About
Starworks Ceramics – An Arts-Driven Social Enterprise
Thank you for choosing Starworks clays. You can feel good knowing that your purchase of clay and supplies makes you an integral participant in supporting a unique and exciting arts-focused social endeavor.
Starworks is a program of Central Park NC, a 501(c)3 not for profit arts-centered organization that promotes community and economic development by providing outstanding artistic educational programs and related ventures.
Since 2005, we have been researching North Carolina wild clays to create a variety of unique clay bodies for artists. We develop our clays with structural integrity and color as a focus, with many specially created for wood and reduction atmosphere firings. We currently produce ten different Cone 10 varieties and three different Cone 6 midrange clays to meet a wide variety of artistic needs.
Filter pressed clay is more time consuming and requires more labor and equipment than using powder clays from commercial mines. The result is that there are few, if any, other companies that produce filter pressed clay available in North America. Filter pressed clay preserves the natural beauty of the raw clay materials and brings maximum plasticity to clays for artists. Finally, processing the local North Carolina clays using this method reduces the environmental costs of transporting materials across the country, and also produces less dust, making the clay production environmentally safer.
We develop and produce clay of the highest standards so our artists in residence have the finest materials with which to work, and we also provide the technical expertise to teach artists to use these unique materials. We are also able to share the richly unique qualities of Starworks clays by selling directly to the arts community. This helps support our artistic mission and fund the technical and material needs for our esteemed educational and international artist-in-residence programs. Part of our mission at Starworks Ceramics is to educate artists about the technical aspects of using these unique, indigenous materials through clay making internships and materials-based residencies
We actively engage with artists and makers. All of our staff are working artists who offer a broad range of knowledge and expertise, and provide outstanding technical support for individual artists and educational programs so you can focus on creating and inspiring.
Starworks Ceramics is located adjacent to the world-renowned historic Seagrove pottery community, recognized as the pottery capital of the United States. Our clays meet the needs of discerning ceramic artists, hobby artists, public schools, colleges, universities and art organizations throughout North Carolina and the USA.
To meet a variety of other studio needs for those creating at Starworks, schools and individual studio artists, we also supply glaze materials, tools, equipment and supplies from top manufacturers. We are an authorized dealer for Mudtools, Speedball, Kemper Tools, Nidec/Shimpo equipment, as well as Standard Ceramics and Highwater clays.
Our mission is to advance community and inspire creativity through art, entrepreneurship and education.
Our core values:
- inspiration
- collaboration
- learning
- inclusion
Purchase Starworks clay and become an integral part of a thriving and enduring community helping to perpetuate creativity.
If you want to know more about the evolution of Starworks and Starworks Ceramics, visit www.starworksnc.org to learn more about the history of Starworks and its mission.
Starworks Ceramics Staff
Takuro Shibata, Director of Starworks Ceramics
Ryan Osborne, Ceramic Supply Shop Manager
Nina Rominger, Clay Factory Supervisor
Linda Ronsick, Clay Factory Assistant
Hannah Stepanek, Clay Factory Assistant
Tara Thacker, Development Officer
Zeke McCanless, Accounting