The Dazzling Dahlia Festival returns in 2026 as a vibrant celebration of horticulture, art, and community on The Bascom campus. Rooted in the Plateau’s long-standing appreciation for gardens and creative expression, the festival brings together growers, artists, and visitors for a shared exploration of form, color, and seasonal abundance.

Bascom Studio Members will present a collection of wall pockets and vases, adorned with fresh dahlias, which will be available for purchase during the Dazzling Dahlia Festival. Don't miss the chance to visit the Studio Barn and be truly dazzled!

Young artists will explore color, texture, and layering as they create vibrant collages inspired by the bold shapes and beauty of dahlias.

All Matierials included. Ages 7-12

Use the slab roller to make a clay pumpkin to keep and some tiny ones to share for our Annual Pumpkin Scavenger Hunt. Work will be available for pickup or shipping two to three weeks after class.

Suitable for ages 6 and up. 

Artists will explore color, texture, and layering as they create vibrant collages inspired by the bold shapes and beauty of dahlias.

All Matierials included.

In this 5 day hand building class, we will make objects commonly found on your dinner table using the slab roller and slabs of clay, texture pads, etc.  Objects to be made could be Plates, Bowls, Salt/Pepper Shakers, Candle Sticks, Pitcher, etc.   Templates will be provided for students to use, although students are welcome to create their own.  In an effort to get through as many projects as we can, this class is designed to make examples, not entire plate settings or dinnerware sets.  The class includes Open Studio only on the day of class.  There is no glazing component to this class.  Please see Glazing Class in the Resident Artist Schedule.

Celebrate Dahlias with a playful, beginner-friendly painting workshop inspired by the color and energy of dahlias. Using abstraction and expressive mark-making, participants will create a vibrant floral-inspired painting—no experience required. A fun, creative way to engage with the festival and explore painting in a relaxed, supportive setting.

This class is for anyone passionate about Dahlias and wants to capture this passion in a painting!

All materials are provided. You will go home with a painting!

 Make a clay pinch pot pumpkin to keep and some tiny ones to share for our Pumpkin Scavenger Hunt. Work will be available for pickup or shipping two to three weeks after class.

Suitable for ages 6 and up. 

Take your woodturning skills to the next level in this intermediate-level workshop. Participants will expand their repertoire by learning pull and shear cuts while focusing on projects such as bowls, Christmas ornaments, and small vases. The class will also explore surface enhancements to add depth and character to turned pieces. Additional projects and diagnostic turning may include making a mallet or a tool handle.
This workshop is designed for students with prior turning experience who are ready to refine their technique and broaden their creative possibilities.

The Bascom Clay Symposium returns for its 16th year in 2026, bringing together ceramic artists Alexander Thierry, Andrew Shaw, and Tiffany Thomas for a focused exploration of surface treatments in contemporary clay. Through demonstrations and shared dialogue, the artists examine how imagery, pattern, and material process shape meaning, memory, and expression in ceramic work.