Open Studio Rules and Etiquette

Last updated: September 3rd, 2025

Membership Qualifications:

  • All members must be 18 years of age or older; no exceptions.

  • Memberships do not include instruction from staff or fellow members. Each member must have completed at least one in person multi-week course at the Studio or have prior experience approved by Studio manager. 

  • All members must agree to the following policies:

  • It is the responsibility of each member to read and abide by each of these policies.

  • The Studio reserves the right to revoke membership privileges if any member fails to abide by these requirements.

Social Engagement:

  • Open Studio Hours are a time to develop ceramic techniques, create art independently and enjoy the company of fellow clay enthusiasts. We strive to maintain a welcoming and encouraging environment for any person interested in the ceramic arts. 

  • Please keep criticism or feedback to yourself, unless directly invited. 

  • Please respect the creative space of members around you, both in conversation and physical distance. 

  • The Studio hosts classes, workshops and courses during Open Studio Hours. Each member is required to be absolutely silent in the presence of any classes, workshops or courses. 

  • The Studio reserves the right to revoke membership privileges of any member that cannot abide by these requirements. 

Work Sessions:

  • The Studio defines a work session as any amount of time spent in the Studio to create, develop, glaze and finish any project during Open Studio Hours, regardless of the amount of time. There is no minimum or maximum time frame for each work session.

  • Open Studio Hours are as follows and subject to change without notice:
    Tuesdays to Sundays, 10am to 8pm

  • Each member must sign in for each work session. 

  • Picking up finished projects does not count as a work session and members do not need to sign in to pick up their finished artworks.

  • Please do not talk on the phone inside the studio. There are benches in the front and a seating area in the back. Enjoy the outdoor space while you take a personal call.

  • Please ask for permission before photographing, filming or recording in the studio. Be aware of who is around you as well as what is captured in the background. Do not assume everyone is comfortable with their voice or image being recorded. There is absolutely no photography, filming or recording allowed when children are present; no exceptions.

Equipment and Materials:

  • Clay is sold separately in standard 25lbs. bags and is available for purchase during Shop Hours.

  • The Studio is equipped with 14 pottery wheels, a slab roller, wall extruder, multiple wedging and work tables, as well as various hand tools and equipment. 

  • A variety of dippable glazes are available for all members to use, as well as wax resist, masking tape, black velvet underglaze and a variety of clay slips. 

  • The Studio has 3 Skutt electric kilns; Bisque is fired to Cone 06 and Glaze is fired to Cone 5.

  • Any member purchasing clay, glazes, or other ceramic materials directly from ceramic suppliers must have proof that it is Cone 5 before beginning to work with it in the Studio.

  • No member is allowed to mix dry material or glazes in the Studio. Please do so at home while wearing a P100 respirator mask in a well ventilated area. 

Firing Services:

  • Memberships are designed to include firing services for pottery and artwork made in the Studio during Open Studio Hours.

  • Memberships do not include firing services for anything made outside the studio.  

  • It is the responsibility of each member to sign each project and place it on the appropriate Greenware or Glazeware cart to be fired. 

  • If any member is making copious amounts of work, the Studio reserves the right to not load their work in the next firing(s) OR ask them to schedule and pay for a separate firing service.

  • If any member has a piece of pottery or artwork explode in the bisque firing, they will be charged $25 per piece for kiln clean up. This covers the cost of labor required to clean out the shards of bisqueware and vacuum the inside of the kiln. Additional charges will be made if damages to kiln shelves, furniture or kiln structure exceed $25. 

  • If any member has a piece of pottery or artwork that drips glaze onto kiln furniture, they will be charged $25 per piece for kiln clean up. This covers the cost of labor and materials required to remove glaze drips, sand down and reapply kiln wash. Additional charges will be made if damages to kiln shelves, furniture or kiln structure exceed $25. 

Clean up:

  • It is the responsibility of each member to fully clean up after themselves at the end of each work session. This includes, but is not limited to, the floor around workspaces, hand tools and equipment, wheel and work tables, stools, wareboards and hand towels, ect. that they have used during that work session.

  • Please begin cleaning up at least 15 minutes before closing time.

  • For the health of every person that enters the studio, please be mindful of kicking up dust or leaving messes that will create dust later. This will ensure that silica dust does not build up throughout each day. 

  • Clay has a tendency to stick to everything. To reduce the accumulation of silica dust, please wipe down tools and surfaces twice: once to get the majority of messes cleaned, then rinse the sponge thoroughly and wipe everything down a second time.

    • Large sponges should be used to wipe down all tables, counters, wheels, etc.;
      located near the sinks.

    • Floor sponges should be used to wipe all wet clay off the floor around wheels or glaze splashes around glaze buckets, sinks, as well as clay residue on tiled wheel table, work tops and counters. Floor sponges are located in a small bucket under the sinks and should only be used for the floor.

  • Help us conserve water by using the water already in the sink to scrub off any clay, clay residue or any other messes. Then use the fresh water if the object needs a final rinse.

  • Wash hand tools thoroughly and put them away in the appropriate tool area. Tools stored in the wheel room or hand building room should be returned to that exact tool area.

  • Handbrooms should be used to sweep up trimmings, clay crumbs, dust and trash; located by trash cans.

  • Clean hand towels after each use by scrubbing out all clay and clay residue, rinsing with fresh water and hanging on the drying rack to dry. 

Safety:

  • Please wear closed toed shoes in the studio. This is a basic safety standard throughout all creative, artistic and industrial industries. Thank you for understanding.

  • Please do not use equipment that you have not been formally trained to use, including but not limited to: pottery wheel, slab roller, extruder, glazes, ect.

  • No member is allowed to mix dry material or glazes in the Studio. Glaze chemicals or raw materials are not available for members to touch, use or otherwise interact with. 

  • Kilns, kiln shelves, kiln posts and any other kiln related equipment are not available for members to touch, use or otherwise interact with.

  • Dried clay and glaze messes contribute to air-borne silica and build up of silica dust in any ceramic studio. To maintain a clean and healthy environment for all members to work, please clean messes while glaze spills are fresh and clay is wet. This helps reduce the amount of air-borne silica within the studio. 

  • For the health of every person that enters the studio, please be mindful of kicking up dust or leaving messes that will create dust later. Please use the appropriate sponge to clean tools, wheels, work tops, counters and floor once to get the majority of messes cleaned, rinse the sponge thoroughly and wipe everything down a second time. This will ensure that silica dust does not build up throughout each day.

  • Sanding blocks should only be used with water, as the addition of water will contribute to a smoother result, trap fine particles of dust and prevent fine particles of silica from filling your lungs. Rinse off the sanded paste, let the piece dry out and continue with the rest of the process. This wet-sanding technique will maintain the air-quality inside the studio. 

Classes, Workshops and Courses:

  • The Studio hosts classes, workshops and courses during Open Studio Hours.

    • Each member is required to be absolutely silent in the presence of any class, workshop or course.

    • Members should clean up and/or relocate their workspace at least 30 minutes before the start of a lesson. This will allow the teacher or instructor enough time to fully prepare and set up for their lesson. 

    • Members may move in and out of the classroom space to retrieve work-in-progress, tools or other necessary items to use during their work session, as long as they do not interrupt or distract the lesson.

    • The Studio reserves the right to revoke membership privileges of any member that cannot abide by this requirement. 

  • Multi-week course students are allowed to use their practice passes during Shop Hours.

    • Practice passes help beginners feel more at ease in the studio’s social atmosphere, develop their technical skill and allow them to practice independently.

    • They are allowed to ask questions of the staff for reminders as learning the process of ceramics can be challenging.

    • Teachers and staff often encourage course students to engage members in conversation. A helpful hint or encouragement is always welcome, but please refrain from teaching course students during their practice hours.

  • Current members qualify for a 20% membership discount on select classes, workshops or courses that they want to attend. 

    • Member discount is only applicable to classes, workshops or courses published to the Studio website, via the Adult Classes page.

    • This discount is non transferable, cannot be combined with any other discount and does not apply to Private Lessons or Youth Programming. 

    • Please speak with the Studio Manager during Shop Hours to apply this discount. 

Auto-Pay:

  • Members are qualified to add a card on file if they are willing to commit to more than 3 consecutive months of membership.

  • The Studio Manager will process membership payments on or around the 5th of each month. 

  • Please email the Studio Manager info@costamesaceramics.com two weeks prior to any necessary adjustments, pauses or cancellations of membership.

The Studio reserves the right to edit, adjust and/or update these policies at any time and without notice.
All questions, comments and concerns should be directed to the Studio manager via email: info@costamesaceramics.com