About Us

Hands shaping clay on a spinning pottery wheel.

The Rochester Folk Art Guild is a nonprofit artist community and craft education center in New York's Finger Lakes region.

Founded in 1957, the Guild was described in its early years as “a group of people, from widely differing backgrounds, brought together by the common aim of exploring their potentialities and limitations through practical work.” This spirit of curiosity, learning, and working together continues to guide us today.

Our 350-acre farm is home to traditional craft studios, gardens, orchards, and homes, as well as a meditation hall, the East Hill Gallery, and welcoming spaces for workshops, public programs, and retreats. Many of these buildings and spaces were built by Guild craftspeople over the years and continue to be cared for by the community.

As part of an international network studying G.I. Gurdjieff's teachings, we see craft and daily life as opportunities for learning, self-discovery, and meaningful work. Through our studios, educational programs, gallery, and online shop, we share our love of craftsmanship, the pleasure of learning through doing, and the belief that there is always more to discover in ourselves and the world around us. We welcome you to join us in this ongoing exploration.

Mission

To offer support and nourishment to all who are searching for a more conscious, creative, and responsible way of living.

IN SUPPORT OF OUR MISSION

Close-up of a droplet falling into water, creating ripples.

  • We gradually accustom ourselves to pay close attention to what is happening in both our inner and outer worlds during the unfolding of each day. Striving to cultivate a finer quality of attention, we acknowledge the diverse impulses that arise inside us. In time this practice can bring a greater sense of inner balance and relatedness with ourselves, others and the world around us.

A simple illustration of a branch with three leaves and a small, round fruit.

  • The way we work with our hands and our whole body is essential to human development throughout life. When the mind and the body together find the corresponding rhythm of work, we feel closer to our sense of being alive and the purpose of our time here on earth. With our hands and body we plant the seed in the soil, knead the bread in the kitchen and pull a pot from a mound of clay. When the mind is open and attentive, not interfering but rather quietly interacting with the intelligence of the hands and body, our heart awakens to a new understanding. Something in us yearns for this.

Icon of two hands holding a heart.

  • For us, practical work is a laboratory where we learn about the laws of nature, about our own desires and resistances, and about interacting with those around us. The challenge of working with crafts, farming, and other natural processes can be a great help. What does it mean to do something well, with the whole of myself?

Abstract illustration of a person with outstretched arms surrounded by various leaf and circle shapes.

  • We celebrate the joys and face the frictions and difficulties of daily life together. With the help of those nearby I become both a teacher and a student, listening with less judgment and seeing some of my own shortcomings. Through personal effort combined with mutual support, cooperation and trust, we continue to build a community that nurtures the aspirations and talents of each person through acts of service, love, encouragement and self discipline.

Meet Some Community Members

  • A woman showing a small wooden toy to a child

    Bridget Carey

    Director of Programming and Community Outreach

    Bridget first visited the Guild during an arts retreat in 2022 and soon after made it her home. She now works on programming, community engagement, fundraising, and publicity. Outside of her professional role, she is a artist working in graphic arts and performance.

  • An elderly woman is shaping a large clay bowl on a pottery wheel in a cozy, well-decorated room.

    Annie Schliffer

    Master Potter

    Originally just stopping in for a day visit, Annie has been working in the Pottery Studio at the Guild for over 40 years. Annie also teaches our weekly Yoga Classes and has been to India, China, and Peru to study both Ceramics and Yoga.

  • An older man in a straw hat and dark vest picking fruit from a tree in a garden.

    David Barnet

    Master Woodworker

    David has been working in our Woodshop Studio since he visited in the 1970’s and his passion for wood-turning has developed into a masterful art. David also manages the Orchards, and supports our Publicity department.

  • A man with a beard and mustache wearing a straw hat and a light-colored shirt, smiling outdoors and holding a string of red beads or berries.

    Michael Hunter

    Community Garden Manager

    Michael has been a Guild member for well over 35 years, and has worked extensively in many different craft areas. Currently he manages the Graphic Arts Studio, as well as co-managing the Community Garden.

A field with solar panels installed on the grass, with trees, houses, and a partly cloudy sky in the background.

Sustainability

We are careful stewards of 350 acres of pasture, woodland, gardens and orchards and aim to reduce our individual impact on the earth through a range of practices from composting all food waste to producing our own food and electricity.

We are the grateful recipients of a 2023 NY State Council on the Arts grant supporting the conversion of our campus to solar energy. Our solar array now powers artistic and educational activities at the Guild from firing the electric pottery kiln to running Woodshop machinery.

In the News

  • An elderly man with white hair, wearing a colorful striped shirt and a red vest, holding a large wooden bowl in a library or bookstore, with a sign about security cameras and a stack of books in the background.

    Rochester Folk Art Guild goes to the Central Library on Saturday to show off creative works

    News10NBC | April 2026

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  • Outdoor gathering in a park with people sitting on chairs and on the ground, under blue canopies, surrounded by green trees and plants, with a blue sky and some clouds.

    Living Together at East Hill Farm

    55 Plus | July 2023

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  • Workers repair the roof of a house in a lush, green environment with several trees and a well-maintained yard, using scaffolding and ladders.

    Rochester Folk Art Guild Announces Capital Campaign

    Life in the Finger Lakes | February 2022

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  • Collage of three images: children and adults participating in a traditional grinding activity with stones, a close-up of fabric with leaf and plant patterns, and a man woodworking with a lathe machine.

    Rochester Folk Art Guild announces Craft Weekend for August

    FingerLakes1 | May 2024

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  • Sunset above a rural landscape with three solar panel installations and a small shed.

    Rochester Folk Art Guild receives a grant to build a solar array

    RochesterFirst.com | May 2023

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  • People browsing display case with handmade crafts, artwork, and small sculptures inside a wooden room with hanging lights.

    Local artists highlighted at library exhibition

    ABC13 WHAM | April 2026

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