an important part of the gathering process. We will take you on a slow meander through nearby natural settings to find patches of glacial marine clay. We will be gathering small samples and returning to the studio to examine and discuss the properties we find in the samples and evaluate suitability. If you have a small sample of clay you’d like to discuss, please bring that with you. 

Malley will demonstrate by gleaning previously gathered dried clay, adding materials, slaking, wedging, storing, and making shrinkage bars.   

A good portion of our day will be spent outdoors, walking, hiking, and trekking. Please be prepared for rain or shine. Also note this is for earth-friendly small batch tests, not a ‘harvesting’ of materials. The workshop is approximately five hours.

Materials Provided by Instructor:

• Zip lock baggies
• Clay materials for processing
  
  

Student Supplied Materials:  

• Waterproof boots, small shovels or spades
• Sharpie
• notebook/pen
• Lunch
• Water bottles
• N-95 mask
• Gloves
• Samples of your clay (if you have some)
• Bug spray or tick spray
• Proper gear -hats, coats, etc. Layers
• Backpack, walking sticks

More About Maine Craft Association

Founded in 1983, the Maine Crafts Association (MCA) nurtures and connects craft artists across the state through education, mentorship, storytelling, community events, artist promotion, and income-generating opportunities. With a membership of over 500 multidisciplinary artists and small businesses, MCA also engages makers, institutions, and the public, ensuring that craft remains a vital cultural and economic force in Maine.

Frequently Asked Questions

What about transportation?

Participants are responsible for their own transportation toMalley's studio space in Augusta.

What should I bring?

• Waterproof boots, small shovels or spades
• Sharpie
• notebook/pen
• Lunch
• Water bottles
• N-95 mask
• Gloves
• Samples of your clay (if you have some)
• Bug spray or tick spray
• Proper gear -hats, coats, etc. Layers
• Backpack, walking sticks

Cancellations

The payment is 50% refundable in the event you have to cancel, as long as the cancellation is made 21 days before the trip. After that time, your payment is non-refundable. Alternately, 100% of your payment will be refunded if a replacement can be found prior to the trip.

This workshop needs a minimum of four participants. In the event the minimum is not met, we may cancel or offer to move you to a different workshop.