Dig your hands into clay, work some throwing magic at the wheel, construct forms with hand building methods or dive into more detail-oriented sculpture. The Ceramics studio provides all the tools you need to create functional and sculptural art. Whether you’re a complete beginner or you have years of experience, workshop instructors can help develop and guide your personal techniques.
Tools Available
- Stoneware and porcelain clay
- Throwing wheels
- Slab roller
- Extruder
- Hand building areas
- 2 electric bisque kilns
- High fire (cone 10) gas kiln
- Colored slips
- Food-safe glazes
- Plus many tools to craft ceramic objects
Studio Hours & Information
Open Studio Hours*:
The Craft Center will close for Winter Break at 6pm on December 13 and will reopen for Winter Term at 12pm on January 6.
*Hours are subject to change and may vary from week to week. Open Studio Hours are updated weekly.
Bisque Firing Schedule (Schedule to Subject to Change)
TBD for Winter Term
Glaze Firing Schedule (Schedule to Subject to Change)
TBD for Winter Term
End of Term Reminders
TBD for Winter Term
Ready to start creating?
To sign-up for orientations, click here!
To register for workshops, click here!
E-Newsletter
To stay up to date about upcoming events, workshops, and studio announcements at the Craft Center, sign up for our e-newsletter here.
Ceramics Studio Orientation Information
Winter Term Studio Orientations
Ceramics Orientations (Wheel Throwing and Hand Building) will be posted and available for registration starting at 10am on Monday, January 13. To register, visit myemu.uoregon.edu.
You must have previous experience to take a Ceramics Orientation.
For wheel throwing, that experience must include the following:
- Ability to center clay on the wheel.
- Familiarity with basic forms like cylinders and bowls.
- Knowledge of trimming techniques and when to trim.
- Understanding of how to prepare and finish pieces for firing.
- Ability to thoroughly clean wheel.
- Preferred knowledge of high temperature glazing processes, however, if you are unfamiliar, please plan to attend a Glaze Power Hour.
For hand building, that experience must include the following:
- Knowledge of clay properties, including proper thickness to avoid cracking.
- Understanding of techniques like coiling, slab building, and pinching.
- Proficiency in slip and score methods for attaching pieces securely.
- Awareness of drying stages and how to prepare work for firing.
- Preferred knowledge of high temperature glazing processes, however, if you are unfamiliar, please plan to attend a Glaze Power Hour.
Ceramics Studio Policies
Orientation Required: First-time users need to complete a studio orientation to review tools, safety, and cleanup procedures.
Clay & Projects: All clay must be purchased at the Craft Center. Clay pricing includes the cost of glazes and firings. No outside materials are permitted. The work being fired at the Craft Center must have been made in the Craft Center.
Studio users will be issued a tray for storing all work, and a designated area to store clay. Two trays may be checked out at a time. All trays must have a "Name Tag" attached and updated every two weeks with the current date. Your name/initials should be signed on each piece for easier identification. Your bag of clay must have your first and last name written on it.
To support smooth workflow and ensure adequate space for all, studio users are encouraged to work efficiently and complete projects in a timely manner. Please note that bats should not be stored on personal trays. To conserve space, transfer your works to the appropriate firing shelves or consolidate them onto a single tray when possible.
Ceramic projects will be moved with the tray through bisque firing. After unloading, you can retrieve your tray and place it back on the greenware shelf to continue using or return it to the front desk.
The Craft Center maintains a strict policy against the making of drug paraphernalia.
Respect Shared Space: Working with clay in a shared studio can present unique challenges. Pieces may occasionally be bumped, moved, or mistakenly glazed. To help maintain a respectful and organized environment, please handle only your own projects and avoid uncovering or touching anyone else’s work. While every effort is made to process and fire pieces with care, many factors can influence the final results. If you find that the shelves are full, please ask the Ceramics Studio Coordinator or a Ceramics Studio Assistant for assistance in creating storage space. Thank you for helping keep our studio a positive and collaborative space!
End of Term Clean Up: After Week 10 of the current term all clay and greenware, even if labeled, will not be saved for the following term. It will be recycled. Studio clean out will happen during Finals Week of the current term.
Clean Your Workspace: Users are responsible for cleaning any materials and surfaces they use, disposing of trash in designated bins, and leaving the space ready for others.
No Food or Drink: For safety reasons, no food or drink is allowed in the studio. Lidded containers are fine.
Closed-Toe Shoes: The Craft Center requires closed-toe shoes to be worn in every studio. If you do not have proper footwear, you will be turned away.