Our First 2025 Classes Are Posted! Pottery Wheel, Handbuilding, One-Day Workshops, Weekdays And Weekends... Take Your Pick!

The holidays are fast approaching now, and as we work hard to make those as special as we can (we still have one 1-day ornament-making workshop left, a polymer clay workshop for adults and families, on Thursday, December 19, from 1:00–4:00 pm, so don’t miss out!), we are looking forward to kicking off 2025 with a plethora of fantastic new clay classes to fit every schedule!

And we’re not wasting any time! Our first classes of the year, both wheel and handbuilding, start the very first week in January, so read on!

Wheel classes starting in January:

The pieces in this photo are made on our pottery wheels and fresh from the kiln!

Whether you’ve never sat down at a wheel before or if you’ve already had plenty of experience but still need help with things like centering, pulling up walls, trimming or putting on handles, these pottery wheel classes designed for all levels of beginner are the ones for you!

Looking for something fun and different to do on Friday evenings? Then join Valya Boutenko for our first class of the year. This Pottery Wheel For All-Level Beginners course runs weekly from 5:00–7:15 pm, from January 3–February 28(with a week off for Valentine’s Day, which happens to fall on a Friday this year!).

Looking to shake the January doldrums with a weekend class instead? Then join Mary Tuttle on the first weekend of the new year. She’ll be teaching a Pottery Wheel For All-Level Beginners class on Saturday afternoons from 3:00–5:00 pm, from January 4–February 12. There will be plenty of fun to be had!

Would you prefer to save that fun to give you a little pick-me-up midweek as we roll into 2025? Mary will be teaching the same Pottery Wheel For All-Level Beginners class on Wednesday evenings from 6:00–8:00 pm, January 8–February 12. No better way to get past hump day!

Are you already comfortable with working on the wheel?

Next level fun!

Then join Valya Boutenko for Intermediate Wheel Throwing, Tuesday evenings from 5:00–7:15, January 7–February 25. This class is a good fit for students who can throw and trim complete vessels, with handles, unassisted. In this class you will practice throwing plates as well as elegant, rounded vases. As Valya writes, “Together, we will be tackling the more challenging forms and incorporating design elements that add interest and make our work shine.”

Handbuilding classes and workshops starting in January:

Shake off that post-holiday torpor with an intensive workshop starting the first full week in January!

Join our very own Cary Dahl for Handbuilding A Kitchen Suite – A Four-Day Intensive Workshop, from 9:00–12:00 noon, Tuesday through Thursday, January 7, 8 & 9, with glazing on Thursday, January 23. No prior clay experience required!

Have you ever wished your kitchen ceramics pieces matched each other? Or even better, that they were customized to your kitchen’s colors? Now’s your chance!

Over the course of four 3-hour sessions we will create several unique functional pieces using slab building techniques. Possible projects include a butter dish, spoon rest, pitcher, sponge holder and napkin holder (all food, microwave and dishwasher safe).

Would you rather spread out the fun? Then maybe a weekly course is more your style.

Absolute beginners are welcome!

Cary also will be teaching Handbuilding Basics: A Four-Week Workshop, running on Thursday evenings from 5:30–8:30 pm, January 30–February 20.

Students will explore some of the essential techniques of handbuilding, making several unique functional pieces to take home. You will build confidence working with both soft and leather-hard clay, and explore a variety of surface texturing and glazing techniques. Possible projects will include a serving dish, an angular vase, and a utensil caddy(all food, oven, microwave and dishwasher safe).

Whether you’re new to clay or have already done some handbuilding in the past, this class promises to be fun and to give you plenty of lovely pieces to take home!

Short on time? Well, this year we are also introducing our first one-day pottery workshops! And we couldn’t be more excited, because the first is a collaboration between Staunton Clayground and local specialty cut flower grower, Quince & Burdock.

Make a vase specially designed to showcase tulips in all their glory!

You may know Erin Wright from the Staunton Farmers’ Market, and now she is coming into our studio to partner with us for A Tulip Vase With A Hydroponic Tulip Bouquet: A One-Day Handbuilding Workshop. Choose from three possible workshop times, Sunday afternoon, January 26, 2:30–5:30 pm, Tuesday evening, January 28, 5:30–8:30 pm, and Wednesday morning, January 29, 9:00 am–12:00 noon.

Over the course of 3 hours, through a combination of slab and sculpture, you will build and decorate your creation with handmade flower motifs. You will choose a glaze color from several options, and pick up your glazed and fired vase, complete with tulips, in time for Valentine’s Day! Erin Wright of Quince & Burdock will be on hand at vase pick-up to provide you with your bouquet, talk about tulip care and answer questions about hydroponic gardening. Pick-up for all three sessions will be on will be on Wednesday, February 12, at 5:30 pm.

What a way to wrap up the month. And those are just our January offerings! If you’re busy the first month of the year, well, our offerings scheduled to start in February are already posted on our Classes, Courses and Workshops page.

While all of these are open to people ages 14+ (and the handbuilding classes welcome young people age 12+, as long as they are working alongside an accompanying adult), we have not forgotten about our smaller potters!

Our kids’ workshops for early 2025 are currently in development and will be coming soon, too!

So keep watching this space and, meanwhile, find a handmade ceramic mug, fill it with your favorite warm beverage (I’m opting for some spiced black tea!), and stay cozy! 🧡

There’s nothing quite like taking a sip out of a mug made with love 🥰

(Our members might recognize these glazes! A quick-dipped combo of Dappled light and Mediterranean Mist for the win!)

A One-Day Polymer Clay Workshop, Plus An Additional Handbuilding Class, Back By Popular Demand!

Staunton is gearing up for a magical weekend, and we are kicking off a fabulous fall! We are adding more handbuilding and branching out into polymer clay, so hold on to your hats and keep on reading!

A welcoming polymer clay “Desk Buddy!” by local artist and our newest instructor, Lainie Mabbitt

Our first-ever one-day workshop, An Introduction to Polymer Clay – Make an Inspirational Desk Friend, is scheduled for Saturday, October 26, 9:00 a.m.–12:00 noon.

Come join local artist Lainie Mabbitt of Second Stories Art, our newest instructor, for 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!

In this 3-hour workshop for adults aged 14 and up, we’ll talk about the benefits and fun of using polymer clay.

You will practice techniques to create realistic faces and use your new skill to craft a character for your desk who holds an inspirational sign of your choosing.

Back in the realm of longer-form workshops, we had originally scheduled two handbuilding classes this autumn, but they both sold out before August was even over! So we have decided to add one more session of our super-popular five-week Introduction to Handbuilding. This one is scheduled to run on Monday evenings, October 14–Nov. 18, 6:00–8:30 pm (with a break the week of Nov. 11, Veterans' Day).

So much to explore! So much fun playing!

Join our very own founder, Cary Dahl, to explore some of the essential techniques of handbuilding, making several unique functional pieces to take home (or give as gifts this holiday season). You will build confidence working with both soft and leather-hard clay, and explore a variety of surface texturing techniques. Projects will include a set of small plates, a birdbath with bird sculpture, an angular vase, and a mug (all food, oven, microwave and dishwasher safe).

Is that all? Not by a long shot! We are putting the final touches on a couple more holiday-themed workshops that will be taking place in late November and early December, so keep watching this space!

Meanwhile, if you are in the Queen City, have a magical (and mischievous) weekend!

Two New Pottery Wheel Classes Starting Next Week! Wed. & Thurs. Evenings (Plus a Saturday Kids' Class!)

Hello, dear friends of the Staunton Clayground!

It’s almost mid-September and that means that our new fall classes are getting started next week! It’s hard to believe, but we are so excited that it’s finally time!

If you have been waiting to jump on the pottery wheel, the time is now! We have two Pottery Wheel For All-Level Beginners classes starting!

The first, taught by our brand new teacher Mary Tuttle, who we are very excited to welcome on board, will be on Wednesday evenings from 6:00–8:00 pm, and will run from September 18–October 23. Click here to read the details and register for this class!

The second, taught by Valya Boutenko, who we are so glad is staying on with us after a very successful first 3 courses at the Staunton Clayground this summer, will run on Thursday evenings from 5:00–7:15 pm, from September 19–November 14 (with a break for the week of Halloween, which falls on Thurs., Oct. 31). Click here to read the details and claim your spot in this class!

There are still spots left in both of these classes, but don’t wait too long to claim your place! Sign-ups close on Tuesday, Sept. 17 at noon!

Yes, all of those finished pots are pieces that beginner potters have made in previous courses at the Staunton Clayground!

And don’t forget, our first kids’ class is kicking off next Saturday, September 21, too! From 10 a.m.–12:00 noon on Sat., Sept. 21 and Sat., Oct. 5, kids ages 7–12 can join artist, art teacher and Studio member Christy Pilson to make their very own pinch-pot pumpkin. What a great way to welcome the fall! Click here to read the details and claim a spot!

We have playtime for kids, too! 😃

So grab your spots while you can! The fall is nearly upon us and it’s time to jump in and clay!

None of the classes in this email quite what you’re looking for? Check out our full list of fall classes here!

We’ll see you at the Staunton Clayground!

Our First Kids’ Classes Are Live! Pumpkins, Turkeys, Penguins and Fairy Houses! Woohoo!

Hello, dear Friends of the Staunton Clayground!

It’s been a couple of weeks since we posted our first adult fall classes, and now we are finally ready to begin rolling out our first ever workshops for kids!!! We have chances to build pumpkins, turkeys, fairy houses and penguins! I know a lot of you have been waiting a long time and so, without further ado…

Let’s jump into fall fun! Join us at the Staunton Clayground from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon on Saturday, Sept. 21 and Saturday, Oct. 5, for our first ever kids’ workshop, open to children ages 7–12!

In the first two-hour session, attendees will learn the pottery technique of handbuilding a pinch-pot, which they will then turn into a pumpkin. Two weeks later, they return to decorate their finished creations using underglazes and glazes. Kids will learn skills they can build on to make all kinds of creations in the future!

Pick-up of fired pieces on Saturday, October 12, with plenty of time to enjoy them and incorporate them into Halloween and Thanksgiving decorating!

Speaking of Thanksgiving, kids ages 7–12….

There’s a chill in the air and… do I smell pumpkin pie? That must mean it’s time to get a turkey for your table! Kids ages 7–12 can join us at the Staunton Clayground from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon on Saturday, Nov. 2 and Saturday, Nov. 16 to create your very own ceramic turkey. In the first session, kids will learn how to handbuild a pot using the pinch-pot technique, then add coils and other decorative elements to transform it into a beautiful Thanksgiving bird! In the second session, they’ll use underglazes and glazes to give it color and personality. Turkeys will be ready for pick-up the following Saturday, Nov. 23, in time to grace the holiday table!

This next one is for kids ages 12–100! With Halloween just around the corner and Hogwarts back in session, and there’s magic in the air!

Join us at the Staunton Clayground from 1:00–3:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 5 and from 1:00–3:00 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19, and build your very own fairy house. Whether it sits in your garden or on your mantle, it’s sure to attract some faerie folk!

In the first 2.5-hour session, attendees will design and hand-build their house out of clay. Two weeks later, they will return for a 2-hour session to decorate their finished creations using underglazes and glazes. The skills used in this workshop can be applied to make countless artistic creations! Pick-up of fired pieces on Saturday, October 26.

Last but not least, kids ages 6–12… cold days are coming! When I think of winter, I think of wooly scarves, hot cocoa, a blanket of fresh white snow and… penguins! Come join us at the Staunton Clayground from 2:00–3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23 and Saturday, Dec. 7 to build a ceramic penguin!

In the first session, kids will learn how to use clay to build and sculpt their feathered friend. In the second session, they’ll use underglazes and glazes to bring it to joyful life. Penguins will be ready for pick-up the following Saturday, Dec. 14, in time cheer your household through the holiday season and beyond!

We have more special workshops for adults scheduled for October, so look for those postings very soon!

Keep watching this space, and we’ll see you soon at the Staunton Clayground!

Our First Fall Classes Are Live!! Wheel, Handbuilding, Creative Collaborations, and More To Come!

Hello, dear Friends of the Staunton Clayground!

It has been about a month since our last blog post, and there is a reason for that––it has also been just a little over a month since the launch of our Studio Membership program, which, while keeping us very busy, has been wonderful! What a difference it is to have all of our spaces buzzing with activity all the time. What was a place of possibilities and dreams has now also become a place full of creativity and joy, and we’ve been loving every moment of it!

In addition to all of that good fun, we have been working hard to line up some great classes and workshops for you for the fall. We’ve got a whole raft of handbuilding and wheel throwing classes and workshops, running from September through December! There is so much to tell you about… so let’s start at the beginning!

Can you feel the autumn on its way? We sure can, and we can’t wait to get started!

Our fall roster of workshops will be kicking off with something we are very excited about! We will be running a collaborative workshop with downtown Staunton’s very own Burrow & Vine, starting on Saturday, September 7!

In Plant Pots and Macramé, over the course of four 2-hour sessions (Sat., Sept 7, and Sundays Sept. 8, 15 and 22 from 1:00–3:00 pm), you will first learn how to make your own handbuilt plant pot and then how to make a gorgeous macramé holder in which to display it.

In Plant Pots and Macramé, over the course of four 2-hour sessions (Sat., Sept 7, and Sundays Sept. 8, 15 and 22 from 1:00–3:00 pm), you will first learn how to make your own handbuilt plant pot and then how to make a gorgeous macramé holder in which to display it. The first three sessions, hosted at Staunton Clayground, will cover every step of the process, from rolling out slabs of clay and adding texture to them to assembling and, finally, glazing. During the final session, hosted in Burrow & Vine’s beautiful second-floor classroom at 10 E. Beverley St., you will make the macramé hanger. Spots are limited, so claim yours now! No clay experience necessary.

If you are looking to dive deeper into handbuilding than just one workshop, then you’re in luck, because we have two handbuilding classes starting in September, one on Tuesday evenings and one on Wednesday mornings, to suit different schedules.

In these two Introduction to Handbuilding classes, both first-time potters and those with some prior clay experience will explore some of the essential techniques of handbuilding, making several unique functional pieces to take home over the course of five 2.5-hours sessions.

Participants will build confidence working with both soft and leather-hard clay, and explore a variety of surface texturing techniques. Projects will include a platter, a birdbath with bird sculpture, an angular vase, and a mug! We only have room for six students in each of these, so don’t wait too long to grab your spot! No prior experience with clay required.

Have you been waiting for a chance to try your hand at wheel throwing? Well, you’re in luck, because we have a full roster of wheel classes running all the way through the holidays, five in all!

Beginning on September 18, you can join our newest wheel teacher, Mary Tuttle (Welcome, Mary!), on Wednesday evenings, from 6–8 pm, for the first 12-hour (6-week) Pottery Wheel For All-Level Beginners class of the season.

Have you always wanted to try your hand at throwing pottery on the wheel and never had a chance? Have you spent some time on the wheel but want an opportunity to gain confidence and hone your skills? Over the course of six 2-hour sessions, this class will focus on helping you to set achievable goals and make them into a reality! If you’re a little too busy to start in mid-September, this same Wednesday-evening 12-hour class will run for second time, so check out Pottery Wheel for All-Level Beginners starting on October 30! Absolute beginners welcome!

(Yes, these photos are all actual pieces made by actual Staunton Clayground students in prior wheel classes! How cool is that?)

Are Wednesday evenings not good for you? Not to worry! We have more options. You can join one of two more Pottery Wheel for All-Level Beginners classes on either Thursday evenings or Sunday afternoons (a time we’ve had multiple requests for).

Come and join instructor Valya Boutenko and learn to throw functional pottery on the wheel. 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. First-time beginners are welcome here, as well!

(Yup! These are all our students’ creations, too! Isn’t that awesome?)

Are you ready to level up your wheel skills? Valya’s popular Beyond Basics On The Pottery Wheel class will be running on Tuesday evenings again this fall, starting on October 29.

Beyond Basics is an intermediate class for students who are somewhat familiar with working on the wheel. The class is a good fit for students who can throw a basic cylinder and a simple bowl form. In this class, students will practice throwing plates as well as elegant, rounded vases. Together with Valya, they will be tackling the more challenging forms and incorporating design elements that add interest and make the work shine.

The good news? If you attend any of our classes starting this fall, everything you make in them will be ready for pick-upbefore the holidays!

The better news? We have even more workshops in the works! We are working on two polymer clay workshopsbefore the end of the year, one for adults in October and one for kid-and-adult pairs in December. Look out for more about the first one in coming days! We are also working on a second collaboration with Burrow & Vine, and another co-workshop, this time with the Art Hive, Staunton’s “creative reuse and art center!” These will both be happening in the fall, and even more creative partnerships will be launching in 2025!

The best news? KIDS WORKSHOPS’ ARE FINALLY COMING! Yes, we are finally going to be rolling out our first workshops especially and exclusively for kids! We have partnered with some truly amazing local children’s art teachers to develop a series of fall and winter workshops, one in late September, two in October and one in November.

Keep watching this space, because news about all of those upcoming adults’ and kids’ workshops will be getting posted in coming days!

We are so excited for this marvelous fall and our very first holiday season!

See you soon at the Staunton Clayground. Let’s clay!

Handbuilding Workshop For Ages 10-18 and Wheel-Throwing Workshop for Experienced Potters, Both Starting Wednesday, July 10!

Hello, Friends of the Staunton Clayground!

We hope that you all had a fantastic July 4!

Here at the Staunton Clayground we have been super busy getting everything ready for our Studio Membership Program launch, which is happening this week! We’ve been gearing up for this since the day we opened, and it’s hard to believe it’s finally here. We’ve had a great response and are very excited to welcome our first official members into the studio tomorrow morning!

Amidst all of that excitement, we’ve also been hard at work trying to make sure there is a great selection of classes and workshops for you all to enjoy throughout this long hot summer. After all, on these hot, hot days, where better to be than in a cool pottery studio with your hands in wet clay?

If you or a young person you know is looking to beat the heat next week, then we have two workshops starting on Wednesday, July 10, that might just be for you!

Come clay! Cut off for sign-ups is Monday, July 8 at 5 p.m., so claim your spot!

The first is a coil plant pot workshop for young people age 10–18! It is co-taught and co-hosted by Staunton Clayground and Art Hive, with the collaboration of artist and master gardener Jacques of Mottainai and is our first (we hope of many) such collaboration within our area’s great arts and creative community. Attendees will make and decorate clay coil pots inspired by indigenous artists, and then learn how to use them to plant and care for a plant of their own. Read more details and get your tickets through Art Hive at this link and don’t miss out on this hands-on experience where art meets nature!

The second, Vases & Carving, is a workshop for slightly more experienced wheel throwers. If you can throw a simple 4-inch cylinder on your own, then this workshop is for you! Nicole Eyerman Hill will walk you through the process of crafting wheel-thrown vases meant to be carved and faceted to create unique surface decoration.

Sign-ups for both of these will be closing on Monday, July 8, at 5:00 p.m., so don’t miss your chance to come and join in the fun!

Looking for a different sort of handbuilding experience? Then look no farther than two more workshops, both for ages 14 and up, starting on July 16 and August 9, both are taught by a special guest instructor, local artist Janly Jaggard.

Special handbuilding workshops by local artist Janly Jaggard, right here at Staunton Clayground, this summer!

Still not quite what you’re looking for? Well, stay tuned, because we are getting ready to post 😃 three new pottery-wheel classes with two new teachers 😃, all starting over the next few weeks, two for all-level beginners and one for intermediate wheel throwers. Stay tuned, because we’ll be getting you all of the details, right here, over the next few days!

Stay cool, stay safe, and keep watching this space!

Three New Handbuilding Workshops in July and August! Two With Local Artist Janly Jaggard and One In Partnership With The Art Hive!

We have had quite a few queries about whether we were going to have new handbuilding workshops this summer, and we are very excited to officially announce three! Two, a Sculptural Coiled Forms workshop starting July 16 and an intensive Clay Slabbing and Hollow Forms workshop beginning August 9 (both geared towards adults age 14+), are taught by special guest artist and instructor Janly Jaggard. The third, for young people ages 10–18, entitled coil pot planters | 3 day clay workshop, is a “co-production” by Staunton Clayground, the Art Hive and Mottainai! Click the links or read on to learn more about all of them!

Let’s start with that last one, “coil pot planters | 3 day clay workshop,” because it is starting first (Wednesdays, July 10, 17, 24, from 1:00–4:00 pm)! Designed for young people ages 10–18, it is set to take place at Staunton Claygroundand the Art Hive.

During the first day, taking place in our clay studio, “Get inspired by indigenous potters Maria Martinez & Louise Goodman as you dive into the art of coil pot construction. We'll share stories and techniques while you build your very own coil pot, ready to house your favorite plant.” The last two sessions will be hosted at the Art Hive. During these two, students will first decorate their pots using underglaze painting then, to wrap up the workshop, “Join Jacque from Mottainai for a fun session on planting and caring for your new green buds in your beautiful vessel!

Don't miss out on this hands-on experience where art meets nature!” Tickets available here!

Our next two new handbuilding workshops, both for adults, are taught entirely at the Staunton Clayground by a special guest instructor, local artist Janly Jaggard. Here’s a link to her bio on our website, and you can check out her art on her own website here!

The first will be a Sculptural Coiled Forms workshop, taking place over five 3-hour sessions, 1:00–4:00 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays, July 16, 19, 23, 26 and August 6, 2024.

“It will deal with several aspects of working with earthenware clay and has both the beginner and the experienced clay worker in mind. The focus will be on material and on the design skills that will build aesthetic discernment about handbuilding skills as well as shape, form, surface and texture. Students will begin with drawings or other found references, like images that are of plant and other natural forms such as seaweed, trees, sand dunes, clouds, leaves, legs, etc., which will be the starting point for shape and form and then detail of texture and color.”

The second is an intensive workshop, Clay Slabbing and Hollow Forms, consisting of two 6-hour sessions + glazing day: 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. on Sat. and Sun., August 9 and 10, and glazing Fri., Aug. 30, 10:00 a.m. until finished (may take less time than the previous two sessions).

As Janly Jaggard writes, “Slabbing is a technique that uses leather-hard clay construction and recalls real-world angular shapes. These shapes are the inspiration for the project students will create in this workshop. Ideas will come from references to buildings, man-made forms such as machines, and manufactured forms. We will make plans and drawings on paper then work on rolling out clay. Exploration of methods of joining slabs and developing surface decoration will be next, as the clay gets to leather hard and ready for building. Decoration and embellishment includes adding clay, piercing, carving, and using color.”

If, on the other hand, it is wheel classes you’re looking for, more experienced wheel throwers ages 14+ can join Nicole Eyerman Hill for her 3-day Wheel Throwing & Surface Decoration workshop, Vases & Carving, in which students will focus on throwing small vases with slightly thicker than usual walls, making it possible to carve out faceting or other designs once the vessels are leather-hard.

This is an interesting way to add interest to the surface of any piece, and can be done either on plain clay as a way to show off the effects of particular glazes or in combination with colored slip or underglaze decoration applied before clear-glazing.

We hope to add at least one more beginner wheel class over the summer, so stay tuned!

Meanwhile, thank you to everyone who has applied for our Studio Membership program! You can expect to hear from us very soon 😃 We’re working through those applications right now!

See you soon at the Staunton Clayground!

A Great Weekend at the Staunton Clayground… With Our First Handbuilding Workshop and Garden Stake Pick-Up!

What a great weekend we had at Staunton Clayground.

The studio was a hive of activity as we kicked off our first weekend workshop, Slab Geometric Vases, taught by Nicole Hill of @eyerman.art, and welcomed visitors for our second Open Door day on Sunday afternoon. It was also a chance for attendees of our original April Open House to pick up their completed garden stakes, an activity we definitely intend to repeat, since everyone had such a good time painting them.

Here are some shots from the Saturday and Sunday sessions of the workshop!

Day 1: Students pick out the vase they want to make, choosing from 4 sets of stencils. They then roll out slabs of clay, add textural designs to their surfaces and use the stencils to cut out the shapes they’ll need to assemble their pieces. These sit overnight, pressed so they won’t warp, to firm up enough to work with.

Day 2: Students assemble their slabs into the final shapes of their vases using clay coils, slip (that’s very watery clay, that works kind of like glue here), tools and…. very muddy fingers (we weren’t kidding about the whole playground-clayground thing)!

Wrapping up our second day, the final slab pieces go into place, the edges get cleaned up, then the vases get wrapped to dry slowly for a few days before they go into the kiln for their first firing. After that, they’ll be ready to glaze!

Stay tuned for photos of glazing day and of the finished products in June!

Meanwhile, if this looks like good fun to you, there are still spots in our next slab building workshop, coming up next week: Sculptural Slab Creations, taught by our very own Cary, where you can try your hand at making purely decorative or highly functional pieces over the course of three mornings (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) + one morning in early June for glazing!

An example of some of the types of things you can make in our upcoming Sculptural Slab Creations workshop!

Come and clay!

Last Evening Handbuilding In “Intro To Clay”

Yesterday evening we all (teachers included!) had a great time putting some finishing touches on all of the handbuilding projects we’ve been working on since our “Intro to Clay” class started two weeks ago. Here are some highlights from last night’s class! Rest up, kids, because next week we move on and take a spin on the pottery wheel. Can’t wait!

Just a few highlights from our class, where we worked on wrapping up some handbuilding projects, including plates made using hand-rolled slabs, textured boxes cut from slabs we learned to make on the slab rolling machine, some coil-built bowls and hand-sculpted animals. Thank you to @octobergracemedia for the amazing photos!

Stay tuned next week for pics from our first wheel-throwing class on Monday! And if you missed the earlier post about this “Intro to Clay” class, you can check it out here.

Plenty Of Fun In Our First "Introduction To Clay" Class… And More Workshops Starting Soon!

Hello everybody! It’s been a busy last several days at the Staunton Clayground since our Open House.

Feathered friend in the works (photo by @octobergracemedia)

On Monday, just two days our Open House, we kicked off our very first “Introduction to Clay” class. This is a 5-week course covering basic pottery techniques, and the first half of it, taught by Cary, covers basic handbuilding techniques.

A bird begins to take form (photo by @octobergracemedia)

So far, we’ve had an intro to hand-rolled slab building and coil building, as well as learning the fundamentals of using a slab rolling machine, but yesterday evening, during the third class, everyone had a lot of fun getting into kid mode and using simple pinch-pot skills to make animal figurines.

Fancy about to take flight! (photo by @octobergracemedia)

The odd whale out!

We’ll be continuing work on these later this week, as well as moving along with our other projects. We’ll have more fun photos for you soon!

(photo by @octobergracemedia)

Meanwhile, if the idea of handbuilding tickles your fancy, we’ve got a couple of fun workshops starting in May, and still have a few spots available in each! Check them out on our Classes, Course & Workshops page.

Spots still available!

In addition to prepping to teach the second, wheel-throwing portion of the Introduction to Clay course, Jennifer has also been busily waxing and glazing everyone’s garden stakes, which will be fired very soon! As soon as we know when they’ll be out of the kiln, we’ll plan an “Open Door” day for you to come and pick them up (or just to come and visit and tour the studio, if you didn’t have a chance to make it to the Open House).

Stay tuned for news!

Open House Tomorrow From 12–5 PM! Plus, we still have spots available in our Intro to Clay class, starting Monday evening!

That’s right! It is finally time for our Open House! We are officially opening our doors for business, and we can’t wait to share what we’ve been working on with you!

Come celebrate the opening of the Staunton Clayground pottery studio at our Open House tomorrow from 12–5 pm! There will be a chance to win a door prize of one pottery class or workshop, tour our studio, see live wheel throwing demos, enjoy refreshments by Pizzeria Luca and Magdalena Bake, and, in honor of Earth Day, paint your own ceramic garden stake (we’ll fire it for you for pick-up later).

Still wondering how to find us? We are located in “The Cellar” at 123 W. Frederick St., with our main entrance around the back of the post office building. Free parking spots for “The Cellar” are available in the lot at 116 N. Lewis St. There is also plenty of on-street parking nearby, and we are just a few blocks’ walk from the public parking lots (also free on weekends) at the Wharf and on South New St.

In other exciting news, our first class, “Introduction to Clay,” co-taught by Cary and Jennifer, is kicking off next week, on Monday evening, to be precise!

An Introduction to Clay: Basics of Wheel and Handbuilding will consist of nine 2-hour sessions (18 hours total): Monday and Thursday evenings, from 6:00 – 8:00, (April 22, 2024 – May 20, 2024)

“Come and learn the basics of working with clay! If you are an absolute beginner or haven’t been back to the pottery studio since that class you took in school, then this course is for you. The goal of this pottery class is to learn the basics of functional pottery and have several pieces to show for it by the time the course has concluded. Over nine 2-hour sessions, students will experiment with hand building using slabs and molds and with using the wheel to make basic pottery shapes such as small cups, bowls and mugs. 

Everything we make will be functional and oven, microwave, dishwasher and food safe!”

We’ve got a whole bunch of other classes lined up, too, with more coming soon. Please don’t forget to visit our online shop or our Classes, Courses & Workshops page and check them out!

We hope you can come and see us! We are more than ready to finally invite you to “Come and clay!”

See you soon!

Our Class Line-Up Is Here And Our Online Shop Is Open For Business!

Today is a very big day for us, because we are finally unveiling our initial class line-up and opening our online store for business! Read on to learn more!

More in-depth info about all of these classes and workshops described below is available on the Classes, Courses & Workshops page of our website, and our shop is now open, so head on over if you are ready to claim your spot! You can also see how all of these things fit together on our brand new Upcoming Classes & Events Calendar page.

We’ll be kicking things off in April with An Introduction to Clay, where participants will learn the basics of both handbuilding and wheel throwing, the two main forms of pottery creation. This evening class, starting the Monday after our Open House (taking place on April 20!), will consist of nine two-hour sessions and it will be co-taught by Cary and Jennifer.

Next up, in May, we will have a six-hour handbuilding workshop, Slab Geometric Vases, taking place over the course of three days. For this one we are very pleased to introduce a new addition to our team, fantastic local potter Nicole Eyerman Hill (you might know her from her booth at Staunton’s Art in the Park, 2023 edition). You can learn more about her on our Staff & Instructors page!

This will be joined on our calendar by a twelve-hour handbuilding workshopstarting the week after Memorial Day, this one entitled Sculptural Slab Creations. Our very own Cary Dahl will be leading this exploration of the basics and possibilities of slab building to help you develop and complete projects that can be either functional or ornamental. Your imagination is the limit!

Nicole returns in early June to teach an eighteen-hour Intermediate Wheel Throwing class on Wednesday evenings over the course of six weeks.

Not feeling quite ready for intermediate wheel? Our Studio Manager, Jennifer, will be leading eighteen-hour Pottery Wheel for All-Level Beginners courses twice over the course of the summer.

Remember, you can read more about all of these on the Classes, Courses & Workshops page of our website!

(All of these classes and workshops are designed for adults (age 14+). We are definitely planning to include workshops for younger people and children going forward, but including those in our initial line-up has proven to be a bit more than we could organize to start. Bear with us! Over the coming months we plan to expand our offerings to include plenty of things for kids as well.)

Meanwhile, we are hoping to add more workshops and classes before the summer is out, so keep watching this space!

Let’s clay!! 😀

Staunton Clayground postcards are popping up around town!

Our wonderful founder, Cary Dahl, had these lovely postcards made to share the news about our soon-to-open Studio! You may have already seen them around Downtown Staunton, but just in case you haven’t… I couldn’t let you miss them! Thank you so much to all of the businesses who have offered their counter-top, shop-window and bulletin-board space to help us spread the word.

Our first promotional postcard, featuring flowers from our of our founder Cary’s own handbuilt vases.

The flower decoration in the background is actually a detail from one of Cary’s own handbuilt vases. See if you can pick it out from the crowd in the gallery you’ll find if you scroll towards the bottom of our homepage!

One of the first classes we plan to feature will be a handbuilding class taught by Cary, so check out our Classes & Courses page for more info if you’re interested! Dates coming soon :-) You can also read more about Cary on our Staff & Instructors page.

By the time our next batch of cards is ready for circulation, we will be able to grace them with an Open House date.

Keep watching this space!

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