Piedmont Pottery is now offering an Open Studio Plan. Students who have completed one or more pottery courses at Piedmont Pottery are given priority for Open Studio slots. Open Studio hours are posted at our Events page.
Studio users can sign up for either a half-shelf (~4 sq. ft.) or a full shelf (~8 sq. ft.) of storage space. Half-shelf rate is $45/month, full shelf rate is $85/month. You may also choose to pay for an entire year in advance for a discounted rate. Half shelf annual rate is $500, and full shelf annual rate is $950. This cost includes use of studio equipment when classes are not in session, access to a selection of glazes, bisque firing, and 1 glaze firing per piece.
General Rules:
- Studio users are responsible for cleaning up after themselves, including their workspace and any tools and equipment used.
- All work must be placed onto ware boards and stored in the user’s shelf space. Wheel work must be removed from bats and placed on ware boards in the user’s shelf space. (This does not apply to those who wish to purchase and use their own bats.)
- Students are responsible for covering their works in progress with plastic if they do not want them to dry out.
- All clay used in the studio must be purchased from Piedmont Pottery. Clay cost is $1.20 per pound. Students who have clay remaining from one of our classes are welcome to use that clay in the open studio, but no outside clay will be allowed.
- Bisque and glaze firings will generally occur at least every two weeks, although scheduling will be dictated by amount of pottery ready for firing. Pieces by current students will have priority for kiln space so that classes can remain on schedule.
- Those using the pottery wheels must have their own tools. Piedmont Pottery cannot be responsible for tools and clay left on the premises.
- Studio users must have completed clean up prior to closing time.
- Staff will be happy to answer questions and offer suggestions, but Open Studio is meant to be an opportunity for independent work, and not a substitute for classes.
- Open Studio is not intended to meet all the needs of those who wish to have their own pottery business without investing in their own equipment We encourage all users to continue their development as potters, but we cannot alter firing schedules just to accommodate show deadlines.
