Give it a shot! - Wheel Throwing
Give it a shot! - Wheel Throwing
First time at the wheel? No problem! This class is made for you.
Join us for a one day, 2 hour session where we’ll walk you through the basics of wheel throwing. Lumpy pots and goofy bowls galore. No extended commitment necessary. Give it a shot and see if you like it! You’ll throw pieces on the wheel and will pick them up 2-3 weeks later (after they’re dried, fired, and glazed!). Classes are limited to 7 participants and students must be 16 years of age or older.
Please check our FAQ’s page for additional information on the studio and read our Cancelation Policy prior to booking!
This is a one day, 2 hour class. You’ll pick up your finished pieces 2-3 weeks after the class.
*The Shimpo Pottery Wheel may be harmful to a person who has a pacemaker. Serious injury or death could occur. Consult a physician before using.*
Meet the Instructors
Alexandra Barao is a potter and educator from Virginia. She received her BFA in Sculpture from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2010, and began working with clay a few years later while living in California. Alongside deepening her own practice over the years, she has taught handbuilding and wheelthrowing classes to both children and adults, managed an artist studio space, and worked as a production assistant for other potters. She recently moved back to Virginia and spent the summer as an artist in residence at Cub Creek Foundation in Appomattox, focusing on wood firing and working with local clays. She looks forward to connecting to others through clay back in Richmond.
Carla Pillsbury was introduced to ceramics at Va Tech, College of Architecture, where she became fascinated by the process and intimacy of scale. Since the birth of her child in 2012, her focus shifted away from architecture to ceramics as a lens through which to study domestic life. From her home studio she has produced work for numerous shows and shops around Richmond and beyond. She taught basic wheel throwing and hand building at The ArtHaus in Chesterfield (2017-2020) and has attended an exploratory clay session at Penland School of Craft (2017).
Dylan Jones fell in love with clay and the wheel in a 2 hour workshop just like this and never looked back. Most of her learning has taken place at community studios like Hand / Thrown. She strives to create access and opportunities to engage with clay across her communities.
Hanami Morris primarily uses metal and clay to fabricate objects revolving around his identities and how they intersect. They enjoy both wheelthrowing and handbuilding, but they also have a particular interest in glaze chemistry.
Lelia Jenkins has a BFA in Studio Arts and BS in Human Development from Virginia Tech. They fell in love with ceramics 10 years ago and have been working toward combining it with their love of community outreach since. They are passionate about sharing pottery with beginners and making it more accessible and approachable to all.
Rice Evans is a multi-medium artist primarily working in clay and video. Originally from the Midwest, Evans received her BFA from New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University in 2016 and her MFA in Ceramics from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2021. She is adjunct faculty in the Clay Area of the Craft/Material Studies department at Virginia Commonwealth University. To quote Evans about her work: “My art practice meanders through concepts, techniques, and mediums to arrive at a messy, confusing, and overwhelming shared experience of digital life. It is here where we find humor, creativity, and most importantly our own contemporary folk culture.”