CFK hosts two-day ceramics workshop with visiting professor Von Venhuizen

The College of the Florida Keys will bring nationally recognized ceramicist Von Venhuizen to Key West for a two-day intensive workshop and lecture on February 6 and 7. The sessions run from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day in the hand-building studio on the CFK Key West Campus and are open to local artists, students, and community members willing to pay the $215 registration fee.

Von Venhuizen, an Associate Professor of Art in Ceramics at Texas Tech University with an M.F.A. from Indiana University, will demonstrate wheel throwing and hand-building assemblage methods and discuss his current and past artwork. He is noted for expertise in kiln design and construction, architectural ceramics, ceramic production design, Ceramic RAM Press methods, slip casting, mold making, 3-D printing in clay, and wheel throwing, and has exhibited in hundreds of juried, invitational, and solo exhibitions.

For Monroe County residents the workshop offers more than technique. Hands-on arts programming can strengthen community ties and provide restorative outlets for stress, especially in a small island community where high housing costs and service-sector schedules can isolate creative workers. CFK’s offering creates a structured space for makers to connect across generations and skill levels, and the inclusion of advanced kiln and production topics may help local ceramics studios scale work for sale or public projects.

Practical barriers remain. At $215 for two full days, the fee may be out of reach for some emerging artists and low-income residents. The event highlights broader equity questions about access to professional arts training in Monroe County and the need for subsidized spots, community scholarships, or sliding-scale models to expand participation. Local arts organizations and funders could use this workshop as a touchpoint for building more inclusive pathways into craft professions that also support mental well-being and local cultural economy.

To register, visit CFK’s continuing education pages. For more information about the ceramics program, contact Dennis Loucks, Artist-in-Residence, CFK at: [email protected] or 305-296-9081, ext. 671.

Our two cents? If you’ve been wanting to sharpen studio skills, pitch a public-art idea, or just try clay for the first time, consider registering soon and talk to CFK about financial options if cost is a barrier. Hands-on classes like this can be a creative reset and a way to build local connections in Key West’s close-knit arts scene.