Sculpted Earthen Benches in New Mexico
Offsite New Mexico workshop
Sculpted Earthen Benches
A Silver City Clay Festival event
With Athena Steen & Danielle Felgenhauer
Sculpted Earthen Bench Workshop in New Mexico
With Athena Steen and Danielle Felgenhauer
In collaboration with Silver City Clay Festival
Join us for a hands-on, 3-day natural building workshop focused on creating beautiful, functional outdoor benches using simple, sustainable materials like clay, sand, and straw. This is a great introductory class for learning earthen bench building, which incorporates the essentials of earthen wall building techniques, such as adobe and cob. It is unique opportunity to also learn how to sculpt with our clay basecoat, contributing to a lasting piece of art that combines form with function.
Hosted at the vibrant Whiskey Creek Zocalo—a local restaurant, bar, and music venue just outside Silver City, New Mexico—this workshop invites you to work alongside master builder Athena Steen and Danielle Felgenhauer in crafting sculptural, community-centered seating.
What you’ll learn
Participants will gain practical experience in a variety of earthen building techniques, including:
- Stone foundations
- Adobe and straw-clay blocks: How to make, stack, and use them effectively
- Cob construction
- Sculpting with clay and straw-rich base coats
Workshop Details
LOCATION: Whiskey Creek Zocalo, 11786 HWY 180 E. Arenas Valley, NM
This workshop will be held at a local bar, restaurant, and music venue, Whiskey Creek Zocalo, recently featured in New Mexico’s Edible magazine. It is owned and run by artists Jeff LeBlanc and Melanie Zipin. The Whiskey Creek is a space that houses creativity, and in this workshop, you’ll help shape a sculpted earthen bench that will remain there for many to enjoy.
Accommodations and meals are not provided as part of this workshop. There are many local campsites and hotels in Silver City.
This is hosted in collaboration with Silver City Clay Festival and is a great opportunity to get involved in the events.
DATES: This workshop begins at 10am on Wednesday July 16 and finishes on Friday July 18 at 4pm. The general daily workshop schedule will be from 10am-4pm most days.
COST: $375. Full workshop payment of is due upon registration to secure your spot in the workshop. Read how to pay your deposit here.
WHAT TO BRING:
- Lunch & snacks (food is also available to purchase at the Whisky Creek Zocalo)
- Water
- Sunscreen & Hat
- Comfortable clothing that can get muddy
All tools and materials will be provided. Participants are responsible for their own transportation to and from the workshop site.
Workshop Syllabus
- Overview of materials and mixes
- Designing bench
- Stacking stones
- Stacking Adobes
- Sculpting with Cob
- Plastering bench and sculpting with straw and clay basecoat
Instructors
Athena Steen grew up building with clay and adobe. She loves creating sculpted spaces that connect form with function, and walls rich with pattern, texture and color.
Through the Canelo Project, a small non-profit organization, Athena has been teaching workshops for over thirty years, in strawbale construction and earthen building. Focused on simple, low-skill, low-cost methods that build community between people, culture and nature.
Co-author of The Straw Bale House, Small Strawbale, and Built by Hand, her influence in the natural building world has been wide-spread. When Athena does not have her hands in the mud, she also enjoys publishing and designing books.
Danielle Felgenhauer is an artist with a passion for creating with natural materials. With a background in fine arts and geography, her journey has been an exploration of the relationship between people and their environment.
Art isn’t just about expression; it’s a profound connection to the world around us. Believing that working with local materials is a poetic way to delve into our relationship with the earth, Dani finds joy in the knowledge that every creation crafted from clay will eventually return to its origins.
Over the past three years, Dani has immersed herself in the art of clay and earthen building, finding it to be a captivating transition from other mediums. Now, she is excited to share her knowledge and passion with others on a journey of creativity, exploration, and a connection to the earth as you discover the art of clay building together.