Open Lab Hours
Open Lab is time outside of class that students can come in and use the studio. Some adult classes include open lab time, which is scheduled separately each week. The studio is only available for currently-enrolled students. Please also remember that with just one studio, all open lab time must fit between classes. If you have any questions about open lab, please reach out via email to registration@groundworksartlab.org.
Pay What You Can
We strive to make programs accessible to everyone, regardless of financial resources and circumstances. In addition to scholarships, some programs are offered on a Pay What You Can model that recognizes differences in wealth, income, and privilege.
For these classes, we list a suggested price that represents the cost per student of offering that program. During registration, you can write in any amount that represents your ability to cover all or a portion of this cost.
A "solidarity donation" is any amount over the suggested price. This additional amount is a tax-deductible donation. By making a solidarity donation you cover the direct cost of your participation as well as another student's. Solidarity donations are a way to acknowledge your privilege and support someone in our community who would not otherwise be able to access services.
Please consider paying the full cost or adding a solidarity donation above the suggested price if you:
have a high degree of earning power,
own the home you live in,
have investments, inherited money, or access to family resources, or
work for an organization with significant resources.
When you register for a pay-what-you-can program, please make the best decision for you based on your unique circumstances. We welcome any financial contribution you are able to make, and we will honor whatever financial exchange feels comfortable and meaningful to you.
Thank you.
Adult Class Policies & Information
To help you get started, please take a look at the following information before you attend your first class!
Your instructor is available for any questions you may have, or please feel free to call, email, or speak to a staff person in person.
This is a partial list of the policies. Your instructor will go over additional tips and guidelines in class.
We'll do everything we can to keep you informed of all expectations so you can have the most pleasant and rewarding experience. If at any time you have questions or concerns, please call or stop by to discuss things directly with the Studio Manager. Thanks and have a great class!
More information is available via the Student Handbook.
Adult class fees include instruction, shared tools, and materials. Some classes also include use of the studio during Open Lab hours.
Open Lab is reserved for students currently enrolled. Sign up information will be sent directly to students.
We provide basic tools and materials. You can purchase your own beginning pottery toolkit and various tools at the Lab, online, or at local suppliers such as Guiry’s, McGuckin Hardware, Joann’s, or Michaels.
If you wish to have one, please bring an apron and a towel for clean up.
If you bring your own towel, apron, or tools, you will need to take those out of the studio when you leave each time. You may want to bring a plastic or water-proof bag for wet items.
For your safety, please do not wear open-toed shoes. Kick wheels, kilns, and other equipment can be a safety concern.
You may attend only the class for which you are registered. If you miss a class, you will not be able to attend a different class as a make up. Please read the Frequently Asked Questions for more information about missed classes.
Each session will begin with a tour of the facility. It is important that you arrive on time. All new students go on the tour to acquire information necessary to have a successful experience.
We will always have basic materials available. When available, adult pottery students may use other clays in addition to our stoneware. We typically have in-house recycled clay and B-Mix available.
To protect the integrity of our kiln firings and safeguard every student's pottery work, clay from any outside source is prohibited. You may only use clay provided by Groundworks.
In most classes your instructor will demonstrate for 20 to 30 minutes of each class period (times may vary depending upon subject matter or circumstance). Unless otherwise indicated by the instructor, all students are expected to pause their work and give their full attention.
Clean-up is critical! Please help our hardworking staff and volunteers by beginning clean-up 30 minutes before the end of class, helping out with common areas, and leaving class on time.
For each 8-week session, you need to complete all “wet” clay work during the 6th week of class. No new clay work can be made after week 6. The 7th class is for trimming, finishing construction, and placing all clay work on the “to be bisqued carts” so they will be ready to glaze on your 8th and final class. Any bisque-ware not finished after the session will be recycled or donated to Groundworks.
The last class is often an end-of-session potluck where students bring refreshments and socialize while filling out an evaluation survey. Adult students can also finish pieces during this last class.
We are so glad to have you at Groundworks Art Lab. Have a great time and be patient… it's often harder than it looks!
Clay & Firing Fees
Please review the following information that applies to all adult clay classes.
Clay:
Clay will be provided at no additional charge. Any clay purchased or obtained outside of Groundworks Art Lab will not be fired.
Firing Fees (charged per piece):
Cost = $2 per pound of bisque-fired ware (with a limit of 60 pounds of bisqueware per session)
Minimum charge = $0.50 per piece (applies to small pieces loaded individually)
“Flat Rate” = $5 additional surcharge for each piece under 2” tall AND larger than 9” in diameter (e.g. plates)
An additional $5 charge will be added to pieces taller than 12”
Weight will be rounded to the nearest 1⁄4 pound (4 ounces)
Weighing and Payment:
Weigh-in times will be determined by the instructor and assistants in your class, open studio weigh times will be posted with lab hours.
$20 and $10 punch cards will be available for purchase and are the only acceptable form of payment during weigh-in. Cash, check, credit, and/or gift certificate are all acceptable forms of payment for punch card.
Punch cards are available for purchase in person during class.
Each piece weighed and paid for will receive a paper ticket to put with the piece after glazing.
Work will not be glaze fired without a ticket attached.
Each transaction will be logged with date, artist name, total number of pieces, total weight, and amount paid.
Refunds and Credits:
No refunds for firing fees. No exceptions.
Credits may be issued in the event of equipment failure or breakage by staff resulting in loss of the piece. Otherwise, no credit will be given for dissatisfaction with firing result.
Refund Policy
Refund Policy for all Classes, Workshops, Summer Camps, and Special Programs:
Transfers to a different class in the same session must be made at least 14 days prior to the class/program start date and are subject to any difference in class fees. Registrations may only be transferred one time per session.
Transfers to a different class in the same session will not be permitted within 14 days of the class/program start date.
Cancellations requested made more than 14 days prior to the class/program start date will be granted a full refund, minus non-refundable Coursestorm fees.
Cancellations made between 14 to 7 days prior to the class/program start date will granted a 50% refund, minus non-refundable Coursestorm fees.
Cancellations made fewer than 7 days prior to the class/program start date will not be granted a refund.
Registrations are valid only for the session they are listed in and are not deferrable to future sessions.
No Refunds or Transfers will be given for missed classes.
Registrations are not transferable to another person. If you would like to purchase a class on someone’s behalf, the intended registratrant’s information must be provided at the time of registration.
Refund Policy for Date Nights:
Date Night tickets are non-refundable. If you need to change or reschedule your reservation, please do so by 5:00pm on the Monday before your scheduled Date Night. No transfers are allowed after 5:00pm on the Monday prior to your Date Night.
Registrations are not transferable to another person. If you would like to purchase a class on someone’s behalf, the intended registrant’s information must be provided at the time of registration.
Date Night tickets may only be rescheduled one time.
Please note: All Coursestorm fees are non-refundable.
Please send all transfer, cancellation and refund inquiries to registration@groundworksartlab.org.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Our best advice is to go online several minutes before registration opens. Have your credit card in hand and your information ready. Refresh the course page a couple times and as soon as the button turns green click REGISTER. Then fill out all your information and complete the process without getting up from the computer. If you run into trouble, call us right away at (720) 379-6033.
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When a spot becomes available we will send you an email with a link where you can register. You will have a very short window of time, maybe 24 hours, to complete your registration. So, be sure to check your email daily. If you get an email, click on the link and be sure to completely finish the registration process. Typically, no additional waitlist spots will become available after the second week of class.
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The main difference between Level I classes and our higher level classes is the focus shifts off the basics. While our Level I classes focus on centering and pulling the clay, Level II and Level III classes move beyond that. If you can comfortably center your clay, you could to join a Level II class. If you can center your clay, and have control when making different forms you could join a Level III class.
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Our studios are full with adult and youth classes 7 days a week, 48 weeks a year. (We’re only closed for one maintenance week in August and a few weeks around the holidays.) Typically, every class is full, which means there is simply no space for students to make up classes. If we cancel an entire class due to weather or other emergencies, we can not guarantee we will be able to schedule a make-up class. Individuals who miss a class will not be able to make it up.
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- If you last saw it on the wet rack, it is most likely still there but may have been moved to make room for your fellow classmates' work. Ask your instructor to help you search for it during your next class.
- If you put it on the drying rack, it is probably still there but may have been moved to balance the ware boards. Or, it may have been loaded into a bisque kiln. Ask your instructor or a friend to help you look for it.
- If you left it on the to-be-bisqued rack, it is either currently in the electric bisque kilns or it has been moved to the rack/shelves of bisque-ware. Many bisqued pieces look the same, so this is where it's helpful to have your initials or unique mark on each of your pieces.
- If you glazed it, check the "oops" cart to make sure there were no problems with the glaze. If it's not on the cart, your piece is either in the gas kiln outside or on the shelves of finished work outside. Often pieces look smaller after gas firing and glazes can change depending on the unique atmosphere of each firing. So, be patient and hunt well. If you don't find it, check again in a few days. -
Electric bisque kilns are typically unloaded & reloaded three days each week Gas kilns outside are loaded and fired once per week, then unloaded four days later. Please check the white board in the studio for details about the next firing.
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We try our best to move pieces through the system as efficiently as possible and in a timely manner. Each kiln load is a unique 3-D puzzle. We fit as many pieces into each load as we can, but sometimes there are pieces that don't fit or that are left over after the kiln is full. In order to not waste resources, we will wait to fire those remaining pieces until there is enough work to fill the kiln again. You can help by encouraging your friends to finish glazing their pieces!
We typically fire the gas kilns every week and sometimes we fire two kilns at once. At the end of the session there is often a rush of work to be fired and it can take an extra week or two to get everything through the firing process. Please be patient and check the finished-work shelves regularly. We promise we will not get rid of any left-over work without sending an email announcement first. -
Silicosis is a long-term disease caused by inhaling large amounts of silica dust, usually over many years. Silica is a common mineral found in many types of rock and soil, as well as clay. Silicosis is a concern for professional potters who work with clay full-time over their career. We take special precautions for our staff when they are working with dry materials, such as using a vent-hood and a respirator mask, to reduce their direct exposure to dust particles. For the safety of all staff and students we use routine cleaning procedures to reduce the general amount of dust in the studio: all studio surfaces (wheels, tables, etc.) are wiped down daily and deep-cleaned every other month; the floors are vacuumed with a HEPA filter 3x per week and pressure-washed every other month; filters are changed monthly. We also have air purifiers that run continuously and N95 masks available for anyone who needs one. It is also studio policy that any sanding be done outdoors.
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Yes! Studio Arts Boulder is our old name. The City of Boulder Pottery Lab is the official name of the building at our Hill location.
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Donations are critical for the long-term financial security and sustainability of the organization. They improve resilience for times when enrollment might drop unexpectedly. They also help us provide free and reduced-rate programs to folks who cannot afford to pay fees. In addition to pay-what-you-can classes and scholarships, we also do several free partner programs each week to bring hands-on experiences to people who need art the most… children and seniors in low-income housing, adults with mild traumatic brain injuries, homeless teens & youth in crisis, survivors of domestic violence, kids at risk of dropping out, and more. We could not serve vulnerable members of our community without generous financial support from our donors.
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The studio has a long history of selling student and staff artwork to the public. Neighbors and collectors come year after year to buy pieces for their own enjoyment or to give as gifts. We currently have two sales each year:
in September at our Fall Pottery Sale held in conjunction with our annual Chili Bowl street party, and;
in December our Holiday Sale features staff and instructor work.
Student work that is abandoned after each session is then sorted, saved, and sold to raise money for operations and partner programs. You are also invited to donate pieces any time during the year.
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Absolutely! We are always looking for volunteers to organize events, join our board, serve as teaching assistants, and help us with everything it takes to be a thriving nonprofit. Send an email to volunteer@groundworksartlab.org. Your skills and expertise can definitely be put to good use!
Additional questions?
Reach out to contact@groundworksartlab.org