An evening outing of fun! Our monthly Chill Clay Nights allow anyone, regardless of their familiarity with clay, to come to our Ceramics Center and get their hands dirty. Beginners will benefit from the introductory instruction in a laid-back setting, and more experienced makers will enjoy practicing their skills in our welcoming community studio. We invite you to attempt functional forms for everyday use - bowls, mugs, and maybe more. While there is no pressure to create a masterpiece in two hours, we are happy to fire 1-2 small pieces for those of you who want to keep your works of art. This is a low-key creative social gathering, and great for dates, friends, coworkers, parents with older children, and anyone else who wants to give the potter’s wheel a spin!

with Sam Deering

Session 1: Sunday November 5th 1:30-4 PM
Session 2: Sunday November 12th 1:30-4 PM
Session 2: Sunday November 19th 1:30-4 PM
Session 2: Sunday December 3rd 1:30-4 PM

A quintessential form in ceramics, the teapot is a combination of multiple parts working in unison to serve a specific purpose. In this workshop, students will learn how to create the body of a teapot, its lid, spout, and handle, then combine them together to make a finished form that is balanced and functional. Combining many pieces to make one form with clay is challenging, and a large part of this workshop will be learning not just how to make the various aspects of a teapot, but how to combine them in a way that maintains the visual tension of the vessel while still being useful and easy to handle. We will make multiple versions of each respective part to get the hang of each form, working iteratively, coming away with at least one complete teapot at the end. (Weekend workshop; 4 sessions) Some experience on the wheel required.

With a focus on the wheel and incorporation of hand-built elements, James Mitschmyer will shepherd students, from beginners to veteran potters, to taking their work to the next level. From Sprig molds, hand-building to perfecting or learning basic wheel-throwing techniques, this class focuses on the individual interests of the participants. (Once a week; 8 sessions) Level: All levels welcome.

In this workshop we will explore combinations of hard (ceramic) and soft (felted wool) mediums to create a mixed media sculpture. We make the clay forms on the first day, fire them in the kiln, and then incorporate felted elements on the second Saturday of the workshop. We will also discuss how a sculptor’s choice of media can influence how a sculpture is interpreted. No experience in either technique is necessary. Ages 15+

Using the potter’s wheel, students will learn how to throw clay into a variety of shapes and sizes. Every class will start with a brief demonstration of clay preparation, basic throwing skills, and some examples of how to push things a little further for those who are ready and those who want to try. We will then move to trimming and finishing our pieces, and finally glazing. Wheel-throwing is a challenging yet meditative way to work with clay, and whether you're new to the wheel, or an experienced thrower, we’ll improve your skills and ability to really finish a piece for firing. (Once a week; 8 sessions) Experience Level: Beginning through Advanced.

Students in grades 5-8 can join us for our kid-centric class, expanding on skills they may have learned at school, or getting the chance to play with clay for the first time! Focusing on pinch pots, small sculptures, coil-, and slab-building, students will build fundamental skills while creating their own fun and functional ceramics. Working together in a safe and welcoming environment, instructors will introduce good habits with clay, and inspire students to continue on in their own creative endeavors. No experience necessary; can be repeated.

With Kimberly Kersey-Asbury and Sam Deering

Session 1: Saturday, June 17 9:30am-12:30pm (3 hours)

Session 2: Saturday, July 2 9:00am-12pm

Using multiple techniques including the wheel and hand building, we will create interesting and unique vessels that can be used for this unique and poetic art form. Making forms for flower vases is a wonderful way to push our creative limits, it challenges us to look at our work in a different way and to explore methods we otherwise wouldn’t have considered while working with clay. (Weekend workshop; 3 sessions)

April 4 - May 23, 2023

Tuesday Evenings, 6:00-9:00pm

With a focus on the wheel and incorporation of hand-built elements, James Mitschmyer will shepherd students, from beginners to veteran potters, to taking their work to the next level. From Sprig molds and hand-building to perfecting or learning basic wheel-throwing techniques, this class focuses on the individual interests of the participants. (Once a week; 8 sessions) Experience Level: Beginning through Advanced.

"Panta Rhei" means everything flows, everything changes, said the Greek philosopher Heraclitus. But the circle stays unbroken... and is still a powerful vehicle for narrative. The Tondo, or Tondi/Tondos, is a renaissance term for a circular work. The Circle is one of the most enduring forms in Art. We will explore this form starting with circular tiles, working small and large-scale and in series. Watch as the work grows from a narrative to a Shield prototype, echoing the great shield of Achilles in Homer's Iliad. For this workshop students will create two mid-sized sculptural shields with accompanying painted designs on paper. All materials provided. No experience required. All levels.

Session 1: Session I - 9:30am-1:30pm, Saturday, July 8 (4 hours)

Session 2: Session II - 9:30am-1:30pm, Sunday, July 9 (4 hours)

Session 3: GLAZING Day - 10:00am - 1:00pm, Sunday, July 22 (2 hours)

Used for millennia to store and transport goods, age and ferment food and drink, and show off social status, the jar is synonymous with pottery and its rich history. In this workshop students will use the potters wheel to throw a form, learn how to throw a lid, how to trim both, use texture or color to decorate, and in the final session how to glaze the jar so it’s visually appealing and functional. Combining these techniques participants will create their own jar to use in the home, or simply admire.

Some experience on the wheel is recommended.

Session 1: Session I - 6-9pm, Tuesday, August 8 ______ (3 hours)

Session 2: Session II - 6-9pm, Thursday, August 10 _____ (3 hours)

Session 3: GLAZING Day - 6-8pm, Tuesday, August 22________ (3 hours)

There’s nothing better than enjoying your morning coffee out of your own handmade mug. So join us in this mug making workshop where we’ll learn about and use different techniques to craft our own unique mugs. Participants will use the potters wheel to throw a vessel, learn how to pull and attach handles, decorate with texture or color, and in the next session do any final decorating and glazing to get our finished work. We’ll cover all the steps necessary to create your morning masterpiece.

This workshop is beginner friendly.

Session 1: On the Wheel - Saturday Morning, July 1, 10:00am-2:00pm

Session 2: Glaze Session - Saturday Morning, July 15, 10:00am-1:00pm

Description:

Spend a day playing with form and experimenting. Bottles are a fun and classic shape that can be made on the wheel. During this workshop, we will practice pressure and pulling methods to create a small series of bottles. Students will be encouraged to use creativity and add their personal style to their artwork. Intended for potters with some wheel throwing experience, this workshop includes one day for creation and finish work, and another for glazing.

Session 1: Handbuilding Session I - 9:30am-1:30pm, Saturday, August 12 (4 hours)

Session 2: Handbuilding Session II - 9:30am-1:30pm, Sunday August 13 (4 hours)

Session 3: GLAZING Day - 10:00am - Noon, Saturday, August 26 (2 hours)

Description:

Ceramic whistles, ocarinas, shakers, and horns each balance form and space in miraculous ways to make noise! join us at the studio as we explore different clay instruments, how they work, and how you can design and make your own. There will be clay, space, time, and firings provided so you can play and discover new sounds through clay. All Levels

Session 1: Handbuilding Day - 2:00-4:00pm, Tuesday, July 11 (2 hours)

Session 1: Handbuilding Day - 2:00-4:00pm, Tuesday, July 18 (2 hours)

Session 3: GLAZING Day - 2:00-4:00pm, Tuesday, July 18 (2 hours)

A different spin on making clay bowls! Ceramicist and art educator Karrie Mitschmyer will guide you through creative approaches with slabs to construct one-of-a-kind eye-catching bowls. Beginner’s welcome.

This 8-week class will be focused on throwing shapes and then manipulating them off the wheel. Using the wheel as a tool for creating instead of the entirety of creation will change your perspective of how to produce great artwork. Removing pieces from the wheel also allows for more sculptural exploration. Students are encouraged to think outside the box and combine throwing and hand building skills. Artists who attend will be encouraged to cut and re-assemble their pieces to challenge themselves. Students will throw cylinders, alter them into other shapes and use a variety of techniques to develop unique and creative artwork. This class requires fundamental throwing skills and is geared towards intermediate and advanced students. Tools are provided, but students are encouraged to bring their own set. (Once a week; 8 sessions)

With its origins dating back to 1000 BC in Egypt, China and Mesopotamia, the art of making Ceramic Tiles reached intricate levels of craftsmanship across the world, from Persia to the East and Italy to the West. Join us for an overview of Ceramic Tile Making, including the design process, from abstract to realistic relief, embossment or impression, techniques such as slab cut, press molding and traditional plaster cast and modern rubber mold making and production, as well as a discussion and presentation of the wide range of decorating techniques available to this craft. *FREE

This informative demo is a preview of the Ceramic Center’s New Tile-Making workshops over the coming year!

In this two-hour workshop participants will go through a series of guided making exercises that are intended to bring both novelty and grounding to their making practice. Pairing a mindful approach to the creation of forms, marks and language, participants will leave with new conceptual tools and ways of being in their studio practice. Whether one is new to their art practice or have been making for decades there will be something of value and consideration for every one.

Requirements include: A willingness to work in periods of silence. A willingness to play. A desire to prioritize your process. All Levels

This class will be focused on working with larger amounts of clay and throwing bigger pots. Students will increase the amount of clay, and exercise their ability to build wider and taller. This concept will be explored through stacking smaller vessels to create larger pieces as well as using quantities of clay 5lbs or greater. If you have foundational wheel skills and are ready for a new challenge, this is the class for you! We will explore historical pottery of large shapes and sizes that will inspire our own work. This class is targeted to intermediate level ceramic artists. Tools are provided, but students are encouraged to bring their own set.

Level: Intermediate

Utilizing a hand-cut slab method, instructor Jim Cusmano will lead you through the design process, whether you choose to work in the abstract or realistically, to create interesting pictorial tile surfaces. Time will be spent finishing your works with a variety of decorating techniques, from stains, to underglazes to traditional glazes. Use these techniques to decorate your home or create a portable work of art. Students will make two 7x7 designs.

No experience necessary.

Using a variety of hand building techniques, students will create detailed sculptures. These sculptures will focus on abstraction of form and shape through clay. Starting with sketching ideas, students will be challenged to explore how volume is created in three dimensional space without specific realistic sculptural goals. Slab, coiling, and pinching methods will be used to develop unique abstracted ideas. If you are curious about clay and are ready to explore new ways of playing with it, sign up now!

This class is for students who are familiar with the basic methods of coil, pinch, and slab construction, and would like to continue to explore these and other handbuilding techniques. Our work will become a canvas to develop layered surface decoration. We will develop our personal libraries of stamps and found objects for mark-making, pattern, and texture. Using slip and underglaze, we will explore color’s interplay with texture and form. Students will be encouraged to explore their own ideas, combining new concepts with personal style and skills.

This class is perfect for beginners and will cover the basics of coil building and introduce/play with the concept of building something on a team in addition to individually. We will take a unique co-creation approach in this class, with the opportunity to work on pieces collaboratively, sharing ideas and skills along the way. This four week course will introduce and develop the versatile coil building approach to creating with clay and demonstrate ways to combine wheel throwing and handbuilding, adding slips, and glazing techniques.

No experience necessary. Ages 16+

Have you wanted to make items that are not only beautiful but also useful? Learn how to hand-build a butter dish for your kitchen. Handmade ceramic butter dishes are a simple and beautiful way to keep soft butter available. Your instructor will walk you through a step-by-step process to create your unique and functional work of art! Students will have the opportunity to add details and designs independently with texture and underglazes. Skills learned in this workshop will transfer to other slab-built forms. All experience levels are welcome. Students will have one day to build and one day to decorate and glaze their work. If students cannot attend the second session, the instructor will select and glaze their work for them. (2 Sessions)