Andy Ward is one of the most recognized names in ancient pottery. He runs Andy Ward’s Ancient Pottery on YouTube, with over two hundred fifty thousand subscribers, and has spent decades recreating Southwest ceramics using the same methods the ancients did — gathering wild clay, coiling pots by hand, and firing without a kiln. His work covers many cultures, but the Hohokam hold a special place for him; he’s made videos on their plainware, red-on-brown vessels, and even how they brewed and drank chocolate.

Andy has taught workshops across the region and presented at kiln conferences, known for making this craft approachable for beginners and experts alike. On Saturday, December 12th at the Second Saturday event held at Steam Pump Ranch, he’ll turn the grounds into a living workshop. Expect an open-air firing where greenware goes from raw clay to finished vessel, with the smoke, heat, and crackle of the fire all part of the show. He’ll walk through each stage out loud as he goes, answering questions from the crowd and letting people get close enough to see the techniques up close. It’s the kind of event where you come for the pots and stay for the stories behind them.

The Heritage Garden is operated and maintained by the Oro Valley Historical Society. View our calendar of events for this and other attractions happening on December 12, 2026, in the Heritage Garden and the Pusch House Museum at Steam Pump Ranch.