Join Silver City Clay Festival for a hands-on, 3-day natural building workshop focused on creating beautiful, functional outdoor benches using simple, sustainable materials like clay, sand, and straw. This is a great introductory class for learning earthen bench building, which incorporates the essentials of earthen wall building techniques, such as adobe and cob. It is unique opportunity to also learn how to sculpt with our clay basecoat, contributing to a lasting piece of art that combines form with function.

Hosted at the Whiskey Creek Zocalo—a local restaurant, bar, and music venue just outside Silver City, New Mexico—this workshop invites you to work alongside master builder Athena Steen and Danielle Felgenhauer in crafting sculptural, community-centered seating.

What you’ll learn

Participants will gain practical experience in a variety of earthen building techniques, including:

• Stone foundations
• Adobe and straw-clay blocks: How to make, stack, and use them effectively
• Cob construction
• Sculpting with clay and straw-rich base coats

Event Details

• Date: July 16-18, 2025 (Wednesday-Friday)
• Time: 10:00AM-4:00PM daily
• Location: Whiskey Creek Zocalo, 11786 HWY 180 E. Arenas Valley, NM
• Instructors: Athena Steen and Danielle Felgenhauer
• Cost: $375 (full payment due upon registration)
• Capacity: Limited spots available

Registration

• Cost: $375 (full payment due upon registration)
• RSVP: Register here

Organized by Athena Steen and Danielle Felgenhauer in collaboration with Silver City Clay Festival.