Welcome to our community ceramics membership orientation! Our goal for this meeting is to get you fully acquainted with the facility, share our core studio values, so that you work independently, safely, and comfortably in the space. Attending is required to become a practicing member.

Our studio memberships are for independent artists who are ready to work on their own. We recommend you have some familiarity working with clay so that you are able to safely use the space and adhere to our systems. If you are new to ceramics, we ask that you first sign up for a class or guided open studio session.

Our Technician, Joel, will meet you at our Fort Worden studio and lead you on a guided tour of the facilities. During the walkthrough, we’ll outline studio policies, review safety protocols, and cover proper cleanup and clay-recycling systems. You’ll get familiar with the layout of the space including throwing, handbuilding, glazing, and kiln areas, as well as personal shelf storage and communal tools available to use. After orientation, you will have the opportunity to review our membership agreement and join the studio!

We’re excited to watch this space grow into a vibrant hub for creativity and shared community. This walkthrough will cover everything you need to feel comfortable and independent in the facility. Bring your questions—we can’t wait to show you around!

If none of these orientation times work for you, please reach out to ceramics@northwindart.org to set up another time.

Curious about clay? Come experiment with this versatile material during a three-hour guided open studio session. You’ll have access to Northwind’s Ceramics Studio and the freedom to work independently on your own projects, whether you’d like to build by hand or try the wheel.

Teaching artist Viv Merrill will be on hand to help you get started and to walk you through studio protocols. Not sure what to make? They’re happy to help you begin a small project.

Work completed in open studios can be fired in Northwind’s studio kilns, and you’re welcome to return for another session to glaze your pieces!

TOTAL COST: $30

Course Fee: $25

Materials Fee: $5

LEVEL: Beginner to Advanced

AGE GROUP: Ages 15+ or 8+ with an accompanying adult

SUPPLY INFORMATION

Students will have access to all studio tools and up to 5lbs of clay per session. Additional clay can be purchased for $25 per bag. 

Please wear clothes that you won’t mind getting messy, and if you’ll be using the wheel, bring a hand towel or apron.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

Viv Merrill has been enamored with clay since taking their first pottery class in 2016. They are drawn to the endless possibilities of creating with this material and the creative communities it brings together. As Education Program Manager at Northwind Art, Viv is excited to create opportunities for community members to get their hands dirty!

The potter’s wheel is more than a tool. It’s an icon of the craft world and a key part of humankind’s ongoing collaboration with the earth. In this introductory class, you’ll meet this legendary device in the best place possible: the beginning.

Join teaching artist Patrick Kingshill for this eight-week class and learn to make functional ceramic pottery with an emphasis on form, ergonomics, and design. You’ll learn the basics of centering, pulling a cylinder and trimming on the wheel, as well as glazing and decorating techniques. Most of your time will be spent at the wheel, working your clay through each stage of wet work and shaping pots for everyday use. You’ll also learn to attach handles to mugs and mixing bowls, and to design bowls for different purposes, like soup and salad.

You’ll walk away with skills and an understanding of clay that will send you confidently into future projects.

All pieces made in this class will be fired within two weeks of the end of class; you’ll have options for when to pick up your finished work. All pieces will be food-safe, dishwasher-safe, and microwave-safe.

TOTAL COST: $433

Course Fee: $408

Materials Fee: $25

LEVEL: Beginner

AGE GROUP: Ages 15+

SUPPLY INFORMATION

All tools and materials are provided. Please wear clothes you don't mind getting dirty and bring a hand towel or apron. 

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

Patrick Kingshill is a woodworker and ceramicist from Port Townsend, Washington. In 2016, he apprenticed with ceramic artist Takeshi Yasuda in Jingdezhen, China. More recently, he took part in the rebuild and restoration of the wooden gaff cutter Tally Ho. These two experiences have shaped his aesthetic as a mixed media sculptor working in wood and ceramics.

Patrick holds a BFA from San Jose State University and an MFA from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. He currently works at the Port Townsend Shipwrights Co-op and maintains a home ceramics studio.

Artist website: Kingshill Clay; on Instagram @patriclassy

New to the wheel? This 8-week class will take you from a lump of clay to confidently throwing your own functional art pieces. You will learn centering, pulling walls, shaping your pieces, trimming, and finishing with glazing. By the end of the session, you'll walk away with a small collection of your own handmade pottery.

No prior experience needed, just a willingness to get your hands muddy and embrace a few wobbly pots along the way. Instruction is hands-on and personalized, with plenty of one-on-one guidance as you find your rhythm at the wheel.

All pieces made in this class will be fired within two weeks of the end of class; you’ll have options for when to pick up your finished work. All pieces will be food-safe, dishwasher-safe, and microwave-safe.

TOTAL COST: $433

Course Fee: $408

Materials Fee: $25

LEVEL: Beginner

AGE GROUP: Ages 15+

SUPPLY INFORMATION

All tools and materials are provided. Please wear clothes you don't mind getting dirty and bring a hand towel or apron.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

Bryn McMillin (Muddy Crow) is a Pacific Northwest-based ceramic artist and instructor. She has been working with clay since 2019, and is delighted to teach others the joy of ceramics. With thoughtful (and slow) lessons, Bryn guides her students through the learning process, emphasizing intuition, play, and proprioception.

Artist website: Muddy Crow, @muddy.crow

In this two-session class, you’ll discover the possibilities of working with a flat clay surface as you create your own decorative wall tile. It’s a fun, approachable way to get a feel for clay and learn how it behaves, without having to master a lot of difficult skills. If you already love to draw or paint, this is a wonderful opportunity to take your creativity into a new medium!

Session One: Design and Carve- Saturday, January 9th

The first session is all about designing your tile and bringing your ideas to life through layout, carving, and texture. Teaching artist Aleta Anderson will demonstrate how to use a slab roller and guide you through handling the clay to create a flat finished tile with minimal warping.

You’ll “draw” directly onto your clay and then carve your design using a variety of hand-carving tools. Aleta will encourage you to experiment, play with shapes and textures, and discover what clay can do. After this session, we will fire your tile so it is ready for its next stage. 

Session Two: Color and Finish- Saturday, January 23rd

In the second session, you’ll transform your bisque-fired tile with colorful user-friendly glazes. These beginner-friendly glazes look much like the colors they will become after firing and can be mixed and layered just like paint, making this a fun and intuitive way to add color to your design.

After the second firing, your completed tile will be ready to hang! You’ll pick up your finished artwork with a hanging apparatus already attached.

TOTAL COST: $205

Course Fee: $180 

Materials Fee: $25

LEVEL: Beginner to Intermediate 

AGE GROUP: Ages 15+

SUPPLY INFORMATION

All materials and tools are provided. You’re also welcome to bring a drawing of a design or photos for inspiration. Aleta will also have a selection of designs available for you to use or adapt.

Want to experiment with texture? Feel free to bring interesting texture-making objects from home, such as rocks, doilies, chains, or pieces of hardware. We will also have various textured objects for you to play with. 

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

Aleta Anderson is a Pacific Northwest ceramic artist who finds endless inspiration in the natural world around her. “I particularly try to find the beauty in things that others may not, such as spiders or flies. Because my environment is so important to me, I want to depict what I resonate with … so I tend toward local creatures and habitats.” Aleta often finds inspiration in the science section of the newspaper and hopes her art can inspire others to learn about our natural world and the challenges we face.  

Aleta has worked in clay for more than two decades and has been creating ceramic tiles for the past eight years. Largely self-taught, she has developed her own unique methods for creating complex mosaic pieces from handmade ceramic tiles. Her work has been featured at Northwind Art’s Jeanette Best Gallery and at local craft fairs throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Artist website: @A2clayworks

In this afternoon workshop, you get to create your own ceramic candelabra using hand-building techniques. With guidance from teaching artist Bryn McMillin, you'll shape the base, build the candle holders, add supports, and carve or texture the surface. Work intuitively and let the clay guide your design. No experience necessary!

At the end of class, you will choose a color for your creation, and Bryn will fire and glaze your piece for you. Once the firing process is complete, you will have a time window to come pick up your piece and bring home your ready-to-use hand-sculpted candelabra!

TOTAL COST: $70

Course Fee: $60

Materials Fee: $10

LEVEL: Beginner to Intermediate

AGE GROUP: Ages 15+

SUPPLY INFORMATION

All supplies and tools will be provided. Please wear clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

Bryn McMillin (Muddy Crow) is a Pacific Northwest-based ceramic artist and instructor. She has been working with clay since 2019, and is delighted to teach others the joy of ceramics. With thoughtful (and slow) lessons, Bryn guides her students through the learning process, emphasizing intuition, play, and proprioception.

Artist website: Muddy Crow, @muddy.crow

Learn to create adorable, useful household items in this six-week handbuilding class for beginner clay makers! With Michele Soderstrom as your guide, you’ll meet once a week to experiment with clay and have fun. All levels are welcome, with a focus on beginners.

You’ll start with the basics of working with clay and build your skills and confidence over the weeks. Projects include spoon rests for your countertop, votive candles, small decorative planters, soap dishes, and a garden decoration, plus an introduction to using underglaze for surface design.

This class is designed to be inclusive, and adaptations and accommodations are available to support every participant.

All pieces made in this class will be fired within two weeks of the end of class; you’ll have options for when to pick up your finished work. All pieces will be food-safe, dishwasher-safe, and microwave-safe.

TOTAL COST: $320

Course Fee: $305

Materials Fee: $15

LEVEL: Beginner to Intermediate

AGE GROUP: Ages 15+

SUPPLY INFORMATION

All materials and tools are provided. Please wear clothes that you can get dirty.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

Michele Soderstrom has been teaching art in the classroom since 2008, and enjoys facilitating skill building and joy through art. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Arts Teaching with a minor in Studio Art from Central Washington University, and is an award-winning artist known for her equine art. Michele’s work in a variety of media is available on her website.  

Michele teaches art at Port Townsend High School and in PT Artscape-Northwind Art’s Bunker program; she also works with young artists in the annual Student Wearable Art Show and Northwind’s Wearable Art Summer Camp. Michele loves watching her students gain art-making skills and find their place within their own creativity.

Artist website: Michele Soderstrom, @horsepainter9