About the SJCGA
For 45 years, the San Joaquin Clay & Glass Association has been bringing artists, makers, and art lovers together to celebrate the incredible creativity of California’s Central Valley.
At the heart of what we do is our twice-yearly Clay & Glass Festival—a lively celebration where more than 50 local artists and makers come together to share and sell their work. From handmade pottery and sculptural ceramics to blown and stained glass, jewelry, home décor, and one-of-a-kind treasures, the Festival is a place to discover something special, meet the people who made it, and support the artists who make our community more creative.
But SJCGA is about much more than a great festival.
We’re a community of artists who share ideas, learn from one another, make connections, create opportunities, and celebrate each other’s work. Through exhibitions, workshops, educational programs, grants, studio visits, social events, networking, and collaborative projects, we help artists grow both creatively and professionally.
We believe a thriving arts community happens when people come together—and that everyone has something to contribute. Whether you work in clay or glass, are just getting started, have been making art for decades, or simply love handmade work, there’s a place for you here.
Our History
It started with a little mud, a newspaper ad, and a room full of artists.
In 1981, a small group of people had an idea: bring the ceramic artists of the Central Valley together and create a community around clay. Bob Kizziar, Chris Culver, Robert Barnett, and Jim Shepard then serving on the Fresno Art Center Board (now the Fresno Arts Museum), planted the first seeds of what would become the San Joaquin Clay & Glass Association.
They put an ad in the Fresno Bee and waited to see who might show up. About 50 artists gathered at the Fresno Art Center. They shared ideas, talked about their work, and officially became a group.
The early years were wonderfully messy. The group’s events became known as “Mud Madness,” bringing artists and the public together for a lively celebration of handmade work. As the organization grew, so did its creative reach, eventually welcoming glass artists into the mix and becoming the San Joaquin Clay & Glass Association we know today.
Thanks to Caroll Wyneken, “Mud Madness” found a lasting home on the grounds of Redeemer Lutheran Church, where our twice-yearly Clay & Glass Festivals continue to this day. Generations of artists have gathered there to sell their work, meet their community, exchange ideas, and celebrate the creative spirit of the Central Valley.
A New Chapter
After four decades of growth, 2021 marked an exciting new chapter when SJCGA officially became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The move gave the association a stronger foundation to expand its mission beyond the Festival—to support artists through education, exhibitions, grants, community programs, professional opportunities, and creative connection.
San Joaquin Clay & Glass Association (SJCGA) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to supporting and promoting the fine crafts of clay and glass in the San Joaquin Valley. Since 1981, SJCGA has brought together artists, collectors, and enthusiasts through exhibitions, workshops, and community programs that celebrate creativity and craftsmanship.