SPRING
2021
EXHIBITIONS | EVENTS | EDUCATION | ARTIST SERVICES
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Spring Classes & Workshops
As we begin to emerge from a time of prolonged and challenging adjustments, we push forward with a practice that has always been a teacher of resiliency— ceramics. Our offerings may continue to evolve as new public health guidelines are made available. Class sizes will continue to be limited and appropriate safety initiatives will remain in place. We encourage you to register early as our in-person classes will fill up quickly. We will also continue to offer Clay-Along online classes. Please visit our website for the most up-to-date information. As the weather warms and our surroundings come back to life, spring back into your favorite practice or swing with something new altogether in the studios at Northern Clay Center. A talented, well-rounded cast of new and returning teaching artists are ready to guide the next steps in your clay experience with a wide variety of foundational offerings, beginner and intermediate classes, and a number of Special Topics classes and workshops. Imagine all the skills that will blossom from our lineup of classes and workshops—a veritable bouquet of techniques to further cultivate your ceramic mastery. We continue to offer students more open studio time than many other clay studios in the Twin Cities, leaving plenty of time to digest demonstrations and practice your craft independently. Adult students generally 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). To ensure safety in our
studios as much as possible, students may need to sign up for open studio in advance via an online sign-up system. Browse our open studio schedule online to check the most up-to-date listing of available times. Check out page 24 for more information about ART@HAND Programs. Classes @ marked in this section with a are designed for and easily accessible to older adults.
CLAY-ALONG VIRTUAL CLASSES Stay connected to your creativity from home and Clay-Along with NCC through virtual classes and materials kits designed to fulfill your clay longings at a social distance. Virtual classes will meet online for two hours once a week for five weeks with an NCC teaching artist who will guide you through quality at-home digital experiences with clay. We are also pleased to offer self-guided clay kits with lesson plans for home for an independent clay experience. Both offerings have the option to include lowfire clay and a set of engobes (colored slips), bisque and clear glaze firings at NCC, and a guide to setting up a space for clay in your home. No clay-specific tools? No problem! All classes and lessons can be accomplished with everyday utensils and objects. You can also select an optional materials kit that includes a guide to setting up an at-home clay space, 25 or 50 pounds
of low-fire clay depending on class length (choice of low-fire red: a smooth terracotta body; or Raku: a grittier, offwhite body), a set of engobes (colored slips) and firings at NCC. If you have everything you need already, just select the content-only version. We can’t wait for you to Clay-Along with us! Three Graces – Handbuilding 101 Virtual Edition Learn basic skills for ceramic sculpture and handbuilt pottery through a series of projects and demonstrations. Come with your own project ideas or let your instructor lead the way with a series of prompts to start you on your handbuilding journey. This class will introduce the three basic methods of handbuilding—coiling, pinching, and slab-building—to provide the foundation for any project you might imagine. Twenty-five pounds of clay, a set of engobes, and all firings, as well as a clear coat of glaze are included when you select the materials kit option. All skill levels welcome. V1: Mondays, 6:30 – 8:30 pm Instructor: Amanda Dobbratz March 29 – April 26 Fee with Kit: $140 (members receive 5% discount) Fee, Content Only: $90 (members receive 5% discount) V2: Mondays, 6:30 – 8:30 pm Instructor: Amanda Dobbratz May 3 – June 7 (Class will not meet on Memorial Day) Fee with Kit: $140 (members receive 5% discount) Fee, Content Only: $90 (members receive 5% discount) Vases, Pots, and Planters for Spring Get ready to grow your handbuilding skills to prepare for the coming growth of spring and summer. Warm up like the returning sun and refine your building
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techniques as you use a variety of handbuilding methods, from coiling to pinching to slab-building. Make vases, planters, and pots of all shapes and sizes to serve as practical and beautiful homes for anything from new sprouts to bountiful bouquets. Use clay scraps to make plant markers and other garden guardians. Learn new techniques for decorating with colorful slips to tailor your pots to your liking. Fifty pounds of clay, a set of engobes, and all firings, as well as a clear coat of glaze are included when you select the materials kit option. This class is designed for those with some previous handbuilding experience and knowledge of basic construction methods, and levels beyond. V3: Tuesdays, 10 am – 12 pm Instructor: Marion Angelica March 30 – June 1 Fee with Kit: $280 (members receive 5% discount) Fee, Content Only: $180 (members receive 5% discount) Coil Concentration During this ten-week virtual class, devote your attention to your technical and artistic development in coil building. As an optimally versatile and dynamic way to handbuild, the sky's the limit with achievable uniqueness and endlessly diverse possibilities of form. Practice multiple coil construction techniques as you work through a variety of project prompts. Build a historical form with specific and planned dimensions over multiple weeks, create functional tableware, and learn to stylize your work with personality and decorative flair! Fifty pounds of clay, a set of engobes, and all firings, as well as a clear coat of glaze are included when you select the materials kit option. This class is best suited to those who have had a
fair amount of handbuilding experience or have an intermediate knowledge of building methods. V4: Wednesdays, 6:30 – 8:30 pm Instructor: Heather Barr March 31 – June 2 Fee with Kit: $280 (members receive 5% discount) Fee, Content Only: $180 (members receive 5% discount) Handbuilding Complex Forms Ready to take your handbuilding to the next level? This course will have an emphasis on building with coils and pinching, along with new, specialized techniques including lids and galleries, carving and cutting, altering, and working at different stages of dryness. Students will be guided and supported to make technically and visually complex forms—such as candelabras, lanterns, and lidded boxes—that challenge skill, develop construction control, and evolve a sense of form. Twenty-five pounds of clay, a set of engobes, and all firings, as well as a clear coat of glaze are included when you select the materials kit option. This class is suited best to those who have had a fair amount of handbuilding experience or an intermediate knowledge of building methods. V5: Thursdays, 6:30 – 8:30 pm Instructor: Chris Salas April 1 – April 29 Fee with Kit: $140 (members receive 5% discount) Fee, Content Only: $90 (members receive 5% discount) Pinch Pot Meditations Using lessons inspired by Paulus Berensohn’s book, Finding One’s Way with Clay, focus on methods of making pinch pots—simple to complex—to grow your connection between making and intuition. As you build a variety
of forms starting with a single piece of clay, learn to better control the shape, the thickness, and the height of pinched functional, or abstracted forms. Apply these skills to create pinch pot responses as you reflect on generated prompts or ideas. Strengthen the foundation of your handbuilding skills and awareness of the material as you intentionally cultivate a calming practice with clay. Twenty-five pounds of clay, a set of engobes, and all firings, as well as a clear coat of glaze are included when you select the materials kit option. This class is designed for those with some previous handbuilding experience and knowledge of basic construction methods, and levels beyond. V6: Thursdays, 6:30 – 8:30 pm Instructor: Chris Salas May 6 – June 3 Fee with Kit: $140 (members receive 5% discount) Fee, Content Only: $90 (members receive 5% discount)
CLAY-ALONG VIRTUAL WORKSHOPS Get a taste of virtual instruction and explore the possibilities of working with clay at home with these oneday workshop options. All workshop offerings can be accomplished with a simple home set up of a flat porous surface, kitchen utensil tools, plus water and a sponge for clean-up. From casual workshops for beginners, to special topic workshops, get connected virtually so you can stay connected to clay! If you choose a material kit option, pick up your kit from NCC the week before your workshop, and drop off work for firing the following week.
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Clay-Along Workshop Feeling isolation frustration? Grab a house-mate or neighbor and enjoy a creative clay-filled evening from the convenience of home. Pick up a materials kit from NCC including a couple pounds of low-fire clay and some slips for decorating, then tune in for live virtual instruction to ClayAlong with an NCC teaching artist as they guide you through a handbuilt clay project. This workshop is a great place to start if you're interested in or just getting started with clay, or gives you a chance to test your skills and get creative in a new setting. Once you've completed making, drop off your work at NCC for firings and a coat of clear glaze. Instructions for pick up and joining the live workshop will be sent to you upon registration. XV7: Spring Planters: Friday April 9, 6:30 – 8:30 pm Ceramic Jewelry Making Join ceramic jewelry aficionados Tricia Schmidt and Judith Yourman for three Saturdays to design and create ceramic jewelry. Schmidt and Yourman have designed and made a variety of unique ceramic jewelry for years, and are joining forces for this three-part workshop. They will walk you through the jewelry making process focusing on the design and construction of the clay pieces. Learn how to shape individual pieces and create a cohesive composition, how to decorate with slip and glaze, and how to make a “bead box” to properly fire your pieces. Schmidt and Yourman will also discuss other finishing techniques including a demonstration on sawdust firing that could take place in your own backyard! Jewelry assembly with findings and other metal parts will be demonstrated,
participants will complete this work independently after the workshop. Five pounds of Raku clay, a set of engobes, and a length of nichrome wire are included when you select the materials kit option. Basic understanding of handbuilding methods and stages of clay are recommended for this workshop. XV8: Saturdays, April 17, 24, & May 8, 1 – 3 pm Fee with Kit: $140 (members receive 5% discount) Fee, Content Only: $90 (members receive 5% discount) The Hot Seat—Kiln Firing 101 Virtual Edition Great for art educators! So, you’ve read your kiln's manual but still have questions about firing? Worry no more! In this one-day virtual workshop, you will learn the basics of firing and maintaining your own electric kiln. Tune in over Zoom to learn basic information about kiln styles, firing speeds, kiln requirements and firing temperatures, and problem-solving methods. You’ll come away with more confidence in your abilities to fire your kiln consistently. This workshop does not authorize NCC students to fire our kilns independently, but is helpful for educators and anyone aspiring to become an NCC studio artist. Basic clay knowledge is preferred. Electric kiln only Instructor: NCC Teaching Artist XV9: Saturday, April 24, 1 – 3 pm Instructor: Heather Barr Fee: $55 (members receive 5% discount) Vessels for Ritual Ceramic artist Andrew Rivera thoughtfully crafts objects that elevate ritual by designing pieces that serve a tradition, particular food, or function. His pieces are inspired by and reference design and traditions from his Mexican heritage. Whether leaving clues about
function in the shape of the form or on the surface, Rivera guides and invites users to connect to time-honored traditions and to contemplate them in the present moment. During this workshop, students will design a vessel around a family or personal ritual—anything from a small tea cup to a large coil pot. Rivera will guide you through the nuances of the vessel’s particular function, and help you consider questions such as, how can this plate optimally serve and feature food or drink? How does it reflect and connect to my culture or tradition? Where will it be used and how? Come with food, drink, or ritual in mind and tune in live over Zoom to learn, reflect, and make. Six pounds of low-fire red clay and a set of engobes (colored slips) as well as all firings and a clear coat of glaze are included when you select the materials kit option. This class is designed for those with some previous handbuilding experience and knowledge of basic construction methods, and levels beyond. XV10: Saturday, May 1, 1 – 4 pm Instructor: Andrew Rivera Fee with Kit: $55 (members receive 5% discount) Fee, Content Only: $45 Self-Guided Kit Clay-Along Self-Guided Kits balance the independence of self-guided clay exploration with the support of instructions that guide you step-by-step through a variety of projects at a range of levels; kid-friendly lessons included! These kits are sure to satisfy your clay cravings, keep you creative, and increase your knowledge of forms and techniques. It’s also a great opportunity to explore clay, whether you’re brandnew or very experienced.
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No clay specific tools? No problem! All classes and lessons are designed to be accomplished with everyday utensils and objects or tool kits are available from NCC. Each kit includes 12 pounds of clay, a set of engobes (colored slips), a packet of Clay-Along lessons, a guide to setting up a space for clay at home and firings at NCC including a clear coat of glaze. You have the option to choose from low-fire red (smooth terracotta body) or Raku (grittier offwhite body) clay. VKit: Fee: $45
INTRODUCTORY Want to learn the basics of making clay art? Get hands-on during five weeks of instruction and practice in these introductory classes that focus on the basics of building and glazing techniques. These classes will have plenty of guidance for beginners, making them ideal if you have little or no experience with clay and want to test your interest. We recommend that you take this class two or more times (within one quarter, or over consecutive quarters) to build your skills and prepare for Wheel and Handbuilding 201 classes and beyond. Wear old clothes and bring an old towel, a bucket no larger than one gallon, and a beginner’s set of tools to the first class. Tool kits are available for purchase at NCC. Lab fee includes one bag of clay (25 pounds), all glazing materials, firings, and open studio access. Land of Round Pots— Wheel Throwing 101 I1: Mondays, 6:30 – 9:30 pm Instructor: Jacob Meer March 29 – April 26 Fee: $170 + $20 lab fee (members receive 5% discount)
I2: Mondays, 6:30 – 9:30 pm Instructor: Jacob Meer May 3 – May 24 (Classes will not meet on Memorial Day. There will be no make-up session) Fee: $140 + $20 lab fee (members receive 5% discount) I3: Tuesdays, 6:30 – 9:30 pm Instructor: Clarice Allgood March 30 – April 27 Fee: $170 + $20 lab fee (members receive 5% discount) I4: Tuesdays, 6:30 – 9:30 pm Instructor: Clarice Allgood May 4 – June 1 Fee: $170 + $20 lab fee (members receive 5% discount) I5: Wednesdays, 10 am – 1 pm Instructor: Claire O’Connor March 31 – April 28 Fee: $170 + $20 lab fee (members receive 5% discount) I6: Fridays, 6:30 – 9:30 pm Instructor: Zach Van Dorn April 2 – April 30 Fee: $170 + $20 lab fee (members receive 5% discount) I7: Fridays, 6:30 – 9:30 pm Instructor: Zach Van Dorn May 7 – June 4 Fee: $170 + $20 lab fee (members receive 5% discount) Also check out our series of one-day workshops listed on pages 22 – 23—ideal for makers with little or no previous experience. Three Graces—Handbuilding 101 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. I8: Wednesdays, 6:30 – 9:30 pm Instructor: Olivia Tani March 31 – April 28 Fee: $170 + $20 lab fee (members receive 5% discount)
Veronica Torres centering clay on the potter's wheel.
I9: Wednesdays, 6:30 – 9:30 pm Instructor: Olivia Tani May 5 – June 2 Fee: $170 + $20 lab fee (members receive 5% discount)
WHEEL We recommend that students begin their study at NCC with an introductory experience in clay, such as our Project Workshops or five-week classes (above). Beginner Throwing 201 will take your skill set to the next level and deepen your understanding of clay to prepare you for Wheel 301 and advanced special topics classes. Our education staff will happily assist you in finding the appropriate class, via phone or email: 612.339.8007 x314 or samanthalongley@ northernclaycenter.org. Beginner Throwing—Wheel 201 Discover the secrets of making great pots on the potter’s wheel while you build on your foundations. Improve your skills and learn new techniques for throwing such forms as cylinders, bowls, vases, and more using the
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pottery wheel as a tool. You will learn surface treatments such as glazing, staining, and slipping, and be introduced to firing procedures. Dress for mess, bring an old towel, a bucket no larger than one gallon, and a beginner’s set of pottery tools to the first class. Tool kits are available for purchase at NCC. These classes are designed for those with some previous wheel-throwing experience, who have taken one or two LORP sessions, or equivalent, and feel comfortable navigating basic forms on the wheel. W1: Tuesdays, 10 am – 1 pm Instructor: Lisa Himmelstrup March 30 – June 1 Fee: $340+ $40 lab fee (members receive 5% discount) W2: Wednesdays, 6:30 – 9:30 pm Instructor: Jennica Kruse March 31 – June 2 Fee: $340 + $40 lab fee (members receive 5% discount) W3:Saturdays, 10 am – 1 pm Instructor: Risa Nishiguchi April 3 – June 5 Fee: $340 + $40 lab fee (members receive 5% discount) Intermediate Throwing—Wheel 301 Take your skills to the next level as you learn additional techniques for throwing more complicated forms. Each section has a specific focus, but leaves room for personal interests and development. Each course will also include more information about surface decoration, firing procedures, and the differences between low- and high-temperature clay bodies and glazes. Designed for those who have taken several Wheel 201 classes or equivalent.
W4: Mondays, 6:30 – 9:30 pm Instructor: Erin Holt, Focus on Function March 29 – May 24 Fee: $310 + $40 lab fee (members receive 5% discount) (Classes will not meet on Memorial Day. There will be no make-up session) W5: Tuesdays, 6:30 – 9:30 pm Instructor: David Swenson, Focus on Consistency March 30 – June 1 Fee: $340 + $40 lab fee (members receive 5% discount) W6: Wednesdays, 1 – 4 pm Instructor: Leila Denecke, Focus on Form March 31 – June 2 Fee: $340 + $40 lab fee (members receive 5% discount) W7: Thursdays, 10 am – 1 pm Instructor: Lucy Yogerst, Focus on Handbuilt Additions April 1 – June 3 Fee: $340+ $40 lab fee (members receive 5% discount)
HANDBUILDING Embrace a whole new pace and endless variations of working with clay. Follow your curiosity across the hall to Studio C to explore and include the practice of s-l-o-w and deliberate making into your ceramic vocabulary. Whether you are committing fully to your sculptural side, testing the waters with handbuilt counterparts to your wheel-thrown vessels, or anything in between, explore and embrace how handbuilding can inform your touch to clay in new ways. Beyond Grace If you’ve taken The Three Graces of Handbuilding a few times and are ready to take your next steps in handbuilding, Beyond Grace is the class for you. Demonstrations will focus on tilemaking, working with leatherhard slabs,
Masked students working in a throwing studio.
and using and creating sprig, drape, and press molds out of clay or plaster. Other topics covered at student request include: scaling up your vessels or sculptures; using the extruder; internal and external armatures; slip and glaze application techniques; and alternative firing methods. Students should be competent in basic handbuilding methods such as coiling, pinching, and building with soft slabs. Students may bring their own project ideas and receive guidance, or may choose from a variety of intermediate project-prompts, provided by the instructor. Intermediate to advanced level. H1: Thursdays, 6:30 – 9:30 pm Instructor: Elizabeth Coleman April 1 – June 3 Fee: $340 + $40 lab fee (members receive 5% discount) Guided Study in Handbuilding Expand your handbuilding fundamentals to explore figural,
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architectural, animal, decorative, and other non-functional applications of clay. Students are encouraged to bring projects and ideas to work on with low- or high-temperature clays, with guidance from the instructor. Learn to think like clay as you anticipate technical challenges and plan to achieve your sculptural vision; investigate critical thinking as it pertains to the evolution of your work. Intermediate to advanced level. H2: Fridays, 10 am – 1 pm Instructor: Franny Hyde April 2 – June 4 Fee: $340 + $40 lab fee (members receive 5% discount)
SPECIAL TOPICS Put a Lid on It Don’t flip your lid over lids! Instead, learn to control your approach and create the perfect fit in a variety of styles. From insert, to overhanging, to caps and lids cut from closed forms, practice and fine tune your lid-making skills. You'll learn to create heightened, synergistic, and more practically functioning containers. Explore making a variety of purposeful jar forms—from crocks and casseroles, to teapots and butter jars—while learning how to refine your forms to make them mesh with different types of lids. Smooth fitting lids and refined jars and containers are awaiting you! T1: Wednesdays 10 am – 1 pm Instructor: Claire O’Connor May 5 – June 2 Fee: $170 + $20 lab fee (members receive 5% discount)
Clay on Repeat: Mold Making and Slip Casting 101 This ten week class will expand your creative process through exploration of the repeated form or vessel and will give you the opportunity to create your own molds and practice using them. Gain a better understanding of mold mechanics and learn how to examine or make objects intended for repetition. This is a great opportunity for those adept at the wheel to experiment with a favorite form. You will then dive into the process of making plaster molds for a majority of the class sessions. You will learn to create two-part molds and the principles of making molds of more complex forms. Slip-cast and make multiples from your newly made molds and learn how to refine the resulting pieces through a variety of hand-building techniques. Twenty-five pounds of plaster, one bag of reclaim clay and access to casting slip is included in the lab fee. No mold making or casting experience is required, but students should have an intermediate level knowledge of clay and ceramic techniques. T2: Wednesdays, 6:30 – 9:30 pm Instructor: Chloe Rizzo March 31 – June 2 Fee: $340 + $60 lab fee (members receive 5% discount) Shino, What Do You Know? What is the deal with Shino? See for yourself what the obsession is all about in this class that explores the ins and outs of Shino glaze and makes this ancient, variable method more approachable. Answer all your questions about color, carbon trapping, and finding the right viscosity to complement and add texture and interest to your ceramic wares. Learn
Long-time student Robin Polencheck working on a sculpture in the handbuilding studio.
about the history and variations of this glaze, and even mix a couple batches for experimenting with as a class. With the wheel as your first tool, practice and make wares that will be a showcase for Shino. Become Shino-savvy and carry on the time-honored tradition—it will be your new go-to for rich, atmospheric surfaces. Intermediate to advanced levels recommended. T3: Thursdays, 1 – 4 pm Instructor: Chris Singewald April 1 – June 3 Fee: $340 + $40 lab fee (members receive 5% discount) Atmospheric Explorations Delve into eight weeks of making with an emphasis on form, design, and materials suited best for an atmospheric kiln. Participants will explore form and surface treatments to further develop their work and take better advantage of varied surfaces that the kiln provides. Through explorations applicable to both
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soda- and reduction-firings, students will take part in the loading and firing of two soda kilns and group critiques to better understand the fired results. This class is designed for makers of intermediate to advanced levels of construction with interest in exploring and learning about alternative atmospheric firing techniques. Tentative firing schedule: Kiln loadings: May 6 & May 27 Firing and unloading schedule will be discussed during class. Studio meetings all other weeks. T4: Thursdays, 6:30 – 9:30 pm Instructor: Joel Edinger-Willson April 15 – June 3 Fee: $290 + $60 lab fee (members receive 5% discount)
SPECIAL TOPICS WORKSHOPS Surface Design and Alteration for Porcelain Want to begin or progress your adventure with porcelain? Welcome Bianka Groves back to NCC’s studios as she joins us from Santa Fe, NM for a weekend to demonstrate and teach her forming and decorating techniques. Tap into her deep well of knowledge and experience with techniques for throwing and altering porcelain and soak in her process of delicate and precise inlay. After Groves’s demonstrations, throw and alter a porcelain form with her guidance and practice her inlay technique on prepared porcelain tiles. You will leave this workshop with new insight and inspiration for working with this refined material, and gain confidence in decorating silky surfaces. Previous experience in wheel throwing is recommended.
X1: Saturday, April 10, 12 – 4 pm X2: Sunday, April 11, 12 – 4 pm Instructor: Bianka Groves Fee: $60 (members receive 5% discount)
PROJECT WORKSHOPS
Forming for Fire Get your surforms out and get ready to develop your skillset to make the most of your surface results for your next gas, wood, or soda firing. Join 2020 Jerome Ceramic Artist Project Grant recipient, Casey Beck for a weekend exploring his tried-and-true techniques for fire and surface synergy. Fight your urge to throw the thinnest walls possible and experiment with reductive methods to create planes and edges that bring new dimension to your work.
Crafternoon & Crafterdark Pottery Workshops Bring your creative 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 $40 fee includes instruction and materials for one adult. Students can expect to make 3 – 5 pots and decorate them using colored slips and textures. Your pots will be ready to pick up after approximately two weeks.
Spend day one learning new ways to approach throwing and alteration before shaving away at some work of your own. Beck will help you to gain a better understanding of how to promote the interaction of fire and surface on your forms. Day two will focus on the attachments and finishing processes to unify a freshly faceted, carved, or rasped work in clay. Northern Clay Center will provide all the materials for this workshop. Pieces created in this workshop will only be bisque fired and made available for pickup after approximately two weeks. Participants do not have access to open studio hours or glaze firing unless enrolled in an eligible spring class. X3: Saturday and Sunday, May 15 & 16 10 am – 1 pm each day Instructor: Casey Beck Fee: $105 (members receive 5% discount)
No previous experience required! NCC will provide all materials and tools for these workshops.
X4: Saturday, April 10, 6:30 – 9:30 pm X5: Friday, April 30, 6:30 – 9:30 pm X6: Saturday, May 22, 1 – 4 pm Instructor: NCC Teaching Artist Fee: $40 per person, per session Clay for Couples Pottery Workshop Looking for a unique date night activity that is sure to impress your mate? Look no further than this NCC original, Clay for Couples. Sign up with your significant other 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 $80 fee includes instruction and materials for two adults. Pots will be ready to pick up after approximately two weeks. X7: Saturday, April 3, 6:30 – 9:30 pm X8: Saturday, May 8, 6:30 – 9:30 pm X9: Friday, May 28, 6:30 – 9:30 pm Instructor: NCC Teaching Artist Fee: $80 per couple, per session
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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. Throwing Together Parents and kids (ages 9 and up)— spend a little Q.T. together learning a new skill. Learn to make basic cylinders, bowls, vases, and more, using the potter’s wheel. High-temperature clay and glazes will be used. Wear old clothes, bring a towel and a onegallon bucket for each participant. Class sessions are designed to allow adults and children to work side-byside in a collaborative environment. The registration fee for this class covers instruction, materials, and firing for two individuals, one adult and one child. F1: Sundays, 1:30 – 3:30 pm Instructor: Elizabeth Coleman April 11 – May 30 Member Fee: $295 ($315 non-members) Rooting for Spring Get out your green thumb as you celebrate the coming of spring! Create containers and trays for your little sprouts to build your own greenscape. Learn basic slab building and decorating techniques. Ages 6+ and all skill levels welcome. Instructor: Eileen Cohen Saturday, April 3 F2: 10 am – 1 pm F3: 2 pm – 5 pm Fee: $60 for two people, $25 for each additional participant
Family Wheel Get behind a potter’s wheel and dig into some clay. Learn basic skills like centering, opening, and pulling the clay to make bowls and cylinders. Decorate your projects with colored slip. Ages 9+ and all skill levels welcome. Instructor: Eileen Cohen Saturday, April 17 F4: 10 am – 1 pm F5: 2 pm – 5 pm Fee: $60 for two people, $25 for each additional participant Made It! How satisfying is it to use something you made? Very! In this class, you can design and create a mug, plate, or dish and then share the story of how you made it. Learn basic handbuilding skills and decorating techniques. Ages 6+ and all skill levels welcome. Instructor: Eileen Cohen Saturday, May 15 F6: 10 am – 1 pm F7: 2 pm – 5 pm Fee: $60 for two people, $25 for each additional participant
CLAY FOR YOUTH Pottery Punch Card for Teens 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
Two young artists working on sculptures.
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. Y1: Saturdays, 10 am – 12 pm Instructor: Erin Holt Classes will meet every Saturday unless otherwise posted*. Students may begin as soon as they register. Student Fee: $265 (members receive 5% discount) Add multiples of 4 additional sessions at a time ($135, students who are members receive 5% discount) *Some Saturdays are not available due to holidays or NCC events. **Due to NCC's COVID-19 protocols, there is a strict capacity in the studios. In order to be guaranteed a place on any given Saturday, teens/parents must notify NCC. Your eight class sessions expire six months after the date of purchase.
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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 old or greater (and their families), ART@HAND offers lectures, tours, workshops, and handson activities. ART@HAND specializes at meeting people where they are at, this year in their homes, and we are offering distance led workshops. Garden Plant Markers Get ready for your annual spring planting with handmade plant markers. Create clay tiles for your flora that will last year after year. Whether it’s herbs, fruits, vegetables, shrubs, or flowers that make you smile, clearly label your leafed friends with a ceramic marker created with an NCC teaching artist over Zoom.
by a penguin, your onions have an ogre guardian, or your ginkgo tree has a gecko playing hide and seek—your garden can become a place of wonder. This all-ages activity is led by an NCC teaching artist over Zoom. Let’s get creative with clay! 21AAH9: Saturday May 15, 12 – 1:30 pm FREE MATERIALS PICK-UP AND DROP-OFF INFORMATION: Distance led clay workshops require individuals to pickup materials at NCC ahead of the workshop, bring back projects for firing after the workshop, and pick-up their fired projects. Materials will be available on a cart during business hours on weekdays the week preceding the event and project should be dropped off at NCC for firing within the week following the event.
21AAH7: Wednesday, April 28, 6:30 – 8:30 pm FREE Creatures for Your Garden Add an extra layer of fun to your garden by decorating with clay creatures! Whether your petunias are protected
XV1 : Remote login, Thursday, March 11, 6 pm CT FREE Artist Talk: Valerie Ling Join Valerie Ling for an artist talk to discover more about the world her objects live in and how this world, that she also invites viewers into, is shaped by stylization and recurring themes. XV2: Tuesday March 16, 6 pm CT FREE
FIRING INFORMATION: Any projects made during these workshops will be fired and ready for pick up approximately two weeks after they are brought back to NCC for firing. Pots with clear glaze are food safe and can be used in a microwave and dishwasher.
Artist Talk: Stephen Bird Join Stephen Bird as he presents an image lecture on the development of his ceramic practice, including details about his 2010 digital stop-frame animation project and how his work has been shaped and influenced by this project.
VISITING ARTIST WORKSHOPS & LECTURES
XV3: Tuesday, March 23, 6 pm CT FREE
Storytelling for Artists and Educators Panel Discussion We approach a bowl as a familiar object, and understand a bowl based on its intended use of delivering bounty, holding sustenance, or being an object over which humans engage in dialogue. The Secret Life of Objects takes this storytelling concept a step further to explore the longer narrative of a maker's imagination. This remote discussion panel featuring Natalia Arbeleaz, Arthur Gonzalez, and Valerie Ling, led by Jill Foote-Hutton will focus on individual approaches to narrative and storytelling within and around ceramic objects. Engage with methods that can aid in the evolution of developing stories within
Artist Demonstration: Mike Norman Join Mike Norman on his 82nd birthday as he shares a demonstration live from his studio, including a casual conversation about his life and the development of his body of work.
21AAH6: Tuesday, April 6, 6 – 7 pm FREE Looking & Learning Join us via Zoom for the 16th installment of this "show-and-tell” series, featuring Ashwini Bhat, McKnight artist visiting from California, and Ani Kasten, a studio potter working in the St. Croix Valley. The presenters will share and discuss objects that have inspired and influenced their making from each of their personal collections. This event will provide a glimpse into the lives and stories of each artist. You don’t want to miss it!
the objects you create. A lesson plan will be produced as a byproduct of this workshop for educators to employ in their remote or hybrid classrooms.
V5R: Saturday, April 10, 12 – 2 pm FREE Artist Talk: Ashwini Bhat Please join us in welcoming Bhat as part of the NCC community from April through June. VR6: Tuesday, April 27, 6 pm FREE
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Northern Clay Center
EDUCATION
Spring Class Registration Opens Tuesday, February 9, 10 am To Register: Register with cash, check, or all major credit cards. NCC accepts registrations online at www.northernclaycenter.org, in the gallery, or by telephone at 612.339.8007. Download a paper registration form online, or call the gallery for more information. Member discounts are available online.
via an online sign up system. 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.
Due to the high demand for classes, we require full payment with your registration to reserve your seat in class.
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.
NCC will send confirmation of registration. 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 because of low enrollment. Policies: Tools: Standard tool kits for introductory classes are available in NCC’s Sales Gallery for $25 + tax. 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). To regulate our studios as much as possible out of concerns for safety this term, students will sign up for open studio in advance
Minimum Age Restrictions: Only students ages 18 and up are eligible to register for NCC’s adult classes and workshops.
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, 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. COVID-19 Cancellations: Given the uncertain nature of what lies ahead of us, NCC will remain flexible when it comes to cancellations as they relate to the current environment and recommendations by both local and national health authorities. In the event of an NCC-initiated cancellation,
students will be issued a full refund without penalty. Cancellations initiated by the student will be handled on a case-by-case basis with individual and community well-being maintained as a top priority. If you are sick or have COVID-19-related symptoms, we ask that you contact us before coming to or entering NCC for any reason. Classes: 100% of tuition (less a $15 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 $15 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 $15 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, please contact Samantha Longley at samanthalongley@ northernclaycenter.org or call 612.339.8007 x309.