Payment Policies
Memberships
We ask for a 3-month commitment to start your membership. You will not be charged until your membership is confirmed. We then bill at the end of the month for the following month. After 3 months, memberships are month-to-month. You can cancel at any time before the beginning of the month. We are unable to prorate if you cancel after the start of the month.
Classes
We ask for full payment at the time of registration. Unfortunately, we can’t offer makeup classes, but we hope you can make full use of Student Open Studio hours.
Refunds and Transfers
Classes
You are able to cancel your registration or transfer to another class up to two weeks before the class start date. Cancellations will be refunded 97% to the original form of payment. We are unable to refund the 3% credit card fee collected at time of purchase. We can not offer a refund or transfer if you cancel within two weeks of the class start date. Please reach out to us directly should you need to cancel.
Email: hello@gatherpottery.com
Memberships
Due to their nature, memberships are nonrefundable.
Goods
If you are unhappy with an item you purchased online or in-store, we are happy to accept returns within 60 days of your purchase date for a full refund, exchange for an item of equal value, or store credit. Items returned after the 60-day return period are not eligible for a refund or exchange. Items must be returned in undamaged and clean condition. Contact us to arrange a return or exchange at hello@gatherpottery.com or in person at the studio.
Studio Handbook
Memberships
Membership is designed for potters with experience who are comfortable working independently in the studio. At Gather, kindness matters. Please be considerate of others. It’s much more fun that way.
Storage
Regular Members: one 15x13 in cubby and one 18x18 half-shelf included. (Teen Members: one 15x13 cubby included.) Additional shelves available for rent.
All personal items (tools, glazes, clay, plaster molds, etc.) must fit on your shelves, except aprons can hang, and oversize bats can go on top of shelves. Nothing else can be stored on top of shelves, and please label your bats clearly.
Store your work in progress on your shelf or on the shared work-in-progress shelves. Shared shelves are for work actively in progress, not a place to store bisqueware waiting to be glazed.
If you reclaim your own clay, store your plasters and buckets on your personal shelves, not on shared surfaces or on work in progress shelves.
Loose items will be collected daily and put in the lost and found. They will be discarded or claimed as studio items if unclaimed after 30 days.
Discounts
Membership must be active for the duration of class to receive discount. Member perks and discounts are subject to change with notice.
50% off one-time classes that are beginner or all-levels — applies to the member plus one guest.
50% off multi-week beginner or all-levels classes.
35% off most one-time classes and workshops that require experience.
Kid camps: 25% off your first child and 50% off siblings.
FREE enrollment in 5+ week beginner/all-levels classes that have unfilled spots, subject to availability and additional limitations. Members may sign up on a waitlist and will be added in order of signup two days before class starts. For fairness, placement will rotate based on signup timing and how recently you have taken a free class
Office Hours
Included with membership, we offer Office Hours three times a week in 3-hour blocks. A teacher is on hand for 1:1 or small-group instruction, to teach, demo, or help with whatever you’re working on. The goal is to give members ongoing instruction and mentorship to grow their clay practice. Students are welcome to join as well.
Parking
There is ample shared parking along the west side of the alley behind the building and in the gravel lot to the south. Numbered spots in the north lot are reserved for other tenants M-F from 8-5. Gather’s reserved spots are #5 and #12. If possible, please leave these open for members with limited mobility. On weekends and evenings, members may also use numbered spots in the north lot. Parking rules subject to change, more parking instructions at: www.gatherpottery.com/location.
Buddy Visits
We love when members share Gather with friends! Each membership includes one free buddy visit per month. Additional buddy visits are $15 per buddy per visit.
How it works:
Bring up to two buddies per visit when staff is onsite, during staffed hours or when a class is in session.
All buddies must sign in at the front desk.
Class calendar: www.gatherpottery.com/calendar
Each buddy can come up to three times per month.
Buddies are welcome to hand build, but they may not use the pottery wheels or any powered tools or equipment. You must supervise both the use and cleanup of any specialized equipment such as slab roller and extruder.
Buddies may use reclaim clay (when available), glazes, and firing services.
Members must remain present with their buddies at all times. This includes buddies who are paused members, former Gather members, and members’ children.
You are welcome to bring your kids as buddies, as long as they follow the buddy guidelines above: they must stay with you, be supervised by you, and be here to work with clay.
What’s not allowed:
Members may not accept payment from buddies for access or lessons.
Buddies may not visit unless staff is present.
No more than two buddies per visit.
No sharing or transferring buddy days to other members.
Buddies may not use pottery wheels or any powered tools or equipment.
Buddies may not store their work on member communal work-in-progress shelves. Buddy work must be stored on member’s personal shelf.
Outside Materials
OK with approval! Clay and glazes must be mid-fire, we fire to △04 bisque and △6 glaze. Bring every bag of clay, bottle of glazeand any raw materials to staff for approval. We’ll sticker approved items and pull unapproved items off personal shelves.
Not allowed: Nothing low-fire, no lusters, no crater glazes or other glazes that tend to jump, no externally-purchased bisqueware.
Special Equipment
The following equipment is available for use by members only once they are trained and approved by staff. PPE is mandatory where specified. We have respirators available for sale, and shared eye and ear protection available.
Slab Roller
Extruder
Spray Booth
Dremel Tool
Sanding Wheel
Heat Gun
Firing Limits
Gather is built for people who pursue ceramics as a hobby or creative outlet. We have three kilns but not unlimited capacity. We don’t measure pieces, but you will need to be patient with larger work or high-volume output. If you’re a production potter or sell ceramics for your livelihood, this studio isn’t the right fit. If your production exceeds community norms, anticipate that we’ll ask you to slow down. Members with unusually large or frequent firing volume may be asked to reduce output or make other arrangements.
Kiln Schedule
Firing is managed by the studio, not by individual deadlines. We fire kilns when they are full. Work is not always fired strictly in the order it arrives because kiln techs build each kiln around the work’s size, shape, and firing needs. A well-loaded kiln fires more evenly and predictably, which helps everyone’s pieces. For your safety, members are prohibited from entering the kiln area, unloading kilns, or touching the kilns and/or their controllers.
Pick up fired pieces promptly, as soon as kilns are unloaded – do not store them on pickup shelves. After 30 days items may be donated or used for glaze testing.
Kiln-Ready Work
Glaze firings: fired to △6. When in doubt, use cookies. Test tiles available.
Bisque firings: Greenware should be bone-dry before going on the bisque shelf (use the cheek test — if it feels cool, it’s not ready). Placing it on the shelf signals you’re confident it’s ready.
Kiln shelves:
bisque shelf = bone-dry greenware only;
glaze shelf = glazed work only.
Shelf full? Ask staff for help, or CLEARLY label a cart “Kiln-Ready Green” or “Kiln-Ready Glaze”, and place your work there.
Tall or large pieces: fire best with similar-height work. Be patient.
Notes: only request special treatment if necessary. Kiln loading is complex, so “hot spot” or special placement requests usually can’t be accommodated.
Some clays are prone to bloating or pinholing, generally highly pigmented or speckled clays. Feel free to try them, but be aware they may bloat. Coating with slip is a great alternative.
Kiln access: only trained staff may touch, load, unload, and operate kilns.
Remove fired wares promptly and store them on your personal shelves.
Glazing Rules
Studio glazes are included with membership, underglazes are not. Slip may be used if available, but we do not actively stock it.
We have 10 studio glazes in addition to a large bucket of clear. We also have one-off studio glazes made from reclaimed glaze with colorants added.
Mix glazes for at least 60 seconds before glazing.
Only one glaze bucket open at a time.
Dipping: one second in and out.
Single glaze = ¼" clearance at the base.
Layered glazes = ½" clearance.
More combinations = more risk. Check the test tile shelf and cookie when in doubt. Some glazes and combinations run more than others.
Wax resist: use only marked brushes, return them to soap cups, wipe jars clean, and protect tables with newspaper.
Outside glazes: must be mid-fire, staff-approved, and on cookies. See below for rules for Stroke-&-Coat and similar glazes. They are are not permitted in bisque firings. Certain specialty glazes such as crater glazes are never permitted, as they can jump and damage other pieces.
Cleaning: rinse hands, brushes, and tools first in the glaze reclaim bucket by the sink (glaze and water only in that bucket), before finishing with clean water.
Clean glaze drips on tables, glaze buckets, stool, and tools, finish with a towel to remove residue.
When dipping, glaze drips are almost inevitable, so a quick mop is mandatory.
Wide Range (06-10) Gloss Underglazes
These glazes are permitted, but must be approved by staff.
These glazes are ONLY allowed in GLAZE firings.
Use extreme caution.
Some commercial glazes, including Stroke & Coat and Foundations-style glazes, are labeled for a very wide firing range, typically cone 06–10. Because we stack pieces in bisque firings, these glazes may not go into bisque firings under any circumstances. They are allowed only in glaze firings, with staff approval and extreme caution.
Other Rules and Policies
Sanding wares: Never dry sand. Always use plenty of water. Keep your piece and the area damp. Follow wet cleanup procedures when done, including on floors in your work area.
Floor cleaning crew: Our cleaning crew comes in late Monday and Thursday nights (11 PM–4 AM, timing subject to change). You’re welcome to be in the studio, but try to stay out of their way.
Commercial-grade air scrubbers: Theserun early Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday mornings (2–5 AM, timing subject to change). If you come in to the sound of loud fans running, that’s the air scrubbers. You may be in the studio during when they are on, but you must wear a respirator. Respirators available for purchase, or supply your own.
Windows and sliding glass doors: You may open and close windows for comfort. If it’s outside of staffed hours and you are the last to leave, for security, please close all windows on the south wall and lock the sliding glass doors.
CLEANING
Clay dust is harmful, so cleaning is one of the most important ways we care for each other. Failing to thoroughly clean tools and workspaces means the next person, who might use a different clay body, needs to clean up after you.
At Gather, clean means clay-free.
General Cleaning Rules
Wet cleanup only: spray with water before cleaning any dusty areas. Broom should be used very cautiously and gently, and mist the area with water before sweeping.
Leave it cleaner than you found it.
Keep your hands clean when touching stuff or before you put things away (faucets, water bottles, tools, shelves, tables). Towels abound, keep one on you. Wash your hands before cleaning – dirty hands leave messes. If you touch it, clean it.
Sponges alone do not remove enough clay. A final wipe dry with a towel is required to remove clay residue – that’s just dust waiting to happen.
Sponges are clean only when rinse water runs clear. Buckets and tools are clean when all clay is removed. Sinks are clean when they are free of clay and glaze. You get the idea.
If the next person to use your space, tools, sinks, equipment or surfaces can tell what clay body you used, you didn’t clean well enough.
Before you leave, clean
Your workspace including stool/chair.
Floor around your work area (use spinner mop, pump 20x before and after).
Glaze drips on tables, glaze buckets, stool, and tools, finish with a towel to remove residue.
Sinks: rinse well and wipe down.
Every place you touched with clay on your hands. Members are expected to use equipment properly and clean shared tools and work areas after use. The studio may investigate equipment misuse, safety issues, or cleanup concerns, including by reviewing available information such as security footage.
Wheel Cleaning
We require that you do most of your cleaning at the wheel. This might be new for you, but try it. It’s quicker, quieter, and more comfortable than cleaning at the sink, and it minimizes sink lines.
Before getting up, take a first pass, emptying everything into your slop bucket.
Remove bat pins – do not leave them on the wheel.
Bring only your slop bucket, tools, and sponges up – leave the splash pan at the wheel.
Pour your slop bucket into the basket in the reclaim bucket and retrieve any tools or trimmings from the basket, then use the paddle to push clay slop through the grate. All other clay goes in the same reclaim bin, but it does not need to be forced through the grate, just be sure you have everything you started with, including chamois and bat pins.
Return to the wheel with clean hands, sponge, bucket of water, and towel. This is usually enough, but you may need a second trip or to bring your splash pan up for a rinse.
Finish by giving your wheel a final dry and polish with a clean towel – as above, sponge should not be your final step.
Wipe cords and lift them off the floor so mopping is easy. Stack small tables and stools – table first, then stool on top, wiping with a clean towel as you do.
Clean the area around the wheels, including gently sweeping if you’ve been trimming. Mist dry trimmings with water before sweeping. Mop.
Wipe splashes from walls.
Membership Payments & Classes
Memberships: First month is prorated if partial month, then month-to-month, billed on the first of the month. Cancel before the 1st to avoid charges. No proration of final month.
Pausing Membership: Up to 3 months per year. Pauses must be full calendar months. Return month is prepaid.
Goods
Returns or exchanges are accepted within 60 days if items are clean and undamaged. You may choose either:
Store credit: full refund of your purchase price (100%)
Credit card refund: 97% refund (this is because the credit card keeps the 3% fee even when we refund a payment, so this keeps us whole).
General Conduct & Liability
Members agree to use the studio at their own risk and hold Gather Pottery harmless from injury, loss, or damage.
Members are responsible for damage to equipment or property caused by negligence.
No smoking, vaping, or drug use anywhere in or near the building.
No pets.
Members may not bring any guests, including children, into the studio unless staff is present.
Common Area & Building Rules
Respect shared hallways, restrooms, and parking areas.
No roof access permitted.
Keep all doors closed and locked when the building is closed. Do not prop open doors.
Report leaks, spills, or building damage to staff immediately.
Safety & Security
Kilns are off limits. Do not enter kiln areas, do not operate kilns, do not empty or load kilns.
Respect “Staff Only” signs.
Power tools and designated equipment (including Dremel, sanding wheel, heat guns, and spray booth) may be used only after training and staff approval. Equipment located in staff-only areas is not available for member use.
Notify staff of any unsafe conditions or interpersonal issues.
Security Cameras
Gather Pottery uses video security cameras in common and studio areas for security and administrative purposes. Cameras do not record audio and are not installed in restrooms or other private areas. Footage may be reviewed by authorized staff and retained for a limited period. Video will not be used for marketing or social media purposes without written permission. Signage is posted in areas where cameras are in use. By signing this agreement, you acknowledge and consent to video monitoring while on the premises.
Service Animals
Service animals are welcome at Gather Pottery in accordance with applicable law. For the safety of everyone in the studio, service animals must be leashed, harnessed, or tethered at all times, unless those devices interfere with the animal's work or the individual's disability prevents their use. In those cases, the handler must maintain the service animal under control through voice, signal, or other effective means.
Because the studio contains kilns, chemicals, sharp tools, moving equipment, and other hazards, service animals must remain with their handler and may not enter staff-only or restricted areas. Pets and emotional support animals that are not service animals are not permitted.
Termination Clause
Gather Pottery may suspend or terminate any membership at its sole discretion for unsafe conduct, repeated failure to follow cleaning or safety procedures, or any violation of studio policies. Termination may take effect immediately without refund.