Arts Center Pottery Studio host Youth Council Students
CLAYTON, NY (May 16, 2025) – Earlier this month, the Thousand Islands Arts Center ~ Home
of the Handweaving Museum welcomed the Northern New York Community Foundation’s Youth
Philanthropy Council for an afternoon of artistic exploration. The young leaders engaged in a
hands-on pottery workshop in the Arts Center’s studio. Under the guidance of Pottery Studio
Manager Kathy Morris, the students discovered the versatility of clay and unleashed their
creativity. The Arts Center’s pottery program, recognized for its team-building benefits, is
available for bookings for corporate and community organizations. The studio also offers group
and private classes by appointment.
“It was great to see how the students collaborated, shared ideas, and encouraged one another
as they created their clay pieces,” explained Arts Center Executive Director Sarah Riddoch. “In
that shared creative space, true teamwork takes root, and those are lessons that extend far
beyond the pottery studio.”
The Youth Philanthropy Council is an advisory committee of the Northern New York Community
Foundation. The program promotes positive youth development and leadership while engaging
young people in meaningful activities that build their skills and deepen their understanding of
community needs and philanthropy and its impact on Northern New York. Since its inception in
2010, the Youth Philanthropy Council has awarded 145 grants totaling $255,070 in support to
nonprofit organizations that serve residents of Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties.
The Thousand Islands Arts Center is a 2025 recipient of a grant from the Youth Philanthropy
Council. Funds will support summer camp programming for children aged 5 to 14 in Clayton. In
2024, 150 local school students were inspired through the Arts Center’s after-school and
summer camp programs.
In response to growing demand for arts and culture in the region, the Arts Center is in the
process of expanding its Clayton campus. Construction is currently underway for a new 13,000
sq. ft. facility featuring galleries, classrooms, archives, and a library, as well as retail space. The
expanded campus, which extends from John Street to James Street, will afford enhanced
access to the pottery studio and feature an art park. The Arts Center’s expanded campus is
anticipated to be open to the public in Spring 2026.
Photo above: Enjoying time creating in the pottery studio at the Arts Center are Rose Hunt, from left, Trey Urf, Vincent KNapp, Bennett Pister, and Pottery Studio Manager Kathy Morris.
