NISDA STAFF


HELEN MILLS

Coming from a large family of artists and nerds, I've settled quite happily in ceramics. Playing in the mud and creating is how I spent most of my childhood growing up in Indiana. I found a love for studying life and completed a bachelors of biology at Purdue University. Each semester I would enroll in a fine arts course for myself, and eventually I happened to reconnect with ceramics in 2020. I found that I had the patience and curiosity needed to fall in love with clay. Since then, I have been a bit obsessed with the process. It is an outlet, a self-study, a practice in discipline, and a form of expression. Creating offers us the opportunity to connect to source, connect to others, and connect to ourselves as we explore the process of bringing something to life.


July 30, 2026
2 Day Handbuilding Workshop
August 8 + 9
10 am-12:30 pm
Registration Open
July 30, 2026
2 Day Workshop
August 4 + 6
Ages 9–14
July 28, 2026
1 Day Workshop
August 1
10 am-2 pm
Registration Open
July 27, 2026
Textile and Fiber Arts at the Heifer Barn
August 4–27
Tuesday + Thursday 4–6:30 pm
July 27, 2026
Free and Open to the Community!
August 4, 6, 11 + 13
Tuesday + Thursday 1–3 pm
July 27, 2026
2 Day Workshop at the Heifer Barn!
August 10 + 14
Registration Open
July 27, 2026
1 Day Workshop at the Heifer Barn!
Friday August 7 | 1–3:30 pm
RegistratIon Open
July 27, 2026
POTTER'S WHEEL All Skill Levels Adult 18+ (Teens are invited to register) Dates + Times: August 4, 6,11, 13, 18, 20, 25, 27 Tuesday and Thursday | 6–8:30 pm Instructor: Helen Mills (read bio) Tuition: $650 (+ Clay #25/$65 includes glazes and firing) No prior experience needed. All are welcome. We are able to adapt techniques to fit ever body of any age or skill level. Learn or expand your knowledge on the clay process as we explore techniques of wedging, throwing, trimming, and glazing. This will be a flexible class with a combination of group demonstration and personalized instruction. As these basic forms and techniques become second nature, you will be able to make more complex forms with confidence and curiosity. The final week will be dedicated to surface treatments and a variety of glazing strategies. Students purchase clay from NISDA. #25 bag for $65 which includes the cost of glaze and firing. Students with a basic knowledge of centering, trimming, etc. will expand their repertoire of forms. Demonstrations will include throwing of vase shapes, plates, lidded forms.. There will be an additional emphasis on developing a personal aesthetic and exploring surface design.
July 26, 2026
1 Day Workshop at the Heifer Barn
August 5 | 1–3:30 pm
Registration Open
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