Watershed’s annual Salad Days fundraiser draws art appreciators to campus for a summer celebration of handmade ceramic work and local food. For each year’s event, a Salad Days Artist-in-Residence produces hundreds of plates or shallow bowls from terracotta clay. During the celebration, guests choose a plate to take home and enjoy a delicious picnic lunch. The Salad Days Artist’s plates serve as the primary feature of the day and many event attendees return year after year to collect each new design.  

Watershed selects a Salad Days Artist annually to create plates or shallow bowls for the following year’s Salad Days. The Salad Days Artist spends seven months at Watershed – from September to April – producing 475 plates or shallow bowls for the following summer’s Salad Days. The Artist is also commissioned to create approximately thirty small functional or decorative pieces for Watershed’s sustained giving donors. 

The residency runs on campus during Watershed’s quieter programming season. While the Artist works closely with studio staff to fine-tune their plate design and making process, much of the work is completed independently. Strong self-management skills and comfort working independently in a rural area are essential.