Sketch-n-Sip: Exploring Clay in Sculpture and Architecture invites architects and design professionals into the working studio of large-scale ceramic sculptor Alex and his team for an immersive evening exploring the shared language of form, structure, and material between sculpture and architecture.

The program will begin with an introduction to Alex’s practice and artistic philosophy, followed by a discussion of clay as a structural medium, its physical properties, limitations, and the challenges of working at scale.

Trained at Alfred University, Alex and his assistants will explain how large ceramic works are formed, stacked, and assembled, and how gravity, weight, cracking, and firing stresses must be carefully anticipated and managed. These lessons will be directly connected to architectural design principles related to massing, structural integrity, and material behavior.

Participants will then be guided through the studio to observe the sculptural process firsthand, from forming and assembly to kiln firing and finishing. The evening will conclude with a hands-on session in which attendees may sketch a featured large-scale sculpture, dramatically lit to emphasize form, depth, and shadow or experiment with working in clay themselves.

Designed to be both educational and experiential, this Sketch-n-Sip session encourages architects to reconnect with a material-based design process and rediscover clay as a powerful tool for exploring form, structure, and human experience.