About Us

Contact the Ceramics Program

Phone: 617-495-8680
Email: ceramics@fas.harvard.edu
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Location

224 Western Avenue, Allston, MA 02134 
map (google) 

Directions:

Public Transportation

Subway:
We are located one mile from the Harvard Square stop on the Red Line, with easy bus connections via the 86, 66 bus or Harvard Shuttle

MBTA Buses:
We are located on the 66, 86, and 70 MBTA bus routes. For more information, contact the MBTA.

Harvard Shuttle:
Any member of the Harvard Community may use Harvard's Shuttle Bus Service for free. The "Quad SEC Direct" and "SEC Express" shuttle routes both stop at Barry's Corner which is the closest stop to our building. You may also call the Harvard Evening Van service for rides after 7pm.

Walking and rolling

If coming from Harvard Square, head down JFK Street, over the river, and continue on North Harvard Street past the stadium, track and fields until you reach the corner of North Harvard Street and Western Avenue. At the light, cross the street and take a right past the Gulf gas station onto Spurr Street. The terra cotta and glass front of 224 Western Avenue will be on your left. The Ceramics Program front and back entrances are located along Spurr Street and at the back of the building.

Biking

Bike racks are located in the front of the building to the left hand side near the Harvard Ed Portal entrance. Additional bike racks are located at the rear of the building. Do not leave bikes overnight. Per Harvard Real Estate policy, bikes cannot be stored inside the building under any circumstance.

Driving

From the Mass Pike (I-90) going east or west, exit at the Allston/Brighton/Cambridge sign (exit #18). Go through the toll booth then stay left at fork, following signs to Brighton and Allston. Follow ramp around a full circle onto Cambridge St. going west. At the second light, take a right at the Hess station onto North Harvard Street. Take a left at the second light onto Western Ave. 224 (terra cotta and glass exterior) will be on your left after the Gulf gas station.

From North of Boston (I-93), follow signs to Storrow Drive. Take the Harvard Square exit, staying in the left lane of the ramp. At the top of the exit ramp, turn left onto North Harvard Drive. Pass the Harvard stadium and take a right at the first light onto Western Ave. 224 is the first building (terra cotta and glass exterior) on the left after the Gulf gas station.

If you are on Memorial Drive heading away from Boston, take a left at JFK St. and cross the river. (JFK becomes North Harvard St.) Drive past the Harvard stadium and take a right at the first light onto Western Ave. 224 is the first building (terra cotta and glass exterior) on the left after the Gulf gas station.

From south of Boston (I-93), exit onto the Mass Pike (I-90) Westbound. See directions above "from the Mass Pike."

From Logan Airport take Silver Line bus to South Station, switch to the Red Line Inbound, get off at Harvard Square, walk or take a bus to the studio.

Parking

Car parking in our area is very limited. There is two hour metered parking around the perimeter of the Continuum building across the street. You may wish to purchase a day pass or hourly metered parking from Harvard-managed parking lots such as 130 Western Ave or the athletic center.

Lot parking in rear of building: Parking for guests in the lot behind the studio is by permission only. Park directly in back of the Ceramics Studio in white-outlined spaces only. Do not use the Ed Portal parking spaces (orange-outlined spaces).

Parking during Show and Sale:

During the Show and Sale, please check our Show and Sale page for updated parking information

The Ceramics Program, Office for the Arts at Harvard, relocated in 2013 from its Allston home at 219 Western Avenue, where it has been active for 26 years, to 224 Western Avenue (formerly a Verizon building) in the heart of Barry’s Corner, in Allston. The new facility was formally dedicated by Harvard University President Drew Gilpin Faust at a ceremony on February 26, 2014.

This change marked a transition in program leadership. On July 15, Shawn Panepinto, Acting Director since 2010, was appointed Director of Operations, and Kathy King, instructor and former assistant to the Acting Director, was appointed Director of Education. Upon the retirement of Shawn Panepinto in 2018, Kathy King was appointed Director and oversees the program.

There is a street-front gallery called Galley 224 for exhibition and sale of artworks. This gallery is co-curated by the new directors and it creates a welcoming, highly visible entrance. Exterior features of the single-story building will include new cladding, roofing, and landscaping. The interior 15,856-square-foot studio offers 35 electric wheels, slab roller, potable wagon wheel extruder and a large main studio for hand building, wheel throwing, symposia, seminars, workshops and community events as well as separate wheel throwing, hand building, sculpture and figurative rooms. A multi purpose classroom for visual presentations, lectures, workshops, and digital resource room also provides a quiet place to work.  Clay and glaze chemistry labs, plaster and mold-making design areas, and a large new state of the art kiln room features 2 new Master Kiln Builder custom gas kilns, 1 new Bailey car kiln for reduction and soda firing, and outdoor access to raku/saggar firing options, large Fredrickson front loading electric car kiln and 7 other electric kilns of varying sizes. There are 27 independent and resident artist spaces, administrative offices, a student lounge, and a research collection of work made by visiting artists.

With the completion of the new building, the Ceramics Program has become a more visible and accessible part of the Allston community, serving as a touchstone for the arts within Barry's Corner.

For photos of the new building visit our Flickr page. Also, watch Master Kiln Builders prepare our reduction kilns for the rebuild at 224 Western.