We had such an incredible experience with our Sawtooth Luminaries event this year! For three days, influential leaders in contemporary art and craft led immersive and intensive workshops—ones that left students feeling inspired and energized, and expanded our depth and scope as a community art school.
From Moravian-style wood stools to rings crafted with Japanese-inspired metal techniques, the work produced in our studios over the weekend was truly remarkable! Featured artists included Eric Burris, Bryant Holsenbeck, Candice Methe, Angela Pilgrim, and Charles Thompson.
A handful of photos and information about 2025’s workshops are below. Plans for next year’s edition are already in the works, so make sure to join us from October 2-4, 2026!
Learn more about this event at sawtooth.org/luminaries
2025 Workshops:
Eric Burris
Set It and Forget It! Electric Kiln Mokume Gane
Columbia, North Carolina
Mokume gane, or “wood grain metal,” is a Japanese technique where layers of metals are cleaned, stacked, compressed, and heated to form a solid block. Explore a Western method of creating Mokume gane using a digitally-controlled kiln to fuse copper and sterling silver. Carving through these layers reveals intricate and organic patterns.
Bryant Holsenbeck
Textiles: Wrapping Wild
Durham, North Carolina
Turn bits of fabric, bags of yarn, and other items you have been saving for a rainy day into a one-of-a-kind work of art! With Bryant as your guide, use coiling, wrapping, random weave, sewing, and binding techniques to make animals and birds out of recycled textiles and scavenged materials.All skill levels are welcome.
Candice Methe
Looking to History to Shape Contemporary Ceramics
Rockland, Maine
Draw inspiration from history to influence modern clay forms. You will explore various hand-building techniques, including the coil and pinch methods, as well as hard/soft slab construction and the use of templates. Demonstrations will showcase creating spouts, lids, and darting. Students will be encouraged to take basic shapes and expand upon them with their creativity.
Angela Pilgrim
Layer by Layer: The Painterly Monotype
Newark, New Jersey
In this workshop, students will learn essential printmaking techniques to create unique prints using monotype, transfer processes, and layering. We will create images on plexiglass plates with water-soluble crayons and watercolor, then transfer them to paper using a press, and experiment with layering through xerox transfers. It’s suitable for beginners, with no experience needed.
Charles Thompson
Making a Brettstuhl or Board Chair
Heath, Massachusetts
Explore the Alpine brettstuhl or stabelle chair, blending creativity with technical skills. Using traditional joinery techniques, you’ll rely on time-honored concepts while also leveraging them into something new. No prior woodworking experience is required, though it may be helpful.