Colonial Williamsburg's
Clay Stories : A Ceramics Symposium
June 4 - 6, 2026
Colonial Williamsburg is pleased to host the 2026 bi-annual ceramics conference, in collaboration with MESDA (Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts) for this year’s symposium entitled: Clay Stories. Every object has multiple stories layered through time as it passes from raw materials in the hands of makers, to finished vessel, to single owner or multiple stewards, and from useful utilitarian piece to archaeological fragment or prized possession mounted in a collector’s curio cabinet or in a museum’s case. Clay Stories weaves together history and research shared by curators, scholars, archaeologists, and potters. From hands-on workshops and special tours to a pottery demonstration, to lectures by renown leaders in the field, there is something for every ceramic enthusiast in this exciting program!
Garniture; Jingdezhen, China, ca. 1730; hard-paste porcelain.Museum Purchase, 1968-617,1-5.
Teapot, punch bowl, beaker, dish, plates,andtankard; Jingdezhen, China, 1720–1780; hard-paste porcelain.Giftof Mrs.EdnaG. Tucker and Ms. Wendy S. Tucker in memory of Edward Bolton (Teddy) Tucker, M.B.E.,2024-63, 2024-64, 2024-73, 2024-77,1-3, 2024-78, 2024-79.
Sugar box and teapot; Staffordshire, England, ca. 1760;creamware.Gift of Ellen and Mickey Simon, 2024-218,and Museum Purchase, 1975-143.
Tankards; Bristol, England, ca. 1731;tin-glazed earthenware. Museum Purchase, 2010-67 with archaeologicalexamplerecovered in York County, Virginia.
Cream jug and sugar dish; David Seixas; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1816–1820;green-glazed refined earthenware;Museum Purchase, James S. Lawrence, 2022-67&68.
*In-person and virtual attendees have access to all lectures in the Hennage Auditorium, and in-person attendees can also choose from a variety of limited-capacity workshops for a small additional fee.
The conference brings together many voices as we explore new findings and shed light on recent discoveries in the worlds of pottery and porcelain. Keynote Errol Manners, ceramics scholar based in London, shares stories of important British pieces that have made their way into American collections. Luke Zipp shares tales from the road in the world of American stoneware and beyond. Julie Edwards, archaeological officer for the city of Chester, England, illustrates parallels between Chester’s archaeological record and those of Jamestown and Williamsburg, Virginia. Leslie B. Grigsby, Winterthur’s emerita senior curator of ceramics and glass, shares highlights from her ceramics career. Among the many other speakers, Joe Bagley, archaeologist for the city of Boston; Wes Cowan, independent scholar; Debbie Miller, curator of archaeological collections for the National Park Service in Philadelphia; Lisa Minardi, editor of Americana Insights; and Luke Pecoraro, curator, ceramics and glass, Winterthur Museum, Library, and Garden. Melissa and Matthew Dunphy return to Colonial Williamsburg’s stage with a focus on the Philadelphia-made porcelain of Bonnin and Morris. And world-renown potter Michelle Erickson takes us on a journey to better understand how Edgefield potter David Drake made his pots. Optional programs will include a special trip to Jamestown for a tour of the ground-breaking exhibit Following the Dragon: Chinese Ming Porcelain in Early Jamestown with co-curators Bly Straub and Merry Outlaw.
Thank you to our conference sponsors & partners!