Welcome to Pottery Energy Studio! We hope you enjoy your experience with us! Our goal is to support you in learning and creating beautiful ceramic work in a welcoming, encouraging, respectful, and enjoyable studio space. The following studio policies are for the safety of you, our staff, and the working artists in the studio. The policies also help to create a positive working atmosphere for our community.
Please ensure you have read, understood and accept these Terms & Conditions before you book a class, workshop or special event. You will be held accountable for practicing the policies set forth in this document.
Policy Acknowledge
Registering and attending a class, workshop, event, open studio, or private party through Pottery Energy, constitutes your understanding and acceptance of our terms and conditions, studio policies, refund policies, and the liability release and thus forms your contract with Pottery Energy. See refund policy and liability release below.
Be Respectful:
~ Be kind and considerate to your fellow students and instructors — we’re all here to create and have fun! Pottery Energy Studio adheres to all applicable federal, state and local anti-discrimination and harassment laws and regulations. Pottery Energy staff, contractors, vendors, visitors, students, members and the like are entitled to work or visit an environment free from sexual harassment and a hostile or offensive environment. We recognize sexual harassment as unlawful discrimination, just as conduct that belittles or demeans any individual on the basis of race, religion, national origin, sexual preference, age, disability, or other similar characteristics or circumstances.
~ Please practice cell phone courtesy when in the studio and take any phone conversations outside the classroom, silence notification sounds, and refrain from distracting others with videos or photos during class time. This helps up maintain a creative, focused atmosphere, uninterrupted by the outside world for a few hours.
Health and Safety First:
No one may use the studio equipment, glazes, clay and property of Pottery Energy Studio without prior permission from Nerrissa McKee, even if the door is unlocked to the studio. Schedule all studio time with Nerrissa.
Pottery Energy takes a serious approach towards health and safety for the sake of all staff and students. Students use the studio at their own risk, with awareness of the inherent hazards of a Studio environment, which include, but are not limited to, use of sharp tools and sharp edges, exposure to toxic materials, the dangers of using materials and equipment at high temperatures, and the risks associate with breathing dust.
~ Our tools and equipment stay in the studio. Taking studio tools out of the classroom is considered theft. Always ask an instructor for guidance before trying a new tool or piece of equipment, and remember to use tools carefully — your safety is our top priority.
~ Never open, touch, or unload any kilns without the permission of Nerrissa.
~ Proper attire, including closed-toed shoes, eye protection (reading glasses are not acceptable), dust masks, and rubber/work gloves must be worn when working on certain projects or when working in certain areas of the studio. The studio is not responsible for supplying these items.
~ Do not eat or drink while working on pottery or at the tables that are designated for glazing or pottery making. Ingesting glaze can be toxic, even in small amounts that might not be visible to the eye or noticeable on surfaces. Please eat and drink away from the working area and wash your hands well before touching and ingesting any food for drink. All drinking vessels brought to the studio must have a tight lid, no open drinking containers allowed in the studio. All food and drink must be stored away from the working area at all times.
~ When applying stain and sponging off it is wise to wear rubber gloves. Some stains may be absorbed through the skin and the amount of colorant in stains is a much higher percentage than glaze. Copper, manganese dioxide, and other colorants may be absorbed through the skin with prolonged exposure.
~ Clay is primarily made of alumina, silica, and chemically bound water. These components, along with various impurities and organic matter, endow clay with its unique properties. While we try our best to keep the studio clean and clay dust at a minimum, it is almost impossible to keep the environment 100% dust free. Silica dust is harmful when inhaled into your lungs. As it is 100 times smaller than a grain of sand, you can be breathing it in without knowing. All measures possible should be taken to minimize the creation of excess clay dust throughout the studio. Because clay dust can be harmful, we do not allow any pottery sanding in the studio and ask that you clean your area, equipment and tools with a damp sponge to prevent further dust. All dry clay sanding must be done outside of the building, in the open air, wearing a protective mask. Additional information can be found here:
https://www.consumernotice.org/environmental/silica-dust/ https://www.consumernotice.org/environmental/silica-dust/silicosis/
Safety Non-Compliance:
Safety is our priority. Those not adhering to the policies may be asked to leave the studio for the day or permanently without refund. Please read carefully and see our website for the most up-to-date version of the policies. Please note that class fees are non-refundable in these cases.
General Cleaning Guidelines:
~ Wash all community tools, mats, brushes, tables, wareboards, etc. with a wet sponge and water that can be found in the cleaning buckets and put away prior to leaving.
~ Check the floor of any clay pieces and pick them up to prevent them from drying and forming clay dust. Beware and limit any studio actions that create dust, as liberation of airborne particles is hazardous to all of our health. Sweeping of trimmings is allowed but must be done with a wet sponge to avoid kicking up dust.
~ Glaze tools such as brushes, whisks, spoons, spatulas, and tongs, must be thoroughly cleaned between glazes and after use. Contamination between glaze buckets can ruin an entire batch of glaze and disrupt use for other artists in the studio. If a glaze batch is ruined as a result of improper use, artists may be charged for the materials and the time it takes to replace it.
Makeup Classes:
Life happens! Each student is welcome to schedule makeup days for a 6-week class with the instructor. Due to the small nature of our studio we do not offer refunds for 6 week classes or workshops, but you may receive credit to be used toward another class or workshop. See our full refund policy below.
Work Protection:
~ Please handle only your own creations — clay pieces are delicate, and we want everyone’s work to shine. Please do not touch or move any work on the shelves that does not belong to you to make room for your pieces of pottery. Ask Nerrissa to move the pottery for you.
~Please take care when moving and working around other student and member work. If you have any questions or doubts about procedures, please do not hesitate to ask.
Kilns & Firing:
~ Never open, touch, or unload any kilns without the permission of Pottery Energy Studio.
~ Clays and glazes other than those provided by Pottery Energy Studio shall not be used in the studio to avoid contamination of surfaces and equipment. If a unapproved glaze or clay causes damage to the kiln, kiln furniture or shelves, that person may be charged for the replacement of the items and/or the time it takes to clean them, a minimum of $10 per incident.
~ Students are requested not to bring creations made outside of Pottery Energy Studio for completion and firing at Pottery Energy Studio. Such action would cause delays for students receiving their work made within classes.
~ We know it’s disappointing when a piece doesn’t make it through the kiln. Pottery Energy will try to ensure that experienced and trained staff are the only people who will handle and fire your ceramic work, however accidents happen and pottery can be unpredictable — even experienced potters have pieces crack, stick, or break during firing (which reaches 2,200°F!). Please remember that class fees cover instruction, supplies, and the creative experience, not a guaranteed finished product.
~ Most finished pottery pieces are ready to pick up 2 to 3 weeks after a session and the instructor will schedule a time with you to pick up your finished pieces. Firing schedules are subject to change according to the quantity of work that is ready to fire and the overall happenings of the studio. We will text you when the pieces are ready for pickup, so please make sure to give us a current mobile phone number where we can reach you.
~ We recommend you collect your finished work as soon as possible after your class, workshop or private event to help keep our storage area clear therefore avoiding damage. If finished ceramic work is not collected within 1 month of the end of the class, workshop or event we will sadly have to dispose of it. Unfortunately, we cannot offer refunds for damaged, lost, donated or discarded pieces.
Open Studio Time
Open studio is a time to work independently and practice hand building skills while enjoying the company of other potters. You must have previous clay experience and be knowledgeable about glazing practices and understand how to use studio tools and equipment as there is no instruction. Use of studio tools, glazes and kiln firing is included. Clay can be purchased and is not included in the studio fee. Some guidelines and restrictions apply. Contact us for more information and to schedule a time.
Images for Promotional Use
Pottery Energy Studio has the right to take and use images of you as an attendee, of any class or event, for the purposes of promotion via web site, Instagram or other medium for the benefit solely of the said business. Please inform us if you do not wish to use any images of you.
Personal Risk: Pottery Energy Studio is not financially liable for any injury sustained on the premises. See participant liability release below.
Please note, the policies and guidelines outlined in this document are subject to change. The most current version of the policies will be available on our website at all times. Any changes to the policies will go into effect immediately following posting. Larger updates will also be communicated via email. Thank you for helping us create a fun and positive environment in our studio space!
I (the participant) voluntarily agree to assume all of the foregoing risks and accept sole responsibility for any injury to myself (including, but not limited to, personal injury, disability, and death), illness, damage, loss, claim, liability, or expense, of any kind, that I may experience or incur in connection with my patronage at Pottery Energy ceramic arts studios. On my behalf, and on behalf of my family, I hereby release, covenant not to sue, discharge, and hold harmless Pottery Energy employees, agents, and representatives, of and from the Claims, including all liabilities, claims, actions, damages, costs or expenses of any kind arising out of or relating thereto. I understand and agree that this release includes any claims based on the actions, omissions, or negligence of the pottery studio, its employees, agents, and representatives, including whether a COVID infection occurs before, during, or after participation in any Pottery Energy membership, class, workshop, or program.
I do hereby acknowledge the contagious nature of COVID and other seasonal flu viruses. I voluntarily assume the risk that I may be exposed to or infected by working inside any Pottery Energy ceramic arts studio, and that such exposure or infection may result in personal injury, illness, permanent disability, and death. I understand that the risk of becoming exposed to or infected by COVID or other types of contagious viruses at Pottery Energy may result from the actions, omissions, or negligence of myself and others, including, but not limited to, Pottery Energy employees, volunteers, and other member/participants and their families.