2nd Annual Backyard Beale Bash
We had so much fun at this event last year that we’ve decided to do it again! Mark your calendars, and don’t miss this one!
This is an open house style event. We will be running our raku kilns all day and night. We invite you to come paint a pot and watch it get fired up, grab some food, listen to some good music, and spend the afternoon with us.
We are working on all the fun details, and will provide further information as we get closer to the event.
If you or someone you know might like to be a vendor at our event, please reach out to us at info@bealepottery.com
Michiana Pottery Tour 2024
The Michiana Pottery Tour includes more than 30 artists at multiple locations across Northern Indiana and Southwestern Michigan. The two day tour takes place on the final Saturday and Sunday of September every year.
Many of the participating artists are local to Indiana and Michigan, however several guest artists are from neighboring states. This tour is a great opportunity to view a wide variety of work, and discover new local pottery artists. Nearly all of the participants have lived or worked within the Michiana area at some point in their career.
The tour is free for all visitors. We encourage you to grab a map, and make a fun day or weekend of visiting as many stops as you can!
This year Eric and I will be visiting artists at Riverwood Pottery in Shipshewana, IN along with a handful of other very talented potters. Big thanks to our host, Jesse Woodworth. Come see us - it’ll be a great day!
Mother's Day Open House
We have collaborated with a team of our local business friends to bring you a fantastic way to spend a Saturday! Visit our three locations; Beale Pottery, Blue Moon Vintage Market, and Four Corners Winery - all within close distance to one another. You will find handcrafted pottery and art, plants and flowers, vintage treasures, tasty bites paired with great wines, and so much more at our Shop + Hop Event. This is a great way to celebrate Mother's Day together, gather sweet thoughtful gifts for mom, or just grab some loved ones for a fun day out, and explore our three unique country spaces.
Beale Pottery: 10-4pm
1038 N 550 E Westville, IN 46391
I'm Milissa Beale, and my husband is Eric. Together we operate a small batch production pottery shop that offers various classes, workshops, and membership. We will open up our studio doors on the 4th of May for an open house style sale with some of our small business friends. We will be hosting Flora Plants with their green thumb and lots of beautiful plants up for grabs, Sugarfield Flowers will have a small table set up offering artfully designed floral arrangements, and a few of our talented local pottery friends will have stock available as well. Our shelves and tables will be bursting with our handcrafted Mother's Day stock which will include our Dunes inspired collection, hand painted florals and birds, candles, and lots of planters to choose from.
Blue Moon Vintage Market: 10-4pm
11193 W Division Rd Westville, IN 46391
Vicki and Jen Kerr are a dynamic mother daughter duo passionate about the vintage market they curate together, and their animal recuse, Elsa's Acres. Visit their beautiful barn and sprawling property for some of the best vintage finds, and say hello to their many furry friends. Vic and Jen will be hosting the following vendors on the 4th; Olga's Food Truck and catering will be there with charcuterie boxes for sale - ordering available for Mother's Day the following weekend. Audrey from Lake Effect Florals will have gorgeous blooms available for purchase or order. Lastly, but certainly not least, coveted artist David Hugg will be displaying his original artwork for sale.
Four Corners Winery and Wedding Venue: 11-6pm
294 E 600 N Valparaiso, IN 46383
Conclude your tour here with Four Corners. Deanne Nasser and Mike Tisma invite you to their vineyard with a renovated 1870's farmhaus where you'll find a unique tasting room featuring original brick architecture. Hang out on the deck overlooking the vineyard to unwind and relax with friends. Enjoy gourmet bites from the menu, and catch live music by Keegan Dar from 12-3pm.
Each stop offers its uniqueness, inviting you to linger, discover, and celebrate. Collect moments of joy and wonderment as you weave your way between these spaces within our community. It's not just an event, it's an experience to hold in your heart.
Holiday Open House
We invite you to join us for our first annual Beale Pottery Holiday Open House! You’ll be able to visit our studio to shop for unique gifts, watch a demonstration or two, participate in some raffles, and enjoy a light charcuterie spread while you’re here. If we’re lucky, we may even get Eric dressed as Santa - still working on that one! ha!
Saturday December, 16th / 12-7pm
Sunday December, 15th / 12-5pm
We’ll post more details soon!
Holiday Wreath Workshop with Sugarfield Flowers
In this workshop you’ll be guided by one of our favorite florists, Kris of Sugarfield Flowers. Kris will assist you in choosing a selection of vibrant, American grown florals and greenery. You’ll be taught how to intertwine the flora with the ceramic chimes and tiny houses made exclusively for this collab to create an entirely unique holiday wreath to decorate your home with.
Each participant will leave with their own one-of-a-kind wreath and a limited edition 2023 Beale Pottery ornament.
Thanksgiving Centerpiece with Sugarfield Flowers
Two Dates!
Monday November 20th / 5:30-8:30pm
Wednesday November, 22nd / 5:30-8:30pm
In this hands-on workshop, you’ll engage in the artful confluence of ceramics and floristry.
The workshop will begin with your choosing of a handmade, exclusively designed vessel by Beale Pottery for Sugarfield. Each vessel will be created using our signature brown speckled clay, decorated with interesting textures and warm earth-toned glazes.
Kris will share her knowledge of botany and aesthetics while guiding the group in selections of fresh, locally sourced flowers and foliage. She will teach techniques for arranging the blossoms, achieving visual balance, color harmony, and structural stability within the ceramic vessels.
John Britt Glaze Workshop
This is a hands-on workshop where we will make a Color Blend with various bases to illustrate the effect of oxides in the base and their effect on color. After we dip the tiles and load the kiln we will discuss all things glazes including oxide properties.
The workshop will be a general overview of ceramic glazes, focusing on but not limited to cone 6 glazes. It is designed for beginner to intermediate potters. We will discuss cones, kilns, firing dynamics and principles as well as apply those principles to various firing cycles. This will lead us to some basic classifications of glazes, like ash, celadon, temmoku, etc. We will discuss how and why each type of glaze works and how you can achieve them, how to adjust your glazes and how to find new ones. We will discuss glazes from my new book: “The Complete Guide to Mid-Range Glazes: Glazing and Firing at cone 4 – 7”, but will go into more detail than the book allowed.
Grand Opening Celebration/ Raku Firing
Grand Opening Celebration / Raku Firing
We have long awaited building our pottery studio, and we are ready to celebrate opening it with all of you! We will start firing raku pots at 1pm in the afternoon. Guests will be able to paint their own pots, watch the firing process, then walk away with a one of a kind piece of artwork. We are planning to have music, food vendors, and so much more!
We’ll provide further detail as we get closer to the event.
Mark your calendars, and plan to celebrate with us!
Jewelry Making with Becca Otis!
Join us for a very special and fun night of jewelry making! Becca creates a line of bright and colorful ceramic jewelry, and she will be teaching you how to create one-of-a-kind pieces of your very own. Participants will be making various pendants and multiple earring designs. We’ll have many different glazes for you to chose from making a custom look easy peasy.
No experience necessary - beginner friendly!
Throwing Efficiency with Becca!
Throwing Efficiency Workshop with Becca Otis from 5 Lines Pottery
Monday / September 25th
Two times available: 1-4pm or 5:30 - 8:30pm
You may know Becca Otis from her well known podcast - Wheel Talk with friend Ryan Durbin, or from her many appearances at conferences within the pottery community. Becca has been potting since 2009, and throwing in a production style since 2013. She has worked in a production setting for various ceramic businesses, and loves finding the most efficient way possible to produce. She has spent time coaching many potters, and helping them achieve a more effective way of throwing to improve their output. She also makes and sells her own line of products including fancy cups and jewelry.
Becca has recently embarked on an adventurous journey - van life! She packed up her full pottery getup, and hit the road! She has spent her summer traveling all the way up and around Lake Michigan making stops along the way at pottery shops where she visits other potter friends, attends a market or show, and teaches a workshop or two. We’re lucky enough to be on the last leg of her summer tour!
About the workshop (from Becca):
We all learn pottery a bit differently - which is fantastic! Sometimes a few new techniques can elevate your already good throwing skills. In this workshop we will practice certain movements and tactics to make your throwing either faster or more efficient. Sometimes it’s just a matter of making three movements become one. This workshop is meant for experienced potters who want to improve and evolve their own practice. Potters must have a solid grasp on centering, and pulling a cylinder. See you all soon!
Michiana Pottery Tour
The Michiana Pottery Tour includes more than 30 artists at multiple locations across Northern Indiana and Southwestern Michigan. The two day tour takes place on the final Saturday and Sunday of September every year.
Many of the participating artists are local to Indiana and Michigan, however several guest artists are from neighboring states. This tour is a great opportunity to view a wide variety of work, and discover new local pottery artists. Nearly all of the participants have lived or worked within the Michiana area at some point in their career.
The tour is free for all visitors. We encourage you to grab a map, and make a fun day or weekend of visiting as many stops as you can!
This year Eric and I will be visiting artists at Riverwood Pottery in Shipshewana, IN along with a handful of other very talented potters. Big thanks to our host, Jesse Woodworth. Come see us - it’ll be a great day!
We Be Kind Music Festival
Join us at the We Be Kind Music Fest for some of the areas best live music, vendor market, food and more! Family friendly event. Tickets are $20 at the gate day of event.
Paint a Mug Workshop
Grab your wife, grab your kids - it’s a paint a piece of handmade pottery workshop! Each guest will have the option to paint, dip, or spray a mug or tumbler with a variety of colorful glaze options. We’ll provide instruction and guidance as needed throughout the process, and even some inspiration for decorating a one-of-a-kind functional piece of art.
Length of Event: 3 hours / Price per person: $55 / Max capacity: 16 guests / All ages
*Participants can pick up mugs on Saturday July, 8th, or pay for shipping and have your pottery mailed to your home!
Smudge Dish Workshop with Pieces of Jayde
We teamed up with our pals at Pieces of Jayde for a fun new Smudge Dish Workshop!
Come join us to create your own one of a kind smudge dish, incense burner, crystal dish, or jewelry dish! You will have the opportunity to texture your piece, and add sculptural designs - decorate it any way you want! The finished piece will be uniquely yours.
You will be able to chose your glaze combinations, then your creation will be glazed and fired - ready for pick up in a week or so.
Sign up at Jade’s website!
https://www.piecesofjayde.com/product-page/make-a-smudge-dish-with-beale-pottery