Pottery

Adult Pottery 6-Week Course

Thursdays, April 18, 25; May 2, 9, 16, 23 ~ 9am to 11am

Tuesdays, May 28; June 4, 11, 18, 25; July 2 ~ 5:30pm to 7:30pm

*This class is open to adults 18 and over, no prior clay experience is needed.

Join us for this comprehensive adult pottery class. This multiple-week class is for adult beginners through advanced potters – all levels are welcome. This class is the pre-requisite class needed for many of our pottery classes at The 577 Foundation.

Open to students 18 and over, this class offers in-depth demos followed immediately by your own work time to create and have fun. You will be able to try all hand-building methods like pinch, coil, slab, and extruded techniques, plus a chance at the wheel. Finally, we will learn about glazing. Class is built around learning one skill each week.

The class instructors are Julie Beutler, Pottery Studio Manager and Ceramic Artist, and Emily Horst, 577 Pottery Fellow

**New Session starts in July. Class registration will open Wednesday, May 29 at 9am. Class dates are TBD. **

Clay Cookie Cutter Bowls

Wednesday, May 15 ~ 5:30pm to 7:30pm

*This class is open to adults 18 and over, no prior clay experience is needed.

Join us for an evening playing in clay. Learn how to create a unique clay bowl using cookie cutters to create the shape. Led by Emily Horst, 577’s Pottery Coordinator and Ceramic Artist, she will guide you step-by-step on the bowl construction, textures available, and color options.

Choose to use one or multiple cookie cutter designs to create a theme throughout – think flowers and leaves, stars and moons, or whatever great idea your imagination explores. Explore textures, adding before or after attachment, to add another dimension to your bowl.  The final piece to the puzzle is color. Do you love bright and vibrant colors? Use our underglazes, otherwise known as liquid-colored clay, to paint your bowl. Or if you prefer a surprise, pick a color combo from our class glazes.

Pickup will be scheduled for two to three weeks later after Emily has applied the final glaze and fired each piece. Participants will receive a notification via email. No experience is necessary. Come play in the clay!

Clay Faux Food Fun: Cookies, Pies, & Cakes

Saturday, May 18 ~ 9:30am to 12pm

*This class is open to adults 18 and over, no prior clay experience is needed.

Enjoy a morning creating “faux sweets” in this whimsical class that includes a real sweet treat! Join Julie Beutler, 577 Pottery Manager and Ceramic Artist, as she demonstrates several clay building techniques, including pinch, slabs, and coils, to create several “faux sweets” of your choice. She will guide you through all the steps of creating your “sweets” and how to paint with underglazes, otherwise known as liquid colored clay, or find a glaze perfect for you.

Depending on the detail level, most class participants will make between two to four pieces. Will you choose pies, cookies, cupcakes, all three, or something different? Pickup will be scheduled for two to three weeks later after Julie has glazed and fired sweet. Participants will receive a notification via email.

No experience is necessary. Come play in the clay!

Clay Pinch Pot Birds

Wednesday, May 29 ~ 5:30pm to 7pm

*This class is open to adults 18 and over, no prior clay experience is needed.

Celebrate May, the annual migratory bird month for NW Ohio, by making your very own bird! Explore the fun and easy pinch pot technique to create a bird you recognize, or let loose and make up your own bird. These darling little birds can be set in a planter, garden, or on a desk to bring a cheeriness to it’s new home year round.

This class is led by Julie Beutler, 577 Pottery Manager and Ceramic Artist. She will guide you through all the steps of creating your bird and then, depending on your bird, painting with underglazes, otherwise known as liquid colored clay, or find a glaze perfect for you.

Pickup will be scheduled for two to three weeks later after Julie has glazed and fired each bird. Participants will receive a notification via email. No experience is necessary. Come play in the clay!

Create a Clay Chia Pet

Thursday, June 6 ~ 5:30pm to 7:30pm

*This class is open to adults 18 and over, no prior clay experience is needed.

Chia Pets have outlasted the 70s and now you can create one of your own. Originating in Mexico, this quirky houseware is a great project not only to make but to take home and watch grow!

In this class, we will use pinch pot techniques to create a pet of your choice – think dog, cat, sheep, etc. We will also create small trays for our pets to sit on to catch any water that may seep. Your project will not be glazed as they only work with permeable ceramic walls. Once you get your project back it’s time to plant up with chia seeds provided by 577.

Pickup will be scheduled for two to three weeks later after your class instructor, 577 Pottery Coordinator Emily Horst has fired your items. Participants will receive a notification via email.No experience is necessary. Come play in the clay!

Clay Slab Owl or Big Horn Sheep

Thursday, June 13 ~ 9:30am to 11:30am

*This class is open to adults 18 and over, no prior clay experience is needed.

Join Julie Beutler, 577’s Pottery Manager and Ceramic Artist, for this cute class creating your choice of either a big horn sheep or an owl. Julie will demonstrate each animal and chat with the class about glaze choices. Everyone will have the opportunity to paint with underglaze on small parts like the eyes, beak, horns, etc.

Your animal will be dimensional making it the perfect addition to a patio, shelf, or even on a slim yard post. Come enjoy this whimsical class making these cool animals!

Pickup will be scheduled for two to three weeks later after Julie has glazed and fired each bird. Participants will receive a notification via email. No experience is necessary. Come play in the clay!

Clay Charcuterie Board & Bowls

Monday, June 17 ~ 5:30pm to 7:30pm

*This class is open to adults 18 and over, no prior clay experience is needed.

Surprise your guests the next time you entertain by bringing out your charcuterie on a board made and painted by you! ! In this 2-hour class, you will learn how to roll out a slab, cut out your favorite shapes, and paint on a design. This class also includes creating 2 to 3 tiny bowls for your sauces, olives, and other delicious charcuterie additions.

Pickup will be scheduled for two to three weeks later after your class instructor, 577 Pottery Coordinator Emily Horst has glazed and fired your items. Participants will receive a notification via email.

No experience is necessary. Come play in the clay!

May Family Pottery: For Ages 6 to 17 w/ Adult

Friday, May 31 ~ 9am to 11am

This family pottery class is open to children 7 to 17 with an adult over 18, no prerequisite or experience is required.

Did you know there are over 100 different games you can play with Dominos?! This month’s family pottery class is the perfect chance to make family game night even better. Come in and have a blast with your little one making your own set of Dominos. Each Domino set has 28 pieces, so you’re welcome to split the work or tag team on each piece.

Pottery Coordinator Emily Horst will show everyone how you can decorate your pieces to really make this set your own. Examples will include using to stamps to add the family name to each domino, painting with favorite colors, or even creating a simple puzzle by painting an image on the backside of your set.

Emily will fire your domino sets with pickup scheduled for two to three weeks later. Each pair will receive a notification via email. No experience is necessary. Come play in the clay!

Class Registration Requirments:
• Each registration is for one (1) youth between the ages of 6 to 17, with an accompanying adult 18 years old and older. Due to the small class size, only one adult may accompany the youth registered.
• If an adult would like to accompany multiple youth participants, please sign up each youth participant individually and list the adult’s name for each registration.

June Family Pottery: For Ages 7 to 17 w/ Adult

Friday, June 7 ~ 9:30am to 11:30am

This family pottery class is open to children 7 to 17 with an adult over 18, no prerequisite or experience is required.

Create your very own pet dish and tag/ornament in this fun family pottery class. Together we will make medium dishes, 6 to 8 inches in diameter, which are the perfect size water bowl for your dog or cat (or snake, bird, or anything in between). You will have a ball decorating and personalizing your dish for your favorite pet.

Pottery Coordinator Emily Horst will then show everyone how to create a little tag for the collar of your pet, or a small ornament for your wall or Christmas tree. Each pair will make one pet dish and 2 tags/ornaments.

Emily will fire your pieces with pickup scheduled for two to three weeks later. Each pair will receive a notification via email. No experience is necessary. Come play in the clay!

Class Registration Requirments:
• Each registration is for one (1) youth between the ages of 7 to 17, with an accompanying adult 18 years old and older. Due to the small class size, only one adult may accompany the youth registered.
• If an adult would like to accompany multiple youth participants, please sign up each youth participant individually and list the adult’s name for each registration.

Create Your Own Shoe ~ Youth Pottery for Ages 8 to 17

Monday, May 13 ~ 4:30pm to 6pm

This class is open to children ages 8 to 17. No prerequisite or experience is required.

Join us in May for a clay class perfect for your kiddo who loves shoes! Each child should pick out their favorite shoes and bring them to class. Then, with guidance from Emily, your pottery class instructor, each child will build one shoe drawing inspiration from the real thing.

Class time will be spent constructing their shoe and then using underglazes to paint their completed sculpture. After a bisque fire, Emily will dip each in a clear glaze creating a shiny finish and durability. Once completed, your child will love all the ways it can be used: admire it on a bookshelf or mantle, plant it with a house plant or flowers, or it will definitely make a stylish pen/pencil holder.

Pickup will be scheduled for two to three weeks later. Each child will receive a notification via email. No experience is necessary. Come play in the clay!

Please note: Adults are not required to attend youth pottery classes. Students may be dropped off at the beginning of class and picked up at the scheduled end time. Please remember to be on time.

No experience is necessary. Come play in the clay!

Hot Air Balloons ~ Youth Pottery for Ages 7 to 13

Thursday, June 27 ~ 10am to 11:30am

This class is open to children ages 7 to 13. No prerequisite or experience is required.

Let your kiddo have their head in the clouds for this creative class where they will create their a hot air balloon. Your child will learn to roll out slabs, cut out shapes, and paint on a design of their choice. These pieces will be made to hang indoors or outdoors (in non-freezing temperatures) with a small hanging clay basket attached with twine/wire provided by 577.

Once completed your child’s design will be fired and either dipped in clear glaze or left matte, depending on your child’s preference.

Pickup will be scheduled for two to three weeks later. Each child will receive a notification via email. No experience is necessary. Come play in the clay!

Please note: Adults are not required to attend youth pottery classes. Students may be dropped off at the beginning of class and picked up at the scheduled end time. Please remember to be on time.

No experience is necessary. Come play in the clay!

Slab of Summer ~ Youth Pottery Camp

5 Sessions ~ Monday, July 8 to Friday, July 12

~ Youth Ages 7 to 11: 9:30am to 11:30am

~ Youth Ages 12 to 17: 1:30pm to 3:30pm

This five-session camp is open to children ages 7 to 17. No prerequisite or experience is required.

Camps are back! Your kiddo will spend an exciting week with the 577 Pottery Staff Julie Beutler and Emily Horst exploring clay. Using nature and the beautiful 577 grounds as our inspiration, we will create a new project each day.

Together, we will explore hand building techniques including pinch, slab and coils. Plus! As a special summer camp bonus, we will make a wheel-thrown pot! All supplies and firings included.  

Please note: Adults are not required to attend youth pottery classes. Students may be dropped off at the beginning of class and picked up at the scheduled end time. Please remember to be on time.

No experience is necessary. Come play in the clay!

577 Collab Class: Clay Candlesticks/Dipped Candles

Part One Class: Wednesday, May 1 ~ 5:30pm to 8pm

Part Two Class: Tuesday, May 21 ~ 5:30pm to 7:30pm

Mandatory: MUST have successfully completed the 577 Adult Pottery 6 Week Class to participate.

This advanced two-part class is for those of you that love candles and have always wanted to make your own taper candle holders.

Class One on Wednesday, May 1 from 5:30pm to 8pm: Join Julie Beutler, Pottery Manager, and Emily Horst, Pottery Coordinator, to learn how to create four candlesticks/chamber style holders. Each participant will throw two on the wheel and will hand build two others. (This class is recommended for those that have completed at least two half day throwing classes and feel confident in hand building).

Class Two on Tuesday, May 21 from 5:30pm to 7:30pm: Join Emily and 577 Executive Director Heather Gallant in making the candles! They will guide you step-by-step in hand dipping your own beeswax candles.

Everyone will go home with at least four (4) medium height and four (4) tall beeswax taper candles. With candles dipped and candlesticks glazed, you can get cozy at home with your handmade candle burning masterpieces!

Clay Spoons and Ladles

Saturday, May 18 ~ 2pm to 4pm

Mandatory: MUST have successfully completed the 577 Adult Pottery 6 Week Class to participate.

Spend the afternoon learning the tricks to making spoons and ladles using simple hand building techniques. Julie will demonstrate how to construct spoons/ladles. She will also demo a small pinch pot so you can make a dip bowl with a matching spoon!

We will talk about glazing and how firing in the wood kiln is a great way to finish your pieces. (Hint: This is a great class for those planning to do a wood firing this year). You will also have the opportunity to decorate with underglazes. Please note you will need to use your indie time post-bisque firing to glaze your piece.

Thrown Lidded Pot Demo

Wednesday, June 12 ~ 4pm to 5pm

Mandatory: MUST have successfully completed the 577 Adult Pottery 6 Week Class to participate.

Have you been taking the Half Day Throwing classes or practicing your wheel skills during indie time and feel like you are still struggling? Have questions or need to learn more about the final step of trimming your pots? This class is for you!

Spend an hour with Julie as she demonstrates trimming various styles of pieces including several different bottoms as well as the lids. The class will include what special tools to use as well as interesting handles, even some not made of clay.

This is a great class for anyone who wants to work on new shapes, beginners to see the potential of their future pots, and intermediate to advanced skill levels students will enjoy the challenge of turning cylinders and other shapes into lidded pieces.

*Please note this class is demonstration-only. There will be no hands-on work. Therefore, this class will not count as part of your three-class requirement for indie time.

577 Collab Class: Pottery & Weaving

Part One Class: Saturday, June 15 ~ 9am to 11am

Part Two Class: Wednesday, June 26 ~ 5:30pm to 7:30pm

Mandatory: MUST have successfully completed the 577 Adult Pottery 6 Week Class to participate.

This two-part class is perfect for those folks interested in combining two timeless crafts into one delightful experience, guided by the expertise of 577 staff members Julie Beutler, pottery manager and ceramic artist, and Samantha Day, organic garden horticulturist.

Create a clay base for your weaving project during your first class (June 15). Choose your favorite technique – pinch, coil, or thrown. If you choose the wheel, you need to be able to throw a small cylinder about 4 to 5 inches high on your own. Once bisque fired, Julie will glaze your pieces (you will select your color) and fire them so they are ready for the weaving class with Samantha on June 26.

During your second class, Samantha will walk the class through simple weaving techniques using mostly plants and trees from the 577 grounds including willow tops and ivy. There will also be other fun offerings including cordage and twine. No weaving experience is needed.

Hand Built Pottery Boxes

Saturday, June 15 ~ 1pm to 3:30pm

Mandatory: MUST have successfully completed the 577 Adult Pottery 6 Week Class to participate.

Spend the afternoon creating boxes of all sizes. Create a box to hold your favorite tea, one for your favorite rings or earrings, your secret cash stash, or even salt and pepper. So many fun uses, the possibilities are endless.

Julie will walk you through tips and tricks to make hand built boxes using slab and/or extruder. She will also demonstrate a pinch pot option, and there will be an opportunity for those with intermediate to advanced skillsto get a wheel demo.

Please note the focus of the day will be hand building. You will need to use your indie time post-bisque firing to glaze your piece(s) and or to finish your decoration.

Half Day Throwing

Friday, May 3 ~ 9am to 12pm

Wednesday, May 8 ~ 5:30pm to 8:30pm

Friday, May 17 ~ 1pm to 4pm

Monday, June 10 ~ 9am to 12pm

Wednesday, June 12 ~ 5:30pm to 8:30pm

Thursday, June 20 ~ 1pm to 4pm

Mandatory: MUST have successfully completed the 577 Adult Pottery 6 Week Class to participate.

Practice your skills on the wheel in this intensive study class with Julie & Emily. Class is set around your individual goals but the focus is to help you gain confidence on the wheel.

Start the session with a couple of short demonstrations from Julie or Emily, then you will have the rest of the time to work. Don’t worry if you feel a little rusty, your instructor will rotate between students to give advice and help. Prior to class, you will also receive an email with links to throwing videos to help rekindle that memory of throwing on the potter’s wheel.

Waitlists are available if class is listed as full.

Supervised Indie Time

Monday, May 6 ~ 9am to 11am

Thursday, June 13 ~ 2pm to 4pm

Monday, June 24 ~ 1pm to 3pm

Mandatory: MUST have successfully completed the 577 Adult Pottery 6 Week Class to participate.

Supervised Indie Time sessions are perfect for folks who have recently completed the 6-week adult class and need additional time with your instructors or for those needing a refresher after a short break from the studio.

Join us for these casual supervised classes perfect for you to work independently on your projects where you can use the table, extruder, slab roller, and even the wheel. If you need some tips on projects or ideas you are working on, Julie will be in the studio to help answer questions, remind you of techniques or where things are, and just be there to help give you inspiration on a project.

Hybrid Pottery to Go – Raku

Sessions Available Each Month

• May 14th Firing: Pick-up: Apr 12; Drop-off: May 2; Raku Fire: May 14

• June 5th Firing: Pick-up: May 1; Drop-off: May 20; Raku Fire: June 5

• July 1st Firing: Pick-up: June 3; Drop-off: June 18; Raku Fire: July 1

Mandatory: MUST have successfully completed the 577 Adult Pottery 6 Week Class to participate.

This class is a hybrid of our popular “work from home” classes where you will make all the pieces at home and then join us for an in-person outdoor firing of the raku kiln. We will supply you with all the tools and resources you need to make for to six pieces: clay, pottery tools, drywall board, plastic bags to make your pieces at home.

You will also have options to receive links to videos on basic constructions to make pots of your choosing using techniques including, pinch, coils, slabs, as well as instructions/ideas for what to make for your raku firing. You can also choose to use your block of clay to create your pieces at home, in your own indie times or other clay classes at 577, or a combo of both.

Pottery to Go – Custom Design by You!

Multiple Dates – See below

Mandatory: MUST have successfully completed the 577 Adult Pottery 6 Week Class to participate.

The only (mostly) limits are your imagination in this “work from your home” class. This class is designed to be what you want to make. Experiment with new forms, work out a pattern, or make presents for the upcoming holidays or birthdays. It’s your clay to create what you would like.

Don’t worry if you are stumped for ideas. Julie can provide you with videos from previous Pottery-to-Go classes like pinch pot animals, slab plates, coil pots, and more.

In this “work from your home” class, we will supply you with all the tools and resources you need to make this project: clay, pottery tools, drywall board, plastic bags, a few short videos if you choose, plus email support from Julie. Optional: underglazes are available for an additional fee. Please Note: This class no longer counts toward the three classes needed to keep indie time privileges.

May ~ Pick-up: May 1; Return: May 29

June ~ Pick-up: June 3; Return: June 24