Where do I park?

You can find our parking lot at 470 Salem Street, inside a chain link fence. To park closer to our building, drive through the rollup door in the cinderblock wall.

Do you handle ceramic repairs?

We do not. We encourage you to research pottery restoration and repair experts on your own.

Classes + Workshops

I want to take a class with Claymakers. How do I do that?

Great! The best way to keep up with our classes is to join our newsletter list—you will be notified when a session of classes opens for registration. Classes like beginning wheel are immensely popular, so if you don’t get a spot, keep trying next time!

How do I find out when classes open for registration?

We do not announce registration times in advance, so the best way to be notified when classes open is to join our newsletter list.

What’s included in class tuition?

• Weekly class instruction

• 25 pounds of clay (firing included)

• Access to Claymakers’ open studio hours (Tuesday-Saturday, 1-6 pm)

How does your waitlist work?

At the bottom of each individual class page, there is a space to enter your email address to the waitlist. If a space becomes available, everyone on the waitlist is notified at the same time by email. The waitlist space is filled on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Cancellations are not uncommon, but we can’t guarantee that a space will open up in your preferred class.

What is your class refund policy?

Enrollment in our classes is limited, and your participation is important to us. Once you enroll in a class, we are counting on you to attend.

If you choose to drop a class, you will receive a refund of your tuition, excluding a non-refundable $20 registration fee per reserved space, provided that your withdrawal occurs seven days before the start date of the session as a whole (eg, Session 1).

Our deadline for refunds is published in our newsletter when classes are announced. No refunds will be issued after this deadline.

Please note that no refunds or credit will be given for missed individual classes within the session.

We reserve the right to cancel or reschedule classes to adjust for enrollment. If a class is cancelled, you will be offered the option of another class or a full refund.

What is your workshop refund policy?

If you drop a workshop up to 30 days before the workshop start date, tuition will be refunded except for:

•Workshops under $150: $45 non-refundable registration fee per space reserved

•Workshops over $150: $75 non-refundable registration fee per space reserved

No refunds will be made within 30 days of the start of the workshop, once the workshop has started, or for missed sessions. If a workshop is cancelled due to insufficient enrollment, you will be offered a full refund.

I’m interested in taking classes, but my schedule means I will have to miss some of the dates. Can I make them up somehow?

We can only offer makeup classes in documented cases of illness or injury. We want folks who get into classes to take advantage of the opportunity to learn—so, if you’re considering taking a class but would miss multiple weeks because of scheduling conflicts, we encourage you to wait until your schedule allows you to attend all classes. View our class + registration policies.

If I know I’m going to miss a lot of class sessions, can I prorate the class price?

Sorry, we can’t offer prorated prices. We encourage you to wait and take a class when your schedule allows you to attend all classes. View our class + registration policies.

Do you offer children’s programs?

Currently, Claymakers does not offer children’s programs. Students must be at least 18 years old to participate in our classes and workshops.

Do you offer private lessons?

Currently, Claymakers does not offer private lessons.

Do I need supplies or tools for my first class?

Enrollment in a class includes 25 pounds of clay and the cost of glazing and firing it.

You are responsible for providing your own small clay working tools. While a few tools will be available for common use, you will want to build your own collection of tools.

New students should get a basic Pottery Tool Kit before coming to the first class (a kit has 8 or so standard tools). Pottery Tool Kits are available at Claymakers' Supply Store, at area craft supply stores, or online.

Finally, please bring a small hand towel or apron for your personal use!

What is open studio, and when is it?

Open studio hours are an opportunity for current students to come outside of class to work in the studio independently. Open studio hours are an especially beneficial time for beginning students to practice skill-building. Open studio is Tuesday-Saturday, 1-6 pm.

I don’t want to take a class, but am not yet ready to rent a private studio. Is there an alternative for me?

Yes, our open studio passes are meant for community members who want to work independently or whose schedules don’t allow them to take a class. Visit this page for more information.

I’m looking for an activity for my friends or a date. Can we come in and work with clay?

Currently, Claymakers does not offer one-time classes, but keep checking back!

Store + Supplies

When is your supply store open?

Tuesday-Saturday, 1-6 pm.

Can I place an order outside of these hours?

We cannot take orders by phone outside of these hours, but you can email orders to manager@claymakers.org. Emails will be answered Tuesday-Saturday.

Can I place a special order for something you don’t normally carry?

Absolutely! Contact manager@claymakers.org for any special order requests. Please note that due to continuing supply chain issues, we cannot guarantee arrival time of your order. In the event your order cannot be fulfilled, we will give you a refund.

What is your store return policy?

We do not currently accept returns. If you have a product issue, please contact manager@claymakers.org.

Firing

Can I fire my work at your studio?

Yes, we offer firing services on a space-available basis. See this page for more information.

How long will it take to fire my pieces?

Student work is prioritized for firing. Outside makers should expect that each firing could take up to two weeks. Please allow one week before calling to inquire whether your pieces have been fired.

I’m looking to fire pieces for a December holiday or market. Will my pieces be ready in time?

When it comes to the holidays, earlier is better! Every holiday season, our kilns overflow with pieces that people rush to finish at the last minute, creating a stressful situation for all. Both students and kiln renters should bring in any pieces with a December deadline by the week of Thanksgiving. After this week, we cannot guarantee that your piece will be fired in time to meet your particular deadline.

When do the kilns get loaded/unloaded?

Kilns are loaded and unloaded on a daily basis. The order in which pieces are loaded depends greatly on their dryness, dimensions, our class schedule, and other factors.

What do I do if I can’t find a piece of work that I made?

We have a lot of student work to look through, and most likely your piece is either still in the kiln or behind other pots. We recommend that you take pictures of the pieces you make, or use a pottery app (ClayLab is a cool one!) to keep track of your work.  Pieces transform so much in a glaze firing that they may be hard to recognize afterward.

After looking thoroughly, if you still can’t find your piece, ask a staff member. Student work can take up to a week to be fired, so please be patient.

Can I glaze my pieces in the studio?

Yes, outside kiln renters can glaze their pieces in-studio. The price of glaze is included in our glaze firing rate. In-studio glazing is available during open studio hours (Tuesday-Saturday, 1-6 pm).

Newsletter

I’m signed up for your newsletter but I don’t see your emails. Help!

If you have a Gmail account, here’s how you can ensure our newsletter goes to your main inbox (big thanks to our student Gabby for the tutorial!):

• On the upper righthand side of your browser screen is a gear icon; this controls your email settings.

• Click on the gear icon to open up the 'Quick Settings' on the righthand side of the browser. Click on 'See All Settings' to go to the full preferences panel; it will open in the 'General' tab. 

• Navigate to the 'Filters and Blocked Addresses' tab.

• Click on 'Create a new filter', input info@claymakers.org and click on 'Create Filter' to enter the filter creation panel.

• You will see a list of options; click the box to select 'Categorize as', then in the dropdown list, select 'Primary' and click 'Create filter' button to complete the process.  Clicking on 'Also apply filter to matching conversations' will recategorize all previously sent emails as well. 

The filter will now show up under the 'Filters' in 'Settings' and now emails from Claymakers will no longer skip the inbox.