Open Pottery Studio

Open Pottery Studio Passes

The Pottery Studio is located in the lower level of the Springfield Township Arts Center and is where all adult hand building and wheel classes take place. Some children’s programs will also take place in the Studio. The Pottery Studio is open during the Arts Center’s regular hours of operation, whenever a class is not taking place, for individuals who have completed an intro class and have purchased an Open Pottery Studio pass.  The Pottery Studio has 8 wheels, one large hand building table, a wedging table, glazing center, slab roller, extruder and one kiln.

OPEN POTTERY STUDIO INFORMATION

Types of Passes:  Daily, monthly or yearly  Open Studio passes are available for purchase at the front desk of the Springfield Township Arts Center.  Daily Studio passes can be purchased in advance and expire one year from the date of purchase. Monthly and annual passes expire on the commensurate purchasing anniversary date.

Persons Eligible to be Pottery Studio Passholders:  

Passholders must:

• Be 16 years or older. (Parent must sign waiver if under the age of 18)
• Have completed, at a minimum, the ArtsConnect Pottery Intro (or Intermediate) Class or ArtsConnect private lesson.

Open Pottery Studio Pass Fees:   

Daily Studio Pass:                  $5

Monthly Studio Pass:            $25

Annual Studio Pass:*            $200*

Combined Annual Pottery/Pottery Studio Pass    $250*

*includes free dedicated 1/4 shelf rental for the year, if available due to space limitations                                                

** ArtsConnect Memberships are available for $50 per year (Individual) and $100 per year (Household).

***if available.  Space is limited and provided on a first-come, first-served basis.

Open Pottery Studio Access:

The Pottery Studio will be accessible to all Passholders during the dates and times that the Arts Center is open to the public.  However, the Pottery Studio will not be available to Passholders when classes are being held in the Pottery Studio.  In addition, ArtsConnect and Springfield Township reserve the right to close the Pottery Studio to Passholders on a temporary basis for other reasons, such as maintenance/replacement of equipment, cleaning, inspections, and lack of personnel to “check-in” Passholders.

In general, the Pottery Studio will be available to Passholders on the following dates and times around scheduled classes:

Monday-Friday: 9:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.
Saturday: 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Sunday: Closed

The Pottery Studio doors have an access code which will be provided to Passholders.  However, Passholders are still required to sign in at the registration desk each time they come to the Arts Center to utilize the Pottery Studio. 

Students participating in the first Intro to Wheel Pottery class can use the Pottery Studio with a Daily Pass to practice their skills or work on their projects between classes only when an instructor or the studio manager is present.

Maximum Occupancy:  The maximum number of Passholders who can use the Pottery Studio at one time during Open Pottery Studio time is 12. *Only 8 wheels.

Supervision:  No supervision will be provided by ArtsConnect or Springfield Township during Open Pottery Studio times.  A security camera is located in the Pottery Studio for security reasons, but the recording is not viewed in real time by anyone and should not be relied on by Passholders for safety purposes.

POTTERY STUDIO ETIQUETTE, RULES, REGULATIONS, AND BEST PRACTICES

Safety in the Pottery Studio is of utmost concern for staff and shop users. Accidents in the Pottery Studio may result in serious bodily harm or death.  The following are rules and guidelines established for use of the Pottery Studio.

Required Dress and Protective Equipment:  Participants of the Pottery Open Studio must:

• Remove all rings, wristwatches, and bracelets while working in the Pottery Studio.
• The floor may be wet and slippery at times. Wear appropriate shoes with a tread. High-heeled shoes are not permitted in the Pottery Studio.
• Wear appropriate clothing and bring an apron or old hand towel.  Aprons and towels belonging to Passholders must be taken with the Passholder at the conclusion of each Pottery Studio session.  Such items cannot be stored in the Pottery Studio.
• Tie back long hair when working on the wheels or slab roller to ensure hair does not come in contact with this equipment.
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Studio Etiquette and Expectations:

Passholders are expected to be alert, aware, focused, and respectful of others while in the Pottery Studio.  Accordingly, Passholders must:

• Be free from the influence of alcohol or drugs.  No alcohol or drugs are permitted in the Pottery Studio and no one may enter the Pottery Studio or utilize the equipment, tools, or materials while under the influence of mind-altering drugs or alcohol.
• Act appropriately to ensure the safety of everyone in the Pottery Studio.  NO horseplay, running, yelling and/or fighting are permitted in the Pottery Studio.
• Avoid talking loudly or engaging in distracting conduct while operating or engaging with someone operating the equipment.

No food of any kind is permitted in the Pottery Studio.

Prohibited Materials:  RED CLAY CANNOT BE USED IN THE POTTERY STUDIO.  Only clay purchased through ArtsConnect can be used and/or fired in our facility.  We ONLY use a specific brand of white clay. Only glazes in the CONE firing range of 5 and 6 are permitted. Low fire glazes or anything above a cone 6 is not permitted.

Passholder Cleaning Responsibilities:  

Passholders are responsible for cleaning any and all Pottery Studio tools and equipment they use, including community brushes tools, buckets, bats, wedging tables, work areas, and anything they exposed to clay or glaze.  Passholders are also required to return the Pottery Studio to an orderly and clean condition prior to leaving the Pottery Studio.  Required cleaning includes:

• Using buckets to pre-wash all tools and splash pans.  The final cleaning of these items may be done in the utility sink. 
• NOT putting clay or glaze in the sinks
• NOT cleaning ANY art tools in the restroom sinks.
• Emptying splash pans in proper buckets.
• Removing clay on surfaces by using a wet mop, or sponge and drying the area with a shop towel.   
  • DO NOT sweep clay dust. Clay dust is dangerous to breathe.
• Placing clay scraps in the proper clay recycle barrels.
• Making certain all the equipment is thoroughly cleaned of glaze and clay before returning equipment to proper storage area.  Tabletops are to be wet-washed.

If a Passholder fails to clean any equipment or work areas he/she used in the Pottery Studio, a warning will be issued to remind the Passholder of his/her responsibility to keep the Pottery Studio clean and safe for Passholders/students.  If the Passholder continues to fail to clean the equipment and work areas he/she uses, a $20 cleaning fee will be assessed to his/her account for each subsequent failure to comply with these cleaning requirements. This fee must be paid upon re-entry of the Pottery Studio.  In the event that the Passholder continues to ignore these cleaning requirements, his/her Pass may be revoked, without refund, and he/she may be permanently barred from purchasing any Open Studio Pass from ArtsConnect or Springfield Township.

Rules for the Safe Use of the Pottery Studio:  

Persons utilizing the equipment, tools, or supplies in the Pottery Studio must abide by the following rules and procedures:

• ArtsConnect Equipment/Tools/Supplies:  ArtsConnect provides various equipment, tools and supplies to be used by Passholders and persons taking Pottery Classes.  This equipment/tools/supplies are for the benefit of everyone who uses the Pottery Studio and they cannot be borrowed, stored with personal belongings or taken off the premises for any reason.   Passholders using ArtsConnect equipment, tools or supplies must clean them and return them to the proper receptacle after use.  If a tool or piece of equipment breaks or is not working properly, or if a supply is running low, Passholders should notify a staff member as soon as possible.  Broken or malfunctioning equipment or tools should never be used, and Passholders should NOT attempt to repair to any equipment or tools that are broken or malfunctioning.
• Power Tools:  NO power tools may be used in the Pottery Studio except by an ArtsConnect instructor or staff person. This includes, but is not limited, to sanders, bench grinders and heat guns.
• Slab Roller:     ArtsConnect uses a non-traditional vertical slab roller on wheels. All Passholder must receive instruction on how to use the slab roller prior to using it for the first time.  Canvas must be used on both sides of the clay between the rollers.  Please be sure to clean the clay from the cloth using a damp sponge.
• Wheels:     Wheel heads and pans need to be cleaned after each use. The floor around wheel areas must be cleaned of any splatter or water. Bats are to be cleaned for the next use and returned to proper location.  Bats are not to be removed from the Arts Center for any reason.
• Clay Sanding:  Sanding of clay in the Pottery Studio is NOT permitted for the safety of everyone.  If Passholders need to sand clay, they must do it outside in an area authorized by Arts Center staff.
• Glazes:   Glazes can be purchased from ArtsConnect for a nominal fee charged by the weight of the project.  Outside glazes are permitted, but should be a mid-fire, cone 6 glaze.  When utilizing glaze, Passholders MUST:
  • NOT contaminate the glazes.  It is important to wait for a glaze layer to be completely dry before dipping a project into another glaze.
  • Clean-up all glaze areas when the Passholder is finished. Passholders must rinse all brushes, bowls, pouring cups, stirrers, and store them in the containers provided by and above the sink. Glaze tables, glaze buckets and dollies, and the floor should be cleaned of any glaze spills or residue after glazing. Glaze buckets should be covered immediately after use. All stir sticks and tools should be cleaned and returned to the proper place after use.
  • Carefully check to ensure that glaze names on lids match their buckets.
  • Use the designated glazing table or countertop for glazing. Do not glaze on the hand building tables unless instructed to by an ArtsConnect staff member or instructor.
  • Inform the instructor, Studio Manager if the glaze bucket is empty or low.

• Glazing:     Glaze that drops onto the kiln can ruin kiln shelves.  For this reason, we must strictly enforce the following specific rules regarding glazing:
  • Pottery that has been improperly glazed will be rejected from firing.
  • After glazing, pottery project MUST be thoroughly wiped to ensure that there is no excess glaze on the entire bottom side of the piece.
  • No more than 2 glazes may be applied thinly to avoid bubbling and drips. ArtsConnect will provide basic glaze coasters for firing smaller pieces. Students are responsible for making their own drip trays for larger pieces of pottery as needed. A $5.00 fee per drip will be added to your account if glaze from your pottery drips onto in the kiln. We will always communicate any fees accessed.

Production of Projects by ArtsConnect:  

Passholders who desire to have their projects fired, must inscribe their names/stamp/signatures on the bottom or side. Unmarked pottery/projects is/are not the responsibility of ArtsConnect and can be discarded.

• Firing:  Passholders are NOT permitted to be in the kiln room. ONLY ArtsConnect staff or instructors are permitted to go near the kilns, take items off of the kiln, and place items on or inside the kiln.  
• Passholders who want their projects to be fired must complete a name card including the date and place the card with their project on the firing rack in the green room.   ArtsConnect only has 1 kiln and projects will be fired in a timely fashion once they are dry.  
• Firing size maximums for kilns are: 18” Wide and 14” High.

Please note: All firing is at the discretion of the ArtsConnect staff. Work intended for illegal use, deemed obscene or offensive, or believed to violate copyright regulations will not be fired.  The intentional creation of such work can result in the revocation of the Passholder’s Pass, without refund, and the Passholder may be permanently barred from purchasing any Open Studio Pass from ArtsConnect or Springfield Township.

• ArtsConnect is not responsible for any cracking, explosions or glaze issues.

Picking Up Pottery:  Pottery can be picked up during regular hours of operation. Check in at the front desk and tell them your intended plan to sign out your work.  Persons picking up pottery may be required to provide proof of identification and a sign-out sheet must be completed.

Unclaimed Bisqueware or Glazed Finished Work:  The pottery studio has limited storage. Unclaimed bisqueware or glazed finished pieces will be discarded, sold or donated 30 days after they are completed or left at the Arts Center.

Injuries:

• A security camera is located in the Pottery Studio for security reasons, but the recording is not viewed in real time by anyone and should not be relied on by Passholders for safety purposes. 
• Persons who are injured in a manner which requires immediate medical attention should utilize their personal mobile phones to call 911 or alert the front desk if possible.  Persons who are injured in a manner which does not require immediate medical attention are required to report the injury to staff immediately.  A first aid kit is available at the front desk.

Damages to Tools, Equipment, Material, and Work Areas:

• Persons who damage tools, equipment, materials, or work areas must report that damage to staff immediately and may be responsible for paying the costs associated with replacing or repairing the damage item. 

Personal Belongings and Projects:

• “House” shelf space is available for students currently enrolled in classes and for Passholders for small projects at no additional cost. This space is very limited and all items must fit on a wareboard, which can be provided. Those requiring larger amounts of space are required to purchase designated shelf space, if available.   Passholders must write their names on all personal items, including bags of clay, tools, and materials.
• Passholders who choose to temporarily store items on “house” shelf space, on purchased designated shelf space, or allotted designated shelf space (Annual Open Pottery Studio Passholders) do so at their own risk.  ArtsConnect and/or Springfield Township do not supervise or monitor the Pottery Studio during Open Studio times or when the Arts Center is closed and are not responsible for replacing or repairing personal items which are damaged or stolen from the Studio.  It is highly recommended that Passholders take home all personal items.
• Unidentified items (e.g. clay, projects, aprons, clothing items, or tools) left in the Pottery Studio will be placed in a lost and found box for 2 weeks.  If an item is not claimed during that time, the item will be discarded or considered as donated to the Pottery Studio.