• Beginning Wheel 1 (8 weeks): This class is perfect for beginner students who want to focus on building their wheel skills. Beginner students will learn fundamentals like wedging, centering, opening, pulling, and trimming, as well as learn how to troubleshoot common problems. You will progress from basic cylinders to more involved forms like tumblers, mugs, bowls, vases, and taller vessels. This course will also cover glazing and surface design.

• Beginning/Intermediate Wheel 2 (8 weeks):  This class is for beginner to intermediate students who have already taken Wheel (1). Wheel (2) will build upon students’ foundational skills and challenge you to create new and more complex forms like pitchers, creamers and other vessels that pour, in addition to “thrown and altered pieces,”  lidded forms, stacked forms, and sets. Students may repeat this section before moving on to the next section if needed.

• Int/Advanced Wheel 1 (8 weeks): This class is designed for intermediate to advanced students who have already taken Wheel (1) and Wheel (2).  Students will create advanced forms such as bottles and bottle-neck vases, orbs and sphere-like forms, plates, teapots, and practice alternate throwing techniques like “throwing off the hump.” Students will gain a deeper knowledge of surface design and learn new glazing techniques.

• Advanced Wheel 2 (8 weeks): is for experienced students who have already taken Int/Advanced (1). In this class you will create forms of your choosing in order to nurture your own creative style. Additionally, you will complete more complicated projects and develop your own consistent body of work. Students will experiment with advanced techniques such as: turning advanced lids, pulling handles “off the pot,” and exploring surface design more deeply. You will gain technical skills like loading, unloading, and firing the electric kiln, and mixing/checking glaze viscosities for ample glaze performance.Those who finish Int/Adv (2) should funnel into Advanced Open Studio. Students may repeat this section before moving on to the next section if needed.

  | student and advanced open studios

• Advanced Open Studio (8 weeks): For the advanced/proficient student who has successfully completed all of our wheel throwing courses or has been approved otherwise by our ceramics instructor. Students will work at their own pace and create forms suited to their own interests. An instructor will be in the studio to assist you with questions and provide guidance where needed. If you have prior experience from a different studio, please submit a portfolio to info@foothillsarts.org we will then set up a time for you to demonstrate your ability in the studio. Info@foothillsarts.org

*Tuition includes open studio access, studio glazes, and firings. You may purchase clay at the studio ($30/25lbs) or provide your own cone 5-6 midfire clay.

• Open Studio Wednesdays: Available ONLY for students currently enrolled in our Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced Clay Semesters. Students will work independently, but will have an instructor available to provide guidance and answer questions. Held each Wednesday from 5-8 pm during the semester.

  | youth ceramics

• Youth Ceramics: Students will gain both basic hand-building and wheel-throwing skills. To begin, students will create several handbuilding projects that allow them to practice foundational skills such as: pinching, coiling, and rolling slabs to create forms. Additionally, students will gain knowledge of surface design techniques like: carving, adding texture, sculpting, glazing and underglazing. Over the course of the semester, we will progress into wheel-throwing, and learn basic techniques like: wedging, centering, opening, pulling, and trimming, as well as learn how to troubleshoot common problems. Students will create a variety of projects and have products like cups, mugs, bowls, planters, lidded forms, and sculptures to take home!