An exhilarating phase is underway for the Carbondale Clay Center (CCC) as the nonprofit recently launched its Shaping the Future Capital Campaign to reimagine access to ceramic arts in the Roaring Fork Valley and beyond. 

“The feedback has been amazing,” said CCC’s Executive Director Angela Bruno. “Everyone is very supportive and really encouraging. The further along we get, the more optimistic I am that we are going to do this.”

Decades in the making, the legacy project will be a complete revision of CCC’s current facility. Designed by the award-winning CCY Architects, the new 8,000-square-foot facility will triple the size of existing programs to create more opportunities for connection through the ceramic arts.

“This expansion means including the people we have yet to serve,” said Bruno. “We’ve been so overwhelmed that we haven’t been able to accommodate the request for classes. I don’t want to turn anyone away ever.” 

Slated to break ground in Spring 2026, the new two-story facility will feature an open layout to enhance outreach programming, functionality and a robust ceramic making process. Key features of the design will include more youth and adult classrooms, three times as many rental studios, five times the number of member rental shelves and a flexible maker space with 24/7 member access. Furthermore, the new building will increase gathering spaces with a rooftop deck, kiln yard and pocket park while also improving upon CCC’s current ADA accessibility.

“We designed the new CCC to be more than just a workspace for artists,” CCY partner Todd Kennedy said in a recent press release. “It’s a place where the community can gather, learn and connect through the ceramic arts.”

The facility will also expand its gallery, retail and exhibition spaces to highlight local, national and international artists. Since 2000, CCC’s nationally recognized residency program has brought over 48 artists to live in the area; the expansion will foster collaboration between artist-residents while also connecting community members to world class creatives.

“For all our former residents from across the country to see this design and to know what’s happening in Carbondale feels so much bigger than Carbondale,” said Bruno. “Just the scope of what this building will mean for the national ceramic community and Carbondale is really exciting.”

While the notorious green will no longer greet visitors, the site’s storied history will live on in the new design. According to the town’s Historic Preservation Commission (HPC), the current building is not considered a structure of merit; however, the site is within the town’s Historic Commercial Core district and was once a lumber mill adjacent to the Rio Grande Railroad, said Jared Barnes, the Town of Carbondale’s planning director.

“It was discussed during the [March 6] HPC meeting that some of the design really harkens back to the utilitarian uses that were historically on this site,” said Barnes. “The commercial activity was a little more industrial at that time, so this building fits that historical sentiment.”

Sentimentally, Bruno said the site has a celebrated history. The Clay Center’s founder Diane Kennedy secured ownership and the community has previously rallied to ensure its longevity through fundraising efforts. Bruno added that former CCC board president Will Young is the facility’s project architect and even created renderings for a new building 20 years ago. 

“It feels like a full circle moment to have Will be the architect on this project,” said Bruno. “His genuine understanding of the process and how a functional studio should operate is instrumental. This building is definitely a result of this historical connection between the center and the town.”

She continued, “CCY has been such an incredible community partner. They’re doing a lot of this work in-kind and spending this amazing and thoughtful time with us. They’re hosting cultivation events for us and we’re just really fortunate to make this connection with them.”

During the Clay Center’s construction period, Bruno said community members are already planning to help the nonprofit. Cate Tallmadge, CCC board member and owner of Main Street Gallery and The Framer has offered to host CCC’s gallery while different organizations and schools will host educational opportunities.

“We’re still going to have a Main Street presence,” said Bruno. “Everyone is willing to help where they can during this interim period. It’s going to be an amazing community effort.”

The nonprofit has already raised $3.6 million toward the legacy project’s proposed budget. Bruno said she is excited to start the cultivation phase and looks forward to connecting with residents and potential donors from across the Valley and nation. A project of this magnitude will amplify CCC’s impact to create a more inclusive ceramic arts community, something Bruno is thrilled to lead.

“A big thing for me is the relationships that form in the studio — the students among each other, the staff, community members and the residents,” concluded Bruno. “I love how it seems like after every session a whole new friend group forms or a new group of people start volunteering with us. It grows and it’s so amazing.”

To make your mark shaping the Clay Center’s future, visit www.carbondaleclay.org/shaping-the-future