CRAIGARDAN
IN PORTUGAL with Bryan Hopkins 9 - 16 February 2026
CRAIGARDAN
Retreat abroad
Immerse in a new culture
Craigardan brings our inter-disciplinary, community-focused creative programming to Portugal again in 2026 as part of a series of international experiences.
See, taste, hear, and feel the world with philosophical, ecological, and artistic perspective. Led by experts in their field, these short-term residencies, retreats, and workshops weave together site-specific themes of:
Art + Craft, and Local Cultural Heritage
Architectural + Archeological Past, Present, and Future
Agricultural + Culinary Traditions, their Preservation and Sustainability
Place-Based + International Crosscurrents and Conversations
The Alentejo coastline
a rocky garden
Who we are, what we do
Founded in 2016 by ceramic artists, Craigardan is a nonprofit arts organization and educational working farm that leverages collective creativity for social good. We bring people together for place-based and interdisciplinary learning, providing creative residencies, courses, and events that span diverse artistic and knowledge disciplines in order to foster curiosity, inquiry, and collaboration.
Craigardan supports ceramic, literary, visual, and performance artists, as well as farmers, chefs, activists, scholars, and researchers from the Adirondack region and around the world. We cultivate a dynamic that amplifies each individual’s work and activates collective creativity within the community. We believe that fostering the interaction between artists and the local public is as important as providing sheltered time to artists to further their creative practices.
As an organization deeply rooted in the Adirondack region’s unique history, Craigardan exists at the nexus of processes (re)making this region’s present and future: environmental conservation, the resurgence of small farms, rural economic revitalization, and cultural/social activism.
By developing interdependent connections within our local Adirondack community, we nurture a deep sense of place through people, culture, food, stories, and the exchange of ideas and skills. With a built-in focus on equitable exchange across a wide range of disciplines, Craigardan offers an experience that ties the creative process to larger contexts. This experience leads to new questions and new initiatives; and it generates positive social change through collective creativity.
Executive Director Michele Drozd unloading the Craigardan noborigama in 2017
Porcelain + food + fire @Clay Kitchen Portugal
7-Day International Clay Retreat 2026
Travel with us for 7 days of hands-on clay, incredible food, and experimental fire!
Joined by American potter Bryan Hopkins, we are hosting a very special program in collaboration with Clay Kitchen Portugal; a ceramic retreat center for lovers of clay, wood firing, and hands-on ceramic education overlooking the stunning landscape of Ribeira da Azenha in Southwest Portugal.
This experience will include:
• making wheel-thrown and hand-built work out of porcelain
• learning new mold-making and slip casting techniques from master potter Bryan Hopkins
• Firing the wood kiln at Clay Kitchen Portugal
• cooking and eating seasonal, adventurous, and exceptional local food from the land and sea
• exchanging skills and creating community that crosses borders with our friends at Clay Kitchen Portugal
• resting and recharging at the beautiful Três Marias guesthouse, less than 3 miles from the beach
• learning about Portugal, and exploring the Alentejo region
A love of clay, learning, and community is all that is required to participate — no extensive experience is necessary.
TOP: Clay Kitchen Portugal founder David Trueb with students, BOTTOM: unloading their wood kiln
the details
A CRAIGARDAN RETREAT IN PORTUGAL. This 7-day program is about clay; but it is also about place: people, food, culture, and the exchange of skills and ideas in a beautiful location with a rich history. We’ll watch and learn from master potters, we’ll make good work, but we’ll also experience the art of living + building community in a whole new way. You might just get a bit closer to discovering the meaning of life.
FOOD. The culinary experience is a large part of why we travel. At Craigardan, food and agriculture are integral to our understanding of and care for place and community. The creation and sharing of beautiful meals is an opportunity to come together, to learn about each other, to share stories, good wine, and laughter. This translates to inspired creativity, becoming better makers, and making better pots.
Breakfast will be served each morning at the guesthouse. For lunch and dinner we will cook together at the studio kitchen, explore local cuisine with guest chefs, and eat fresh, local food from the sea and land. Dietary restrictions can be accommodated, but it’s best to come with an open mind, and an open palette.
ACCOMMODATIONS. All participants will be staying at the beautiful Três Marias, which is only a short walk from the studio which is on the same property.
Located in Southwest Portugal, halfway between Porto Covo and Vila Nova de Milfontes, Três Marias is a country guesthouse integrated in an Alentejo property, where the large plains merge with the hills of the Serra do Cercal, in a scene reminiscent of African landscapes. Here the days are tinted with golden light and the nights are wrapped by an incredible starry sky.
A cluster of contemporary buildings separated by fields where donkeys and ostriches are grazing, there are fifteen rooms with private porches, inviting moments of relaxation. The colorful breakfasts and simple, authentic dinners have created a reputation, not only for the food, but also for the friendly atmosphere.
A pool and sauna (limited hours) welcomes you after a long day in the studio. Hikes, surfing, and other outdoor activities are also possible; going inland to experience the local traditions and ways of living within a natural landscape, or going to the ocean side, to feel the sea breeze and walk part of the famous Fishermen’s Trail, one of the most sought after coastal trails in the world.
The guesthouse will wonderfully exceed your expectations. Visit Três Marias: https://tresmarias.pt/en/ home-2/
ALL INCLUSIVE. The program fee is all-inclusive except for transportation.
This includes:
• Accommodations (single or double room)
• Meals and wine with dinner
• Clay, studio materials, and firings
• Instruction and demonstrations
• Special excursions
There is a reduced-fee option for non-clay participants to join the trip and stay with partners who are participating in the clay program. The non-clay participant partners must occupy their days but are welcome to re-join the group for meals. They may not help with kiln firing, watch demos, or join studio activities but there will be other opportunities to feel a
Três Marias guesthouse
part of the community. Non-clay participants may choose to rent a bike from our hosts and explore nearby, or rent a car from Lisbon airport and have the freedom to explore daily.
SCHEDULE. We’ll arrive at Três Marias on Monday, February 9th to check in and enjoy a welcome dinner at the guesthouse.
On Tuesday we’ll jump right into mold-making so that we can slip cast in our molds after they dry. Then we’ll get busy throwing and hand building in porcelain and learning from Bryan along the way. We’ll fire the small wood kiln at the end of the week.
On Sunday we’ll unload the kiln, have critique sessions, pack our pots, and enjoy a farewell dinner together.
We’ll all depart Três Marias on Monday morning, February 16th, after breakfast. You’ll arrive as strangers, and depart as family.
TRANSPORTATION. Participants must arrange their own transportation. The region is served by Lisbon and Faro airports, but the transportation options and accessibility from Lisbon (LIS) are more flexible and comprehensive.
A rental car is the most direct and economic way to reach Três Marias, and it is an easy 2 hour drive from Lisbon airport.
There is a bus from the Airport to Vila Nova de Milfontes (search Rede Expressos or Flix Bus). From here we can pick you up and bring you to the studio. Taxis are also available, but expensive.
We will introduce all participants prior to the retreat and we highly recommend ride-sharing using rental cars.
Clockwise from Top Left: a room at Três Marias, the sauna, firing the wood kiln at Craigardan, welcome dinner at Três Marias in 2025
TOP L: Cup by Bryan Hopkins RIGHT: The pool at Três Marias, BOTTOM L: vessels by Bryan Hopkins
your guides
THE MAGIC IS IN THE PEOPLE. Your guides for our adventure are:
Michele Drozd. Michele is the co-founder and executive director of Craigardan. An artist with a degree in Ceramics from the New York State College of Ceramics (NYSCC) at Alfred University, she worked under Petras Vaskys, Laszlo Fekete and Marie Baron studying design, mold making, and sculpture. After traveling the world and finding her home in the Adirondack Mountains of New York, she became intensely interested in art and entrepreneurialism, the revitalization of small rural towns, food and agriculture, conservation and historic preservation - and the connections between them. Since 2002 she has worked within these fields in both the nonprofit and for-profit sectors. Her belief that the creative process helps us imagine and build a better world has led to numerous community and social justice initiatives that use cross-disciplinary collaboration as a tool for systems change.
Bryan Hopkins. Bryan was born in Philadelphia, PA. He began West Chester University of PA as a mathematics major, and found the ceramics studio in his junior year. Bryan went on to earn an MFA in Ceramics from the State University of New York at New Paltz. He has been a studio potter working in porcelain since 1990 and lives in Buffalo, NY. Bryan’s personal research in the field of ceramics centers on the vessel — both utilitarian and sculptural.
Bryan teaches at SUNY Niagara. He has curated ceramics exhibitions both nationally and locally. Bryan’s work has been exhibited in group and solo shows nationally, including the NCECA Clay National Biennial. His work and research in ceramics has been published in Ceramics Monthly, Ceramics: Art and Perception, Studio Potter , and numerous text books and e-books.
Bryan is a New York Foundation on the Arts Fellow in Craft.
David Trueb. David designed and built Clay Kitchen Portugal in 2019. Clay Kitchen Portugal is a place where creative people meet with clay in their veins. “As a creative space we host workshops and meetings primarily about the exchange of ideas, connections and the stimulation of new ceramic techniques. It is important for us to share over privilege of this wonderful place here in Portugal and to inspire others to dive into this infinite world of ceramics that bridges cultures and brings us closer together."
TOP: artist Bryan Hopkins (photo by Melissa Parrish), BOTTOM: David Trueb, founder of Clay Kitchen Portugal
registration + fees
Program Fees. Fees include 7 night’s accommodation, all meals, clay and materials, and use of the spaces at Clay Kitchen Portugal and Três Marias. Fees do not include transportation.
Single Private Room + Private Bathroom. $3465.
Shared Double Room + Bathroom. $2765 per person. Doubles require a roommate to guarantee the rate.
Half and Half Room + Bathroom. Non-clay participant sharing a double room with a clay-participant partner. $2765 + $1750 = $4515 total. Non-clay participant must occupy themselves during the day, not at the studio, and may come together with the group for meals.
Camping Option. $2100 per person. Must bring your own tent and camping gear. Shared access to studio bathroom and shower.
To Register. We require a 50% non-refundable deposit to hold your spot, with the balance due in full by January 1st, 2026. Learn more and register online at www.craigardan.org/events
Cancellation Policy. The deposit is non-refundable. If you need to cancel after the balance is paid in full, you will receive a refund only if we are able to fill your spot.
9216 NYS Rt 9N / Elizabethtown, NY 12932
518.242.6535
info@craigardan.org
