Sacred Places at Baltimore Clayworks
Nurturing Nature Fountain Garden
Baltimore Clayworks’ first Sacred Place, located in front of our studio building, was installed in the summer of 2011. The flagstone pathway, bluestone stairs, and native plantings provide an inviting portal to the Nurturing Nature Fountain Garden. In 2025, Clayworks restored this fountain with support from Nature Sacred. The original artist, Maman Rikin, and volunteer potters created new work to repair the tile boxes that had sustained damage over many Maryland winters. In this Sacred Place, visitors can access mosaic garden benches and the Nature Sacred bench and journal.
A New Sacred Place
We imagine a space that ignites curiosity, sparks conversation, and joins people, nature, and clay, from their ancestral roots to their hopeful future. It will be a place for grounding and reflection, an accessible and joyful garden in which all people in our community can feel they belong.
On May 3, 2025, Baltimore Clayworks opened its second Sacred Place, The Gathering Ground, in front of our gallery building. The space includes revitalized walkways, native plantings and the signature Nature Sacred bench and reflection journal.
The next step for The Gathering Ground is a sculptural mosaic seating area. Since the summer of 2025, Baltimore Clayworks has been working with Empact Art and the Baltimore community to design a sculptural mosaic bench. Through input at a community charette, gallery presentations, and online surveys, we have gathered community suggestions for a design that evokes the native elements of the Jones Fall Watershed and reminds us of the role that individuals can play in protecting our waterways.
This spring and summer, we will be hosting free ceramic tesserae-making sessions open to all during which individuals can learn about clay, mosaics and protecting our waterways.
Baltimore Clayworks and Empact Art will also offer programming to our partners at Park Heights Academy, Creative City, B-SPIRIT-A²Y, St. Francis Neighborhood Center, and Stadium Place.
The mosaic bench installation is a Guttierez Memorial Fund Legacy Project. Additional support was provided by the Chesapeake Bay Trust, Blue Water Baltimore, and the Mount Washington Improvement Association.
General support for The Gathering Ground was provided by Nature Sacred, Chesapeake Bay Trust, Blue Water Baltimore, Baltimore Development Corporation, Towson University, Camp Small, Eden Brothers, and individual donors. Baltimore Clayworks is also grateful for the support of the Baltimore Community Foundation. We also thank the Baltimore Convention Center and the generous exhibitors from MANTS (Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show) that donated their trees and plants for our project.
How can you support the Sacred Places at Baltimore Clayworks
If you are interested in supporting Clayworks’ Sacred Places, you can make a donation here. We appreciate gifts of any size. If you would like to donate your time, ideas, or become actively involved please contact for more information:
Holly Jackson, Development Associate
Holly.jackson@baltimoreclayworks.org
410.578.1919, x218
Events
Join us!
June 6, 12:00 – 2:00 pm at The Peale
June 13, 11:00 am – 1:00 pm at Baltimore Clayworks during our Annual Pottery Seconds Sale
More Dates and times coming soon!
Empact Art will also be hosting open sessions in their studio at 3601 Clipper Mill Rd, Baltimore, MD 21211
Thank You to our Funders
This project is supported by Nature Sacred, Chesapeake Bay Trust, Blue Water Baltimore, Baltimore Development Corporation, Towson University, Camp Small, Eden Brothers, and individual donors. Baltimore Clayworks is also grateful for the support of Baltimore Community Foundation. We also thank the Baltimore Convention Center and the generous exhibitors from MANTS (Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show) that donated their trees and plants for our project.
