Explore Silver City’s geological landscape while learning to identify, responsibly collect, and process natural pigments and clays for use in ceramics, clay bodies, plasters, slips, glazes, and paints. Participants will use maps to study local mineral formations and prepare materials through levigation, sifting, and milling.

Led by The Pigment Hunter, an artist dedicated to working with naturally sourced materials in direct relationship with the land.

This workshop is part of the Silver City Clay Festival and will occur prior to a three-day Bench Sculpting workshop on July 16th-18th by Athena Steen of the Canelo Project at Whiskey Creek Zocalo. If you’re interested in both workshops, you can sign up for the Art of Pigment Hunting on this page and visit the Canelo Project website for the Bench Sculpting workshop.

What you’ll learn

Participants will gain practical experience in:

• Geological landscape exploration and mineral identification
• Environmentally responsible material collection
• Processing techniques: levigation, sifting, and milling
• Preparation of materials for ceramics, clay bodies, plasters, slips, glazes, and paints
• Using geological maps to understand local mineral formations

Event Details

• Date: July 14-15, 2025 (Monday-Tuesday)
• Time: 10:00AM-5:00PM both days
• Location: Whiskey Creek Zocalo, 11786 HWY 180 E. Arenas Valley, NM
• Instructor: The Pigment Hunter
• Cost: $250

Registration

• Cost: $250 (non-refundable)
• RSVP: Register here
• Contact: Email for questions about the workshop

Organized by The Pigment Hunter in collaboration with the Silver City Clay Festival.