Giving Rye: Meet the Clay Art Center
Giving Rye is a feature series highlighting non-profits and community groups in and around the City of Rye. Today meet Emily Peck of the Clay Art Center.
Your Name: Emily Peck
Organization: Clay Art Center
Your role: Executive Director
MyRye.com: Tell us your organization’s mission.
Peck: Clay Art Center is dedicated to education, creativity, and community engagement in a diverse and inclusive space for ceramic studio practice, exhibitions, personal growth, and professional development. Our vision is to ignite a passion for clay and provide a nurturing community for that passion to flourish.
How long have you operated in Rye?
Peck: Clay Art Center was founded in Port Chester in 1957 as a communal studio for ceramic artists. Since then we have expanded to provide classes for adults and youth, exhibitions, a shop, and artist residency program. In 2007, Clay Art Center became a non-profit to better serve the community through classes and workshops for local schools and community organizations.
What programming or work in Rye is the organization best known for?
Peck: Clay Art Center is best known for our ceramics classes, exhibitions, shop, artist studios, and community programming.
- We offer weekly and one-time wheel throwing and handbuilding classes for adults and youth at all levels. Students will leave these classes with their own handmade ceramic creations.
- For more than 20 years Clay Art Center has mobilized hundreds of community members and artists to create thousands of handmade ceramic bowls at Empty Bowls. Together, with Rye Presbyterian Church and a host of volunteers, we have raised over $80,000 in the fight to end hunger in Westchester County. This year’s bi-annual event took place on Sunday, April 21 and all proceeds were donated to local organizations dedicated to alleviating food insecurity to help families in need in Port Chester.
- Our shop features work by more than 50 ceramic artists. Visit us to purchase handmade gifts including mugs, bowls, vases, jewelry, sculpture, and more. Through the end of December, you can shop at our Clay Holiday Market where you can buy handmade gifts that support local artists and Clay Art Center.
Looking forward to 2025, what will be your top initiatives?
Peck: In 2025, Clay Art Center is excited to continue providing opportunities for the local community to be creative and engage with clay.
- Our exhibition program kicks-off with our annual Rising Stars student exhibition, where visitors can view the creativity of their friends and neighbors. The exhibition highlights our youth, adult, and Community Arts programs to inspire visitors to sign-up for their own clay class.
- We continue to expand our grant- and donation-funded Community Arts programming to provide programming to local schools and community groups. We offer free after school classes for Port Chester public school students, classes at local senior centers, and programs in partnership with other local organizations, including Don Bosco Community Center, Sparc, and Cancer Support Community Greater NY & CT.
- We invite you to learn more about Clay Art Center by attending one of our free weekly tours on Wednesdays at 11:30am. The tours will introduce visitors to Clay Art Center’s history, exhibitions, shop, artist studios, kiln rooms, and classrooms. This is a great opportunity to see the Katherine Choy Collection, and see our huge gas kiln in action! If you can’t make it on Wednesdays, reach out to coordinate a tour or just stop by our exhibitions Monday 10am-3pm and Tuesday-Saturday from 10am-5pm.
Tell us about the population you serve and how they can get involved with your programming and services.
Peck: There are so many ways for our local community to get involved with Clay Art Center from taking a class, taking a tour, volunteering, attending an exhibition or Opening Reception, attending one of our community events, visiting our shop….and so much more! Our story has been evolving for over 65 years and we continue to be a part of the Port Chester community and history. If you are looking for something to do with family, friends, or visitors, we have plenty to offer!
Are you a 501(c)(3) non-profit with tax exempt status?
Peck: Yes, we have been a non-profit since 2007.
Looking back across 2024, what were your organization’s top achievements?
Peck:
- Expanding our Community Arts programs to provide even more access to clay for our local community. Last year, we impacted over 900 people through Community Arts partnerships and programs. We provided over 800 scholarships in the past year to adults and youth to allow them access to clay.
- Over 5,040 learners of all ages engaged with clay through our classes and workshops.
- We created opportunities for over 400 emerging and established artists in our gallery and shop programming.
How can local residents support your organization?
Peck: You can support Clay Art Center by taking classes, visiting exhibitions, and shopping. Financial donations allow us to increase our free programming for the Port Chester schools, community programs for local non-profits, artist residencies for emerging artists, and exhibitions that are free to the public. Volunteers can help us at events and exhibition openings. Information about our programs, donations, and volunteer opportunities is on our website.
What local Rye residents and area businesses have been the longest, steadiest supporters of your organization?
Peck: Robin Henschel has been a longtime Clay Art Center artist, teacher, and exhibitor in our shop. Robin lives in Rye and is inspired by ancient myths and medieval manuscript marginalia. Visit Clay Art Center to see Robin’s studio and bring home one of her creative sculptures or imaginative mugs.
Reena Kashyap, a former Rye resident, is responsible for expanding Clay Art Center into a non-profit and initiating the Artist in Residence program for emerging artists and the Community Arts program. You can purchase one of Reena’s innovative shino mugs, bowls, and more in the shop.
Tell us about you:
How long have you been in your current role?
Peck: I have been the Executive Director of Clay Art Center for 5 years. I came to Clay Art Center from a career in arts administration and a love of pottery.
Is the role full time or part time? Paid or volunteer?
Peck: The Executive Director role is a paid full-time position.
How would your friends and family describe you in one word?
Peck: Dedicated.
Where did you grow up?
Peck: I grew up in Rye and attended Midland School, Rye Middle School, and Rye High School. My love for arts started at Midland Elementary School!
What is your favorite unimportant thing about you?
Peck: I have run 8 marathons including NYC, Philadelphia, and DC. I love running by the water in Rye.
If the next five years is a chapter in your life, what is this chapter about?
Peck: The last 5 years at Clay Art Center have been a time of growth. We have seen a growth in interest in Clay Art Center, as more people get inspired to put down their phones in order to get dirty and be creative by trying a class or workshop. For those who aren’t yet ready to make something on their own, we want to spark their imagination through our exhibitions and our shop.
What would you do if you were not afraid?
Peck: I would try skydiving because the views would be amazing. I like having my feet on the ground, so I don’t see this happening anytime soon.
Where do you live in Rye and how many years have you lived in the City?
Peck: I currently live in Queens, but I grew up in Rye on Platt Lane next to Midland School. My parents still live in the house where I grew up, so I spend a lot of time in Rye.
Thanks Emily!
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