CLASS GUIDELINES

BEFORE YOUR CLASS

CLAY USAGE

When you register, you will receive a confirmation email for your class. Prior to the first day of class, you can expect to receive a class start email from your instructor with more specifics. We have tools, aprons, and clay ready to go for you. Suggested supplies would be a notebook, because notes are awesome. A towel if you want, because it's clay!

We are here to help! If you require a specific accommodation for class, please email your teacher directly or info[at]penguinfoot.com.

Penguin Foot Pottery is a teaching studio. Ceramics takes time and practice to develop as a craft, which is why we don't limit the clay students use during class or during open studio time. To help us keep class prices down and be able to maintain an open use policy with clay, we ask students to only fire a maximum of clay during your 4-week session. If you want to keep more pieces you are welcome to with an additional material fee of $2/lb. Instructors will help students track and record their work throughout the session on our attendance clipboards.

• Up to 5lbs maximum of fired clay for all level one classes

• Up to 10lbs maximum of fired clay for all level two and three classes

Once clay is fired, it will last for thousands of years. Being selective in our fired creations is important so as not to confuse future archaeologists. Shelves will be cleared after the last week of class. All wet clay work must be done during your 4-week session. You will have the opportunity to schedule a glaze appointment starting one week after the end of class to finish glazing your pieces.

You MUST track your clay use during the session. Clay should be tracked on your instructors clipboard once it is put up on the 'to be fired shelf'. Material fees for clay over your allotted amount for class is $2/lb and helps us keep class prices down. Any overages can be paid for at the front desk with any instructor, one of the QR codes posted around the studio or using the checkout button below.

OPEN STUDIO

Practice makes perfect, particularly for ceramics. With your enrollment, you also get open studio time to come in outside of class and work. Open studio time is by appointment only and can be booked up to 5 days in advance.

Open studio time slots are limited so we cannot guarantee them as part of your class - but we do think it’s a nice bonus! Below are some best practices to help open studio run smoothly:

• Only schedule time that you are certain you'll be able to show up for and cancel any appointments you are unable to make. (At the bottom of your confirmation email for open studio appointments there is a link to cancel your spot).

• Only book open studio in one room for each time slot. For example, please do not book a glaze appointment and a wheel spot at the same time. These need to be done at different time slots to ensure the most amount of people are able to utilize open studio.

• If you anticipate bringing in a friend/partner who is also enrolled this session, you each will need to make a separate appointment for them. Double bookings under the same name will be cancelled.

• Open Studio hours are for current members and students. If you are enrolled in a 4 week class, all wet work and trimming must be completed during your 4-week session.

• We are doing our best to ensure that there are as many open studio spots available as possible. The last week of classes is always the busiest for open studio. Please anticipate finishing your work during your scheduled class times!

GLAZING & PICK UP

We offer 11 in-house glazes, slips, terra sigs, and stains to finish your work. All glazes and glazes materials are included in your class. If you would like to use a commercial glaze, there are some restrictions with prior approval needed. You can reference our Commercial Glaze Studio Guide for more.

All glazing is done by appointments made through our website. Techniques will be covered in the last week of class, and there is an instructor available during glazing appointments to give you a refresher demo or answer any questions. Once you have glazed your work, it will be through a second firing and ready for pickup in two weeks. No appointments are needed for pick ups! Both bisqued and glazed work is held onto for seven weeks before we sadly have to toss it to make room.

Oh no! My pottery got lost or broken.

That is a bummer! We truly hate it when that happens. However, we now have to stipulate that the cost of this class is for the experience and instruction and is not contingent on keeping a piece of pottery. There are no refunds for damaged, lost, or discarded pottery.

There are many variables during the drying and firing process (work is fired in a kiln to 2200 degrees!); pieces can crack, stick to kiln shelves and even explode during the firing! While we make every effort to ensure the success of your pottery, these variables make it impossible to guarantee your work will survive in ideal condition.