Learn techniques or sharpen your skills with classes available for beginning and experienced potters. Classes take place in our robust pottery studio and 577 offers three kilns – wood, raku, and electric. Independent studio time is available for students who have successfully completed the adult six-week pottery course and with permission. Classes are taught by the 577 Pottery Studio Manager/Ceramic Artist and teaching fellows.
Upcoming Classes
Clay Thumbprint Tree
Friday, October 11 ~ 9am to 11am
*This class is open to adults 18 and over, no prior clay experience is needed.
Let’s get prepared for the upcoming winter days! In this class, dive into the fun of crafting your own cone-shaped tree using slab and ball techniques. You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to master this technique bringing your tree to life. No clay experience is needed.
Julie Beutler, 577 Pottery Manager and Ceramic Artist, will walk you through each step and discuss your options for finishing, as these can be used during the holiday season or left green for year-round enjoyment. Once finished, your tree will be fired and glazed in green or white (your choice) and fired again by 577 staff. You will receive an email when they are ready for pick up, estimated 14 to 18 days later.
This class is perfect for all levels, no prior clay experience is required. Come play in the clay!
Clay Gingerbread House
Saturday, October 19 ~ 1pm to 4pm
*This class is open to adults 18 and over, no prior clay experience is needed.
One of our most popular classes is back just in time for the holiday season. In this class, you will make a darling gingerbread house out of clay. Participants will be shown several techniques to create their own gingerbread house decorations, including how to make clay candies, shrubs, wreaths, windows, doors, and snowmen, plus how to top it with “snow” and tips on how to make it light up. This is the perfect class to repeat to build your own village!
Once finished, your house will be fired and glazed clear, and fired again by 577 staff. You will receive an email when they are ready for pick up, estimated 14 to 18 days later.
No experience in clay work is necessary, as we will walk you through each step. Come play in the clay!
Clay Snowpeople
Monday, October 28 ~ 5:30pm to 7:30pm
Thursday, November 14 ~ 5:30pm to 7:30pm
*This class is open to adults 18 and over, no prior clay experience is needed.
A yearly favorite ~ Clay Snowpeople is back! Join us for this hands-on class making adorable pinch pot-style snowpeople. Your instructor Julie Beutler, 577 Pottery Manager and Ceramic Artist, will walk you through the basics of making the body. Then, Julie will demonstrate several ways to accent them with several styles of scarves, hats, mittens, and other cute ideas.
Depending on the details you choose to incorporate into your piece, including the opportunity to paint your snowperson and accessories with underglazes, you will make either one or two. Your snowpeople will be perfect for gifting or adding a touch of charm to your decor. These are so cute that you will want to leave them out year-round!
Pieces will be left with your instructors to fire in the kiln. Once bisque fired, they will be glazed in clear which will keep your clay body white like snow, and then they are fired again. You will receive an email when they are ready for pick up, estimated 14 to 18 days later.
This class is perfect for all levels, no prior clay experience is required. Come play in the clay!
Clay Penguin
Tuesday, November 19 ~ 5:30pm to 7pm
*This class is open to adults 18 and over, no prior clay experience is needed.
Join us for this hands-on class making playful pinch pot-style penguins. Your instructor Julie Beutler, 577 Pottery Manager and Ceramic Artist, will walk you through the basics of making the penguin body. Then, Julie will demonstrate several ways to accent them with a variety of styles of scarves, hats, mittens, and other cute ideas.
Depending on the details you incorporate into your piece, including the opportunity to paint your penguin and accessories with underglazes, you will make either one or two. Your penguin(s) will be perfect for gifting or adding a touch of charm to your decor. These are so cute that you will want to leave them out year-round!
Pieces will be left with your instructors to fire in the kiln. Once bisque fired, they will be glazed in clear, and then they are fired again. You will receive an email when they are ready for pick up, estimated 14 to 18 days later.
This class is perfect for all levels, no prior clay experience is required. Come play in the clay!
Adult Pottery 6-Week Course
Tuesdays, September 24; October 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 ~ 5:30pm to 7:30pm
Wednesdays, October 23, 30; November 6, 13, 20, 27 ~ 9:30am to 11:30am
*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 instructor is Julie Beutler, Pottery Studio Manager and Ceramic Artist.
**Look for a new 6-week session beginning in January 2024. Registration for the new session will open the end of November. Stay tuned for details.
Slab Cups & Mugs
Friday, October 4 ~ 9:30am to 11:30am
Mandatory: MUST have successfully completed the 577 Adult Pottery 6 Week Class to participate.
Join us in the Pottery Studio for this exciting slab building class! Julie will discuss the different styles of making mugs or cups and how she makes patterns. She will demonstrate how to roll successful slabs, cutting/cleaning, and tips for adding bottoms to your cups/mugs. Finally, she will review several handle styles, how to make them comfortable and usable, and how to best attach them.
This class is perfect for those wanting to sharpen their hand building skills and knowledge from this class will be helpful for many future pots, not just cups/mugs. Depending on the size, style, and details you choose, you will complete 2 to 4 cups/mugs in class. Please note: Glazing will be on your own during indie time.
New Class! Extruded Pumpkin & Frankenstein
Wednesday, October 16 ~ 5:30pm to 7:30pm
Mandatory: MUST have successfully completed the 577 Adult Pottery 6 Week Class to participate.
NEW! Join us in the Pottery Studio for this fun class using the extruder to make a pumpkin and a Frankenstein. Your creations can be used as a lantern, vase, pencil holder, or cute decoration depending on how you choose to make them.
Julie will cover how to use the extruder, darting and expansion techniques on extruded pieces, and how to make good, strong attachments. You will have freedom to decorate and make the designs your own. Depending on your level of detail, you will have the time during class to make one of each or two of one of the designs, it’s up to you!
Julie will also spend time reviewing underglazes and glazing tips for your cute new fall decorations. Please note: Glazing will be on your own during indie time.
Clay Polar Bears
Tuesday, November 5 ~ 5:30pm to 7pm
Mandatory: MUST have successfully completed the 577 Adult Pottery 6 Week Class to participate.
Join us in the Pottery Studio for a fun and creative class where you’ll explore slab-building techniques and learn how to use a simple armature to craft your own polar bear. Using a white clay body, everyone will make a small and large polar bear.
During class, Julie will demonstrate different ways of choosing the perfect eye style, cute decorations and colors that can make your polar bears unique to you.
Are you in the November or December raku class? Think about raku firing your bears! Please note: Glazing will be on your own during indie time.
Half Day Throwing
Saturday, October 19 ~ 8:30am to 11:30am
Tuesday, November 26 ~ 9am to 12pm
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. 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, 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
Friday, September 27 ~ 9am to 11am
Thursday, October 31 ~ 9am to 11am
Wednesday, November 6 ~ 1:30pm to 3:30pm
Thursday, November 21 ~ 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
• October Firing: Pick-up: Sept. 3; Drop-off: Sept. 26; Raku Fire: Oct. 10
• November Firing: Pick-up: Oct.2; Drop-off: Oct. 24; Raku Fire: Nov. 7
• December Firing: Pick-up: Nov. 1; Drop-off: Nov. 19; Raku Fire: Dec. 2
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.
October ~ Pick-up: October 2; Return: October 24
November ~ Pick-up: November 1; Return: November 26
Independent Studio Time
Access to our pottery studio for independent time is designed to give qualified students equipment andstudio space to create pottery. Students must have completed the 6 week adult pottery course and beapproved by the Pottery Studio Manager.
Class Locations & Parking Map
Signed up for a class and need help finding your classroom location and parking? Each class description lists its location. Click the button below to view a full map of the grounds and buildings with two lots available for easy and convenient parking.
Cancellation & Refund Policy
Because space is limited, we rely on you to register for classes thoughtfully. Please help us continue to offer these wonderful classes as affordably as possible by adhering to the following registration, cancellation, and refund policies.
Photo & Video Release
Photos and videos may be taken during 577 classes and events for use on our website and other relevant media outlets and your attendance constitutes consent. View the full policy below including how you can opt-out of this release.