Kicking Off Summer at Clay Art Center
We’re kicking off summer at Clay Art Center, and Port Chester is bustling with community events and gatherings.
Here at Clay Art Center, the summer has its own pace: new students find time to get creative and attend their first classes, summer camp students explore the world of clay, and many beloved community events remind us of how much we love our vibrant home in Port Chester, New York. Below, you can learn about some recent local events that has summer at Clay Art Center off to a great start.
Port Chester Mural Unveiling
Staff from Clay Art Center attended a ribbon cutting ceremony on May 28th to celebrate the new “Greetings From Port Chester, New York” mural located on the Westchester Gentle Dentistry building at 430 Westchester Avenue in Port Chester. Numerous local organizations contributed funding and illustrations for the individual letters of the mural - you can spot Clay Art Center’s very own designs, inspired by pottery making and mosaic projects, on the letter P! We were so happy to be a part of this project, and to have the opportunity to gather with our neighbors and celebrate some of the things that make Port Chester special.
Last Carver Center Teen Class of the Year
This past week marked the final Carver Center Teen Class of the school year! Led by Program Assistant Daysired De Jesus Veras, teens in the class learned basic handbuilding techniques while creating desk buddies, or functional sculptures to keep them company and hold paperclips, pencils, and other tools. The Carver Center Teen Class is open to any participants in their teen program, and gives them the opportunity to unwind with clay and learn new skills. Students had been drawn to sculptural work in previous classes, so Daysired leaned into that interest, showing the class how ceramics don’t have to be strictly sculptural or functional, but can incorporate aspects of both. She instructed them on making round forms using two pinch pots, as well as the ever-important slip and score techniques needed to securely join pieces of clay together. “The students were very engaged,” Daysired shared, “the class is a big mix of students from both middle and high school, and they’re all eager to learn and collaborate. There’s a lot of joy in the class.” We look forward to working with the Carver Center Teens again next year!
Chalk The Walk, Let’s Talk Westchester
Clay Art Center hosted Chalk The Walk, Let's Talk for a second annual gathering to create beautiful chalk art that shared messages of hope, resilience, and connection as part of Chalk the Walk Westchester 2026. This county-wide initiative coordinated by the Westchester County Suicide Prevention Coalition to raise awareness, decrease stigma, and spark conversations about mental health. Clay Art Center is honored to partner on this project with SPEAK, an organization dedicated to empowering AANHPI community wellbeing through education, advocacy, research, and services. Thank you to all the youth participants from both organizations who helped make this event a success and contributed inspiring chalk art with meaningful messages.
Rye ECOFest
Members of the Community Arts team had a great time hosting a clay table at Rye ECOFest 2026! This celebration of all things environmentally-conscious took part in Crawford Park this past weekend. Members of the community enjoyed pollinator planting activities, food trucks, activity tables offered by local vendors and makers, and drum circles. Visitors to the Clay Art Center table made seed bombs using clay and native wildflower seeds, which both beautify and support native pollinators. There was even a butterfly release toward the end of the day, and the town’s first Upcycled Costume Contest with a grand prize of $500! Clay Art Center was delighted to be part of the event, and proud to contribute an arts angle to environmental education in our neighborhood.
