What are the opening hours?

Tuesday 10am - 5pm Wednesday 10am - 5pm Thursday 10am - 7pm Friday 10am - 5pm Saturday 10am - 5pm Sunday 12pm - 5pm

Northern Clay Center

Name: Northern Clay Center
Address: 2424 E Franklin Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, 55406, US
Telephone: +16123398007
Price range: $$
Rating: 4.6

Home
United States
Minneapolis, MN
Northern Clay Center

Call Directions Website Contact the museum

Northern Clay Center advances the ceramic arts for artists, learners, and the community, through education, exhibitions, and artist services.
(358)

Opened in 1990, Northern Clay Center is now an established ceramic arts organization. Through special programs, lectures, symposia, and publications, we reach a national and international audience, as well as a direct audience of regional participants. Other programs, such as the American Pottery Festival, McKnight Residencies, and other fellowship grants, bring national artists to the region to continually feed a lively exchange of ideas and aesthetics.

10/20/2026

Meet Don Nakamura, a 2026 recipient of the McKnight Residency for Ceramic Artists!

Don Nakamura was born and raised on the island of Maui, and has resided in Philadelphia, PA since 1987. He was introduced to clay in his early school years and states that the magic medium took hold of him completely, and remained with him until after his first round of college. He went on to “water, fertilize, and cultivate the seed [of creativity]” through classes at local art centers, before moving on to formal Arts Education institutions. He credits teachers, peers, artists, family, and friends for shaping the artist he has become. “My first ‘formal’ introduction to clay and the ceramic process was in 1978, and the drive to create and to make is still with me, perhaps even more intense now than it has ever been.”

The McKnight Residency for Ceramic Artists program recognizes and supports mid-career ceramic artists whose work demonstrates exceptional artistic merit and who have already proven their abilities within the field.
This program is made possible by the generous support of the McKnight Foundation, Minneapolis.

10/19/2026

Meet Celia Feldberg, a 2026 recipient of the McKnight Residency for Ceramic Artists!

Celia Feldberg is a Philadelphia-based ceramic artist. She holds a BFA in ceramics from Massachusetts College of Art and Design, and has completed artist residencies at The Clay Studio of Philadelphia and Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts, among others. Celia has exhibited at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show, Flower City Pottery Invitational, and in galleries nationally. She has taught at community studios and craft schools including Haystack Mountain School of Crafts and Snow Farm. She served as the glaze technician for Ben Carter’s Complete Guide to Low-Fire Glazes for Potters and Sculptors. Celia was selected as a Ceramics Monthly Emerging Artist in 2026, and her work has been featured by Homo Faber, The Ceramic Shop, Pottery Making Illustrated, and Tales of A Red Clay Rambler.

The McKnight Residency for Ceramic Artists program recognizes and supports mid-career ceramic artists whose work demonstrates exceptional artistic merit and who have already proven their abilities within the field. This program is made possible by the generous support of the McKnight Foundation, Minneapolis.

10/16/2026

Looking for something different for your next birthday, team gathering, family get-together, or celebration? Throw your next party or outing with the help of a teaching artist and a little mud! No prior experience needed. Choose from wheel-throwing (for ages 9 and up who want to get messy) or hand-building (great for all ages 6+). Click the link in our bio to learn more!

Your celebration also helps support our Community Outreach programs and keeps clay experiences accessible for schools, families, and community partners throughout Minnesota.

10/15/2026

We are excited to announce that our annual Winter Exhibition will begin in exactly one month, on November 15! This year our Winter Exhibition brings together more than 1,000 new pots, sculptures, and jewelry from over 125 artists near and far, making it easy to find something special for everyone on your list, and maybe a little something for yourself, too. And with every purchase, you’re supporting the artists who made the work and helping sustain Northern Clay Center’s nonprofit programs. Come browse, get inspired, and make your holiday shopping a little more meaningful.

Along with our full-time sales gallery artists, we will have work from 23 winter guest artists: María G. Albornoz María Albornoz, Sara Alfieri Sara Alfieri, Kurt Anderson Kurt Anderson, Marie Brown Marie Brown, Ray Brown Ray Brown, Asta Bubliene Asta Bubliene, Marissa Childers Marissa Childers, Celia Feldberg Ceramics Celia Feldberg, Stephen Heywood Stephen Heywood, Dane Hodges Dane Hodges, Erica Iman Studio Erica Iman, Samuel Johnson Samuel Johnson, Bri Larson Bri Larson, suze lindsay Suze Lindsay, Andrew McIntyre Andrew McIntyre, Mathew Meunier Mathew Meunier, Rachelle Miller Rachelle Miller, taylor a mezo Taylor Mezo, KyoungHwa Oh KyoungHwa Oh, Samantha Leigh Oliver Sam Oliver, Lindsay Rogers Lindsay Rogers, Samuel Thompson Sam Thompson, Steven Young Lee Steven Young Lee.

We also have two related events along with the Winter Exhibition!

Come shop, sip, and settle into the season with us at Pottery & Prosecco on Saturday, November 14 from 6 - 8 pm. With your $50 ticket, you’ll get first pick of all Winter Exhibition pottery (with complimentary gift wrapping!) while enjoying prosecco, cheerful beverages, and tasty bites. Tickets are available at the link in our bio now for this festive event!

Our annual Winter Open House, a free community event for all ages, will take place on Sunday, November 15 from noon - 4 pm. Shop handmade ceramics from over 125 artists, create your own wintery snowflake for only $5, and be inspired by talented artists at the pottery wheel! Sign up for this free community event at the link in our bio.

10/14/2026

Meet Zoe Powell, a 2026 Recipient of the McKnight Fellowship for Ceramic Artists!

Zoë Powell is an abstract sculptural ceramist who has dedicated her career to working with locally sourced clay and mineral resources. She graduated from the College of William & Mary in 2016 with dual degrees in Fine Art and Biology. Since then, she has had opportunities to work as an artist-in-residence at several programs around the United States and Taiwan. She is based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and works from Studio Alluvium, a gallery and workspace she co-founded with her husband, Mitch Iburg.

Her practice involves building sculptural vessels made from clays and minerals she collects and processes herself. She views working with locally sourced materials as an exercise in sustainability and aims to take full responsibility for each material by honoring it throughout the production process. She is interested in botanical and developmental morphology and how certain forms can evoke a sense of comfort for an otherwise vulnerable viewer. Her current series focuses on such sanctuary spaces.

The McKnight Fellowship for Ceramic Artists Program is designed to strengthen and enhance Minnesota’s artistic community, as well as significantly advance the work of Minnesota ceramic artists whose work is of exceptional artistic merit, who have already proven their abilities, and are at a career stage that is beyond emerging. Two grants of $25,000 each are awarded annually.

10/13/2026

Meet Nick DeVries, a 2026 Recipient of the McKnight Fellowship for Ceramic Artists!

Nick is a professional ceramic artist and arts educator based in the Brainerd Lakes area of Minnesota, where he maintains his home studio. Deeply engaged in the technical intricacies of clay, he creates work characterized by a profound appreciation for glaze chemistry, atmospheric firing, and the exploration of form and texture. Nick earned his Bachelor of Arts in Art in 2001 from St. John’s University, with concentrations in painting and ceramics. He then spent nearly a decade refining his technical precision as a production potter before transitioning into a full-time studio practice in 2011. Over the course of his career, his work has gained significant recognition, supported in part by an Artist Initiative Grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board in 2018. A recent highlight of Nick’s career occurred in 2025, when he was chosen as the juror and exhibiting artist for the It’s Only Clay national juried exhibition at the Watermark Art Center in Bemidji, Minnesota. Nick’s work is represented by nationally recognized galleries, including AKAR, Radius Gallery, and Schaller Gallery. Alongside his studio practice, he shares his technical expertise through regular educational workshops and one-on-one mentorship. Deeply committed to his community, Nick actively champions his local cultural landscape through dedicated volunteer work and board service for regional non-profits, including The Crossing Arts Alliance and the Legacy Chorale. For Nick, the intentional act of making pottery is intrinsically tied to building community, ensuring that the arts remain a vital, connecting force in Central Minnesota and beyond.

The McKnight Fellowship for Ceramic Artists Program is designed to strengthen and enhance Minnesota’s artistic community, as well as significantly advance the work of Minnesota ceramic artists whose work is of exceptional artistic merit, who have already proven their abilities, and are at a career stage that is beyond emerging. Two grants of $25,000 each are awarded annually.

10/09/2026

Join us from 6:30-8:30 pm on Wednesday, October 21 for an immersive presentation with curator, Kelly Connole, centered on her approach to developing the exhibition To Be Human. This in-person discussion includes a virtual conversation with participating artists who will discuss their diverse approaches to the figurative motif and share insights into their creative processes. Open to all, this event is offered in partnership with the International Sculpture Center’s 2026 Conference hosted in the Twin Cities.

Click the link in our bio to register for this free event!

10/08/2026

Meet Bill Jones, a 2025 Recipient of the McKnight Residency for Ceramic Artists!

Bill Jones grew up in an old stone farmhouse not far from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The son of a carpenter and a painter, Bill was immersed in a visually rich environment as a child and eventually went off to study architecture and design at Lehigh University and the University of Michigan. Bill left midway through getting his professional degree in architecture to seek out a more direct connection with material – a journey that eventually led him to Penland School of Craft and clay.

In 2013, Bill moved to Seagrove, NC for a two year formal apprenticeship with potter and sculptor, Daniel Johnston. Following this production-oriented education, Bill worked as a journeyman potter in North Carolina as he got his own studio practice off the ground. In the years since, Bill has shown his work around the country and taken on several artist in residence positions – most recently he was lead resident at Township10 in Marshall, NC. Bill now lives above his studio in Winston-Salem, NC with his dog Joey.

10/07/2026

Meet Stefani Threet, a 2025 Recipient of the McKnight Residency for Ceramic Artists!

Stefani Threet (Philadelphia, PA) is a ceramic artist, mentor, and community organizer whose work explores themes of cultural identity, utility, and connection. Utilizing atmospheric firing processes to reflect the unpredictability and emotional depth of lived experience, she honors imperfection, and reclaims the ceramic object as a vessel for truth, history, and radical imagination.

A graduate of Alfred University’s undergraduate ceramics program, Stefani has over 15 years of
experience as an art educator and ceramic arts instructor. She is the founder of Philadelphia’s first Black woman-owned ceramic gallery Ceramic Concept, served as a program manager for Philadelphia’s Mural Arts Program, and has been awarded several residencies by institutions across the United States. Her work is featured in museum shops and galleries nationwide.

10/06/2026

Fall leaves bring new work from our Late Autumn Featured Artists! Click the link in our bio to shop now!

Featured artists this month: Linda Christianson Linda Christianson , Stephanie DeArmond Stephanie DeArmond , Janina Myronowa Janina Myronowa , Amy Sanders de Melo Amy , Jewelry Spotlight: Kristen Cliffel Kristen Cliffel Art

Address

2424 E Franklin Avenue
Minneapolis, MN
55406

Opening Hours

Tuesday	10am - 5pm
Wednesday	10am - 5pm
Thursday	10am - 7pm
Friday	10am - 5pm
Saturday	10am - 5pm
Sunday	12pm - 5pm

Telephone

+16123398007

Website

http://www.northernclaycenter.org/, https://linktr.ee/northernclaycenter

Alerts

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

Contact The Museum

Send a message to Northern Clay Center:

Want your museum to be the top-listed museum in Minneapolis?