Clay Art Center’s Annual Fall Benefit An Overwhelming Success

PORT CHESTER, NY — A night under the stars helped ensure that the Clay Art Center not only brings an enduring art medium to life in our community and around the globe, but that it will carry on its life-changing missions for generations to come.

From Clay Art Center

The Clay Art Center celebrated 65 years with its 15th Annual Fall Benefit on October 15 at a tented outdoor event on its grounds in Port Chester. A fabulous crowd enjoyed a wonderful afternoon of good company, great food from Plates Catering and fantastic live music from the John Clay Quartet while celebrating the impact the CAC & its community have achieved throughout the year in support of creating and experiencing the ceramic arts. They also viewed the auction items featuring one-of-kind ceramic artwork from local and nationally recognized artists in person before bidding online.

"As always, a fabulous night with great friends that feel like family," one of the guests said.

Emily Peck, Clay Art Center's Executive Director, was overwhelmed with the generosity of all the donors who raised over $134,000 to keep Clay Art Center and its vital programs strong and make sure they continue to have an impact in the community. "Thank you to the Clay Art Center community for their generous support in furthering the pursuit of making the power of creativity accessible to all," she said.

The annual fall benefit is an opportunity for friends of the Clay Art Center to celebrate together while supporting its community and artist programs. Funding provides over 1,000 scholarships to underserved and at-risk youth to take classes where they grow and flourish, provides a place for emerging artists to gain experience and skills through the residency program, supports the exhibition program which brings the work of emerging and established ceramic artists to Clay Art Center, and funds general operations which allows the CAC to recruit and retain its dedicated staff.

The Clay Art Center was founded in 1957 by Katherine Choy and Henry Okamoto. Unknown to them at the time, the center would grow into an 11,000-square-foot non-profit art center that delivers programming for professional artists, students, collectors and the Port Chester community at large.

The Clay Art Center is a nationally recognized non-profit center for the advancement and practice of ceramic arts offering exhibitions, clay classes for adults and children, studio spaces for clay artists and outreach programs in the community. It is located at 40 Beech Street in Port Chester. Gallery and SHOP hours are Monday & Thursday 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday & Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.