2026 Fall Hambidge Open House
Our annual Hambidge Open House has moved back to the fall! Join us Oct 10, 2026 for this annual event which offers a unique opportunity to visit, tour, and enjoy the Hambidge campus. Festivities will include open studios, art-making, food, musical performances, gallery sales, and more. Don’t miss this once-a-year opportunity to enjoy our historic private sanctuary. Register below for general admission, or opt for an exclusive experience with chef-crafted bites, beverages, and private performances as you enjoy the day’s events by becoming a host or sponsor.
Highlights of the day will include OkCello performing on the main stage, the Hambidge Anagama kiln in action, an interactive clay experience with ceramic artist Tiffany Thomas, a half-day weaving workshop with Angela Eastman, our 2nd annual cornbread competition, and of course our beloved U-Do-Raku. Stay tuned for additional details.
Interested in being a part of the team that makes the big day happen? Visit this link to volunteer. We are very excited to have everyone on campus this spring and look forward to the connections and memories to be made.
Honoring Ben Owen III
This year, Hambidge is proud to honor Ben Owen III—master ceramicist, longtime friend of Hambidge, and the builder of our Anagama kiln. Ben's artistry, generosity, and vision have left an enduring mark on Hambidge and generations of artists who have worked here. Throughout Open House, special programming and tributes will celebrate his legacy and the lasting impact he has made on our creative community.
Ben Owen III is a potter from Seagrove, North Carolina. His forefathers came to North Carolina (NC) from England as early as the late 1700s to make a new living in the USA. Some of these early generations learned skills in craft by making pottery and furnishing storage jars along with other utilitarian wares for early settlers. Ben III studied pottery as a young apprentice first with his grandfather in the late 1970s-1980s and later at East Carolina University (1989-1993). Like his grandfather, Ben creates pottery that reflects a foundation in traditional early American designs, and incorporates influences from Asia, Europe, and Persia.
Ben has participated in workshops and conferences throughout the United States, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and recently in China. His work can be found in many museums nationwide, including the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and the Smithsonian Museum of Art. Ben’s commissions grace the lobby of the Ritz Carlton Tokyo Hotel in Japan and The Umstead Hotel and Spa in NC. Singer/songwriter James Taylor and golfer Arnold Palmer are among the notables whose collections include works by Ben Owen III.
Host & Sponsors*
Trillium Sponsors
Susan & Ron Antinori + Lynn Pollard + Belinda & Ken Reusch
Raku Sponsors
Alisa Barry & Smith Hanes + Kay Betts & John Sibley + John Bluhm & John Gibson + Karen & Steve Boor + Martha Eskew & Chet Tisdale + First American Bank & Trust + Helen Meadors & Craig Burkhalter
Village Sponsors
Suzanne M. Arpin + Sherry & Jeff Cohen + Didi Dunphy + Ann Johnson + LDG Accounting Services + Jodi & Ross Mansbach + Suzanne Shaw & Daniel Biddy + Lisa D. Thrower + Barb & Thom Williams + Kathy & David Williams
Hosts
Anonymous + Louise Bray + Nedra Deadwyler + Brooks Franklin & Lisa Ezzard + Judy Harris + Anthony Healy Ph.D + Nancy Hooff + Emily Kolbinsky + Judy & Scott Lampert + Temme Barkin-Leeds & Steve Leeds + Gordon Mansergh + Peggy Melton & Wen Copeland + Saundra Maass Robinson + Paula Francis Rogers + Dayna Thacker & Rich Gere + Lee & Susie Winton
In-kind Partnerships
Dream Big Farms + Osage Farms + What Chef’s Want
*List in formation
BECOME A HOST OR SPONSOR
We invite you to support Hambidge by being a Host or Sponsor of the Open House! Hosts and Sponsors help make Open House possible by underwriting the cost of offering this event to the public. Your support ensures that thousands of visitors can experience Hambidge's artists, programs, historic spaces, and natural environment while deepening community engagement with the arts. Pledge your support by registering below. For more information about packages and benefits, visit our support page.