Apprenticeships

A person shaping a large ball of clay on a scale, with more clay balls on the table, in a pottery studio.

Guild apprenticeships are designed for people seeking a practical, hands-on approach to the serious study of craft. They are best suited to people who are curious, eager to learn, willing to take direction, and interested in developing their skills through sustained work alongside experienced craftspeople. Apprentices also contribute to the shared work of the shop and the wider Guild community.

Apprenticeships are currently available in Pottery, Weaving, and Woodworking, with both commuter and residential options.

An elderly woman with glasses and curly hair pottery on a pottery wheel in a studio, wearing a pink shirt and plaid jacket.
Two women working together on a weaving loom in a workshop, surrounded by shelves with yarns.
A traditional wooden weaving loom inside a well-lit room with wooden floors and windows.
Two people working on a woodworking lathe in a workshop with woodworking tools on the wall.
Two men, one older and one younger, in a woodworking workshop. The older man is operating a saw while the younger man looks on thoughtfully, both wearing safety helmets.
Young man wearing glasses and gloves using a wood shaper in a woodworking shop with tools and wood patterns on the wall.
Three woodworkers in a workshop look at a wooden piece on a workbench surrounded by woodworking tools and machinery.
A person dressed in a red hat and red vest is stacking bricks inside a small, arched brick oven or kiln with white interior walls.
A young woman in a red hat and red vest working with clay in a pottery studio, shaping a large clay pot on a small portable kiln.
A person shaping a clay pot on a pottery wheel with hands covered in clay.
A person sewing fabric on a sewing machine, with their hand guiding the material.
An elderly woman working on sewing at a cluttered wooden desk in a cozy, warmly lit craft room.
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Apprenticeship & Education

The Folk Art Guild offers apprenticeships in pottery, woodworking, and weaving for people interested in learning and practicing craft through sustained, hands-on work in a working studio.

Each of our shops has its own character, methods, and approach to teaching. Opportunities are arranged individually and depend on the interests and experience of the applicant, the current work of the shop, and the capacity of Guild craftspeople to take on an apprentice.

Apprenticeships may be part-time or full-time for commuters, with residential options available for full-time apprentices.

Working & Learning

Apprentices learn by working alongside experienced Guild craftspeople and taking part in the life of a working shop. The experience varies by craft and by individual, combining hands-on learning and practice with helping in the shop where needed.

This might include preparing materials, caring for tools and workspaces, assisting with production, sales, workshops, or events, and learning some of the practical aspects of running a craft shop.

Each shop has its own character and way of working, but throughout the Guild we value fine craftsmanship, focused work, curiosity, and a willingness to learn and contribute.

Community Life

Apprentices take part in the daily life of the community, sharing in meal preparation, cleaning, maintenance, farming, and gardening, as well as the seasonal celebrations and numerous special events. Study of the Gurdjieff teaching is available but not required. Participation in this side of Guild life is up to each individual.

  • If you’re interested in an apprenticeship, email info@folkartguild.org. Tell us a little about yourself, your experience, and what you hope to learn.

    Resumes, work samples, and letters of reference are welcome.

    Trial visits and tuition fees are arranged before any final decision is made

  • Guild apprenticeships are awarded after a series of trial visits. Most shops require a commitment of at least one year.

    Availability and starting dates vary by shop.

    The first visit is typically for 2 or 3 days; subsequent visits of 2-3 weeks are arranged if mutually desired by the applicant and the studio director.

    A final decision is made based on these visits. Apprenticeships can be renewed annually for up to three years at the discretion of the Guild community and studio director. Evaluation of progress in both craft and community life is done on a regular basis.

  • Some apprentices live full-time at the farm, while others live nearby and participate on a full- or part-time basis. Fees vary depending on the individual arrangement.

    For residential apprentices, the initial visit is typically $40/day, followed by $175/week for a longer trial visit. Long-term residential apprentices generally pay about $600/month toward living expenses, craft training, and materials.

    Non-residential apprenticeship fees vary by shop and individual arrangement.

    A limited number of scholarships are available each year.

Close-up of an elderly person's hand covered in clay, shaping a ceramic pot on a pottery wheel in a pottery studio.
A woman with short hair, wearing a red knit hat, red vest, and striped pants, kneeling inside a brick oven, stacking bricks for construction.
Older woman with glasses and curly hair shaping a bowl on a pottery wheel in a ceramics studio.
Close-up of hands shaping a clay pot on a pottery wheel.
Person holding a small plate with a cake resembling a dinosaur, with white icing details, in front of a brick oven
A brick fireplace under construction with decorative figures on top and tools on the hearth.
Person shaping clay on pottery wheel, hands covered in wet clay, wearing floral-patterned shirt.
Person shaping a sunflower-shaped pottery piece in a workshop, holding a sponge for smoothing the clay.
An interior of a cluttered workshop or studio with wooden furniture, shelves filled with various objects, a small vintage chair, a wood stove, and windows letting in natural light.
A person shaping a ball of clay on a pottery wheel with both hands at a pottery studio.
A person wearing gloves and an apron is holding a brick in front of a glowing red brick wall in a dimly lit room, possibly a kiln or brick-making area, with another person observing in the background.
A rustic stone building with a window and a sign that reads 'POTTERY'. Outside, there are shelves with various pottery items and decorations, and green grass in the foreground.

Pottery Programs

Pottery Apprenticeship

Our pottery apprenticeship program has a more in-depth aim than lessons. Learning skills in pottery follows a slow progression over the apprenticeship and includes making clay, wedging, hand building, and throwing repetition ware. At the beginning, apprentices are not expected to produce saleable work, but help with studio chores such as cleaning, loading and unloading kilns, mixing glazes, building fires, and packing pots for shipping.

Once an apprentice learns to throw, they are encouraged to make multiples of 50 to 100 mugs, bowls, and other production items. There is a magical point that occurs in repetition throwing. When the body learns to shape the clay, the feelings are alive and engaged, and the mind is free to join the search for a better form, a more relaxed body, and a finer attention. This attention aids the process of becoming present and alive in all one's parts. Often the pots grow more and more beautiful as a result, in a natural process like a plant reaching for the sun. There is also a great deal of freedom to pursue shapes, sizes, and function in many kinds of pottery.

Beginners are encouraged to throw out and reclaim their early attempts and later to glaze and fire their more successful pots in order to understand the process from beginning to end. The standards for saleable work are high, but functional pottery is needed and appreciated in the community kitchen.

Pottery Residency

For functional potters with more experience, this same opportunity to work and learn in the pottery shop may take the form of a Pottery Residency, with more independence to pursue their own work. The Residency Program gives developing potters the experience of participating in a working studio before investing in their own equipment, while for established potters it provides the opportunity to work in a different setting.

Pottery Resident Artists receive studio space, materials, and firing in our high-fired reduction propane gas kilns (porcelain clay is extra) in exchange for 15 hours of studio support work per week. Studio support includes clay and glaze making, loading kilns, cleaning, and throwing for the Guild's production line of pottery. In exchange for assisting during Guild exhibitions and shows, the resident potter's own work can be displayed and sold during the show.

While the residency is designed for a functional potter, the wish to contribute in a caring way to life in a community of craftspeople is more important than achieved skill level in pottery. Interest in or participation in the opportunity to study the ideas of G.I. Gurdjieff at the Guild is completely voluntary. Being sensitive to this inner search by others who live and work at the Guild is important for participating in all educational programs at the Guild.

Learn more about our Pottery Studio