Summer Workshops at Martha’s Studio

2025 SESSION DATES

Registration will open for 2026 HERE on October 1 at NOON eastern. The workshops will not be available until that time.

Session 1: June 21 - 27, 2026
Session 2: July 1 - 7, 2026

Returners ONLY: July 12 - 18, 2026

Please complete the form below if you have questions about the workshops

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Come learn from Martha in her home studio located in the idyllic mountains of western Maine. Discover the idiosyncrasies of working with porcelain on and off the wheel as Martha demonstrates how to make her signature undulating functional forms. In this hands-on workshop, Martha will share her special throwing and altering techniques that exploit this elegant and sensuous material’s best qualities. Working with a variety of bottomless wheel-thrown forms and slabs in both the soft and leather-hard stages, students will learn various altering techniques and additions of slabs, handles, and spouts to create an assortment of functional forms. Forms will include cups, bowls, vases, pitchers, lidded forms, and baskets. Crack repair and mending techniques will be addressed, as well as the use of a spray gun for glaze application. Martha will also talk about her sources of inspiration, philosophy of making, and studio practices. A glaze kiln will be fired, as well as two bisque kilns. Demonstrations will also cover packing/shipping and taking images of your work. Workshop content is suitable for intermediate to advanced level students. Participants must be able to comfortably throw at least a 4” tall cylinder on the wheel without assistance.

Enrollment is limited to 11 participants per session.

TUITION: $1400

A $200 non-refundable deposit is due upon registration. A check for $1200 should be mailed to Martha in January or after registration, which ever is later. Price includes instruction, lunch, firings, glazes, use of studio equipment, and 50# of porcelain. More clay may be purchased during the workshop if needed.

CANCELLATION POLICY

If a cancellation is received more than 45 days prior to the start of class, you will be refunded the full amount paid less the $200 non-refundable deposit. There is no refund if a cancellation is made within 45 days of the start of the course.

WORKSHOP SCHEDULE

First day:
11:00am - 12:00pm Introductions, studio tour
12:00pm - 1:00pm Lunch
1:00pm - 5:00pm Instruction & work time
10pm Studio closes

Day 2 - 6

8:00am studio opens
9:00am - 12:00pm Instruction & work time
12:00pm - 1:00pm Lunch
1:00pm - 5:00pm Instruction & work time
10pm Studio closes
Day 7
9:00am - 12:00pm Unload glaze kiln, pack & depart

STUDIO LOCATION

The workshop takes place at Martha’s studio located at:
630 West Bethel Road
Bethel, Maine 04217

We are located in the white mountains, in western Maine. The area is filled with many lakes, rivers, lots of hiking and other outdoor opportunities.

MATERIALS & TOOLS

Tuition covers 50 pounds of porcelain and firings during the workshop session. More clay may be purchased during the workshop. An individual wheel, hand building space, and shelving will be provided for each student. Students should plan to bring their own tools; however, an assortment of standard throwing tools are available for shared use during the workshop. A specific tool list will be emailed in advance to all registered participants.

MEALS

Come for the clay, stay for lunch! Fresh lunches homemade daily with internationally-themed menus.

Lunch will be provided everyday except the final day. Lunches will be made and served family style onsite by Martha and her assistants. We will try to accommodate everyone's dietary needs and restrictions as best we can. As makers of food vessels, we are excited about cooking and hope that lunch will be a time for communal enjoyment and discourse. Expect lots of handmade pots and homegrown, fresh food. On Friday, we will host a Farewell Lobster Dinner.

Coffee and tea will be available in the studio throughout the workshop. There is a microwave and refrigerator for your use throughout the week as well. You are welcome to bring your own breakfast and dinner to the studio if you like. There are some restaurants in Bethel - from nice sit-down dinner places to cheap pizza and Chinese. The local market is adequate, though don't expect to find too many exotic fruits or veggies

LODGING

There is no on-site housing available. Attendees must make their own housing arrangements. There are many AirBnBs, hotels, and motels in the area. I will not coordinate housing for you, but I will put you in touch with other classmates if you are interested in splitting housing costs with a fellow participant. I have put together a list of local area hotels/motels and campgrounds that you can find HERE.

If you are coming with a tent or camper, you are welcome to park at the studio property. We do not have any hook ups or a shower on the premises, but we have lots of parking space.

TRAVEL TO AND FROM THE STUDIO

Traveling to Bethel: If you are driving, the address of the studio is 630 W Bethel RD, 04217. If you are flying, you can fly into Portland ME (PWM), or Boston MA (BOS). It is a 2 hour drive (75 miles) from Portland to Bethel. If you fly into Boston, it is a 3.5-4 hour drive to Bethel, or you can take a Concord Coach bus from the airport to Portland. There is no public transportation between Portland and Bethel. A rental car is recommended. The studio is 4 miles from the village of Bethel, where restaurants, hotels, and the grocery store are located. Renting a car or carpooling with one of the other participants may be your best option if you are flying. As you are making your travel arrangements, please keep in mind that we are 2 hours from the airport in Portland. Please do not to make your departing flight from Portland before 3 pm the final afternoon. We can not unload the final glaze kiln earlier. Transportation to and from the studio each day is the responsibility of each participant.

PACKING / SHIPPING FINISHED WORK

There will be bisque firings and one glaze firing during the course of the workshop. Students will take home glaze-fired pieces and some bisque ware by the end of the week. There will be a packing and shipping demonstration. On the last morning, after the last kiln is unloaded, students will be able to pack their own work for shipment if needed. Materials for this will be available for purchase. The cost of packing materials and shipping is the responsibility of the participant. Packages can be shipped via FedEx, UPS or US Postal Service.

Returners ONLY Workshop

This week-long workshop is designed for those that have already participated in one of Martha’s studio workshops. As the basics of throwing and altering Martha-style have already been covered, we will be able to work on more complex forms, and start to explore how you can use these building construction techniques with your own voice and style. The format of the workshop will be very similar to the original workshop, a glaze kiln will be fired and unloaded the last day, but the content of workshops will be more in depth and tailored to the desires of the participant group.

QUESTIONS?

Please email me at Martha@MarthaGrover.com or call 207-462-9538

Students must be 18 or older by the start of the course to register. Registration takes place on a first come, first serve basis. Enrollment is limited to 11 participants per session. In the event that a workshop reaches maximum enrollment, you will be added to a wait-list and notified if a space becomes available.