Our Project

Reviving Salemi Through Contemporary Ceramics

Salemi Ceramics is a centre for contemporary ceramic art in the heart of Western Sicily. Our studio sits in the hilltop town of Salemi, surrounded by crumbling beauty, narrow stone streets, and a quiet rhythm, ideal for deep creative focus.It’s a place where artists and students come to create, learn, and leave a lasting mark.

Our Vision: Make Salemi an International Hub for Contemporary Ceramics

Our goal is to help breathe new life into Salemi Old Town by nurturing a ceramics culture that attracts people who want to live, work, and create here.

Lots of towns in Europe are getting quieter because young people move out due to the lack of opportunities and new projects available to them. Salemi isn’t an exception - when you talk to locals, almost all of them have relatives who have moved to mainland Italy or further abroad to find opportunity. We want to turn Salemi around.

We believe in the strength of ceramics to make the town a welcoming place for artists, and to attract a new wave of interest from conscious travelers who are interested in art and culture.

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We’re building something new in a place with deep cultural roots. The streets of Salemi carry centuries of stories, from Arabic walls to a Norman castle and 19th-century revolutions. We’re here because the setting supports what we do and because we believe that the town has a great potential.

We care about making sure our project is good for the town and the environment. We want to make Salemi better without causing unnecessary problems for the people who live here. That’s why at every step of the way, we are collaborating with local businesses and residents to be guided on our path

What We’re Doing

Our project brings together different initiatives, all revolving around ceramics. The goals are: to bring new artists to town, welcome responsible travelers, create new jobs, encourage people to invest in town, and find ceramic lovers who would like to sponsor artists and creative projects. It’s all about contributing to the local economy, building community, and enriching the town’s cultural significance.

- The Salemi School of Ceramics

We opened the school in April 2024 with a single classroom, which hosted over 200 clay enthusiasts in its first year alone. In April 2025, we expanded it with a second studio which allows us to host two courses and 16 students at all times, offering a variety of courses to suit all skill levels.

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The school welcomes ceramicists at all levels: from hobbyists, students, and enthusiasts to emerging and internationally recognized artists. They fly in from everywhere: Australia, United States, UK, Spain,Norway, Iceland amongst many others. In just one or two weeks of intensive classes (Monday to Friday), they improve their ceramics skills more than they would in months of weekly classes back home.

Our program includes a wide range of courses: wheel throwing (beginner, intermediate and advanced level), handbuilding, natural glazing, wild clay finding and processing, kiln building, texturing and decoration.

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Locals also get the chance to get their hands dirty through handbuilding or wheel-throwing classes, led in Italian.

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- Artist residencies

Salemi Ceramics welcomed its first resident in 2024: the Franco-Palestinian artist, Maia Beyrouti, who spent two months in Salemi and left behind some beautiful pieces for our gallery.

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In 2025, nine ceramicists are getting residency spots in Salemi through an open call. The artists get a private studio room, plus all the resources and materials they need to work on their art. Some of their works, either purchased or donated, are the first pieces of our permanent gallery collection and the growing trail of ceramic installations.

In 2026, another nine artists will be selected for the residency, as one of them will be fully funded in partnership with Badr el Jundi Foundation, a Spanish organization that supports projects of creative experimentation and promotes international artists.

- Public art & Pop-ups

With the help of locals, our team is going the extra mile to bring ceramics into public spaces and beautify the historic center through several projects:

A trail of ceramic installations

It’s a long-term project where resident artists create contemporary ceramic installations for Salemi’s historic center. It’ll be like an art treasure hunt, leading Salemi’s visitors to explore its streets on foot, bringing life and movement back to the old parts of town.

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Pop-up studios and shops

An active part of the urban regeneration project is the “pop-up” spaces on the main street of Old Town. These are commercial spots that will be used as ateliers and shops, where you can watch the magic happen and pick up some one-of-a-kind souvenirs. They will be available to local and international artists and artisans, at reduced rents, in order to fill Salemi’s streets with creativity and bring back the buzz.

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Project “Amendola”

This beautification initiative is focused on decorating the main street in the Old Town of Salemi - via Amendola. Salemi Ceramics’ lead ceramist, Mati Cini, has been digging around town, studying all the local traditions, colors, and materials. She aims to design some seriously one-of-a-kind pieces that will make this street stand out.

- The Ceramics Gallery

Apart from being a space where ceramics are made, Salemi Ceramics holds a small gallery full of artworks made by our teachers and internationally recognised artists who’ve left their mark here. Insider tip: Visit the gallery regularly! Every few weeks, new pieces sneak in and find their home on the studio’s shelves. You can now even purchase select pieces from the gallery to start or expand your own collection of handmade pottery.

How You Can Be Involved

We’re looking for collaborators. Whether you’re an artist, a ceramics student, or someone who wants to support a meaningful art-led project, you’re welcome to our growing creative community.

You can apply to join a course, sponsor an artist, or just follow along as we grow.