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Have fun learning pottery wheel skills or treat your family or friends to an afternoon to remember. You or your group will arrive at the scheduled time to greet your instructor. The instructor will show you the steps to throwing on the wheel. We encourage creativity and experimentation. You’ll be given your own wheel to practice on. If you are a beginner the instructor will prompt you with steps and coach you through your first bowl. For those with some past exposure to the wheel or who have a little more advanced skills the instructor will coach you on additional skills like forming shapes and pulling up the sides more efficiently.
Includes: -Clay, Glazes, Tools, Firing -We offer a combination of wheel with hand-building for your event. When you schedule for 6 or more there will be 2 teachers and both are available during the same session. For larger groups students will do handbuilding and the wheel. -Creativity and experimentation time. -Projects: Wheel project is a bowl. Handbuilding projects are usually a platter and a bowl. You may also choose free creative time. - Staff will glaze your creations for you and fire them. Free. - To glaze your own items optional glazing session is not included but it can be scheduled. - Your items will be fired and become completely food safe and dishwasher safe. - Pick up time will be set for you to come back and pick up fired items.
Cost for Adults and Children Private lesson: $180 for 2 hour session Couple lesson: $225 for 2 hour session 3 people (adults and children): $270 for 2 hour session 4 people (adults and children): $315 for 2 hour session 5 people (adults and children): $355 for 2 hour session 6 people (adults and children): $400 for 2 hour session 7 people (adults and children): $445 for 2 hour session 8 people (adults and children): $490 for 2 hour session Note: No unpaid observers please.
Dates: Check to make sure your dates are available. Sign up and reserve your date.
Sign up: Check dates available at the link above to reserve your date.
Or call or text to sign up. Email, text or call [email protected], Emilie at 240-350-8533.
Optional Add Ons:
- A "Paint-Your-Own Pottery" session is 1 person $100, plus $25 for each additional person up to 8. (Please Reserve 1 month in advance.)
- (Not yet available.) Reserve the Garden Pavillion if you would like to bring food and Drinks. To bring drinks, food or decorations for your group, please schedule our outdoor pavilion. Schedule the outdoor pavilion at least 4 to 7 days in advance depending on if the weather is going to be nice. Feel free to text me and stop by and see if you like the pavilion for your event. Cost is $100 per hour - non refundable.
The Pavillion is currently unavailable.
Member Parties of 4 or more.
The following info applies to members only:
-- 2 hour Lesson Choice of times days and times available online or negotiated. -- Teaching: Wheel demo, guidance for getting started for each participant, coaching and hand-on assistance as needed. Guidance for labeling, cleanup and preparation of creations for drying. Handbuilding project demonstrations and assistance, cleanup, labeling, and preparations of creations for drying. -- Materials - clay and glazes provided and studio deep cleaned before and after -- One teacher for 1 to 6 people exclusively on the wheel. -- Over 6 a second teacher will be on duty to provide a split of both wheel and handbuilding session. -- Maximum 11 participants plus the member. -- No non-participants allowed in studio.
This is what ClayArt will provide: -- 2 hours of a lesson on the wheel for 1 to 6 participants or for over 6 it’ll be one hour on the wheel and one hour handbuilding a platter. - Project for each participant: 2 wet pieces at the end of the session. This includes either 2 bowls on the wheel or one bowl on the wheel and 1 hand-built platter. Platter may be painted with underglazes. -- At the end of the session the member will get wet clay pieces for each with group code stamped on it. Each with the name or initials of the participant on it. -- Paper scrap indicating first name, code and glaze selection made for each -- Noted on paper scrap the participants glaze choice selected: usually 4 choices of dipping glazes. -- Photos of the group’s work showing each participant’s first name and their glazing selection. -- Wet items from session plastic covered and set aside to dry. -- Note this will be turned over to responsible member for continued monitoring and processing. -- Group photo of participants together. -- Note that the loading and unloading of our kiln is done by ClayArt West volunteers. Please be aware of acknowledging fellow member volunteers that make your party possible.
The member is given all pieces from the session plus the reclaim at the end of the scheduled event. They are responsible to continue the process to completion by doing the following: -- Help with the management of the group during the event. The member is encouraged to assist during the session. They should encourage their group to stop 10 minutes early to clean up. Encourage participants to wipe their area and assist with rinsing and putting away everything. And have their group leaving as close as possible to the designated time. -- The member is required to be responsible for completing their group’s projects later and getting them distributed after the session. -- Member will slab-dry failed pots and put clay in reclaim bag. -- Monitor drying and make sure pieces are put onto drying shelf when ready. ClayArt fires. Member may choose to wheel trim or knife trim if desired. -- Gather bisque pieces and account for them ready for glazing. -- Find photo showing glaze selections for each. -- Glaze each of them and put on glazing shelf. ClayArt loads and unloads. -- Gather them when glaze fired kiln is emptied and make sure every person’s work is accounted for with name or initials inscribed on the bottom. -- Distribute the pieces to their participants.
Price: Minimum member price of $180 covers 1 to 4 participants. Payment required to reserve date. Each additional participant over 4 is +$45 each. The fee for additional participants is payable before the end of the event. Maximum of 8 participants plus the member fits easily in the space. The member is no charge. The member discount for 8 people is $135 (28%). Member may choose the date and sign up online and pay the $180 deposit that covers 4. (Note: If members choose to sign up online, choose party of 1 to leave your deposit.)
Teachers: Teacher arrives 1/2 hour before to make clay balls, slabs, organize tools and clean studio. They provide 2 hours for teaching 1 hour after to deep clean areas, and label and organize all the pieces for turnover to member for finishing at the end of the session. Price assumes kiln loading and unloading is a volunteer job.