Adult Wheel Throwing classes are not happening in the first half of 2024. Please check back later in 2024 to see if classes are available again. Private lesson will be available on a sporadic schedule Jan - July 2024.
Wheel Throwing Pottery Class
Adult Wheel Throwing & Glazing
8 classes, twice a week, for 4 consecutive weeks on Monday & Wednesday, 6 pm – 9 pm.
This class includes:
8 classes, twice a week, for 4 consecutive weeks on Monday & Wednesday, 6 pm – 9 pm.
This class includes:
- 25 lbs. of clay
- Kiln firing and glazing for up to 10 pieces of average size (4x4x4). Extra costs for larger items and more than 10 pieces
- Use of studio throwing tools during the class
- Instructions for throwing, starting with wedging & centering clay on the wheel for beginners, and further development for intermediate to advance levels
- Projects include bowls and mugs with handles, and other requests like plates, jars & lids
- Learn the rules of the studio to work & clean up safely
- This is for all levels of experience, including new clay artists with no experience or with high school or college level experience, or general public, or practicing potters
- Class size: 6 maximum
- Adults 18 and older
- Fill out a Registration Form & sign a Liability Waiver at the studio
- Long hair must be secured so it won't dangle forward. Jewelry and watches should be stowed. Fingernails should be trimmed before class.
Classes can fill up a couple months before they start. There is a Wait List Form below. We encourage you to submit the form for a class that is fully booked, or if the class you are looking for is not listed. If the class month you want has availability now, please click the Shop button to purchase your spot in the class you want. The Wait List does NOT hold a spot for you in any class.
Modified conduct for attending classes after June 1st 2022:
*If you've signed up for a class, that then is postponed or canceled before the start date due to the studio shutting for COVID-19 exposure, we will move your enrollment forward to a future class or offer a refund.
If you have been exposed and need to postpone attendance (before a class has started on the first night), your class enrollment will be moved to a forward future class based on availability of space. You may return after you have tested negative twice.
If exposure occurs after the class has started for the month and you are absent, we cannot move your enrollment forward.
Changing your class date to a future class for any other reason? An additional fee of $10 per person will be billed for making changes to the class you enrolled in. If class fees have increased since the time of your original enrollment, the difference will be due at the time of class start date. Our fees have been increasing due to the economic pressures and rising costs of supplies, wages, and inflation. No refunds of class fees older than 3 months. A non-refundable administrative fee will be subtracted from refundable amounts under 3 months old. Your enrollment can be moved forward one time. If after the first move you cannot attend the class your fees will be forfeit. Thank you for supporting small businesses.
- If you are not feeling well for any reason, do not attend class. Notify the studio of your condition and absence.
- We do not offer make-up classes for your absences*.
- Everyone may choose to wear a good-fitting, hands-free, appropriate respiratory Face Mask while on the premises. Bandanas do not suffice during classes because they need to be adjusted and touched often. If you choose to wear a mask, make sure your mask stays on well.
- Please contain all sneezes.
- You will be provided your own buckets of water to clean up the wheels and wash your hands.
- Class sizes are limited to 6 students.
- Please be sure you test negative after any airplane travel before visiting the studio. Plan accordingly before signing up for a class to allow time for test results. If you have tested positive for covid-19, do not attend class until you have tested negative twice.
- We are doing our best to offer classes and be safe and healthy. Only sign up for a class date that you can commit to please. Classes are not a deck of cards that people shuffle around.
- We know it's tough in the world right now, and has been for several years. Attending a pottery class might help distract you from the news. The time spent in class focusing on the malleable materials in your hands will alleviate some of the stress going on around us. Give yourself a break. Come focus on something that is challenging, creative and new. Now is the time to do the things you always wanted to do, but haven't yet, like trying a pottery class!
*If you've signed up for a class, that then is postponed or canceled before the start date due to the studio shutting for COVID-19 exposure, we will move your enrollment forward to a future class or offer a refund.
If you have been exposed and need to postpone attendance (before a class has started on the first night), your class enrollment will be moved to a forward future class based on availability of space. You may return after you have tested negative twice.
If exposure occurs after the class has started for the month and you are absent, we cannot move your enrollment forward.
Changing your class date to a future class for any other reason? An additional fee of $10 per person will be billed for making changes to the class you enrolled in. If class fees have increased since the time of your original enrollment, the difference will be due at the time of class start date. Our fees have been increasing due to the economic pressures and rising costs of supplies, wages, and inflation. No refunds of class fees older than 3 months. A non-refundable administrative fee will be subtracted from refundable amounts under 3 months old. Your enrollment can be moved forward one time. If after the first move you cannot attend the class your fees will be forfeit. Thank you for supporting small businesses.
Go here for information on Private Lessons.
FAQ:
What are the classes like?
While music plays in the background, instructions are physically shown so everyone sees what to do. Then everyone gives it a try at their own wheel space. You learn where the tools are, where to get water to throw with and what to do with the muddy water at the end of the class. Everyone cleans up their own work area thoroughly in every class. The first 3 weeks are for clay work: throwing and trimming. The 4th week is for waxing & glazing using buckets of glaze to dip pieces into.
What do we learn in this class?
That throwing clay is harder to do than it looks, but also to wedge clay, then center the clay on the wheel when the correct pressures are applied. Beginners make bowls, cups, and pull a handle. In glazing, you learn how to apply a special wax to the bottom of your pieces, then dip them in a bucket of glaze. There are combinations of glazes that do and don't work.
Is it ok if we are a beginner?
Yes, we teach lots of beginners.
Is the clay, glaze, and kiln time included?
Yes, the class includes one bag of clay which is 25 lbs. Class fees cover glazing and kiln firing up to 10 pieces of average size which is appx. 4"x4"x4". If more pieces are made, more fees are assessed for each piece. Beginners make and keep between 2-10 pieces usually.
How many times can I sign up for a class?
As many as you like. People who like to make pottery usually sign up for more than one class throughout the year. Their skills improve by practicing continuously. With each class, more stuff is learned, and progress is made towards making the pottery you want.
I just want to use a wheel without taking a class. Can I do that in this studio?
We think it's great that you know how to throw clay on a wheel already, but do you know how to clean up afterwards in our studio? This is what we go over and practice when you take our wheel throwing class. Our cleaning regimen keeps our studio working like a well oiled machine. Taking care of our equipment is very important to us. Recycling as much material as possible is also important to our organization and budget. Learning this studio's techniques and navigating safer ways to use clay are also part of what we teach in our classes. Anyone who knows what they are doing with clay on a wheel will know this is an important part of the process of wheel throwing and will appreciate what they learn in our month long class so that they can be a successful studio member who has earned the skills to use our space safely and correctly.
The class seems expensive to me; Is there a cheaper way to learn?
Unfortunately, this craft is spendy! It requires renting space, expensive equipment, shipping countless supplies to our state, and the knowledge, skills, and time from the teacher. However, our classes cover a plethora of skills to get you started quickly on wheel throwing, and will allow you to walk away with some beautiful pieces of hand crafted pottery. Our teacher has over 40 years of experience and has made a class that incorporates these time-tested techniques. Students will not have to pay for their tools, or clay (25 lbs), as they are provided for use within the class fee (to use, not keep), and you will find an enjoyable atmosphere with a small class size so you will get a highly informative hands on learning experience.
Can I use the studio for making lots and lots of stuff to sell?
Once someone learns to make stuff worth selling, they should be considering creating a studio at home. We can offer support by selling clay, tools, and doing the kiln firing for you.
The year 2024: Changes to this question/answer: The studio is moving toward a production studio in 2024. If you are a potter looking to rent space in a co-op fashion, sharing responsibilities for keeping the space safe and useful by all users, and you want to be a part of a group, send us an email.
What are the classes like?
While music plays in the background, instructions are physically shown so everyone sees what to do. Then everyone gives it a try at their own wheel space. You learn where the tools are, where to get water to throw with and what to do with the muddy water at the end of the class. Everyone cleans up their own work area thoroughly in every class. The first 3 weeks are for clay work: throwing and trimming. The 4th week is for waxing & glazing using buckets of glaze to dip pieces into.
What do we learn in this class?
That throwing clay is harder to do than it looks, but also to wedge clay, then center the clay on the wheel when the correct pressures are applied. Beginners make bowls, cups, and pull a handle. In glazing, you learn how to apply a special wax to the bottom of your pieces, then dip them in a bucket of glaze. There are combinations of glazes that do and don't work.
Is it ok if we are a beginner?
Yes, we teach lots of beginners.
Is the clay, glaze, and kiln time included?
Yes, the class includes one bag of clay which is 25 lbs. Class fees cover glazing and kiln firing up to 10 pieces of average size which is appx. 4"x4"x4". If more pieces are made, more fees are assessed for each piece. Beginners make and keep between 2-10 pieces usually.
How many times can I sign up for a class?
As many as you like. People who like to make pottery usually sign up for more than one class throughout the year. Their skills improve by practicing continuously. With each class, more stuff is learned, and progress is made towards making the pottery you want.
I just want to use a wheel without taking a class. Can I do that in this studio?
We think it's great that you know how to throw clay on a wheel already, but do you know how to clean up afterwards in our studio? This is what we go over and practice when you take our wheel throwing class. Our cleaning regimen keeps our studio working like a well oiled machine. Taking care of our equipment is very important to us. Recycling as much material as possible is also important to our organization and budget. Learning this studio's techniques and navigating safer ways to use clay are also part of what we teach in our classes. Anyone who knows what they are doing with clay on a wheel will know this is an important part of the process of wheel throwing and will appreciate what they learn in our month long class so that they can be a successful studio member who has earned the skills to use our space safely and correctly.
The class seems expensive to me; Is there a cheaper way to learn?
Unfortunately, this craft is spendy! It requires renting space, expensive equipment, shipping countless supplies to our state, and the knowledge, skills, and time from the teacher. However, our classes cover a plethora of skills to get you started quickly on wheel throwing, and will allow you to walk away with some beautiful pieces of hand crafted pottery. Our teacher has over 40 years of experience and has made a class that incorporates these time-tested techniques. Students will not have to pay for their tools, or clay (25 lbs), as they are provided for use within the class fee (to use, not keep), and you will find an enjoyable atmosphere with a small class size so you will get a highly informative hands on learning experience.
Can I use the studio for making lots and lots of stuff to sell?
Once someone learns to make stuff worth selling, they should be considering creating a studio at home. We can offer support by selling clay, tools, and doing the kiln firing for you.
The year 2024: Changes to this question/answer: The studio is moving toward a production studio in 2024. If you are a potter looking to rent space in a co-op fashion, sharing responsibilities for keeping the space safe and useful by all users, and you want to be a part of a group, send us an email.
Waitlist Form
Pottery Wheel Throwing Classes fill up a couple of months in advance. Please do not waitlist for a class that has availability. Use this form if you would like to be waitlisted for notification in case there is a cancellation in a FULL class. Submit the form below. Indicate in the comment box which MONTH you would like to be waitlisted for. Otherwise, please click the Shop button above to sign up for a class that has availability today. This form does not hold a spot for you in any class. We will contact you via email to alert you of an opening. Please respond promptly if you are contacted. We will move to the next person in line after 12 hours or we may notify all on the list and the first to respond will get the spot.
Pottery Wheel Throwing Classes fill up a couple of months in advance. Please do not waitlist for a class that has availability. Use this form if you would like to be waitlisted for notification in case there is a cancellation in a FULL class. Submit the form below. Indicate in the comment box which MONTH you would like to be waitlisted for. Otherwise, please click the Shop button above to sign up for a class that has availability today. This form does not hold a spot for you in any class. We will contact you via email to alert you of an opening. Please respond promptly if you are contacted. We will move to the next person in line after 12 hours or we may notify all on the list and the first to respond will get the spot.
Considerations:
- Covid-risk: Each class allows up to 6 people to sign up. This means you will be in a room with other people you don't know.
- Plan to get messy.
- Everyone is encouraged to wear a "hands-free" face mask on the premises (No bandanas or buffs) and in the clay work areas of the studio, but it is not required. If you chose to wear a mask, it should cover your nose and mouth when worn. Everyone can wash their hands in a sink prior to starting. After clay is used, hand washing is done only in the buckets of water provided. Clay, of any amount, does not go in any of our sinks and drains. If clay is found in a sink, an extra charge of $300 will be added to your party or to an individual.
- The instructor will be on hand to verbally coach you along, mostly at a distance.
- Quality of work produced is not guaranteed. There are health hazards associated with clay activities and each person is responsible for their ability to participate in this activity. Please be aware of our fragrance and pet allergy policies, meaning don't wear perfumes and pets are not allowed in our facility, especially furry ones. We ask for your consideration to wear clothing that does not have pet hairs clinging to them. We are also a Glitter-Free zone.
- Remove rings, jewelry, long necklaces and watches before throwing. Trim your fingernails. Long fingernails will prevent you from making smooth wheel thrown pottery. Long hair must be tied up in a braid or a secure ponytail that won't fall forward. Hair can get caught by the motion of the wheel and quickly cause serious injury. Jewelry such as long necklaces, finger rings, bracelets, and watches should be removed before sitting at a wheel. Fingernails should be trimmed or cut short. Long or fancy fingernails interfere with producing pottery.
- Please refrain from using perfumes and other man-made scents when planning to visit the studio.
- Face-Masks are suggested in the clay & glazing areas of the studio, but are not required.
- For everyone's safety and well being, you must certify that you are in good health and have not been exposed to covid-19 or have other signs of illness. If you have tested positive, or suspect you have covid-19, we ask that you not enter our premises at all. If you have been contacted after being near someone who has tested positive, please complete a 14 day quarantine and get tested at least twice to show two negative results.
- Due to allergies, please ensure your clothing is free of fragrances, perfumes, pet hairs and dander.
- Service animals, or pets, are not allowed in the studio. This is for our health, as well as theirs.