The new Windgate Studio
After years of planning and a winter of construction, Watershed opened the new Windgate Studio in May of 2021. As the cornerstone of the Watershed NOW Capital Campaign, the studio transforms Watershed’s ability to meet the needs of artists and better nurture creative practice.
Click on the large image in the slideshow below to scroll through the studio’s highlights.
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The 7,500 sq ft Windgate Studio -
Artists create & connect in the spacious open-concept workspace. -
Artists can easily access the grounds from the studio. -
The custom spray booth -
The efficient dust collector ensures a healthy environment in the clay mixing room. -
The glaze room offers abundant storage for dry materials and supplies. -
Handmade tiles by Chris Gustin line the bathroom walls -
The fully accessible space welcomes artists in all seasons -
Seamless transitions between the studio and kiln pad -
View from the kiln pad looking in to the spray booth -
The studio's tile wall displays names of all the donors who supported the building's construction. -
The studio is a dream come true after years of planning!
Use of Watershed’s original studio – a chicken barn turned brick factory – was limited to the warmer months of the year, due to lack of insulation, heating, and winterization. Artists worked on the second floor of the building, which was only accessible via stairs. The new fully accessible 7,500 square foot Windgate Studio offers artists a state-of-the-art, open-concept space to work and thrive in an environment that supports what Watershed residencies are known for: the sense of community and camaraderie they foster.
Windgate Studio features:
- A single-level floor plan designed for ceramic work with easy access to raw materials, kilns, a glaze room, plaster room, and spray booth
- Temperature regulation in all seasons
- Full accessibility and ADA compliance
- 4800 square feet of studio space
- Energy efficiency
- A footprint that can easily expand to incorporate additional studio and programming space in the future.
The Windgate Studio also provides Watershed with flexibility to grow programs and plans that:
- Support artists working on commissions or large scale projects
- Bring (inter)nationally-known guest artists to lead workshops
- Provide opportunities for student groups to make and fire work
- Enable us to collaborate with partner organizations
- Offer space for artists to create and connect throughout the year
- Tap into our limitless potential!
Header image: detail of work by 2019 Watershed Zenobia Award recipient Renata Cassiano