Ceramics Studio Policies

Table of Contents

  1. Registration and Program Information
  2. Clay, Glaze, and Firing Policies
  3. Firing Information and Scheduling
  4. Youth Ceramics Pickup Policy
  5. Safety and Cleaning
  6. Storage and Cubbies
  7. End of Session
  8. Liability Release

 

 

 

REGISTRATION AND PROGRAM INFORMATION

Registration

  • Please use our website for registering for Umbrella ceramics classes.
  • Individuals must be 18+ to register for adult programming. 
  • Sign ups are first come, first serve. Classes may fill very fast. 
  • It’s best to mark your calendar when registration notices are emailed, and sign up the day it opens for best chances to get into your first choice of class.
  • The Umbrella does not offer pre-registeration for ceramics classes.
  • Registration for the Independent Program is first offered internally to our currently registered community, and then publicly if any space remains
  • Students may request to be wait listed through online forms during registration. In the event that another student drops out, individuals on the wait list will be contacted before the spot is offered publicly. 

Semester Class Program

  • Provides access to and use of the ceramics facilities, instructional support and demonstrations on a weekly schedule as advertised during registration.
  • Provides access to and use of the ceramics facilities during open hours when not in use by a class, event, or other programming.  
  • The start and end dates, as well as the weekly facilities schedule will be distributed on our website, in welcome documents, and emails from the Ceramics Program Manager.
  • Registration includes one bag of clay (excepting porcelain), all bisque and glaze firings, as well as use of all shared studio tools, equipment and resources.
  • Youth and teen ceramics students are restricted to studio use during their class time only.

Independent Program

  • ​Provides access to and use of the ceramics facilities during open hours when not in use by a class, event, or other programming.
  • Students must be experienced enough to navigate the studio without instruction, and are required to have taken at least one course at The Umbrella. Any student who is considered “not ready” may be denied Independent Program registration.
  • Independent Studio access follows the semester dates of the program as a whole.  The start and end dates, as well as the weekly facilities schedule will be distributed on our website, in welcome documents, and emails from the Ceramics Program Manager.
  • Independent Program registration does not include clay.  Clay must be purchased through our website or via direct payment.
  • Includes all bisque and glaze firings, as well as use of all shared studio tools, equipment and resources.
  • Experienced ceramics artists who are new to The Umbrella will be required to take a ~30-min orientation with the Ceramics Program Manager.
  • Independent Program members must abide by the all Ceramics Studio Policies.

 

CLAY, GLAZE AND FIRING POLICIES

Clay Use Policies 

  • Class registration includes the first bag of clay, Independent Program registration does not.
  • All clay purchases must be logged on the “Clay Signout Sheet”
  • Participants are limited to the use of 75lbs of clay per session.
  • All work over 13” in any dimension is considered “large”.  Participants are allotted the firing of one “large” piece for free per semester.  Additional large pieces must be paid for in accordance with the following payment schedule.
    1. Items 13”-16” in any dimension - $20/item
    2. Items greater than 16” - $40/item
    3. Any work over 16” in any dimension must be discussed in advance with the Studio Manager.  Firing is at our discretion.
  • Our program cannot accommodate production pottery, and reserves the right to limit the volume of work being made in consideration of community firing needs.
  • The use of pigmented clays, mason stains and/or other pigments to color clays is not allowed within the studio space.

Clay Purchasing

  • Clay is available for purchasing through The Umbrella Ceramics Studio and includes firing services. Clay must be purchased online or by cash/check at the payment cash box.
  • All clay purchases must be logged on the “Clay Signout Sheet”
  • Students registered for a class will receive one bag of clay at the start of the semester included in the cost of registration.  This can be any clay studio clay body except porcelain.  Taking porcelain as your first bag requires payment of a $15 surcharge to be coordinated with the Program Manager. 
  • Recycled clay can be purchased in our Main Studio area for $1/lb, payments to be made online in cash into our cash bo
  • Additional/new bags of clay can be purchased through the Ceramics Studio page on our website, or by cash or check in the cash box. 
  • Once payment is completed, students should fill out the “claysignout sheet” on the door of the clay cabinets and indicate their name, date, the clay type, and the method of payment.

Outside Glaze/Materials 

  • Glazes purchased from outside of The Umbrella are allowed only after consultation with the Studio Manager via email or in person.
  • All outside glazes must be tested conservatively before being used in production.
  • Clays purchased from outside of The Umbrella are allowed after consultation with the Studio Manager. A firing fee of $25/bag ($1/lb) will be charged for outside clays. All clays must be cone 6 or higher.

Working From Home

  • Working from home is permitted in our program. 
  • Work produced at home must occur during the regular semester schedule.  No work is to be made during break periods in between semesters.
  • Individuals working from home must abide by all clay use policies detailed above.
  • Please be mindful of the volume of work being dropped off at one time.  Distribute your work to be fired throughout the semester.

 

FIRING INFORMATION AND SCHEDULING

Bisque Firings

  • Greenware is collected from the greenware drop of carts/shelves and fired as quickly as possible once the work is dry enough to safely fire.  
  • All work must be signed or marked in some fashion to identify the artist.
  • Once fired, bisqueware will be moved to the bisque storage shelves in the Glaze room
  • This process should take no longer than two weeks, and will often be much faster.
  • The frequency of firings is determined by the volume of work produced at any given time.  Generally our bisque kiln load/unload days are Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
  • All bisqued pieces will be stamped with the unload date, and kept for a minimum of 8 weeks to be glazed.
  • Any work more than 8 weeks old will be moved into a separate, labelled storage area for pickup, and eventually donated/discarded.
  • The Umbrella reserves the right to donate or sell any abandoned work after a period of 8 weeks.

Oxidation (Electric) Glaze Firings

  • Electric firings are available to the community at no extra charge.
  • Glazed work is collected from the glaze carts located in the Glaze room.
  • Items with glaze problems that can be identified before firing will be moved to the “problem pots” area to be cleaned and re-glazed.
  • Any special considerations for loading and firing pieces (potentially runny glazes, needs firing pins etc.) should be clearly marked on a note placed inside the piece.
  • Fired work will be unloaded onto the “finished work” carts/shelves located in the hallway outside the ceramics classrooms.
  • Items with runny glaze, or other glazing issues may be identified with a note.  If glazing/application problems persist, the community member may be asked to schedule a consultation with the Program Manager before any other work is produced.
  • The frequency of firings is determined by the volume of work produced at any given time.  Generally our bisque/glaze kiln load/unload days are Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Reduction (Gas) Glaze Firings

  • Reduction firings are available to the community at no extra charge.
  • Reduction firing frequency is determined by the volume of work produced.  The kiln is much larger than our electric kilns, generally resulting in slower firing cycles.  Recently this has averaged 2-3 firings/semester.
  • Glazed work for reduction firings is collected from the labeled/designated reduction cart.
  • Otherwise the same as electric firings.

Soda Glaze Firings

  • Soda firings are only available through registration in a soda class, workshop, or otherwise coordinated through the studio manager.
  • Soda firing schedules are distributed directly to registered individuals.
  • Participation in loading, unloading, and cleanup is mandatory.

Alternative Firings

  • We may periodically offer alternative firing opportunities (raku, wood).  These are for registered individuals only.

Breakage and Loss

  • The Umbrella is not responsible for the condition or disappearance of any work for any reason.  Accidents, breakage, and unintended disappearance do occasionally happen. Umbrella Staff will leave notes whenever possible in the case of damaged/broken items.

 

YOUTH CERAMICS PICKUP POLICY

It is the parent’s responsibility to ensure that a student’s finished fired work is picked up from The Umbrella. Ceramics are generally ready for pick-up 2 weeks after a class ends. Ceramics for pick up will be located on labeled shelves accessible in a public area near the ceramics studio during regular business hours. Notifications, if applicable, are sent by email to the parent’s email used for registration. The Umbrella will hold all ceramics work for 2 weeks from the date it is removed from the kiln. All ceramics after this period are subject to disposal. The Umbrella is not responsible for the condition or disappearance of any student work for any reason. Accidents, breakage, and unintended theft are common. Special arrangements to retain work or hold it beyond the deadline for each semester must be made in writing before the deadline and will not be valid or accommodated without documented and dated confirmation by Umbrella staff, providing that accurate identification of the work in question can be made.

 

SAFETY AND CLEANING

General

  • The primary safety concern for a ceramics program is the level of dust present in the studio spaces.  Frequency and quality of cleaning directly determine the safety of our program.
  • Individuals are required to clean up after themselves whenever they finish using our studio spaces.
  • Umbrella Staff will mop floors, clean surfaces, and tidy the studio Monday-Friday mornings.
  • Umbrella staff will deep clean the studio spaces in the gap between semesters.

Clay Cleanup

  • After using a studio space, individuals are responsible for cleaning up any equipment, tools, table spaces, and floors they have dirtied.
  • Spaces should be left as clean or cleaner than they were found.
  • All reclaimable clay should be put in the labeled clay recycle barrels.
  • All remaining dirty water and slops should be emptied into our settling sinks.

Glaze Cleanup/Safety

  • Glazes contain amounts of metallic oxides, which can be harmful if ingested/inhaled, and must be treated with additional caution.
  • Individuals may have sensitivities to glaze minerals, in which case they should be wearing protective gloves and/or N95 whenever using the glaze area.
  • No food or drink are allowed in the Glaze Room.
  • After glazing, individuals are responsible for cleaning up any equipment, tools, table spaces, and floors they have dirtied.

Spray Booth:

  • Use of the spray booth requires a ~15 minute orientation with the Program Manager
  • The use of N95 rated masks is encouraged while using the spray booth.
  • Please be mindful of space requirements and the noise produced by the spray booth. 
  • Cleanup is detailed in the orientation, and should include the ventilation hood, spray gun, and all dirtied surfaces.

 

STORAGE AND CUBBIES

  • Enrolled students and participants will receive a storage cubby for the duration of their enrollment. Participants are asked to remove any belonging at the end of a semester if they are not continuing with our programming. Any belongings left in a cubby after the end of a semester are subject to removal by the Studio Manager.
  • There are shared communal storage areas at the top of the cubbies.  These can be used when needed for additional space.  All items in communal storage must be labeled with a name and date, and not remain longer than 2 weeks.

 

END OF SESSION 

Working Dates

  • Deadlines for greenware production and the final glaze day will be posted at registration and communicated via email at the start and end of each session.
  • Work produced after deadlines may not be accepted by the program or fired.

Continuing Students

  • Continuing students may keep their cubby space, and leave personal belongings in their cubbies over the gap.
  • Finished work should be collected as the final kilns are unloaded.

Exiting Students

  • Any belongings left in cubbies after the last day of the semester will be donated/discarded.
  • Any remaining bisque-ware and finished work should be picked up as soon as possible.  End of session firing schedule will be sent out via email.

 

LIABILITY RELEASE

Registered students agree to the following that participation in the Ceramics programs may involve some risk of personal injury and damage to the studio property: therefore, they assume all risks related to these activities and release The Umbrella, its directors and employees from all resulting liability from personal injury and property damage.


The Umbrella reserves the right to change, add, or delete any and all policies at any time.  All changes take effect immediately unless otherwise noted.