Learn the basic skills for creating ceramic sculpture and handbuilt pottery through a series of projects and demonstrations. This class will introduce the three foundational methods of handbuilding—coiling, pinching, and
slab-building—to provide the base for any project you might imagine.
BH1: Mondays, 6:30 - 9:30 pm
Instructor: Elizabeth Coleman
September 15 - October 20
Fee: $230 + $60 lab fee (5% member discount)
BH2: Mondays, 6:30 - 9:30 pm
Instructor: Elizabeth Coleman
October 27 - December 1
Fee: $230 + $60 lab fee (5% member discount)
BH3: Wednesdays, 6:30 - 9:30 pm
Instructor: Moz Rude
September 17 - October 22
Fee: $230 + $60 lab fee (5% member discount)
BH4: Wednesdays, 6:30 - 9:30 pm
Instructor: Moz Rude
October 29 - December 3
Fee: $230 + $60 lab fee (5% member discount)
Beginnermediate Wheel Throwing
So, you’ve taken a few beginner classes, but don’t feel ready for an Intermediate-to-Advanced class just yet? Try a “beginnermediate” level class for students who fall somewhere in between! Expand on the basics of wheel throwing, perfect your bowls and cylinders, and spend more time getting your hands dirty with an NCC instructor for a full term.
BW9: Wednesdays, 2 - 5 pm
Instructor: Lucy Yogerst
September 17 - December 3
Fee: $460 + $120 lab fee (5% member discount)
BW10: Wednesdays, 6:30 - 9:30 pm
Instructor: Ruby Sevilla
September 17 - December 3
Fee: $460 + $120 lab fee (5% member discount)
BW11: Fridays, 6:30 - 9:30 pm
Instructor: Jennica Kruse
September 19 - December 5
Fee: $460 + $120 lab fee (5% member discount)
INTERMEDIATE-TOADVANCED CLASSES
Looking to refine your techniques and further develop your voice in clay? Intermediate-to-Advanced classes will take your skill set to the next level and deepen your understanding of clay! Many of these classes have a specific focus but leave room for personal interests and growth. If you’re unsure which level to register for, our education staff will happily assist you in finding the appropriate class, via phone or email: 612.339.8007 or education@ northernclaycenter.org.
As with all NCC classes, please wear old clothes and bring an old towel, a bucket no larger than one gallon, and a set of tools to the first class. Tool kits can be purchased at NCC. Lab fee includes one 25-pound bag of clay up to a cost of $26, all glazing materials, firings, and open studio access.
INTERMEDIATE-TO-ADVANCED WHEEL THROWING
Take the next step on your journey with the potter’s wheel, build on your foundations, and discover the secrets of making great pots. Improve your skills and learn new techniques for throwing forms such as cylinders, bowls,
vases, and more using the pottery wheel as a tool. You will learn surface treatments like glazing, staining, and slipping, and be introduced to firing procedures. These classes are designed for those with previous wheel-throwing experience, who have taken some beginner classes (or equivalent), and who feel comfortable navigating basic forms on the wheel.
Serving Ware From Art History
Explore a wealth of beautiful and intriguing serving dishes that have been made throughout the centuries and try your hand at throwing your own. Each class will look at unique object from the long history of ceramic art and then explore how to recreate that object. Platters, serving bowls, pitches and other serving ware will be explored.
AW1: Mondays, 6:30 - 9:30 pm
Instructor: Erin Holt
September 15 - December 1
Fee: $460 + $120 lab fee (5% member discount)
Musical Mud
Let’s make some noise! Using all you know from making functional ware or sculpture, from throwing or hand building, explore adding another layer of sensory delight: sound. This class will explore the long history of using mud to express ourselves with sound by crafting a variety of instruments. In addition, we’ll play with this ancient technology of clay-based noisemakers by incorporating them into pots for everyday use. Join this class for learning and sharing the crafts of rattles, wind and membranes.
AW2: Tuesdays, 6:30 - 9:30 pm
Instructor: Clarice Allgood
September 16 - December 2
Fee: $460 + $120 lab fee (5% member discount)
Pottery Bootcamp
Elevate your throwing skills by learning to tackle new advanced pottery forms while learning to work with more clay on the wheel! Whether you're still refining your skills or are an advanced potter aiming to refine your technique, this class offers personalized instruction and hands-on practice to help you achieve your ceramic goals.
AW3: Wednesdays, 2 - 5 pm
Instructor: Kevin Caufield
September 17 - December 3
Fee: $460 + $120 lab fee (5% member discount)
Dinner Party
Ready to throw a dinner party using your very own handmade ceramic dishes? Then this is the class for you! Elevate your wheel throwing skills to the next level and learn the craft of consistency. You'll learn how to make multiple sets of work, whether that be cups, plates, bowls and beyond. Plus, discover new design techniques and surface methods to enhance your work. Find your unique style to impress your guests, and yourself!
AW4: Wednesdays, 6:30 - 9:30 pm
Instructor: Alysha Hill
September 17 - December 3
Fee: $460 + $120 lab fee (5% member discount)
Guided Study in Wheel Throwing
Are you looking for a more individualized approach to your ceramic
EDUCATION
instruction? Artists and makers with some experience are invited to join this guided study to sharpen their throwing skills and techniques, expand their repertoire of forms, and advance their craft.
AW5: Thursdays, 2 - 5 pm
Instructor: Leila Denecke
September 18 - December 4 (no class on 11/27)
Fee: $422 + $120 lab fee (5% member discount)
INTERMEDIATE-TO-ADVANCED HANDBUILDING
Take a break from crouching over the potter’s wheel and come over to Studio C for some handbuilding! Learn new techniques in coiling, pinching, and slab-building during these full and halfterm classes. Delve into concepts that
A student removing their pot from the wheel.
EDUCATION
offer new perspectives and ways to reimagine working with clay. Bring your favorite tools and challenging ideas to the first class.
Intermediate Handbuilding
Have you taken beginner handbuilding a couple of times but aren’t ready to move on to more advanced topics? Intermediate Handbuilding is the class for you! Demonstrations will focus on all the things we don’t have time for in the half term class: slip and glaze application techniques, leatherhard slabbuilding, how to use the extruder and more. Topics covered based on student interest include: scaling up sculpture or vessels, internal and external armatures, bisque-mold making, and making multiple-part sculptures or vessels. Students may bring project ideas and the instructor will have a couple of intermediate level project prompts for those needing more direction.
AH1: Tuesdays, 6:30 - 9:30 pm
Instructor: Elizabeth Coleman
September 16 - December 2
Fee: $460 + $120 lab fee (5% member discount)
Building Bigger
Join Erin Paradis for twelve weeks of in-depth learning of how to build bigger in clay. Create the sizable works–functional or sculptural–that you’ve always imagined! You will learn how to build modularly, use slab strips, and various ways to support your structures. You will also discuss glaze and surface treatments and create test tiles to experiment with these possibilities. Expect class and individually-guided demonstrations,
one-on-one discussions, and group critiques, as well as helpful resources and suggestions from the instructor to push your concepts and skills to a new level.
AH2: Thursdays, 9:30 am - 12:30 pm
Instructor: Erin Paradis
September 18 - December 4
Fee: $460 + $120 lab fee (5% member discount)
Guided Study in Handbuilding
Expand your handbuilding fundamentals to explore figural, architectural, animal, decorative, and functional applications of clay. Work with low- or high-temperature clays as you accept technical challenges and achieve your sculptural vision with guidance from the instructor. Investigate critical thinking as it pertains to the evolution of your work. Bring your favorite tools and have some challenging ideas ready for the first class.
AH3: Fridays, 10 am - 1 pm
Instructor: Franny Hyde
September 19 - December 5
Fee: $460 + $120 lab fee (5% member discount)
A Dab of Glaze Chemistry
Are you curious about how glazes work and why they sometimes don’t? Here is your chance to get some information about the “how’s” and “why’s” of glaze making. We will learn through short lectures and hands on experimentation. Students will have a chance to learn some of the basics of glaze formulation and will be able to access the materials room during class hours to try their hand at making their own colored glazes. When not working
on glaze making, students will make individualized projects with guidance from the teacher.
AH4: Fridays, 2 - 5 pm
Instructor: Marion Angelica
September 19 - December 5
Fee: $460 + $135 lab fee (5% member discount)
SPECIAL TOPICS CLASSES
Introduction to Soda Firing
Want to try soda firing, but the full-term class keeps selling out or seems too daunting? This class will be an in-depth introduction to the soda firing process— making pots, loading and firing the kiln, and unloading! One soda kiln will be fired during the shortened session. The first few classes will be a balance of in-class explanations of the soda firing process, and demonstrations showing how to craft pottery that will thrive in the soda firing
process. The final class(es) will cover glazing and preparing pieces for firing and loading the soda kiln. After the firing process is complete, participants will be expected to attend an unloading/cleanup session outside of normal class time to receive their finished pieces.
T1: Mondays, 6:30 - 9:30 pm
Instructor: Chris Singewald
September 15 - October 20
Fee: $230 + $165 (5% member discount)
T2: Mondays, 6:30 - 9:30 pm
Instructor: Chris Singewald
October 27 - December 1
Fee: $230 + $165 (5% member discount)
Spanish Immersion in Intermediate to Advanced Wheel Throwing
According to science, multilingual speakers think differently. Now is the perfect time to shift your approach and see how different your ceramics develop when taking a class in Spanish! If you know a little or a lot of Spanish, have some ceramics experience, and want to get better at both, join us for this experimental 12-week class. This class is focused on intermediate and advanced levels of experience with the potter’s wheel. All students are welcome in this exciting new offering.
T3: Tuesdays, 6:30 - 9:30 pm
Instructor: Paola Evangelista
September 16 - December 2
Fee: $460 + $120 lab fee (5% member discount)
Introduction to Ceramic
Jewelry Making
Learn the basics of ceramic jewelry! Teaching artist Alysha Hill, will teach you how to design, shape, decorate, glaze, polish, and create your own handmade
jewelry. Recommended for any skill level.
T4: Thursdays, 6:30 - 9:30 pm
Instructor: Alysha Hill
September 18 - October 23
Fee: $230 + $100 lab fee (5% member discount)
SPECIAL TOPICS WORKSHOPS
NCC will provide all materials and tools for these workshops unless otherwise noted.
Out of the Ashes: Raku 101
Head out to an innovative new space in New Richmond, Wisconsin—Potter’s Without Kilns—for a two-day, handson Raku firing with Mark Lusardi. Bring decorative pieces to life with flashy colors and lively crackles when you move them from the red-hot kiln to the combustion chamber where the Raku magic begins. Students should bring six to eight pieces—made of Raku clay, bisque fired, and no larger than a cantaloupe—to glaze before heading to the kiln. Pieces made with even thickness and strong attachments will handle the shocking transformation best.
Note: Students will not have access to NCC’s open studio time unless they are enrolled in a 12-week fall class at NCC.
T5: Saturday & Sunday, October 4 - 5 10 am - 4 pm
Instructor: Mark Lusardi
Location: Hosted on-site at Potters Without Kilns in New Richmond, WI Fee: $280 (5% member discount)
The Hot Seat: Electric Kiln Firing 101 So, you’ve read your kiln manual but still have questions about firing? We’ve
got answers! In this one-day workshop, you will learn the basics of firing and maintaining your own electric kiln. Covering basic information about firing speeds, kiln requirements, and firing temperatures, this class will have you walking away more confident in your ability to be in control of your kiln.
The workshop is led by teaching artists who fire multiple kilns each month. This workshop does not authorize NCC students to fire our kilns independently, but is helpful for art educators and anyone aspiring to become an NCC studio artist. Basic clay knowledge is preferred.
T6: Saturday, October 18, 10 am - 1 pm
Instructor: NCC Teaching Artist Fee: $55 (5% member discount)
Kiln Repair 101
Do you have an old kiln sitting in your garage that doesn't reach temperature and you just don't know what to do with it? This is the workshop for you! Head out to Mark Lusardi's Potter's Without Kilns in New Richmond,
An ART@HAND participant decorates a piece of pottery,
EDUCATION
Wisconsin, for this two-day electric kiln repair workshop. On day one you will be guided through the process of diagnosing a kiln, and on day two you will gain technical skills as you learn how to replace elements, relays, and more! By the end of this twoday workshop, you will have helped transform a kiln back into a tool that is ready to fire work.
T7: Saturday, November 8 10 am - 5 pm
Instructor: Mark Lusardi
Location: Hosted on-site at Potters Without Kilns in New Richmond, WI
Fee: $90 (5% member discount)
PROJECT WORKSHOPS
No previous experience required! NCC will provide all materials and tools for these workshops unless otherwise noted.
Crafternoon & Crafterdark Pottery Workshops
Bring your friends and make a few new ones as you learn the secrets of throwing pottery on the wheel. This three-hour workshop is a fun and messy introduction to clay. The $55 fee includes instruction and materials for one adult. Students can expect to make three to five pots and decorate them using colorful slips and textures. Your pots will be ready to pick up in about two weeks.
X1: Saturday, September 27, 1 – 4 pm
X2: Saturday, September 27, 5 – 8 pm
X3: Saturday, October 11, 1 – 4 pm
X4: Saturday, October 11, 5 – 8 pm
X5: Saturday, November 8, 1 – 4 pm
X6: Saturday, November 8, 5 – 8 pm
Instructor: NCC Teaching Artist
Fee: $55 (per person, per session)
Clay for Couples Pottery Workshops
Looking for a unique date activity that is sure to impress your partner? Try NCC's original Clay for Couples. Sign up with your significant other, BFF, or family member and learn the secrets of throwing pottery on the wheel in a fun and relaxed environment. Already attended a session? Sign up again and take your skills to the next level. The $110 fee includes instruction, materials, and firings for two adults. Completed pieces will be ready to pick up about two weeks after the workshop date.
X7: Friday, September 26, 6 – 9 pm
X8: Friday, October 11, 6 – 9 pm
X9: Friday, October 17, 6 – 9 pm
X10: Friday, November 14, 6 – 9 pm
Instructor: NCC Teaching Artist
Fee: $110 (per couple, per session)
CLASSES & WORKSHOPS FOR FAMILIES
For all family classes, children must be accompanied by an adult. Neither children nor adults will have access to open studio time during the quarter. Weekend workshops are open to all skill levels, ages 6 and up for handbuilding workshops and 9 and up for wheel-throwing; there are no exceptions to stated age requirements.
Fall Texture Cups Workshop
Celebrate the beauty of fall with a set of nature impressions cups. Use leaves, pinecones, acorn caps, or sticks to create texture in the clay before shaping it into a cylinder. Learn basic construction and decorating techniques. Then paint your projects with colored slips. Ages 6+; all skill levels welcome.
F1: Saturday, September 27, 10 am – 1 pm
F2: Saturday, September 27, 2 – 5 pm
Instructor: Eileen Cohen
Fee: $65 for two people, one adult and one child. $30 for each additional participant. Please contact education@ northernclaycenter.org to register additional participants
Wall Shelf of Wonders Workshop
Create your own wall shelf to display your rock collection, shells, or tiny treasures. We'll use paper templates and stiff slabs to construct a unique display for one or many items. Add compartments and embellishment to personalize your shelf. Decorate your creations with colored slips. Ages 6+; all skill levels welcome.
F3: Saturday, October 25, 10 am – 1 pm
F4: Saturday, October 25, 2 – 5 pm
Instructor: Eileen Cohen
Fee: $65 for two people, one adult and one child. $30 for each additional participant. Please contact education@ northernclaycenter.org to register additional participants
Family Wheel Throwing Workshop
Learn to use the potter's wheel and explore the basics of wheel throwing as you center clay and shape it into cylinders and bowls. At the end of class, decorate your creations with colored slips. Ages 9+; all skill levels welcome.
Instructor: Eileen Cohen
F5: Saturday, December 6, 10 am – 1 pm
F6: Saturday, December 6, 2 – 5 pm
Fee: $65 for two people, one adult and one child. $30 for each additional participant. Please contact education@ northernclaycenter.org to register additional participants
EDUCATION
CLAY FOR YOUTH
Pottery Punch Card for Teens
Our Pottery Punch Card for Teens program is currently at capacity. If you would like to be added to the waitlist, please reach out to education@ northernclaycenter.org and request to be added to the waitlist. When a spot opens, we will reach out and extend the opportunity to register.
Teens may purchase eight, 2-hour classes, to be used on any Saturday, 10 am - 12 pm. Classes will cover the fundamental techniques of throwing basic forms on the potter's wheel and creating surface decoration using glazes, slips, and applied elements, with varied demonstrations and projects for advanced students. Create a series of functional pots with high-temperature clay bodies. Previous experience is not required. Students may attend on a drop-in basis and the complexity of projects will depend on multiple consecutive classes. Great for students and families with busy schedules. Wear clothes that you don't mind getting dirty; NCC will provide the tools and the clay. Students do not have access to open studio time. For ages 13 to 17 only.
Y1: Saturdays, 10 am - 12 pm
Instructor: Erin Holt
Ongoing
Fee: $285 (5% member discount)
Four additional sessions: $145 (5% member discount)
PLEASE NOTE: Students must sign up for sessions in advance for sessions on our online sign-up form. Sessions expire six months after the date of purchase.
ART@HAND CLAY FOR OLDER ADULTS
ART@HAND is NCC’s series of accessible programs for enjoyment of the ceramic arts. Intended for individuals 55 years and older (and their families!), ART@HAND offers lectures, tours, workshops, and hands-on activities.
Trinket Tray
Design your own trinket tray to collect keys, loose coins, jewelry and more. Be inspired by geometric shapes, plants, birds, cat faces, or your own imagination. Once you cut out your design, we will pinch the walls to hold your favorite treasures. Decorate your project with colored slips. All skill levels are welcome.
25AAH7: Sunday, October 12
10 am - 12 pm
Instructor: Eileen Cohen Free
Fall Class Registration Opens
Tuesday, August 12, 10 am
To Register:
Register with cash or any major credit card. NCC accepts registration online at www.northernclaycenter.org, in the gallery, or by telephone at 612.339.8007. Member discounts are available online.
Due to the high demand for classes, we require full payment with your registration to reserve your seat in class.
NCC will send confirmation of registration one week before the class starts . If there is insufficient enrollment, we will cancel class, notify registered students, and refund all payments without penalty. Decisions are made approximately one week before classes begin.
Please register early or you might find that your favorite class is full, or canceled due to low enrollment. If the class you are interested in sells out, reach out to education@northernclaycenter.org and ask to be added to the waitlist of your preferred class.
Education Access Scholarships:
To address and help bridge financial barriers to ceramic education, NCC is implementing new scholarship options for our education programming. This will open access to the ceramic arts and welcome all who wish to learn, grow as an artist, and participate in the ceramic arts community.
We offer two scholarship options:
• a half-tuition scholarship open to artists and learners with financial need
• a full-tuition scholarship open to artists and learners who identify as Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color
Scholarships are limited and will be available on a first come, first serve basis to adult students only. Students are eligible to receive only one scholarship per session. We will do our best to offer students one of their top three choices of class or workshop. Once enrolled, all scholarships are non-refundable and non-transferable. Scholarship students are committed to their selected class, and the scholarship cannot be applied to a different class or term. Should a selected class cancel due to low enrollment, students will
have the option to transfer classes. Previous recipients can apply multiple times per year, though priority will be given to new applicants.
Within a week of your application, you will be notified of the status of your application and will be aided in registration from there should you receive the scholarship.
For any questions regarding NCC’s scholarship program, please contact education@northernclaycenter.org
Policies:
Tools: Standard tool kits are available during check-in on the first day of class and in NCC’s Sales Gallery. Other specialty tools are available as well.
Open Studio: The tuition for regular adult classes includes access to open studio time. On average, adult students enrolled in a qualifying class will have access to our studios between 9 am and 9 pm Wednesday through Sunday, 4:30 to 9 pm on Mondays, and 9 am to midnight on Tuesday and Thursday evenings (subject to other NCC events and programming). Browse our open studio schedule online to check the most up-to-date listing of available studios. NCC reserves the right to close studios for special classes or workshops
Minimum Age Restrictions: Unless otherwise specified, students must be 18 or older to register for NCC’s adult classes and workshops. Family wheel throwing classes and workshops are open to attendees aged 9 and above, while handbuilding workshops for families are open for those aged 6 and above. NCC’s age restrictions are nonnegotiable and will be strictly enforced.
Continuing Education Credits: If you are a teacher in need of CEUs, contact the education department to learn how NCC’s classes and workshops can be taken for continuing education credit.
Weather: As a general rule, NCC will remain open during inclement weather. We take our cues from local colleges and universities for canceling or rescheduling classes during particularly hazardous conditions. When in doubt, feel free to call us at 612.339.8007, and please be safe!
Tuition, Fees, & Refunds:
Please refer to class listings for tuition and fees. Unless otherwise noted, fees for adult classes include instruction, open studio time, 25 pounds of clay (up to $26), basic glaze materials, and a firing allowance. Tuition may not be prorated. Some students may incur additional expenses if they choose unusual glaze materials or if their work occupies a large volume of kiln space.
Classes Refunds: 100% of tuition (less a $25 processing fee) will be refunded if a student elects to drop or transfer a class no later than one week (7 days) before the day of the first class meeting. 50% of tuition (less a $25 processing fee) will be refunded if a student drops or transfers a class within the seven days prior to the first class meeting or within the first two business days after the first meeting. After this period, if a student elects to drop a class, tuition and fees will NOT be refunded for any reason except documented medical emergencies. There are no other exceptions to this policy.
Workshops: 100% of tuition (less a $25 processing fee) will be refunded if a student elects to drop or transfer a workshop for any reason at least one week (seven days) prior to the workshop. No refunds will be given with less than one week’s notice.
If you find you need to cancel your enrollment, email education@northernclaycenter.org or call 612.339.8007 x309.
Education Access Scholarship applications open Tuesday, July 29 at 10 am
