Potters Guild of New Jersey — Union, NJ guild

Category: Guild Also called: PGNJ; Potters’ Guild of New Jersey; The Potters Guild of New Jersey; pottersguildnj.org Last checked: 2026-09-28

What it is

The Potters Guild of New Jersey (PGNJ) is a member-run potters guild for ceramic artists across New Jersey, founded in 1987 (homepage). It holds monthly meetings with demonstrations, runs members’ shows and sales, and supports members with networking and education. The homepage says the guild was founded “to promote the development of New Jersey’s ceramic artists and the exchange of knowledge in support of their creative endeavors,” and that its membership “is comprised of over 100 individuals, including professional and recreational potters, educators, and students.” Volunteers run it: the Who Are We? page lists an elected Executive Committee (President, Vice President, Treasurer, Membership Manager, Secretary) plus Web and Marketing, Shows, and Program committees. It is not a teaching studio with its own classes or open studio, and it is not a clay supplier.

Who it’s for

New Jersey and tri-state potters who want an association: monthly programs, member critiques, demonstrations, tours, a summer raku and horsehair firing day, and a chance to sell at guild shows. Professionals, hobbyists, educators, and students are all welcome. People who want lessons can look at the member directory, where members who teach are marked with an asterisk. The guild itself does not run a public class studio or sell clay.

Why it’s listed

This is the first-party New Jersey potters guild domain (pottersguildnj.org). It prints an annual dues schedule ($45, with pro-rated options), a benefits list, a named volunteer committee roster, a public member directory, and dated 2026 show and sale events with venue addresses. It is not a scraped directory card.

Membership dues (Join The Guild page, checked 2026-09-28): dues run January 1–December 31 and cost $45, due before February 1. New members joining after June 30 pay $30. New members joining in September or later can pay $55 to cover the rest of the current year plus the whole following year (up to 16 months). Payment is by mailed check, PayPal (+$2), or credit card (+$2). After dues are confirmed, the Membership Manager invites new members to the PGNJ Google Group, which is the guild’s internal mailing tool.
Member benefits (Join The Guild + homepage, checked today): a supportive community of potters, 10 monthly meetings/programs plus special programs and workshops, the chance to take part in guild shows and sales, a personal member webpage, and access to Ceramic Arts Network (including ClayFlicks) through the guild membership. The homepage also lists a monthly newsletter, a lending library of books and videos, and access to iCAN ClayFlicks, Pottery Making Illustrated, and Ceramics Monthly online.
2026 shows (Events page, checked today): Holiday Show and Sale, November 7–8, 2026. Saturday runs 10 a.m.–5 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m.–4 p.m., with 40+ artists at a new venue: Union Arts Center, 1980 Morris Avenue, Union, NJ 07083. Spring Show, May 2–3, 2026, was the guild’s 10th year at The Farmstead Arts Center, 450 King George Road, Basking Ridge, NJ.
Programs (Events + homepage, checked today): meetings often include demonstrations (recent topics include mold making, sculpting, hand building, and soda firing), member critiques, guest presentations, and tours (Luna Parc, Fonthill). There is also an annual summer raku and horsehair firing day at member Peter Syak’s studio. Past demos are posted on the guild’s YouTube channel.
Governance (Who Are We?, checked today): Executive Committee: Coleen Magasic (President), Alisen Herman (Vice President), Rachael Bell (Treasurer), Cynthia Shevelew (Membership Manager), and Tina Shark and Sam Owen (Secretary). Separate Shows, Program, and Web/Marketing committees are listed.

The dues, events, and roster above are what the official pages showed on the check date. The site does not print a meeting venue, a meeting day, or a mailing address. Check the live Join The Guild and Events pages, or use the contact form, before treating any figure or date as fixed.

Official URL

https://pottersguildnj.org/

Join The Guild (dues): https://pottersguildnj.org/join-the-guild/

Events: https://pottersguildnj.org/events/

Who Are We?: https://pottersguildnj.org/about/

Members: https://pottersguildnj.org/gallery/

Location

The Potters Guild of New Jersey is a statewide guild with no published headquarters, studio, street address, or phone number. Contact is through the site’s form. Public shows in 2026 are at The Farmstead Arts Center, 450 King George Road, Basking Ridge, NJ (Spring, May 2–3) and Union Arts Center, 1980 Morris Avenue, Union, NJ 07083 (Holiday Show and Sale, Nov 7–8: Sat 10–5, Sun 10–4).

This is a membership potters’ association. It is not a teaching studio and not a ceramic supply retailer.

Notes

Category is Guild: a member-run association with a volunteer Executive Committee, $45 annual dues, monthly programs, and member shows. Not a studio (no classes or open studio of its own) and not a supplier.
Distinct from already-listed guilds (The Potters Guild of Baltimore, Connecticut Clay Guild, New Hampshire Potters Guild, Toledo Potters Guild, Spokane Potters’ Guild, etc.). Also distinct from The Potters Guild in Wallingford, PA and the Potters’ Guild of Frederick, MD. First New Jersey listing on Clay Plaza. Keep separate from the Lapidary / Mahjong / Bee / Bonsai directories.
Site inconsistencies at check: (1) the Join page says members get a personal webpage “on the pgnj.org website,” but the guild’s live site is pottersguildnj.org, and pgnj.org did not respond when checked. Use pottersguildnj.org. (2) The dues tiers overlap: $30 for joining after June 30, and a $55 16-month option for joining in September or later. Confirm with the Membership Manager. (3) The homepage says “monthly meetings” while the Join page says “10 Monthly Meetings/Programs,” and no meeting venue, day, or time is published. (4) The footer copyright still reads 2024, but the Events page carries 2026 dates.
$45/$30/$55 dues, the +$2 card/PayPal fee, 2026 show dates and venues, and the committee roster were transcribed from official pages checked on 2026-09-28 and may change.
Not affiliated with Clay Plaza.
No Clay Plaza contact, purchase, booking, or publication action was taken.
First-party logo saved beside this listing as potters-guild-of-new-jersey.jpg (from the pottersguildnj.org WordPress header, cropped-Clean-guild-logo.jpg: terracotta vase-and-wheel mark with “Potters’ Guild of New Jersey” lockup, 1200 × 351).

FAQ

Q: What are membership dues?
A: Join The Guild page (checked 2026-09-28): $45 a year (January 1–December 31), due before February 1. New members joining after June 30 pay $30, and new members joining in September or later can pay $55 to cover the rest of this year plus all of next year (up to 16 months). Pay by mailed check, or by PayPal or credit card with a $2 fee. Once dues are confirmed you are invited to the members’ Google Group.

Q: When and where is the next public show?
A: Events page (checked 2026-09-28): the Holiday Show and Sale is November 7–8, 2026 at Union Arts Center, 1980 Morris Avenue, Union, NJ 07083, Saturday 10 a.m.–5 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m.–4 p.m., with 40+ artists. The Spring Show (May 2–3, 2026) was held at The Farmstead Arts Center in Basking Ridge. Confirm on the live Events page or the guild’s social media.

Q: Does PGNJ offer classes or sell clay?
A: No. PGNJ is a member-run association with meetings, demos, and shows. It has no public class studio or supply shop. The member directory marks members who offer pottery classes with an asterisk. For weekly classes use a teaching studio, and for clay and glaze use a ceramic supplier.