The Clay Studio
Seven wheels, a slab roller, a pug mill, and room to work. Whether you have never touched clay or you have been throwing for years, here is how to get into the studio.
How to get started
Four ways into the studio. Almost everyone starts with Skill Building and Orientation, then picks the rung that fits how often they want to be here.
Wednesdays, 5:30 to 7:30. Learn the space, the tools, and the house rules, then get guided time on a wheel with one of our clay teachers. This is required before you use Open Studio on your own or apply for a shelf.
Signing up in advance is highly encouraged. Space is limited and we would rather save you a wasted trip.
Sign up for Skill BuildingWork during posted Open Studio hours. This is the right choice if you are visiting Lander or you make things now and then. A punch pass is $60 for five visits, which is $12 a visit.
Punch passes never expire, and you can share one. A group of five can buy a single pass together and each use one punch. If you are enrolled in a 5-week class, Open Studio is included during your course dates, even before you have done Skill Building.
See the hoursTake one project from start to finish. Throw, trim, bisque fire, glaze, and glaze fire with an instructor. Classes run from intro sessions to wheel throwing and handbuilding, with intermediate courses when you are ready to build on the basics. Classes are beginner friendly, and Open Studio access is included during your course dates.
Our classes use self-selected pricing. The listed tuition is the standard rate, and if a lower price helps you take part, enter SUPPORTED at checkout for the reduced rate. No application and no explanation needed. We trust you to choose what is right for you.
Rent a shelf and you get the studio from 6 AM to 10 PM, seven days a week, with your own door code and a place to leave your work between sessions. This is for people who are here often enough that drop-ins stop making sense.
Shelves are limited, so ask about availability.
What you get and how to applyAt $50 a month, five visits works out to $10 each. A punch pass is $12 a visit. Come often and the shelf pays for itself, and you get everything below.
Shelf Rental membership
Shelf renters are members of the Lander Art Center. Shelf Rental is its own membership category, and it is one we value highly. These are the people in the building most often, and the studio runs on them.
- Direct access. The studio from 6 AM to 10 PM, seven days a week, with a code for the back door. That covers every Open Studio hour plus the rest of the day, so you are never choosing between the two. The code changes periodically and current renters are always updated.
- Dedicated storage. One large shelf for your work, your clay, and your tools. Studio tools stay available to you.
- Kiln services. Your work is fired on the Open Studio schedule. Private firings are available on request, and we will talk through what it takes.
- Material discounts. 20% off clay bought through LAC.
- Member benefits. Email and mail from us, the Art in the Afternoon members preview, and eligibility to enter the Members Show (entry fee applies).
Shelf rental is not 24-hour access, but it is close. You have the studio from 6 AM to 10 PM, seven days a week, which includes the Open Studio hours and every hour around them. It is closed overnight, 10 PM to 6 AM. Classes and LAC events can take the space, so check the schedule before you make the trip.
How to applyStop by LAC during open hours and talk with a staff member. Shelves are limited, so it is worth asking early.
The paperworkEveryone in the studio fills out a waiver, and shelf renters sign a rental agreement. Read them ahead of time if you like. Fill one out at home or pick one up at the front desk, but either way we need the signed paper copy handed to us at the front desk. We keep a physical copy of every one on file.
Hours
Open Studio is when anyone can drop in and work. Instruction times are when a class has the space. Shelf members are not limited to a separate slot: they have the studio from 6 AM to 10 PM every day, and that includes all of the Open Studio hours below.
| Day | Open Studio | Clay instruction | Shelf members (all day) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday | Closed | None | 6 AM to 10 PM |
| Monday | Closed | None | 6 AM to 10 PM |
| Tuesday | 2 to 6 PM | 6 to 8:30 PM | 6 AM to 10 PM |
| Wednesday | 2 to 5 PM | 5:30 to 7:30 PM, Skill Building and Orientation | 6 AM to 10 PM |
| Thursday | 2 to 6:30 PM | None | 6 AM to 10 PM check calendar |
| Friday | 2 to 6:30 PM | None | 6 AM to 10 PM check calendar |
| Saturday | 10 AM to 4 PM | None | 6 AM to 10 PM |
Before you make the trip, check. Classes and LAC events can take the studio, and a booked session means the space may not be open. The studio is closed overnight, 10 PM to 6 AM. LAC itself is open Tuesday through Friday 2 to 7 PM and Saturday 10 AM to 4 PM, and closed Sunday and Monday.
check calendar Shelf members have the studio Thursday and Friday evenings, which is also when LAC can host exhibition openings, our monthly Storytellers songwriter series, or other public events. You can still work through most of these, but you may prefer a quieter night. The calendar shows what is scheduled.
The studio
Seven potters' wheels, a slab roller, a coil extruder, a pug mill, throwing and sculpting tools, and plenty of table space. Buy your own block of clay here, usually from three to five options, or use the recycled community clay, which is included with every session (when available).
Our clay teachers: Shannon Wachowski, Rachel Russell, Sophia Lozito, Peyton Loss, and Stephen Snell.
Firings and house rules
Bisque and glaze firings run on a schedule set by staff and by how much work is waiting. Shelf-renter work goes on the Open Studio schedule unless you book a private firing. Rush jobs carry a service fee. The details are posted in the studio and covered in Skill Building.
Clean your station and the shared tools before you leave, label your work with your name and the date, follow the glaze and firing guidelines posted in the studio, and look out for the people learning next to you.
All of it is written out in the Open Studio waiver, which everyone reads and signs, and we walk through what we expect at the Wednesday evening Skill Building and Orientation session.
Tie your hair back, skip the hanging jewelry, and wear closed-toe shoes. Clay dust is handled wet, so we mop rather than sweep. The full list is in the waiver and covered in Skill Building.
Questions
Do I need experience?
No. Skill Building and Orientation is built for people who have never touched clay, and classes welcome every level.
I am only in Lander for a little while.
Do Skill Building, then use drop-ins or a punch pass. That gets you on a wheel without committing to anything.
Can I go straight into a class?
Yes. Classes are beginner friendly and you do not need Skill Building first. You will still want it if you plan to use the studio outside of class time.
Is shelf rental 24-hour access?
Not quite. You get your own door code and the studio from 6 AM to 10 PM, seven days a week. It is closed overnight, 10 PM to 6 AM.
Ready to start?
Skill Building and Orientation runs every Wednesday evening. That is the door.
Questions about the studio, shelf rental, or classes go to education@landerartcenter.com.