Oregon Potters Association

Category: Guild Also called: OPA; Oregon Potters; Ceramic Showcase (OPA’s major member show) Last checked: 2026-09-07

What it is

The Oregon Potters Association is a member-run ceramic arts organization for potters in Oregon and designated Southwest Washington counties. Who We Are calls it a diverse family of ceramic artists, makers, teachers, and students who celebrate ceramic arts through education, sales, exhibitions, public outreach, and friendship. Membership pages and the site footer identify OPA as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. It is not a commercial clay supplier and it is not a drop-in class studio with its own permanent public wheel room.

Who it’s for

Serious professional and non-professional potters who live in Oregon or in Pacific, Lewis, Wahkiakum, Cowlitz, Clark, Skamania, or Klickitat counties in Southwest Washington and want member sales (including Ceramic Showcase), workshops, meetings, directories, and community. Info-only membership exists for hobbyists, the general public, and teachers who want news but do not plan to sell work. Studio Partner memberships are for qualifying studios that offer membership and public classes.

Why it’s listed

This is a first-party Oregon potters’ association site with printed membership dues, eligibility geography, dated 2026 Ceramic Showcase rules and booth fees, and current workshop/board calendar listings — not a scraped directory card.

• Membership / Join Us (checked 2026-09-07): Regular Membership $55.00/year; Collaborative $55.00; Qualifying Student Discount Regular $35.00; Info-only $12.00; Studio Partner – Individual Member $35.00; Studio Partnership $160.00. Join anytime; renew on registration anniversary. Regular members may participate in all OPA events, serve on committees, and vote.
• Benefits printed on Join Us: discounts at named clay businesses (including Georgies Ceramic & Clay Co. and Clay Art Center ton-rate notes); 6 General Meetings a year (January, March, May, July, September, November); sales/exhibition opportunities including Ceramic Showcase, Fall Fair, Holiday Market, Ceramics Northwest, Governor’s Mansion; member directories, forums, e-publications, and newsletters. High School Scholarship page: $1,000 for Oregon/SW Washington juniors and seniors showing excellence in ceramics.
• Ceramic Showcase 2026 application page: event Friday April 24 – Sunday April 26, 2026 at Oregon Convention Center, Hall D; set-up April 22–23; on-time booth registration January 1–31, 2026 ($20 non-refundable registration fee); Gallery Only through March 1; Booth Picking Meeting Friday February 27 at Multnomah Arts Center. Booth fees due at picking include Group Booth $170, Emerging Artist $200, 5′×10′ $275, 5′×10′ Corner $300, 10′×10′ $450, 10′×10′ Corner / 5′×15′ End-Cap $500 (plus commission schedules printed on the page). Showcase started in 1983.
• Homepage calendar (September 2026): e.g. Rocket Kiln Workshop with Lisa Orr Saturday, September 12, 2026, 9:00 a.m. at St Johns Clay Collective, 6635 North Baltimore Avenue suite 125; September Board Meeting Wednesday, September 16, 2026, 6:30 p.m.; Wheel Throwing with Tea Duong October 17–18, 2026 at Clackamas Community College Art Center AC123.
• Contact Us: volunteer-run; president@, membership@, showcasechair@, and other role emails — no permanent headquarters street address printed on Contact Us.

Dues, showcase fees, and event dates above are what the official pages showed on the check date. They can change. Confirm on the live Membership and Showcase pages before joining or applying.

Official URL

https://oregonpotters.org/

Who We Are: https://oregonpotters.org/who-we-are

Join / Membership levels & dues: https://oregonpotters.org/Membership/

Contact: https://oregonpotters.org/contact-us

Ceramic Showcase 2026 application: https://www.oregonpotters.org/showcase-2026

Location

Statewide membership association serving Oregon and listed Southwest Washington counties. No permanent public member-studio street address was printed on Contact Us (checked 2026-09-07); contact is by role email.

Major 2026 public show address printed on the Showcase page: Oregon Convention Center, Hall D (Showcase April 24–26, 2026). Individual workshops list host venues (e.g. St Johns Clay Collective, 6635 North Baltimore Avenue suite 125).

Do not treat OPA as a walk-in classroom enrollment desk or a clay supply warehouse.

Notes

• Category is Guild. Member-run ceramic arts association with dues, voting membership, sales events, and education programs. Not a teaching-studio brand and not a clay manufacturer (member raw-materials storefront is for logged-in members, not a public supply house listing).
• 2026 Showcase dates, booth fees, and membership dollar amounts are transcribed from official pages checked on 2026-09-07 and may change.
• Not affiliated with Clay Plaza.
• No Clay Plaza contact, purchase, booking, or publication action was taken.

FAQ

Q: Who can join, and what are the dues?
A: Join Us: membership is open to serious professional and non-professional potters living in Oregon or in Pacific, Lewis, Wahkiakum, Cowlitz, Clark, Skamania, or Klickitat counties in SW Washington. Printed annual dues checked 2026-09-07 include Regular $55, Student Regular $35, Info-only $12, and Studio Partnership $160. Confirm live amounts at https://oregonpotters.org/Membership/

Q: When and where is Ceramic Showcase 2026?
A: Official Showcase 2026 page: Oregon Convention Center, Hall D, Friday April 24 through Sunday April 26, 2026 (set-up April 22–23). Booth registration window January 1–31, 2026; Gallery Only through March 1. Open to current OPA members; acceptance for booths is points-based.

Q: Does OPA run a public drop-in pottery studio?
A: No permanent public open-studio address appears on Contact Us. OPA is a statewide member association that holds meetings, workshops at partner venues, and member sales such as Ceramic Showcase. For studio practice, use a local teaching studio or your own workspace; join OPA for association benefits, not as a substitute for a class studio membership.