Winter 2025 Classes Start One Week From Today! Post-Holiday Doldrums? Come clay with us!

Hello, dear Friends of the Staunton Clayground!

Are you feeling a little glum now that the holidays are over? Wondering what to do to lift your spirits once you’ve rung in the New Year? Well, Staunton Clayground has classes starting to fit every schedule and skill level, as early as a week from today! Come down to the studio to clay with us and chase those mid-winter blues right away! Read on to find the one that’s just right for you!

Whether your New Year’s resolution is to try something new or return to something you love, our pottery wheel classes for all levels of beginners, from absolute to verging on intermediate, could be just the thing for you!

You can join Valya Boutenko on Friday evenings from 5:00–7:15, starting on January 3, for an eight-week course where students will try their hand at centering clay and throwing basic forms such as cylinders and bowls. The class will focus on mastering simple throwing and trimming techniques and will cover pulling handles for mugs as well as glazing techniques.

Looking for a different weeknight? Then join Mary Tuttle on Wednesdays from 6:00–8:00 pm for a six-week course starting on January 8, also for beginners of all levels! As in the Friday evening class, here, too, the newest potters will learn the basics of making classic vessels like cups and bowls. Those with some experience will focus on gaining confidence with foundational skills such as centering, pulling up the walls, creating consistent cylinders and more. Students who are already able to create simple wares on their own will instead concentrate on design and consistency. We’ll also look at trimming and decoration, as well as how to add handles to our creations.

Would you rather come in on a weekend than a weeknight? Well, we’ve got you covered! Mary Tuttle is holding the same six-week pottery wheel class for all levels of beginner on Saturday afternoons, from 3:00–5:00 pm, starting on January 4! Spots in this one are selling fast, so claim yours now!

Are you ready to level up in the new year? We’ve got a class for you, too! Valya Boutenko is ready to help you progress in your journey as a potter in her Tuesday evening Intermediate Wheel Class, held from 5:00–7:15 pm over eight weeks, starting on January 7.

And those just the classes starting in the first eight days of 2025! So check out our chronological class list and stay tuned, because we’ve got so much more coming!

Meanwhile, we wish you a very Happy New Year!

Warm wishes from the Staunton Clayground team (Cary, Jennifer and Abby)