Box Making Workshop with Alison Palmer
Saturday & Sunday, August 15 & 16
10:00am-5:00pm (Saturday & Sunday)
$260
Saturday & Sunday, August 15 & 16
10:00am-5:00pm (Saturday & Sunday)
$260
$260
3 spots left
To use or purchase a gift certificate, please contact the office at (914) 617-8541 or info@railyardarts.com!
You will receive an email confirmation of your purchase (please check spam)!
About the Class
Instructor: Alison Palmer
In this workshop, we will spend two days constructing and sculpting extraordinary boxes that will tell a personal story. Whether you make a box to store things in or make an urn, you will have made a beautifully sculptured vessel by the end of the workshop. This is a hand building workshop for people with some experience in working with clay. We will start the workshop showing you different hand building techniques using coils and slabs.
Starting with templates, you will be shown how to make the body, lids and galleys. Handles and feet can also be added. We’ll talk about different options for knobs, whether it’s simple or a more complex animal form.
Firing fees are not included in this workshop. Railyard students and members may add the firing fee on their monthly/semester firing fees sheet. If non-Railyard students plan on keeping their work from this workshop, you must measure and pay for their piece before leaving the workshop (Railyard accepts Venmo, Zelle, cash, or check).
About Allison Palmer:
Biography: I was born in New York City and lived there a short while before moving to the suburbs of NY. Art always played a major role in my life. My mother is an artist and my father was an accomplished wood worker. I went to Kansas City Art Institute for their foundation program and graduated with high distinction from California College of Arts And Crafts with a BFA in ceramics. After graduation I worked in a mental health facility for four years. I then decided to take the plunge and try to support myself with my art and so I entered the world of wholesale craft shows. The wholesale business was very successful for about 25 years until the economic down turn in 2008, where I had to reinvent myself. At that time, my work was low fire tableware, designed by me and slip cast and decorated. At the time of the recession all of our wholesale accounts had dried up, and so, as I had lately discovered the joy of wood firing, my interests shifted in the direction of one-of-a-kind pieces and limited production in the atmospheric kilns. I have both a wood and a soda fire kiln on my property One thing led to another and so we then developed a program to bring ceramic artists to the area by hosting workshops which we’ve been doing at our studio for the last 18 years. Artists from around the world have taught at our studio in Northwest Connecticut. As an artist I still create one-of-a-kind high fire pieces. At this point in my career I do maybe one retail show a year plus our increasingly popular ClayWay, an artist studio tour of northwest Connecticut and beyond. As we unload our kilns the work is then photographed and put up on our Shopify page. I spend winters in Mexico where we work on next year’s workshop programming. While there, I also spend time designing new work and printmaking.
Artist Statement: My goal is to make unique, functional and lovable pots. Animal imagery underpins all of my work whether animals decorate the plates, bowls, platters and mugs or animal sculptures are assembled from thrown or hand built pieces. I like the fluidity of moving between the two modalities. The tesselations found on the plates were/are designs that I started to develop during the pandemic when everything was so up in the air and unnerving. In retrospect, it was a personal way of containing and controlling (in my head) the chaos that was going on in the world. I immensely enjoyed the long hours I spent in the studio during that time of isolation. As with any art form one idea leads to the next and sometimes my inspiration comes from the previous pieces I’ve worked on and sometimes i turn to ancient pottery to be inspired.This has been my mode of creating through my many years of working with clay. Remembering back to when I made my first piece in pre-school, I remember the feeling of being totally enchanted by the magic of working with clay and luckily for me that feeling still holds true.
Learn more about Alison at alisonpalmerstudio.com
Learn more about Alison at alisonpalmerstudio.com
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Current Session: Spring 2 2026
Dates: May 4th – June 29th (No class 5/24-5/25)
Registration: Enrolling & now in session!
Future Session: Summer 2026
Summer Pottery Dates: July 5th – August 28th
Summer 1 Art Dates: July 6th – July 31st
Summer 2 Art Dates: August 2nd – August 28th
Stained Glass Dates: July 13th – August 28th
Registration: Enrolling mid-June!
We enroll our recurring classes every 7-8 weeks! Click here to view all registration dates and information!
- Current Student Registration: Students currently enrolled at Railyard Arts are given exclusive opportunity to re-enroll for the next session for the class they are already in. After current student enrollment ends, current students have the opportunity to switch classes.
- Waitlist Registration (*if applies*): Waitlist Early Registration will only occur for previously full classes! After current student enrollment ends, any remaining spots in previously full classes will be offered to those on our waitlist. You will be emailed with a link to enroll before general registration opens online. All Adult Clay & Stained Glass classes have waitlists!
- General Registration & Notification List: Once early access registration ends, classes will be made available to the general public under the classes tab of our menu. If you join our notification list, you will receive an email when registration opens. Classes will remain open until the class fills or begins!
MAKE-UPS
- Class make-ups are only scheduled if a class is canceled by the Studio due to weather, illness, or other issues (see closing & cancellation).
- Personal make-ups are not guaranteed but we will do our best to make accommodations.
- Make-ups must be completed within the same session as the missed class.
- Students are allowed one make-up per session!
- Please notify your instructor and the front desk (email info@railyardarts.com) as soon as possible if you will be missing a class.
- All make-ups require instructor approval and front desk approval. To request a make-up, email info@railyardarts.com as soon as possible.
- If approved, makeups can be done in extra open studio time (pottery and non-stained glass art classes) or in another class (stained glass).
CLEANLINESS & CARE
- Please keep the studio clean and return the space to its original condition when leaving.
- Students are expected to clean their working area including countertops and floors at the end of each class.
- Follow instructor guidance for safe cleaning practices.
- Do not leave personal materials, trash, or messes behind.
- The studio is not responsible for lost, damaged, or discarded work.
FOOD & DRINK
- No food is allowed inside the studio. Students may eat in the lounge.
- Beverages are allowed only in containers with lids.
- No food in studio trash cans. Food and drink garbage must be disposed of in the lobby.
MATERIALS & SAFETY
- Only approved, non-toxic materials may be used in the studio.
- Personal art supplies must be taken home at the end of each class.
- Follow all posted safety guidelines and instructor instructions.
GENERAL EXPECTATIONS
- Be respectful of instructors, staff, fellow students, and shared resources.
- Repeated failure to follow studio policies may result in withdrawal from your course without reimbursement!
You will receive an email confirmation of your purchase (please check spam)! By registering for a class at Railyard Arts Studio you are agreeing to our terms & policies. To view all of our policies, click here.