Berkshire Pottery Tour Slated for Sept. 26-27
BERKSHIRE COUNTY —This year’s Berkshire Pottery Tour, now in its 13th year, will showcase the diverse craftsmanship of 15 potters. Highlighting the dense concentration of ceramic talent nestled in the hills of New England, the annual tour will take place Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 26-27, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days.
The Berkshire Pottery Tour is a premier Northeast destination event drawing ceramic lovers and collectors from Boston, New York City, the Capital Region, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and the Cape. The tour provides guests with the opportunity to explore working ceramic studios, meet artists, and gain insight into the creative process behind handcrafted functional ceramics and sculpture.
Founded in 2013 by a group of professional potters on faculty at the Berkshire Art Center, the Berkshire Pottery Tour has evolved into a popular tradition. Visitors this year are invited to experience eight diverse studios, each highlighting a range of techniques, unique styles, and ceramic art.
Potter Harry Levenstein will welcome tour attendees to his new home studio for the first time, and will be hosting guest potter Hunter Cady.
“Finding the right place to settle in and build this home and studio has been a dream for more than a decade. It still feels unreal,” Levenstein said. “Being a host on the tour is also such a privilege, as I have been hosted as a guest by three of the other potters in past years. Now I get to step up and contribute to the local community that has supported me so graciously since I moved here almost six years ago.”
Other new artists for 2026 include Marley Reed, a former apprentice showing at Dan Bellow’s studio; sculptor Lauren Skelly Bailey and renowned studio artist Sharon Pollack, guests at Lorimer Burns’ Studio; Ellen Grenadier, hosting a new guest, Nina Ryan, who will show her large-scale woodfired pots at Grenadier’s Monterey Studio; and Lyndee Deal, who, together with Doug Pelzman, will be guests at Ben Evans’ Richmond Studio.
Founding member Paula Shalan will host Alison Palmer. The Berkshire Art Center will be open to view their spacious community studio with a newly rebuilt soda kiln.
Michael Marcus will be exhibiting his innovative, multi-chambered Noborigama wood kiln at Joyous Spring Pottery and gallery. Marcus, the well-known chef-owner of Bizen Japanese restaurant and sushi bar, brings a deep passion for Japanese pottery, which he studied extensively in Japan.
The self-guided driving tour follows a scenic circuit through Richmond, West Stockbridge, Stockbridge, Housatonic, Great Barrington, and Monterey. Participants may start at any studio. Detailed maps and video previews are available on the tour’s website. Paper maps will be provided at each studio. Distinctive orange and white Berkshire pottery tour road signs will guide visitors along the route during the weekend.
To see the full list of potters and a short video featuring several participating potters, visit www.berkshirepotterytour.com. The tour is free, and no reservations are required. A variety of ceramic wares will be available for sale.
