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01/18/2026 - 02/01/2026

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Clay Beads with Pauline Halsey

This hands-on collaborative clay project explores community building through interactive, accessible artmaking. This workshop series combines the mediums of clay and felt to focus on the tactile nature of creating 3D works. Geared towards youth ages 8-12, this bead making workshop encourages curiosity and collaboration, with different processes suited for individuals with varying sensory needs.

Through bead making, we will explore the importance of community, and how art plays a role in building community through shared experiences. Although each bead is made individually, they are strung together to create something even more beautiful. Each participant will have a role to play, all engaging with a process that suits them. The intention of this project is to encourage children to share a hands-on creative sensory experience while minimizing barriers. The workshop series will take place over two sessions. The first session will be creating the beads, while the second session involves stringing them together, installing them in the space, and reflecting on the work.

 

About the Instructor

Pauline Halsey is an emerging ceramicist working in handbuilding as an embodied process. She explores relationships between utility, decoration, and kitsch, playfully engaging with the hierarchical structures in which objects are assigned value. In an intuitive approach, she creates vessels where perceived functional elements are redefined through a sculptural lens. Pauline’s practice considers the impact of consumerism and fast trend cycles, inviting the viewer to determine their own conclusions about how art, craft, and mass-produced goods are categorized. She is interested in bringing attention to the positive presence of human hands through the work she creates.

Pauline completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Arts at McMaster University (2023). Her series of works titled An Assortment of Highly Collectible Objects was exhibited at McMaster Museum during the SUMMA group exhibition (2023). She was awarded the Faculty Award by the McMaster School of the Arts Faculty, recognizing artistic growth and commitment during her undergrad (2023). She developed her practice through a professional residency at Smakdab Pottery Studio in Brantford (2023), culminating in approximately 200 hours of studio time. Pauline’s ceramic works were recently presented in the main section at Artist Project Toronto (2025). Her participation in the fair was supported by the Ontario Arts Council through an Exhibition Assistance Program Grant(2025).

Pauline’s work is often informed by her role as an educator. She delivers ceramics classes in various studios across Southern Ontario. She is dedicated to encouraging students of all ages to explore, take risks, and celebrate their creativity. She uses teaching as a research tool and source of inspiration. @phalsiii