Jenny Mendes &
Annie McDonald
August 8-9, 2026
Parallel Play: How to Wake Up Your Surfaces
A low-fire ceramics workshop with Jenny Mendes and Annie McDonald
Dates: Saturday, August 8, 2026: 10 AM - 4 PM + Sunday, August 9, 2026: 1 - 3 PM
Format: 1.5 day workshop
Location: MUD The Clay Studio, 388 Carlaw Ave., Unit 101C,
Toronto, ON
Participants: 15
Cost: $350 FUSION Members,
$500 General Public JOIN FUSION & SAVE
Shake up your surface language through playful experimentation with terra sigillata, slips, engobes, and low-fire glazes. Taking place at MUD The Clay Studio in Toronto’s East End, this 1.5 day workshop encourages exploration of symbolic imagery and narrative mark-making and includes one cone 05 low firing following the workshop. Work can be picked up from MUD Studio the following week.
What’s included:
• Slips and glazes
• One cone 05 low kiln firing
• Coffee and snacks
What to bring:
• Up to 10 bisque or bone-dry pieces (maximum 4 inches each)
• Your own basic clay tools and brushes
• Lunch for Saturday
Fees for programs cannot be refunded. If you need help or accommodations, please get in touch so we can work together to support you.
About
Jenny Mendes
Jenny Mendes is a studio artist and educator based in Chesterland, Ohio. She holds a BFA from Washington University in St. Louis and studied extensively at Penland School of Crafts, where she later returned as both a resident artist and instructor. Her practice has been shaped by international residencies across Europe and Asia, including Paris, Turkey, Greece, and The Netherlands. Jenny works full time in clay and teaches workshops internationally.
Annie McDonald has maintained a ceramics studio practice in Brighton, Ontario since 2003, specializing in low-fire clay. She holds a BA (Honours) in Cultural Theory with a focus on fine art from Trent University. Her training includes intensive workshops at the Lunenburg School of the Arts, three FUSION mentorship programs, and a recent residency in Skopelos, Greece. Annie developed a secondary-school ceramics program during her career as an art teacher and exhibits locally and in Toronto. She received the Best in Clay award at FUSION’s 2019 exhibition at Wychwood Barns and sells her work through her studio and the Gardiner Museum Shop.
About Annie McDonald
