Ceramics

Pre-registration is required for classes & workshops - please register online below or call 508-693-1850.
Minimum age requirement for all adult classes is 14 years old.
CANCELLATION AND REFUND POLICY:
Please read all class descriptions and be aware of age, skill level and materials requirements in ADVANCE of registering for any classes and workshops. Featherstone does not issue refunds unless we cancel the class due to low enrollment.

Pottery Studio Policies

Year-end firing dates for 2025:
Last bisque firing: Wednesday, 12/10
Final glaze firing: Saturday, 12/13
Pick up: Wednesday - Thursday, 12/17 - 12/18

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Mug Making Workshops with Sabrina Kuchta
Days: Sundays
Dates: October 26 (regular mugs) // November 16 (sweater mugs)
Time: 2:00PM - 4:00PM
Location: Pottery Studio
Fee: $50 includes all materials

Curious about pottery and if you would enjoy taking one of our multi week courses? Come learn how to make a mug using hand building techniques in the Featherstone pottery studio! This two hour workshop will teach students of any experience level how to construct a ceramic mug. Each workshop has a different themed mug! At the end of class, students will have the opportunity to select a glaze finish (mugs will be fired and glazed for students by Sabrina and will be available for pick up three weeks later).

ART NIGHT! Ceramics: Mug Making with Sabrina Kuchta
Date: Wednesday, November 12
Time: 6:00PM - 8:00PM
Location: Pottery Studio
Fee: $60 includes all materials

This is the same fun mug making workshop, but an Art Night - in the evening with refreshments! Come get creative in the studio with friends, beginner friendly! At the end of class, students will have the opportunity to select a glaze finish (mugs will be fired and glazed for students by Sabrina and will be available for pick up three weeks later). Wine, tea and light snacks included (or BYOB).

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Beginner Wheel Throwing with Debbie Hale
Days: Mondays
Dates: Session 1: March 3, 10, 17, 24 // Session 2: April 7, 14, 21, 28 // Session 3: May 5, 12, 19, 26 (Memorial Day) // Session 4: June 2, 9, 16, 23 // Session 5: June 30, July 7, 14, 21 // Session 6: July 28, August 4, 11, 18 // Session 7: August 25, September 1 (Labor Day), 8, 15 // Session 8: September 22 (Rosh Hashanah), 29, October 6, 13 (Indigenous Peoples Day) // Session 9: October 20, 27, November 3, (no class 11/10), 17
Time: 4:00PM - 6:30PM
Location: Pottery Studio
Fee: $235 (4 classes/10 hours), includes materials fee (clay, glazes, firing)
Attendees bring their own aprons and clean up towels. Please note, long nails and jewelry get in the way of working with clay!
THIS IS A 4 WEEK CLASS - please only register if you will be able to attend all 4 classes.

In this beginner's ceramics class, students will learn techniques to create forms on the potter’s wheel - cups, bowls, vessels, etc. You will learn the basics of the pottery studio, wheel throwing, glazing and firing.

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Intro to Wheel Throwing with Mark Bateman
Days: Tuesdays
Dates: Session 1: February 4, 11, 18, 25 // Session 2: March 4, 11, 18, 25 // Session 3: April 1, 8, 15, 22 // Session 4: May 13, 20, 27, June 3 // Session 5: June 10, 17, 24, July 1 // Session 6: July 8, 15, 22, 29 // Session 7: August 5, 12, 19, 26 // Session 8: September 9, 16, 23, 30 // Session 9: October 7, 14, 21, 28 // Session 10: November 4, (no class 11/11), 18, 25, December 2
Time: 5:00PM - 8:00PM
Location: The Pottery Studio
Fee: $275 (4 classes/12 hours), includes materials fee (clay, glazes, firing)
Attendees bring their own aprons and clean up towels. Please note, long nails and jewelry get in the way of working with clay!
THIS IS A 4 WEEK CLASS - please only register if you will be able to attend all 4 classes.

In this 4-week course, students learn the skill of centering and evenly distributing clay on a pottery wheel to make cups, bowls, and plates, as well as the application of handles for mugs. The course includes instruction in glazing techniques. No previous experience is required. This class is a good option for those with previous experience to refresh their basic skills.

For continuing students of Debbie's. For registration link, please email Posie.

Intermediate Wheel Throwing (for continuing students) with Debbie Hale
Days: Wednesdays
Dates: Session 1: February 5, 12 (with Wenonah Madison) // Session 2: March 5, 12, 19, 26 // Session 3: April 9, 16, 23, 30 // Session 4: May 7, 14, 21, 28 // Session 5: June 4, 11, 18, 25 // Session 6: July 2, 9, 16, 23 // Session 7: July 30, August 6, 13, 20 // Session 8: August 27, Sept. 3, 10, 17 // Session 9: September 24, October 1 (Yom Kippur), 8, 15 // Session 10: October 22, 29, November 5, (no class 11/12), 19 // Session 11*: November 26, December 3, 10
Time: 4:00PM - 6:30PM
Location: Pottery Studio
Fee: $240 (4 classes/10 hours) *($180 for 3 week course) includes materials fee (clay, glazes, firing).
Please note: larger pieces and large quantities will incur an additional fee for glazing/firing. Additional clay is available for purchase.
Attendees bring their own aprons and clean up towels. Please note, long nails and jewelry get in the way of working with clay!

Intermediate wheel is for students who have completed the 4 week Beginner Wheel Throwing and would like to continue to hone their skills.

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Intermediate Ceramics with Mark Bateman
Days: Thursdays
Dates: Session 1: February 6, 13, 20, 27 // Session 2: March 6, 13, 20, 27 // Session 3: April 3, 10, 17, 24 // Session 4: May 15, 22, 29, June 5 // Session 5*: June 12, (no 19), 26, July 3 (3 week class) // Session 6: July 10, 17, 24, 31 // Session 7: August 7, 14, 21, 28 // Session 8: September 11, 18, 25, October 2 // Session 9: October 9, 16 (no class 10/23), 30, November 6 // Session 10 (3 week session*): November 13, 20, (no class 11/27), December 4
Time: 3:00PM - 6:00PM
Location: Pottery Studio
Fee: $280 (4 classes/12 hours) $220 for 3 week class, includes materials fee (clay, glazes, firing).
Please note: larger pieces and large quantities will incur an additional fee for glazing/firing. Additional clay is available for purchase.
Attendees bring their own aprons and clean up towels. Please note, long nails and jewelry get in the way of working with clay!

This ceramics class is designed for intermediate wheel throwing and hand building students to work independently under an instructor’s guidance. Wheel throwing students should be able to center several pounds of clay without difficulty and throw bowls and other simple vessels. Hand builders should have basic understanding of slab building, coiling, and pinch pots

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4 Week Hand Building with Mark Bateman
Days: Fridays
Dates: Session 1: February 7, 14, 21, 28 // Session 2: March 7, 14, 21, 28 // Session 3: April 4, 11, 18, 25 // Session 4: May 16, 23, 30, June 6 // Session 5: June 13, 20, 27 (3 week class) // Session 6: July 11, 18, 25, August 1 // Session 7: August 8, 15, 22, 29 // Session 8: September 12, 19, 26, October 3 // Session 9: October 10, 17, (no class 10/24), 31, November 7 // Session 10: November 14, 21, (no 11/28), December 5, 12
Time: 3:00PM - 6:00PM* (*time moves to 4:00PM - 7:00PM June - August)
Fee: $280 (4 classes/12 hours) $220 for 3 week class, includes materials fee (clay, glazes, firing).
Please note: larger pieces and large quantities will incur an additional fee for glazing/firing. Additional clay is available for purchase.
Attendees bring their own aprons and clean up towels. Please note, long nails and jewelry get in the way of working with clay!

Hand Building is a style of pottery that uses coiling, pinching and slab rolling to create anything your mind can imagine. Unlike wheel thrown pottery, it is not limited to a cylindrical form, so shapes like rectangles, cubes, triangles, ovals, and (yes) cylinders are all possible.

Students of all experience levels (including complete beginners) are welcome. Students will be encouraged to work at their own pace on projects of their choosing, all under an instructor's guidance.

Open Pottery Studio
Days & Times:
Wednesdays: 12:00 - 3:00PM, September - November (supervised by Sabrina Kuchta)
Thursdays: 6:00 - 9:00PM (supervised by Nancy Blank)
Saturdays: 10:00AM - 1:00PM (supervised by Mark Bateman)
Sundays: 4:00 - 6:00PM (supervised by Sabrina Kuchta)
Location: Pottery Studio
Fee: $20 per 2 hour open studio meeting, $30 for 3 hour open studio. Reclaimed clay for sale at $1 per lb. Attendees bring their own aprons and clean up towels.

This is a non-instructional time for those familiar with ceramics to work on their own in the Pottery Studio. Adults only, 18 years or older.
Attendees must have basic knowledge and be familiar with a pottery studio - there is no instruction during open hours.

Registration is required in advance to reserve your studio time (this is particularly important during busy summer months). Additional glazing and firing fees apply (cash & cards accepted).

Previous 2025

Glazing Techniques with Sabrina Kuchta
Day: Sunday
Date: February 9 // March 30 // September 28 // November 2 (cancelled)
Time: 1:00PM - 4:00PM
Location: Pottery Studio
Fee: $70 for 3 hour workshop - students should bring 2-3 bisqued pieces to work with. Glazing and final firing included in workshop fee (pieces will be available for pickup 1 week later.

This workshop is for those experienced in pottery who are interested in learning more about the glazing process. The workshop will cover details of glaze application, different techniques and the science of glazing, plus it's an opportunity to simply talk shop! Bring 2-3 bisqued pieces to glaze and experiment with.

Pottery Pumpkins with Sabrina Kuchta
Date: Sunday, October 19
Time: 2:00PM - 4:00PM
Location: Pottery Studio
Fee: $50 includes all materials

Excited for Halloween?! Create a festive hand-made pumpkin or jackolantern during this fun hand building class. With simple hollow form building techniques we will create special pumpkins that will bring harvest delight to any holiday table! You will learn how to hand form a clay pumpkin and will have the opportunity to select a glaze finish (pumpkins will be fired and glazed for students by Sabrina and will be available for pick up three weeks later).

Sgraffito Workshop with Frank Creney
Day: Monday
Dates: March 10 // March 24 // September 15 // September 29 // October 20
Time: 12:30PM - 3:30PM
Location: Pottery Studio
Fee: $80 per 3 hour workshop, includes materials fee (clay, glazes, firing)
Attendees bring their own aprons and clean up towels. Please note, long nails and jewelry get in the way of working with clay!

Learn the art of 'sgraffito' a subtractive surface technique. Students will be provided an unfired greenware clay plate which they will paint with underglaze and then carve out their own surface design. This 'scratched' carved surface reveals the bare clay creating a beautiful contrast. These plates will be fired following the workshop and available to pick up two weeks later.

Raku Alternative Firing Workshop with Frank Creney
Dates: Saturday, October 4 and/or Sunday, October 5
Time: 9:00AM - 4:00PM
Location: Pottery Studio
Fee: $150 per day, includes materials fee (glazes & firing)
Please bring 4-6 bisque pieces. Ages 18+.

In this workshop, participants will experiment with raku, horsehair, obvara and saggar firing. Students should have 4-6 bisque pieces prepared for the weekend event, please use B-mix 5 or porcelain for pieces (B-mix is preferred). Glazes and firing materials will be provided. This low-fire process involves heating bisqueware then placing it into containers with combustible materials which can produce a stunning variety of effects. This is a two day workshop, but students may take Saturday or Sunday only (Saturday: raku, horsehair raku, obvara / Sunday: raku and saggar).
Please note, Raku is a decorative process and glazes are NOT food safe. Most of this workshop will take place outdoors so please dress accordingly. Please contact Frank with any questions.

Potters Bowl Open Studio Hours with Frank Creney
Days: Weekdays, August 13-29 (no Thursdays)
Dates: August 13, 15, 18, 19, 20, 22, 25, 26, 27, 29
Time: 9:00AM - 12:00PM
Location: Pottery Studio
Fee: Free, no registration required*

FINAL BISQUE FIRING FOR THE POTTERS BOWL IS SUNDAY, AUGUST 31st.

Frank Creney will be hosting a bowl making open studio on weekdays August 13th through 29th (except Thursdays). This time is for artists to create bowls for Featherstone's Potters Bowl fundraiser (September 7th).

*Please note that this studio time is only for creating bowls to be donated to the event. You must be an intermediate or advanced potter as there is no instruction.

No registration necessary. Materials and studio time are free.
Questions? Please call the office at 508-693-1850.

Hand Built Bowl Workshop with Sabrina Kuchta
Date: Sunday, August 17
Time: 2:00PM - 4:00PM
Location: Pottery Studio
Fee: $50 includes all materials

Come have fun in the Pottery Studio and learn how to make your own bowl from clay using hand building techniques. In this beginner friendly one day workshop, you will learn how to hand form a clay bowl, either stamp or carve a surface design, and will have the opportunity to select a glaze finish (bowls will be fired and glazed for students by Sabrina and will be available for pick up three weeks later).

Visiting Artist Workshop: Stencils and Decals for Ceramic Surface with Jen Gandee
Dates: Tuesdays, July 8 and 15
Time: 1:00PM - 4:00PM
Location: Pottery Studio
Fee: $150

In this 2-week workshop, participants will experiment with innovative ways to incorporate imagery and pattern with their ceramic surfaces. The workshop will demonstrate how to manipulate images digitally using Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator and then students will design and cut their own custom stencils using a digital cutting machine (Cricut Maker) and print and apply decal transfers of their own images and drawings.

Beginning students can use provided tiles for their experiments and intermediate/advanced students can work on their own greenware, bisqueware, and/or glazed pieces. Computers will be available in the studio for this workshop, but students are encouraged to bring their own laptops/iPads with photo editing software.

Jen Gandee grew up in West Virginia and graduated in 1996 from West Virginia University with a BFA in Ceramics. Gandee developed a line of functional ceramic work, which was sold through the ACC wholesale craft market, national craft shows, gallery venues and studio sales from 1999-2005. She received a MFA from Syracuse University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts in 2008. Currently, she is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Art at Le Moyne College and Cayuga Community College and owns the Gandee Gallery in Fabius, NY.

Featherstone is grateful to Jen Gandee, curator of Currents in Contemporary Art, for donating her time to teach this workshop, with 100% of proceeds benefitting Featherstone.

Artist Demo: Testing the Limits of Porcelain in Thrown, Altered, and Carved Sculptures with Jennifer McCurdy
Date: Saturday, July 12
Time: 10:00AM - 5:00PM
Location: Art Barn Painting Studio
Fee: $75, open to all. This is a fundraiser, with all proceeds from this demonstration going towards the ceramics program at Featherstone.

Renowned porcelain ceramic artist Jennifer McCurdy, will visit Featherstone for a full day artist demonstration in conjunction with the Currents in Contemporary Ceramic Art exhibition. Jennifer will demonstrate basic wedging, centering, and throwing as well as the technique of “dry throwing”, using two metal ribs to create the shape of the piece. She will cover her technique of altering these pieces off the wheel to create soft shadow and movement.

Following a lunch break, Jennifer will present a slide show and discuss the transition of her work over the last forty years. In the afternoon, she will demonstrate carving techniques on leather hard porcelain , then briefly demonstrate sanding techniques, and discuss firing strategies for porcelain. She will discuss the concept of “strength vs. plasticity” in the porcelain as it moves through the working stages from wet to dry through vitrification.

Jennifer McCurdy received a BFA from Michigan State University in 1979 and then learned how to formulate and throw porcelain at Florida Atlantic University under John McCoy in 1980. She has been selling her porcelain for the last forty years, and her work resides in personal collections, galleries and museums around the world, including the Smithsonian Museum’s Renwick Gallery, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Museum of Fine Arts, the American Museum of Ceramic Art, and the Everson Museum of Art. She maintains a studio in Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts. Her focus on the reflective and bone-like quality of the bare porcelain has led her to explore the light and shadow of the clay forms, resulting in a unique melding of line and structure.

Thank you to Jennifer McCurdy for donating her time and expertise during this 7 hour demonstration, with 100% of proceeds benefitting Featherstone.

Flower Vase Workshop with Sabrina Kuchta
Date: Sunday, May 18
Time: 2:00PM - 4:00PM
Location: Pottery Studio
Fee: $50 includes all materials

Curious about pottery and if you would enjoy taking one of our multi week courses? Try one of our two hour workshops, open to any experience level. In this new workshop during our Art of Flowers exhibit, students will make a vase in time for the flowering blooms of summer. Students will learn slab building techniques and experiment with using leaves and natural elements to create patterns and texture to construct a unique vase. At the end of class, students will have the opportunity to select a glaze finish (vases will be fired and glazed for students by Sabrina and will be available for pick up three weeks later).

ART NIGHT! Ceramics: Mug Making with Sabrina Kuchta
Date: Wednesday, April 2
Time: 6:00PM - 8:00PM
Location: Pottery Studio
Fee: $50 includes all materials

Curious about pottery and if you would enjoy taking one of our multi week courses? Try this fun evening workshop, and learn how to make a mug using hand building techniques in the Featherstone pottery studio! This two hour workshop will teach students of any experience level how to construct a ceramic mug. At the end of class, students will have the opportunity to select a glaze finish (mugs will be fired and glazed for students by Sabrina and will be available for pick up three weeks later). Wine, tea and light snacks included (or BYOB).

Mug Making Workshops with Sabrina Kuchta
Dates: Sunday, March 16 // Sunday, March 23
Time: 2:00PM - 4:00PM
Location: Pottery Studio
Fee: $50 includes all materials

We are now offering Sabrina's popular Mug Art Night also as a Sunday afternoon mini workshop. No wine at these classes, but the same fun project that is beginner friendly and great to do with friends!

Hand Building Techniques with Sabrina Kuchta
Days: Sundays
Dates: Session 2*: Sundays April 6, 13, (no 20), 27 // Session 3*: Sundays May 4, 11, 18
Time: 1:00PM - 4:00PM
Location: Pottery Studio
Fee: $275 (4 classes/12 hours) or $215* (3 classes/9 hours), includes materials fee (clay, glazes, firing)
Attendees bring their own aprons and clean up towels. Please note, long nails and jewelry get in the way of working with clay!

In this course we will explore: how to use slab, how to pinch and coil, and how to combine multiple techniques to create anything you can imagine, as well as finishing and glazing your work.
Each class will have a project available but students are encouraged to bring ideas and images of projects they would like to create and we will work on them together.
This course is appropriate for beginners as well as those familiar with hand building.

Throwing Pots (Intermediate) with Frank Creney
Day: Tuesdays
Dates: April 1, 8, 15, 22
Time: 12:30PM - 3:00PM
Location: Pottery Studio
Fee: $240 (4 classes/10 hours), includes materials fee (clay, glazes, firing)
Attendees bring their own aprons and clean up towels. Please note, long nails and jewelry get in the way of working with clay!
THIS IS A 4 WEEK CLASS - please only register if you will be able to attend all 4 classes.

This intermediate level class is for those who can already throw on the wheel but want to learn new shapes and how to work larger. Either learn new shapes - bottles, platters, large vases, large bowls, etc. or work on improving your skills with bowls or your current projects.

ART NIGHT! Ceramics: Bowls with Sabrina Kuchta
Date: Wednesday, February 19
Time: 6:00PM - 8:00PM
Location: Pottery Studio
Fee: $50 includes all materials

Come have fun in the Pottery Studio and learn how to make your own bowl from clay using hand building techniques. In this beginner friendly one night class, you will learn how to hand form a clay bowl and will have the opportunity to select a glaze finish (bowls will be fired and glazed for students by Sabrina and will be available for pick up three weeks later). Wine, tea and light snacks included (or BYOB).

​Ceramics

Previous 2025

Ceramics