Workshop Title: Personal Narrative Multi-Dimensional Surface Decoration with Underglaze on Stoneware
When: Saturday, June 20, 2026
Time: 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Location: Room 18, Throwing Room
Cost: $100*, all supplies and firings included
Instructor: Exhibiting Artist Jesse Albrecht
Key Concepts: Throwing, Hand building, Stamping, Sprigging, Underglaze Application, Brushwork
Experience Level: Intermediate/Advanced
Meals: Light breakfast provided; please bring your own lunch.

"Create a meaningful visual story by pressing objects you’ve collected into the wet clay of a pot you create. Experiment with press-casting sprig molds. Practice your brushwork with underglaze to color your piece or add illustrations. What is your story? What is a story you want to tell? No pressure if this feels overwhelming; seeing what happens with playful attention is a perfect place to start as well!

High relief objects that you can press into clay are pieces to the puzzle. They should be no larger than your hand, sturdy enough to be pushed into clay, and have enough relief that your fingernail can catch on it. These objects may already be sitting on your desk, nightstand, or kitchen windowsill. Fun ideas are to hit your local thrift store or go for a nature walk and see what grabs your eye or moves your heart. When objects are pressed into clay, they will be a mirror image of how we see it, so text will be “backwards” in clay." — Jesse Albrecht

This workshop is part of programming for the traveling exhibition, Jesse Albrecht: Vessels of War & Recovery, on view at The Square June 12 – September 12, 2026. This exhibition is sponsored by Schoolhouse History & Art Center via the Montana Art Gallery Directors Association (MAGDA).

*We believe Art is for Everyone. Some financial assistance may be available for this workshop. Please visit our website at www.the-square.org/scholarships to apply for a partial scholarship, or contact Graham Kerwin, Interim Education Manager at graham@the-square.org for more information about scholarships.

About Jesse Albrecht:

Albrecht was halfway through his MFA in ceramics at the University of Iowa when he was deployed to Iraq with the U.S. military. His work interrogates the symbolic economy of globalism and other ideologies that animate and sustain conflict. With brutal honesty, he also explores the personal psychological aftermath of combat.

Albrecht trained under legendary ceramicist Don Reitz. Albrecht combines technical mastery with imagery and forms that range from refined and realistic to intentionally crude and even funny. Functional pottery has recently been added to his work.

His solo and collaborative work is held in numerous public collections, including the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. He built and implemented programming in the arts for veterans of special operations, has taught in post-secondary education, and is currently a studio artist. He lives and works in Belgrade, Mont.

Jesse Albrecht: Vessels of War & Recovery originated at the Schoolhouse History & Art Center, organized by Executive Director, Kayla de la Ossa, and is sponsored by the Montana Art Gallery Directors Association (MAGDA), a state-wide service organization for non-profit museums & galleries, and supported in part by grants from the Montana Arts Council, a state agency funded by the State of Montana; coal severance taxes paid based upon coal mined in Montana and deposited in Montana's Cultural and Aesthetic Projects Trust Fund; and the National Endowment for the Arts.

This exhibition was curated by Nicole Maria Evans, Chief Curator/Director of Curatorial Affairs. Exhibitions at the museum are supported in part by the Montana Arts Council, a state agency funded by the State of Montana, and the National Endowment for the Arts. We are funded in part by coal severance taxes paid based upon coal mined in Montana and deposited in Montana's cultural and aesthetic projects trust fund. Additional funding is provided by museum members and the citizens of Cascade County, Davidson Family Foundation, D.A. Davidson, Montana Credit Union, Hotel Arvon, First Interstate Bank, an anonymous donor, and Kelly’s Signs & Design.

Exhibiting Artist Special Workshop Feat. Jesse Albrecht