Ceramics are on fire — literally hotter than a kiln.

According to industry reports, the global pottery ceramics market grew from $12.43 billion in 2024 to nearly $13 billion in 2025 and is projected to surpass $19 billion by 2034, with the Northeast expected to be the fastest-growing region.

That’s a lot of bowls and vases. And it’s not just actor Seth Rogen touting his latest ceramic mug/ashtray on Instagram that’s boosted pottery’s profile.

Clay is having a major craft comeback. Why? Analysts cite a desire for handmade, sustainable, eco-friendly, tactile materials — and a growing appetite for artisanal, premium lifestyle goods.

This past summer, The New York Times ran a story headlined, “Pottery Finds a New Audience Among Fashionable Men.” At this year’s London Design Festival — known as “the barometer of the design world” — pottery took center stage. The No. 1 major design trend for 2025, according to The Times: “Clay, glorious clay.”

All good news for ceramic artist Eve Behar, who opened Mudita Ceramics School of the Hamptons in Water Mill this May.

Why Ceramics Is Trending

“I think it’s kind of an antidote to technology,” says Behar, a ceramic artist for more than 30 years, past president of the Clay Art Guild of the Hamptons, and former director of Celadon Clay Art Gallery.

“People want to touch something; they want to work with their hands. Staring at screens can be very enervating.”

Mudita — a concept from Buddhist philosophy meaning “happiness for the success of others” — is a fully equipped studio with 11 pottery wheels, two electric kilns, ample shelf space, and more. Classes run seven days a week, day and night, with seven instructors teaching Hand Building, Wheel, Have a Spin, and kids’ classes. Students can choose memberships, full semesters, or drop-in sessions.

Behar lives in Sag Harbor, where her work will be for sale at a holiday show Friday, Dec. 12, at Fishers Home Furnishings on Main Street, along with pieces by friends and artists from Mudita. On Saturday, Dec. 13, she’s hosting an open house at Mudita from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for anyone who wants to see the studio and meet the creative community.

It’s been a busy time since opening, but Behar took a moment to speak with SPARK about the school, her life on the East End, and her vision for the artistic community Out East.

INTERVIEW: Eve Behar

Owner/Founder, Mudita Ceramics School of the Hamptons

Starting Mudita

What prompted you to open Mudita?

EB: When I came Out East full time in 2013, I was on the board at the Clay Art Guild. We decided we needed to start a school — before that, we just had a gallery. We wanted to expand, and I was instrumental in starting the school. I was teaching throughout this time.

We lasted through COVID, but it got too big for a nonprofit volunteer board to manage. I sat down with the board to discuss what buying them out would look like. It took about a year — buying from a nonprofit is not easy. The Guild still exists and is doing other things, and this is now a privately owned small business.

Community Response

How is it going? How has the response been?

Completely positive — a really good response. The old students love the renovations, and new people come in and say, “Wow, I’m so happy this is here.”

I was able to take all the equipment, the lease, the mailing list. I renovated the place — new drop ceiling, new shelves — made it cleaner and a lot brighter.

Classes fill up. All the people who were in classes before rolled over to me, which was great. I tried to keep the same teachers and class times. I tweaked things to make it more service-oriented and more spacious.

The Studio Today

How many classes does Mudita offer?

We’re at max capacity with eight classes and seven teachers, day and night. We also have shelving for drop-ins, so those who aren’t regular students can come from time to time. We have date night, team-building events, teen classes. I have a dedicated kids’ shelf.

Basically, the space is maxed out. The next step would be expansion.

Falling in Love With Clay

What first got you involved in ceramics?

In 1991 my godmother said, “Do you want to take a class together?” It was a hand-building class at a tiny place on the Upper East Side called The Earthworks.

As soon as I started, I got hooked. I took some classes in college, but I was already a senior, so it was too late to focus on it. The next big move was going to Italy for a full-year postgraduate program, where I received a baccalaureate certificate.

I came back, continued to work — in television — then went to Canada to study and refine my work. I returned in 2004, and from that point on, all I did was clay. I consider myself a professional starting in 2004, but between 1991 and 2004 I did a lot on my own.

I taught in Bay Shore and at Greenwich House Pottery, but serious teaching started when I came Out East and started the studio here.

Balancing Teaching and Art

Do you still have time to create your own work?

I haven’t had much time in the last six or seven months, but yes, I’m still making my own work. I sell on consignment at Fishers in Sag Harbor and online at evebehar.com.

Do you enjoy teaching?

I find teaching really fulfilling. Part of my decision to open the school was because I genuinely like teaching, being around students, and being part of that community.

Being in your studio by yourself all day can be isolating, so teaching provides a remedy. I like the balance of both.

Why Clay Speaks to People

What do you think draws people to clay?

There’s something primitive and raw about touching clay. People need that creatively. It’s definitely had a resurgence.

When I first started and told people what I did, they said, “That’s a job?” No one says that anymore. Now they say, “Oh, that’s cool.”

Choosing the East End

What made you want to live Out East full time?

I was on the Upper West Side. I had a baby. I was going to my studio in the Bronx, leaving him with the nanny, and I didn’t like that. I wanted to be more present in his life. I wanted him to walk to school and be in nature.

This way, I could have my studio at home. My husband — now a physician associate at Weill Cornell in Southampton — could move here too. We weren’t tied to the city.

The Meaning Behind “Mudita”

Why did you name the school “Mudita”?

I was brainstorming names, and it seemed perfect. The meaning — happiness for the success of others — is exactly what teaching should strive for.

As a teacher, you want to see your students succeed. Plus, it has the word “mud” in it. It keeps me grounded. Every time I get stressed, I say, “Remember why you’re doing this.”

My parents were teachers. I grew up believing your job is to learn something and then pass it on. I still feel like I’m learning — that’s what I love about art. You never stop learning.

Family Support

Your parents have been divorced a long time, but both attended Mudita’s opening. How do they feel about the venture?

EB: My parents have always been supportive. When I was in high school and wanted to be an actress, they said, “Okay, fine.”

With Mudita, they’ve supported me every step of the way. My dad (Joseph Behar), a retired sociology professor and musician, loves talking about art — the creative process, making music versus making pottery, the similarities. We talk about that all the time.

And your mom — Joy Behar?

She’s always pushed me to be as “in the world” as possible because she understands how isolating creative work can be. I think she loves that I’m running this business and leading this community. She loves it.

Running a Business Out East

How is it having your own business?

A lot of people Out East have their own businesses, many of them women, and I find that incredible. Whenever I meet a woman who owns a business, I’m still impressed — not that they can’t do it! Maybe it’s because of my age ,but I’m still a little surprised that women are allowed to do it, and they’re doing it.

It’s empowering.

Yes, it’s empowering. It’s not like, “Only men can do this.”

There are a lot of people running their own business out here. When my son was young, I’d see a lot of men at school pickup. You think, “Don’t these guys have jobs?” But they do — architects, landscapers, real estate agents — working from home, staying up late.

The lifestyle out here is incredible. It’s flexible, beautiful, with great schools. We are very privileged in our little village.

Looking Ahead

What’s your dream goal?

The ultimate goal is to have a whole arts center. To be bequeathed a giant farm by some rich old lady and turn it into a craft center like they have in other parts of the country. We could really use that here — a place with residencies, a dormitory, studios.

There are centers in New Jersey, near Asheville, in Maine, Montana, Tennessee — offering ceramics, woodworking, fiber arts, metal, glass — all the fine crafts in one spot. I don’t know how to run all of that, but I could start with a ceramics center and bring in master potters from around the world.

There’s a place called Watershed in Maine — a ceramics residency program — and something modeled on that would be terrific. I would love to have that here.

Events

Friday, Dec. 12, 3–6 p.m.
Holiday Sale
Eve Behar Ceramics & Friends, Artists of Mudita
Fisher’s Home Furnishings
144 Main St., Sag Harbor

Saturday, Dec. 13, 11 a.m.–4 p.m.
Mudita Open House
Mudita Ceramics School of the Hamptons
670 Montauk Hwy., Water Mill, N.Y.
muditaceramicsschoolofthehamptons.com

Angela LaGreca

Editor, Co-Founder/Publisher

Angela LaGreca, Editor-in-chief and co-Founder/Publisher of Spark Hamptons, is a four-time Emmy Award-winning journalist, producer, writer and comedian/host. Her TV credits include NBC’s “Today,” ABC’s “The View,” and, most recently, the primetime cable news program “Cuomo” on NewsNation. On the East End, she was the Creative Director at LTV, VP Features/Events/Photo Editor at Dan’s Papers, and has performed at Guild Hall, Bay Street Theater and the WHBPAC. Her publishing career began at Modern Photography, where she was managing editor. LaGreca lives in Manhattan and East Hampton and can be reached at angelatvmedia@gmail.com and angela@sparkhamptons.com .