Welcome to the Prairie Arts Pottery Studio! This is a fun and exciting studio, but unlike a private studio this a community space. For a community art space we have some guidelines to follow.
These guidelines will help us work together and insure safety as we use chemicals, and risk of contaminating materials is high. We ask that you carefully read the following so that we know
that you understand procedures and regulations.
Ceramic Studio Upkeep
For the benefit of all patrons, we ask that participants leave their workspace in the condition they found it at the beginning of their class/studio time. Please help us maintain our facility by
washing clay off your hands in the classroom sinks (not in the rest rooms) and by placing clay scraps in the appropriate recycling bucket (not down the drain). The ceramics studio instructor
will need to approve that your area is clean before you may check out at the Front Desk.
• Cover and place work on assigned shelves for storage. Students are allowed either half a shelf for Wheel 1 and Handbuilding classes or one shelf for Wheel 2 classes. You may not move your shelves
around in the studio space.
• Wipe down work area and tools.
• Clean all parts of the pottery wheel, as applicable, including the center table.
• Place stool on top of wheel head.
• Turn wheels off after use.
• Participants must carve their name into every work of art they make. Your piece will not be fired if your name is not on your piece. Make sure it is in a place that glaze will not cover.
• Make sure you have tags for your shelf after signing up for open studio.
• Glazing instructions on containers must be read carefully and adhered to.
• No outside clay, bisque, or glazed pieces are allowed, nor do we allow clay to be taken out of the studio and brought back in to fire, etc. This is very important as damage to equipment can
occur.
• Personal glazes must be signed off on by an instructor or Prairie Arts Center staff.
• Use designated glazing & wedging tables to minimize cross contamination of chemicals in the clay.
• If using the Hot Box, please make sure to turn it off once you are done using it and/or at the end
of the night.
Ceramic Studio Safety
• Students are not allowed in the kiln room or clay room.
• Participants are not permitted to open, add, or remove pieces from the kilns.
• Personal music devices are allowed when used with headphones. Please be respectful of others and keep the volume at a considerate level
• We strongly recommend that jewelry be left at home. Working with clay usually demands that rings and watches be removed.
• The PAC is not responsible for items lost during classes.
• No outside clay, bisque, or glazed pieces are allowed.
• Clay may not be taken home and brought back for firing.
• All clay must labeled with student name, date, and type of clay. After 60 days your clay will be
reclaimed if it has not been used.
• Tools are provided for Intro students. However, Open Studio participants need to provide any tools or equipment they need for their projects.
• You must ask instructors to use their tools during open studio time, and please return tools in the condition you found them in.
• When you are in open studio and there is a class going on, leave the teaching to the instructor
and do not interfere.
30 Day Firing Policy
Fired pieces must be picked up within 30 days of the final firing. Pieces not collected within 30 days of this date will be considered abandoned, become the property of PAC, and may be discarded
or sold to support the scholarship fund. Fired pieces may only be picked up during Studio hours. Once your introduction class is finished, you have the opportunity to enroll in Instructional Open
Studio. If you choose not to, you may finish pieces that are in process, but no new projects maybe started. Your shelf needs to be cleaned off no later than one week after your class has ended.
If you choose not to pick up your work, it becomes property of PAC.
All lockers are the property of PAC. They are available on a first come/first served basis for Open Studio participants. Lockers are available to students currently enrolled in a
pottery class. After your class is over, if you aren't enrolling for another, please clean and empty out your locker. Please do not use the lockers marked Staff.
Day rate and Monthly rates
• Day rate is $10 a day and you will have access to half a shelf. You must add the current date to your half shelf with tape daily in the studio.
• Month rate is $85 and you will have access to half a cart (three shelves) and a locker (first come first serve, no guarantee).
Disability Access
Prairie Arts Center is wheelchair accessible. Please advise the Center’s Manager of any special accommodations that may be required. If students are in need of any special accommodations
for access, they should advise their instructor or PAC staff.
All Participants Must Sign Yearly.
Date:________________
By participating in the pottery studio, you agree to the guidelines outlined above. PAC members
who fail to abide by these rules may be asked to not attend.
I _______________________________________(member name) agree to abide by the Prairie Arts guidelines for working in the pottery studio. I understand that if I fail to follow these rules,
my privileges may be revoke