A collaborative arts program in Saratoga County is combining the expertise of local historians, geologists, ceramic artists and residents to locate and study 19th‑century pottery‑making sites while producing new works from the region's historic clay deposits. Launched in 2026, the initiative grew out of a discovery on an 1866 map that marked the location of a stoneware factory, prompting a search for the underlying clay sources that once fed the industry.
The project’s participants are conducting field surveys that map the county’s clay beds, cross‑referencing historic land records with geological data to pinpoint former kiln locations. Excavations at identified spots have revealed remnants of old pit furnaces and fragments of stoneware, confirming the presence of a once‑active pottery network. Geologists are documenting the composition of the clay, while historians record the spatial relationship of the sites to early settlement patterns.
Simultaneously, ceramic artists are extracting small samples of the identified clay to experiment with contemporary forms. Workshops open to the public allow residents to handle the material, learn traditional shaping techniques and observe how modern design can emerge from historic resources. The resulting pieces are displayed in a series of community exhibitions that link past production methods with present artistic expression.
Organizers say the program aims to reconnect the community with its regional heritage and to inspire a new generation of creators through direct engagement with the land’s geological and cultural legacy. By turning the act of discovery into a shared creative process, the studio hopes to preserve the memory of Saratoga’s early pottery industry while fostering fresh artistic output rooted in local history.