NORTHERN INDIANA CLAY ALLIANCE INC

Programs

1. The Michiana Pottery Tour is an annual two-day self-guided studio tour connecting the public with ceramic artists across the Michiana region. In its most recent year, the tour featured 60 participating artists across 10 stops and drew approximately 450 visitors, generating $125,000 in direct artist sales and an estimated $250,000-$290,000 in regional economic impact. The tour serves a dual mission: supporting the economic vitality of regional ceramic artists by providing direct access to buyers, and connecting the broader public with the ceramic arts through an immersive, educational experience. Visitors travel between working studios and gallery spaces, giving them rare access to artists in their creative environments, an opportunity to learn about the craft firsthand and a chance to purchase original work directly from the makers. The program benefits artists at varying stages of their careers, from emerging ceramicists to established studio potters, providing a platform that would be difficult to replicate individually. For the public, the tour serves as an accessible entry point into the ceramic arts, fostering appreciation, education and long-term community support for the…

   $24,000 spentof which $16,000 as grants
   75% of program spending

2. The Michiana Spring Clay Tour is an annual self-guided studio tour held each spring, designed to provide NICA members at all experience levels an accessible opportunity to open their studios to the public and sell their work directly to buyers. With 19 locations, the tour is intentionally inclusive, open to all NICA members rather than a curated selection, lowering the barrier to entry and giving emerging artists meaningful exposure alongside more established makers. The tour serves a complementary role to the fall Michiana Pottery Tour, extending NICA's economic support for ceramic artists across two seasons. For participating artists, it provides a structured platform to build a customer base, develop their public presence and generate direct sales revenue. For visitors, it offers an intimate look into working studios across the Michiana region and an opportunity to engage directly with the ceramic arts community. The program benefits NICA members across a range of career stages and backgrounds, with particular value for newer artists who may not yet have the profile or following to drive traffic independently. By organizing and marketing the tour collectively, NICA amplifies…

   $3,000 spentof which $3,000 as grants
   9% of program spending

3. The Holiday Michiana Pottery Show is an annual indoor juried sale held each holiday season in the historic Goshen Theater ballroom. Bringing together 18 ceramic artists in a single curated venue, the event offers the public a convenient and festive opportunity to discover and purchase handcrafted pottery as gifts during the holiday season. In its most recent year the show drew approximately 250 visitors and generated $12,000 in direct artist sales. By centralizing artists in a single elegant venue, the event creates an elevated shopping experience that distinguishes handcrafted ceramic work from mass-produced alternatives, reinforcing the cultural and economic value of supporting local makers. The show serves both participating artists and the broader community. For artists, it provides a high-visibility sales opportunity during the most commercially significant time of year. For visitors, it offers direct access to a curated collection of regional ceramic work in a welcoming, community-oriented setting. The Goshen Theater venue also deepens NICA's connection to the local arts community and reinforces the organization's role as a convener of creative culture in the Michiana region.

   $5,000 spentof which $5,000 as grants
   16% of program spending

The 3 programs described on its FY2025 Form 990-EZ. Program spending in total: $32,000.