Winter 2025 Classes Start One Week From Today! Post-Holiday Doldrums? Come clay with us! We've got classes starting January 3, 4, 7 and 8!
Are you feeling a little glum now that the holidays are over? Wondering what to do to lift your spirits once you’ve rung in the New Year? Well, Staunton Clayground has classes starting to fit every schedule and skill level, as early as a week from today! Come down to the studio to clay with us and chase those mid-winter blues right away! How can you be gloomy when it’s claytime?
How can you be gloomy when it’s claytime?
Hello, dear Friends of the Staunton Clayground! Are you feeling a little glum now that the holidays are over? Wondering what to do to lift your spirits once you’ve rung in the New Year? Well, Staunton Clayground has classes starting to fit every schedule and skill level, as early as a week from today! Come down to the studio to clay with us and chase those mid-winter blues right away! Read on to find the one that’s just right for you!
Whether your New Year’s resolution is to try something new or return to something you love, our pottery wheel classes for all levels of beginners, from absolute to verging on intermediate, could be just the thing for you!
You can join Valya Boutenko on Friday evenings from 5:00–7:15, starting on January 3, for an eight-week course where students will try their hand at centering clay and throwing basic forms such as cylinders and bowls. The class will focus on mastering simple throwing and trimming techniques and will cover pulling handles for mugs as well as glazing techniques.
Looking for a different weeknight? Then join Mary Tuttle on Wednesdays from 6:00–8:00 pm for a six-week course starting on January 8, also for beginners of all levels! As in the Friday evening class, here, too, the newest potters will learn the basics of making classic vessels like cups and bowls. Those with some experience will focus on gaining confidence with foundational skills such as centering, pulling up the walls, creating consistent cylinders and more. Students who are already able to create simple wares on their own will instead concentrate on design and consistency. We’ll also look at trimming and decoration, as well as how to add handles to our creations.
Would you rather come in on a weekend than a weeknight? Well, we’ve got you covered! Mary Tuttle is holding the same six-week pottery wheel class for all levels of beginner on Saturday afternoons, from 3:00–5:00 pm, starting on January 4! Spots in this one are selling fast, so claim yours now!
Are you ready to level up in the new year? We’ve got a class for you, too! Valya Boutenko is ready to help you progress in your journey as a potter in her Tuesday evening Intermediate Wheel Class, held from 5:00–7:15 pm over eight weeks, starting on January 7.
And those just the classes starting in the first eight days of 2025! So check out our chronological class list and stay tuned, because we’ve got so much more coming!
Meanwhile, we wish you a very Happy New Year!
Warm wishes from the Staunton Clayground team (Cary, Jennifer and Abby)
Our First Polymer Clay Workshop, Coming Saturday! Plus, Three New Pottery Wheel Classes Before The End Of October!
A One-Day Polymer Clay Workshop, Three Pottery Wheel Classes (Beginner and Intermediate) and Kids' Holiday Workshops. So much is going on at Staunton Clayground. Come clay with us!
November is less than two weeks away, but we have three new pottery wheel classes starting up before the end of October, plus our first-ever one-day polymer clay workshop! Read on to learn more! Plus, don’t forget about our upcoming kids’ holiday workshops! So much is going on at Staunton Clayground. Come clay with us!
A polymer clay “Desk Friend” made by Lainie Mabbitt of Second Stories Art, our newest instructor at Staunton Clayground!
November is less than two weeks away, but we have three new pottery wheel classes starting up before the end of October, plus our first-ever one-day polymer clay workshop! Read on to learn more!
The leaves are really starting to turn now. With this beautiful weather and fall colors, our town is really at its best! It is getting chilly though, so if you want to take a break for some indoor activities, our cozy studio has plenty of fun activities and gift-making opportunities for you!
Whether you have always wanted to try your hand at throwing pottery on the wheel and never had a chance or have you spent some time on the wheel but want an opportunity to gain confidence and hone your skills, our wheel classes for all levels of beginner potters are going to be a good fit for you! And two, both taught by the marvelous Mary Tuttle, are starting before Halloween!
Looking for a weekend class? As of today, we still have a few spots left in our Pottery Wheel For All-Level Beginners, taking place Saturday afternoons, October 26–December 7, 3:00–5:00 pm (with Sat., Nov. 30 off for Thanksgiving weekend).
Prefer a weeknight class to wind down after a long day? There is still limited space available in our Pottery Wheel For All-Level Beginners: Wednesday evenings, October 30–December 11, 6:00–8:00 pm (with Wed., Nov. 27 off for Thanksgiving week).
Everything you make in these classes will be ready in time for Christmas and the December holidays!
And the same is true of our next wheel class for intermediate wheel throwers, which is also starting before the end of the month: Beyond Basics On The Pottery Wheel with the fantastic Valya Boutenko, running Tuesday evenings from 5:00–7:15 p.m., October 29–December 17, 2024.
The class is a good fit for students who are somewhat familiar with working on the wheel, who can throw a basic cylinder and a simple bowl form.
Are you too busy right now to commit to a longer-form class? Looking for a one-day workshop? We’ve got that, too!
This will be the Staunton Clayground teaching debut of the incredibly original and versatile local artist Lainie Mabbitt of Second Stories Art. Join her for an Introduction to Polymer Clay – Make an Inspirational Desk Friend: Saturday, October 26, 9 a.m.–12 noon. Come and enjoy tea and cookies and a chance to make a one-of-a-kind gift, a “Desk Buddy” to brighten your desk or the desk of someone you love!
Last but not least, don’t forget about our new kids’ programming! There are still spaces in both of our upcoming kids’ workshops!
Build a Pinch-Pot Turkey! Saturday mornings, 10:00–12:00 noon, November 2 and November 16 (Ages 7–12) and The Penguins Are Coming! Saturday afternoons, 2:00–3:30, November 23 and December 7 (Ages 6–12).
So much fun to be had! And stay tuned, because we’ve got some special one-day holiday workshops lined up for November and December, perfect for family fun and gift-making! More news coming soon. Meanwhile, enjoy those leaves and some mulled cider! I think I’m going to go warm some up right now 🥰
See you soon at the Staunton Clayground!
Three New Wheel-Throwing Classes Starting in July! Two For Beginners, One "Beyond Basics"
Staunton Clayground has three new wheel classes starting in July! Two for beginners and one for going beyond basics on the wheel. We are also welcoming two new teachers, Valya Boutenko and Mary Tuttle. Check out the post to see all the details!
Hello Friends of the Staunton Clayground!
We are so excited that so many people in our community are so eager to learn to throw pottery on the wheel, and we want to make sure that you can! So, we have added 3 new wheel classes, all starting in July! The first two are for beginners of all levels:
Two different time slots, two different formats, two different teachers!
The first, which will be held on Wednesday evenings, from 5:00–7:15 pm, for eight weeks starting on July 24, for a total of 18 hours, will be taught by Valya Boutenko, who is joining us for the first time as a teacher with this class! Click here to learn more and claim a spot!
The second will take place on Saturday afternoons, from 3:00–5:00* pm, on July 27, August 3, 10, 17 and 24 (*except for the Aug. 10 session, which will run from 5:00–7:00 pm; a break for Labor Day weekend is built into the schedule). This twelve-hour course will be taught by another brand new member of the Staunton Clayground team, Mary Tuttle. Here’s the link to read the details and grab a place in this class!
We are very happy to welcome these new instructors to our team!
The third class, Beyond Basics On The Pottery Wheel, is an intermediate class for students who are somewhat familiar with working on the wheel.
Designed and taught by Valya Boutenko, whose pottery is featured in the photos!
The class is a good fit for students who can throw a basic cylinder and a simple bowl form. In this class we will practice throwing plates as well as elegant, rounded vases. Together, we will be tackling the more challenging forms and incorporating design elements that add interest and make our work shine. Also taught by Valya Boutenko, it will run on Tuesday evenings, from 5:00–7:15 p.m., July 30–Sept. 17 (18 hours and eight weeks in all).
We hope you will jump in and enjoy these classes! After all, a cool clay studio is a great way to beat the heat during those dog days of August (or July… or September)!
Meanwhile, we’re already hard at work planning out a super-fun roster of fall courses and workshops! Stay tuned!
See you soon here at the Staunton Clayground! 😃