Class policies and procedures

 

Thank you for your interest in taking a class with Clay Owen Studios or your order of a mosaic kit! Please see below for our class policies and procedures.

Summary of Classes Provided

  • Adult Wheel Classes- These classes are the same dates as the kids wheel classes I just have to know what age the student is that is coming to class to better prepare to teach them appropriately. I will have one couples class for adults typically on Fridays, this is a longer class, max of four people, and must be 21 and up and you can bring a snack or beverage.  You can make additional items at your class but it will be $10 to $12 per additional item to account for cost of supplies, firing. Etc.
  • Wheel Thrown Pottery for Kids- This is for ages 8 to 16. The wheel thrown pottery classes for kids are $45 per session. They include an hour for the class and a half hour to clean up. It is really important children learn to properly clean clay as clay can be dangerous to the lungs if it turns to dust. Cleaning is part of the lesson of working with clay. They will take to consecutive classes on the same time slot on the same day. For example Tuesday at Noon, next week Tuesday at Noon, Two Week Break, and following up glazing session Tuesday at Noon. This will help me keep track. They will take a two week break for the studio to fire their pieces and will return to glaze their items. Glazing session will be $25 per student. So in total students will make four pieces class total cost will be $115 for three session with supplies. Parents can come to take the class with children for the same tuition cost.
  • Children’s Hand Building Classes- These classes are for students ages 6 to 10 years old. I did not recommend students use the pottery wheel under the age of 7 as they are not yet tall enough and they do not have the forearm strength to handle the clay. Handbuilding is a great way to make functional pieces as a practice to learning how clay works, when they are older they will have some knowledge that will help them. I am comfortable taking four kiddos in one class but do require that parents join them for the duration of the class. The reason being is that children are more comfortable with a parent present and I want them to get the maximum amount of help they can. I also want to make sure they stay safe and would not be comfortable having them left in my care should something happen in class.
  • Children’s Hand Building Classes- These classes are for students ages 6 to 10 years old. I did not recommend students use the pottery wheel under the age of 7 as they are not yet tall enough and they do not have the forearm strength to handle the clay. Handbuilding is a great way to make functional pieces as a practice to learning how clay works, when they are older they will have some knowledge that will help them. I am comfortable taking four kiddos in one class but do require that parents join them for the duration of the class. The reason being is that children are more comfortable with a parent present and I want them to get the maximum amount of help they can. I also want to make sure they stay safe and would not be comfortable having them left in my care should something happen in class. 
  • Beginning Stained Glass Classes- These classes are highly involved classes. Students must be strong enough to stand for the duration of class as well as have to appropriate strength in their hands. This is not recommend for under ages sixteen or for those that are pregnant. This class will involve lead in the material and that is not worth the risk to a developing baby. A waiver must be signed for this class. We will have a first aid kit on hand but cuts and burns are a possibility in this class. We will all be doing the same pattern to make it easier for the instructor, this class will have up to four adults per class and they will be spaced out.  These classes are four hours long so bring a snack not to be eaten in the work area.   It is best starting out that patterns stay between four to seven pieces. Glass is VERY expensive it can often be between $20 and $30 a square foot. This class includes supplies but if you are caught wasting supplies you may be charged an additional fee. This rarely happens but please listen carefully so you do not waste valuable supplies.

Before Purchasing a Mosaic Kit

  • Please see our wait time it takes to assemble kits. It depends on how long the suppliers are taking to ship our mosaic supplies and also the season. Typically the wait time can be two weeks at minimum to a month and a half at maximum. We try to update this as frequently as possible to make sure customers have a realistic expectation of when their item will arrive. 
  • We do not refund for kits purchased as these kits are made to order and often the supplies are ordered bases on demand. 
  • If an item is missing from your kit the studio must be contacted within three business days of the delivery date. 
  • If your item is marked as delivered by USPS and you did not receive it the studio is not responsible for refunding the purchase. You must open a claim with the service as the item could have been stolen or misplaced which the studio can not control
  • Mosaic kits supplies will vary in color and seasonal beads based on what we have and may be different than the sample pictured. 


Before signing up

  • At this time we do not allow children under the age of 12 (unless otherwise specified) to be present in our studio for safety and health reasons. Please leave the kiddos at home! If you bring them, you WILL be asked to leave and will not be given a refund or reschedule.
  • Children under 12 are not welcome to participate in wheel throwing classes. Wheel throwing requires upper body strength that a younger child does not possess, and it is not the place of the instructor to do it for them. ALL participating students must be able to utilize class techniques on their own.
  • Private lessons may be available by appointment for children under 12 at the discretion of management.
  • Some of our classes have adult beverages present, and as such, participating students in these classes must be a minimum of 21 years of age. We will check ID's! If a student does not have an ID or is found to be underage, they will not be allowed to present, and will not receive a refund or reschedule. No exceptions!
  • We will not refund or reschedule for missed classes, so be sure you can make your class time before enrolling!

  • Please do not omit information from your contact info when purchasing your class. We do not share this information, but we DO require these modes of contact for assorted reasons regarding to scheduling, work pick-up, and reminders. Failure to provide this information at the time of purchase may delay communications and ultimately delay your project. 

  • Groupon usages for classes are one per guest.

After signing up

  • Please take note of your class date and time. We will send out reminder emails 24 hours before your class date.
  • A Clay Owen Studios/Stranded Starfish representative may contact you within 24-48 hours of class date to confirm but this is a courtesy and students should expect to attend class with or without having received a courtesy call.

Day of your class

  • When you arrive for your class please check in downstairs. You will be given a liability waiver form to sign that also covers expected classroom behaviors and procedures, as well as any firing dates (for pottery or fused glass) and estimated pick-up times for your piece(s).
  • Please do not bring guests with you that have not signed up for the class you are participating in. Unregistered persons are not permitted to be in the work space area at any time. Many of our classes require prep work in advance of student arrival, and late additions delay the class start time. This also can cause issues with work spaces, as we have a set limit on an acceptable amount of enrollees per class. 
  • Please arrive on time for your scheduled class. We begin promptly at the scheduled time on each class listing.

After your class

  • For pottery or fused glass- After your pieces have been fired  (firing takes approximately 1-4 week for ceramics, and 2-4 weeks for fused glass), we .will send you an email to come pick up your piece. We do attempt to call every student but the amount of manpower required for this task is excessive. We need you to be pro-active in following your pottery through the process. 

  • All completed works must be picked up within 10 business days unless other arrangements have been made. Pieces not picked up within 10 business days will be donated to our quarterly sidewalk sale.
  • Clay, glass and resin can be rather finicky, and as such, on occasion, pieces may not survive the process. (We do not make any guarantees on student thrown/built/created pieces. Also we are unable to finish student projects.)
  • Failure is part of the art experience. For items pre-made by Clay Owen Studios (paint-a-mug, etc), a replacement at no additional cost may be offered as determined by shop owner.

Class procedures

  • No food or beverages are allowed in workspace areas-unless otherwise noted. 
  • Closed toed shoes are mandatory in all classroom areas.
  • Please keep conversations classroom appropriate. We ask that our guests refrain from adult topics, religion, and politics to ensure all guests feel welcome.
  • Many classroom tools and materials are sharp or may contain caustic chemicals. Handle with care! We cannot be held responsible for misuse of materials and/or supplies that results in injury. Please pay attention to instructions and be aware of your surroundings. 
  • Students are asked to clean up after themselves following completion of their class project(s), or Independent Studio Time project(s). Time is budgeted for clean-up in class scheduling, so please be sure to leave time to do so. Students who do not clean up after themselves may be prohibited from participation in future classes.

Additional policies and procedures

  • Class fees must be paid in full at time of sign-up in order to reserve your space. Classes close 48 hours before day of class, so be sure to sign up early!
  • We do not offer refunds on any courses. We are unable to reschedule or refund classes. We are a small business and we don't have the man power to track down and reschedule no- shows. We depend on you to come to the classes you signed up for. When you purchase a class and do not attend, that prohibits another student from purchasing and attending that day. 
  • Classes maybe transferred to a friend or family member in the event the original student is unable to make it to their scheduled class. Studio must be notified a minimum of 6 hours in advance of class start time, and must provide the name, address, email, and telephone number of guest taking their place.
  • All children under 16 participating in classes MUST be accompanied by an adult also taking the course unless specified in class listing. 
  • To participate in Intermediate and Independent Studio Time, students must have successfully completed our Intro to Wheel Throwing class, or have prior equivalent experience outside of class. No exceptions.
  • Studio is not responsible for finishing/ fixing student produced piece(s). 
  • **Reminder** All completed works must be picked up within 10 business days unless other arrangements have been met. Pieces not picked up within 10 business days will be donated to our quarterly sidewalk sale. No exceptions.