Montgomery Potters

Montgomery Potters is a clay guild (membership club) in Montgomery County, Maryland for ceramic artists and clay enthusiasts in the DC–Maryland–Virginia area. Its forerunner, the Clay Pigeons, was founded in 1952, and it has used the Montgomery Potters name since 1967.

Official URL: https://montgomerypotters.org/

Last checked: 2026-10-15

Category: Guild Also called: Montgomery Potters clay club; The Clay Pigeons (original 1952 name); montgomerypotters.org

Who it’s for

Potters and ceramic artists of any experience level, plus clay enthusiasts. The History page says members “predominantly live in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia, but we welcome ceramists beyond this regional focus.”

Why it’s listed

This is the guild’s own WordPress site. It posts dues, member benefits, a 2026–2027 officer list, dated events and a mailing address. It is not a directory card.

• History (History page, checked 2026-10-15): started as the “Clay Pigeons” in 1952 (students in an adult education class at Kensington Junior High School); renamed Montgomery Potters in 1967; first show and sale 1970; library begun 1984; first judged all-member show 1986; 50th anniversary sale in 2019.
• Membership (Join page, checked today): dues $45 per year, renewed each season (Aug 1–Jul 31); Emeriti (25+ years) $15. Benefits: monthly newsletter, free programs, library privileges, juried show, sales, workshops, reduced rates for the CCC Biannual, a page on the website, and networking.
• Meetings (About and Meetings pages): programs and meetings are held virtually on Zoom. Meetings are “generally held the 4th Sunday of the month,” with none in June, July, August and November. The October Membership Meeting is Oct 25, 2026, 2:00–4:00 pm.
• Holiday Sale (event page): Nov 20–21, 2026 at North Chevy Chase Christian Church, 8814 Kensington Parkway, Chevy Chase, MD (Fri 4–9 PM, Sat 10 AM–7 PM); vendor registration deadline Nov 13, 2026; vendors must have paid 2026–2027 dues.
• Library (Library page): the guild’s library is now housed at the Columbia Arts Center, 6100 Foreland Garth, Columbia, MD.

Details are what the site showed on the check date and may change.

Official URL

https://montgomerypotters.org/

About: https://montgomerypotters.org/about/

History: https://montgomerypotters.org/about/history/

Meetings 2026–2027: https://montgomerypotters.org/about/meetings/

Join: https://montgomerypotters.org/membership-account/join/

Library: https://montgomerypotters.org/library/

Holiday Sale: https://montgomerypotters.org/events/montgomery-potters-2026-annual-holiday-sale/

October meeting: https://montgomerypotters.org/events/october-membership-meeting-2/

Contact: https://montgomerypotters.org/contact/

(Canonical first-party site checked 2026-10-15. Every cited URL returned HTTP 200 to curl -sL with a Chrome User-Agent. No 202, 403 or 429.)

Location

Montgomery Potters, PO Box 541, Kensington, MD 20895-0541 (the only address on the Contact page). The guild has no studio of its own; meetings are on Zoom.

This is a membership guild. It is not a teaching studio or a supply store.

Notes

• Category is Guild: a member-run organization with bylaws, officers, dues and a juried show.
• The About page still lists older meeting details and states “Washington” and other states in its membership description; the newer History page says members are mostly in MD, VA and DC.
• Maryland already has Baltimore Clayworks and Potters Guild of Baltimore; this is the first Montgomery County / DC-area guild on Clay Plaza.
• No phone number is printed in page text; the Contact page has a form, which was not used.
• Not affiliated with Clay Plaza.
• No Clay Plaza contact, purchase, membership signup, form or publication action was taken.
• First-party logo saved beside this listing as montgomery-potters.png (site header logo from WordPress uploads, white wordmark on transparent, flattened onto dark gray #333333, PNG 506 × 110). The site has no og:image.

FAQ

Q: What is Montgomery Potters?
A: A clay guild in Montgomery County, Maryland, founded as the Clay Pigeons in 1952 and renamed in 1967.

Q: How much does membership cost?
A: $45 per season (Aug 1–Jul 31). Members with 25+ years pay $15 (checked 2026-10-15).

Q: Does the guild have a studio?
A: No. Meetings and programs are on Zoom, and the mailing address is a PO box in Kensington, MD.

Q: When is the 2026 Holiday Sale?
A: November 20–21, 2026 at North Chevy Chase Christian Church, 8814 Kensington Parkway, Chevy Chase, MD.

Q: Where is the guild library?
A: At the Columbia Arts Center, 6100 Foreland Garth, Columbia, MD.