Enter the basement of the iconic Union Project on a busy day and you will encounter potters turning wheels with visitors looking on in wonder as a mound of clay transforms into something familiar. You will also see children working at a table, exploring the world of ceramics. The Union Project has been an anchor for ceramic arts since it was founded over a decade ago and this weekend it will present the Highland Park Pottery Tour.

Started in 2011 by a group of ceramic artists, the tour takes visitors to the Union Project studio and through four artists’ homes in Highland Park, showcasing the work of 18 local artists.

Keith Hershberger, one of the tour’s founding artists, values this opportunity to forge a link between artists and patrons. “When you use something handmade, you make a connection with the person who made it. I’ve always really appreciated getting a chance to meet the person who made something I’m buying—it makes the connection stronger. I feel like the Pottery Tour takes this one step further by actually inviting people into our homes to share our space, look around, have a snack and maybe take something with them.”

Hershberger, a teaching artist at the Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild will open his home and host artists Adam Conway and Amanda Wolf. Other artists participating are Jeff Guerrero, who creates witty singular pieces (he will also be hosting artist Chelsea Albert’s work in his home); Joseph Delphia, who creates beautifully functional pieces that he hopes spend more time in a hand than on a shelf (he will be hosting artists Scott Cornish and Gerry Dinnen); and the Union Project’s Program Manager, Jenna Vanden Brink whose vibrant terracotta work will be on display with Marko Biddle and Kyle Houser.

At the Union Project, visitors will see the work of resident artists Molly Bee, Mary Briggs, Ben Dames, Christina Hyland, Carina Kooiman, Araina Marsden, and Gloria Tsang.

HP Pottery

Over 250 attend this intimate experience of viewing artists’ works as well as their homes. Visitors will be able to meet the artists, talk about their work and process, enjoy refreshments and purchase their work.

The tour runs on Saturday and Sunday, December 13 and 14, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. A map of the tour as well as more information is available on the event website.

Leah Lizarondo is a food advocate, writer and speaker. She is also the co-founder of 412 Food Rescue, an organization that seeks to eliminate food waste to make an impact on hunger and the environment. She is the Chief Veghacker, recipe creator and curator at The Brazen Kitchen, where she writes about food and food policy. She writes about the intersection of food, health, innovation and policy.