2024 | Mount St. Helens Flatware Workshop

Join us on Saturday, November 16th for a workshop creating Mount St. Helens ash-glazed flatware

Mount St. Helens Flatware Workshop
Saturday, November 16, 2025, 12:00pm–3:00pm
Fine Arts Building WSU: Ceramics Area on Level 4
Registration required: Nov 16 Workshop Registration (Registration is closed)

May 18, 2025 marks the 45th anniversary of the eruption of Mount St. Helens. A significant portion of the 540 million tons of ash that spewed from the volcano settled across Central and Eastern Washington, and inventive ceramists in the region collected the ash to make beautiful glazes. To commemorate the explosive history of Mount St. Helens, the WSU Department of Art invites participation in the creation of 100 pieces of ash-glazed flatware. Workshop participants will learn about volcanic ash, assist in rolling slabs of clay, and shaping and decorating commemorative plates.* The commemoration will culminate on Wednesday, March 5, 2025 at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art WSU in connection with The Art of Food, From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation: All 100 plates will be on display, accompanied by a program about the historical significance of the eruption at WSU and in our region.

This workshop is free and open to the public, but registration is required (see link above).

*NOTE: Workshop participants will not take home flatware after the workshop. Plates will be fired and glazed after November 16, and all participants are invited to the March 5 commemoration at the Schnitzer Museum to view all completed pieces of flatware.