Our Mission

To promote artistic excellence, innovation, and creativity across media in our community through instruction and creation, to engage creatively with conceptually complex issues and promote authenticity of human engagement and beauty in genuine interaction.

Who We Are

Founded in 2019, Smith Works Studios is a creative studio and home to the artistic endeavors of Herrick H. and Laura Smith. Located in picturesque Uptown Saint Augustine, Smith Works Studios has a full ceramic studio and offers classes, workshops, and firing services in addition to design service and consultations. We look forward to adding woodworking and metals capabilities as we expand our facilities and programming.

In 2024, with the help of family and friends we built and fired the St. Anagama kiln bringing extended wood and salt firing to our offerings and the first anagama-style kiln in the region. With roughly 140 cubic feet of stacking space in the main chamber and the additional sutema/salt chamber we have a variety of surfaces that develop. Participation in firing events is limited and available by registration so look out for upcoming dates!

The Studio Building

Our Studio building draws on the rich heritage of environmentally sensitive and energy conscious Florida building design. A contemporary concept derived from historic architectural sensibilities, the studio has a lofty ten-foot ceiling and a single pitch roof. This is coupled with screened vents between the upper rafters to provide a natural draft keeping the studio cool as it is an un-conditioned space. Additionally, the water supply for the studio is entirely rain fed and gravity driven which accommodates production and clean-up from the ceramic processes. On piers above the intermittent floods, the studio deck provides covered storage for clay and glaze buckets outdoors and out of the way of the day-to-day operations.