As conversations around the importance of “third spaces” continue to grow, Brooklyn’s ceramics community has quietly been building exactly that: welcoming, hands-on places where people can gather, learn, and create together.

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Since 2021, 15 new ceramics studios and clay spaces have opened across Brooklyn, reflecting a larger cultural desire to step away from technology overload and reconnect with hobbies that let people make things with their hands, focus, and find community. The Brooklyn Ceramic Arts Tour (BCAT), founded by Jill Bell and co-organized with Nic Newcomb, is now entering its fourth year. Taking place from May 28–31, BCAT is a free, four-day, self-guided tour celebrating Brooklyn’s diverse and rapidly growing ceramic arts scene.

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This year, the tour hits a massive milestone: 45 events and over 300 participating artists, studios, and local businesses opening their doors for exhibitions, demonstrations, artist talks, pottery sales, and studio tours. Co-founder Jill Bell discusses the evolution of the tour, the therapeutic necessity of working with clay, and how BCAT serves as a mirror for the values of Brooklyn's creative community.

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With the rapid acceleration of digital life, Brooklyn residents are increasingly seeking physical sanctuaries. Bell views the sudden boom of 15 new clay spaces since 2021 as a direct response to modern isolation.

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"I think clay has become such a powerful anchor for community right now because it offers something many people are desperately missing in modern life: slow, hands-on, in-person connection," Bell explains. "Unlike so much of our daily experience, ceramics requires: slow, hands-on, in-person connection. You can’t multitask while centering clay or glazing — your attention has to be fully there."

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This enforced mindfulness is what transforms a standard art studio into a vital community anchor.

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"In a time when people are overwhelmed by screens, constant notifications, and increasingly isolated ways of living and working, ceramic studios have emerged as vital 'third spaces': places outside of home and work where people can gather, create, and share. The fact that over 15 new ceramic studios and clay spaces have opened across Brooklyn since 2021 speaks to how strongly people are craving tactile experiences, creative focus, and genuine community."

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Managing a grassroots tour that features hundreds of artists requires deep collaboration. To scale the event sustainably, Bell and Newcomb turned to the artists themselves to reshape the tour's infrastructure.

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"At the end of every tour, we send a survey to participants asking what worked, what didn’t, and what we could improve," says Bell. "BCAT originally started as a weekend event, but after hearing that artists and organizers wanted more chances to attend each other’s programming, we expanded the tour and introduced 'timed events,' where specific neighborhoods were given days for receptions, workshops, panel discussions, performances, and other events."

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This geographical grouping has altered how visitors interact with the borough’s creative hubs, making the massive scale of 45 events digestible.

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"By grouping events geographically and scheduling them near one another, each program had a better chance of drawing a larger audience while making it easier for both visitors and participants to experience multiple events in one day. This will be our second year using that format, and it’s worked out really well so far. It’s made the tour feel more connected, more collaborative, and ultimately more enjoyable for everyone involved."

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BCAT is not just a showcase of functional pottery; it is a platform tackling contemporary social and environmental issues. This year’s lineup features deeply intentional programming, including Plasticity: a trans art exhibition, alongside panels dedicated to eco-conscious studio practices.

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"BCAT is really a reflection of Brooklyn’s ceramic community — its voice, its concerns, and the kind of future people want to help shape together," Bell notes. "As organizers, we’re interested in highlighting all sides of ceramics here and creating space for the conversations and communities growing around it. This year we’re especially excited to feature exhibitions by both Trans and Black/African ceramic artists, alongside programming focused on sustainability, collaboration, and building stronger creative networks."

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This focus on the future of the medium manifests in highly practical events designed to change how ceramicists operate day-to-day.

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"That includes a workshop and panel discussion for mosaic-makers and ceramicists focused on sustainability and repurposing discarded ceramics, as well as the first official meeting of the Ceramic Fabricators Network (CFN), which supports working ceramicists through advocacy, education, resource sharing, and efforts toward more equitable and sustainable careers."