Open Pottery Studio
For drop-in pottery and making up missed classes. Open studios are all first come first served.
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There is no teaching in an open studio, it’s only a time to practice what you learned in class.
HAND EYE CERAMICS STUDIO
PRICING TIERS
Tier #1:
$25+GST if you are not an existing student. If you are new to the studio, but have throwing experience elsewhere, please ask for a studio orientation from open studio supervisors.
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Tier #2:
Free if you are an existing student.
If you missed a class, this is the only situation in which you can reserve an open studio. Do so by fallowing instructions on whiteboards in class.
CLAY DETAILS
All clay and bisqueware must be from Hand Eye Ceramics only.
Our kiln technicians have the right to not fire pots that are deemed unsafe for our kiln and others work.
No leaving work on batts, you must remove and place onto a ware board.
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Untrimmed pots can’t stay here longer than 8 days, all left over pots will be recycled.
If you're in a weekly class, then place your pots on a small ware board and add them to your regular class shelf. Current students must write their initials and day & time of their regular class. While guest must write OS for open studio along with your initials NOT doing so will likely cause your pottery to go missing.
DETAILS FOR OUR STUDENTS
There is no teaching in an open studio, it’s only a time to practice what you learnt in class.
If you want help outside of class, we are happy to book you a private paid lesson.
Each student should have attended at least two sessions of a class prior to coming to an open studio. Pottery is very process driven and our instructors have to prepare you to be independent and know how to make pots safe and thin enough for firing, and also for teaching you how to clean up properly.
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Our open studio supervisors are only here to make sure the studio is being used safely and that everyone is leaving the studio clean for others to use. Supervisors have very important studio maintenance jobs to do themselves, so please kindly let them go about their work.
You're welcome to learn from one another as this is a community atmosphere, but it’s ultimately up to each student to share their knowledge.
Bisque and glaze firing is included in our clay and open studio fees. A limit of 2 plates per open studio is set as our kilns have limited capacity.
The max height limit of pots is 1 ft. If you wish to make bigger work consult us. We try to be as accommodating as we can for your creative process.
IF YOU'RE NOT ENROLLED IN A CLASS
If you're not a student enrolled in classes here, then place them on an appropriate sized board and wrap and place them on the open studio shelf.
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Label the outside of the plastic with the date (and cross out any old dates!) as untrimmed pots can’t stay here longer than 8 days; all leftover pots will be recycled.
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All your pots must be labeled OS for open studio along with your initials and date. We do not fire untrimmed or incorrectly labeled pots. All glazed pots need to be approved by our supervisors prior to going into the kiln room.
GLAZING
Ask for a glazing studio tour if you have yet to glaze here for at least 2 terms. You need to have had at least 2 terms of glazing experience elsewhere to be able to glaze independently in our studio.
If you do not, you’ll need to take a class with us prior glazing your pots and you’ll need to collect and take home your pots within 3 weeks of placing them on the green ware carts.
If you missed your glaze class, and you do not qualify to glaze independently, please pick up all bisque ware and take home as it will otherwise be sent to pottery heaven after 3 weeks.
We may be able to squeeze you into an available place in an upcoming class, but this is not guaranteed—see the “missed glaze class” page.
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When do I need to glaze my work by if I'm not a registered student?
The deadlines are as follows:
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Bisque fired pots are ready 2 weekends following your trim date for glazing, and you have 3 weeks to come and glaze them.
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Glazed pots are ready for pick up 3 weeks after your glazing date.
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Glazed fired pots must be picked up 2.5 months from your trim date; so this means you must prioritize coming back to glaze as we have limited space and can’t store your pots any longer.
STUDIO MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM
If you require more studio access, you may join our studio membership program.
RESERVING OPEN STUDIOS
If you are making up for a missed class, you will need to text one of our studio supervisors to coordinate your open studio day:
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Saturdays: text Anna no earlier than 10 a.m.
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Sundays: text Rini no earlier than 10 a.m.
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Week Days: text Rylie no earlier than 8:45 a.m.
See white boards in class for open studio supervisor contacts.
Open studio spots cannot be reserved earlier than the morning of the open studio day, so please do not text before that.
E.g. To reserve an open studio day on May 20th, you will need to text the appropriate supervisor on the morning of May 20th, no earlier than the times indicated above.
In your text, write your name and “OS make up”.
IF YOU ARE LATE
If you are more than 10 min late, the supervisor will need to give your spot to another individual if the East Studio is 1 away from capacity.
Furthermore if you are more than 10 minutes late or are a no show after a reservation has been made with staff via text, your 1 make up opportunity will be considered used up for the term.
The make up opportunity does not carry forward to future terms. If you had more than one missed class and they were due to COVID-19, then you can do more than one make up per term and they do carry forward past the term you had missed classes from, if a doctor's note is provided.
GETTING A SPOT IS NOT GUARANTEED!
Note that getting a spot in an open studio for a make up is not guaranteed.
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Some of our staff are volunteers and helping you and us out so please show your gratitude and thank them all and leave the studio cleaner than you found it 🙂 Thanks!