Ceramics Studio Policies

Please read all of our studio policies. Current members and students agree to the following policies. We reserve the right to revoke all memberships and/or student studio privileges for prohibited behavior.

  • Dry clay is hazardous!

    Clay dust in the air cannot be seen and is easily re-suspended. For these reasons, the following actions are strictly prohibited. Chases Garage reserves the right to revoke studio privileges, memberships, and class registration for prohibited behavior. 

    ABSOLUTELY NO SANDING IS ALLOWED

    -Sanding of greenware (bone dry clay) and bisqueware is prohibited. Sanding generates dust. 

    -Check greenware for rough spots and address with a wet sponge before bisquing. 

    *Please note that wet sanding of finished glazeware is allowed, as long as the wares and wet sanding pad are immersed in water*

    BONEDRY CLAY WARES CANNOT BE TRIMMED ON THE POTTERS WHEEL

    -Only trim, carve or rasp work when it is leatherhard. Leathrhard clay has enough water content to eliminate clay dust from suspending in the air. 

    -Do not trim, carve or rasp work that is close to or is bone dry as it generates and suspends clay dust. 

    NO SWEEPING

    -Sweeping is strictly prohibited. All cleaning protocols involve wet cleaning/mopping to eliminate kicking up dust in the studio.

    -Table surfaces should always be cleaned with a wet sponge. Clay debris should be sponged into a bucket of water and discarded in the appropriate slop bucket. 

    -Trimming scraps and other clay debris on the floor should be picked up using a metal scraper and discarded into the trash can. 

    -Mop around your work area before leaving (this includes around your work table AND your pottery wheel). Mopping eliminates dry clay scraps being stepped on, which lessens the amount of clay being tracked around the building and limits the amount of dust being generated. 

    There will always be some dust in a properly kept studio, even if there are peaks during certain activities, exposure to dusts may not lead to any important short-term or long-term health effects if one takes appropriate precautions. We can minimize health effects by first reducing how much dust is produced and then ensuring that proper cleaning protocols are followed.

  • Updated January 1, 2025

    Chases Garage is a ^10 Reduction Firing Studio. For purposes of proper glazing and firing, all members + students must use the ^10 clay that is available for purchase at Chases Garage.

    NO CLAY PURCHASED FROM OUTSIDE SOURCES IS PERMITTED FOR USE AT ANY CAPACITY AT CHASES GARAGE.

    Members + students MUST PURCHASE clay directly from Chases Garage. Low-fire and Midrange clay bodies are destructive when fired to ^10. Any clay body that is not rated to ^10 will melt and fuse to the kiln, kiln shelves, and/or other people’s work.

    DO NOT USE/BRING IN ANY CLAY TO THE CERAMICS STUDIO THAT HAS NOT BEEN PURCHASED DIRECTLY FROM CHASES GARAGE.

    The price of 25lbs of clay includes more than just the clay!

    Our specific clay cost wraps in other costs involved with processing clay work. This includes: the price of the actual clay, shipping/freight delivery costs, bisque kiln electricity/propane, loading/firing/unloading greenware/bisqueware.

    We are not a clay supplier/distributor, we do not profit off of clay sales.

    Chases Garage reserves the right to increase the cost of clay at any time. Price increases happen due to rising costs of glaze materials, shipping/delivery costs, and a change in electric/propane utility costs.

  • Chases Garage is unable to offer refunds for clay.

    Testing of new clay batches should be an integral part of your process as a ceramicist. Upon receipt of any new clay order, Chases Garage strongly recommends that YOU test your clay by cycling a handful of pieces fully through a glaze firing so you can see the results before making a large quantity of pieces.

    Chases Garage has no control over any defects or variations that may occur. Our clay is sold with the understanding that the user is solely responsible for determining suitability for any purpose and the results obtained. When purchasing clay, there are no warranties expressed or implied, regarding your finished product OR results. Therefore Chases Garage cannot be responsible for any variations, contaminants, defects, etc. that are beyond our control.  

  • Only current members have access to open studio time / the ability to make work at home.

    There are 3 types of ceramics membership:

    • Student Members: Students must become “Student Members” in order to gain access to open studio time/the ability to make work at home.

    • Studio Members: have access to our ceramics studio to make work during open studio time

    • Firing Members: have access to our ceramics studio FOR GLAZING ONLY

  • All work is subject to the $0.025 per cubic inch charge

    Firing fees pay for the following:

    • glaze materials

    • the time it takes staff to make/test glazes

    • loading/firing/unloading glaze kilns

    • utilities/propane to fire the glaze kiln

    • gas kiln maintenance/repairs

    • gas kiln shelf + furniture maintenance/replacement

    • mixing and testing recycled “mystery” glazes

  • Glaze drips suck for everyone. We are aware that glaze drips are not on purpose, however they are a growing concern for the longevity of our’ kiln shelves and Bailey gas kilns. We appreciate your cooperation in preventing them.

    Any work with glaze drips are subject to a $10 fee*

    *There will be no glaze drip warnings/notices for glazed work that has fused to the kiln shelf, and all glaze drips may be subject to a $10 fee at the studios discretion, which covers kiln wash, grinding and time.

  • Chases reserves the right to decline firing tall and excessively heavy work.

    Tall work must be loaded into the top of the kiln. When tall work is also heavy, it puts increased pressure on the shelf and stack. Therefore;

    For Students: Any projects over 9” must be discussed with the instructor before firing. We will not bisque any work that doesn’t receive prior approval.

    For Members: As determined by the studio, any projects that exceed 9” and are excessive in weight will not be bisque fired and therefore, will not be fired to cone 10.

  • Membership and class registration allows YOU AND ONLY YOU access to our studio.

    We do not allow outside visitors, guests, friends, children, or family members to come in and make work in our studio.

  • Please leave all pets at home! Due to safety regulations, we cannot allow pets (including dogs) in the studio, unless they are legal service animals.

    Although we do our best to keep our studio as clean as possible, ceramics studios are not pet friendly! It is dangerous for pets to be present in the studio because they are so low to the ground and they breath in dust and little bits of clay- even though we mop regularly. Clay dust and glaze materials are harmful to pets.

  • Enrolled students receive a personal shelf (cubby) for the duration of their enrollment. Students must remove all clay, in progress work, tools, and personal belongings on the last day of class if they are not continuing to take class during the following session. Anything left on personal shelves will be boxed up and labeled by our studio manger, and will be put outside in the kiln shed for one month. Due to space limitations, boxes that are left in our kiln shed for more than one month are deemed abandoned and the contents will either be thrown out or donated.

  • Members + students must sign all greenware! This is a vital part that keeps our studio organized and running smoothly.

    Due to space limitations, we do not provide communal storage for bisqueware. All bisqueware must be able to be stored on your personal shelf after we unload the bisque kiln. The best way to utilize all of your shelf space is to bisque and glaze work in a timely manner- keep things moving along and process them through all of the kilns.

    Unsigned work takes up space that we do not have, in both the studio and the kiln shed. Unsigned work that has been sitting around for 2 months (one entire session) will be deemed abandoned, and will either be thrown out, donated, or used for glaze demonstrations.

    We want you to enjoy everything you make so PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE sign all of your work (with the same signature that is on your name tag)

  • Please do not touch or pick up other peoples work or personal items.

    This includes:

    -greenware (on the greenware shelf)

    -bisqueware

    -finished glazeware

    -anything on someones personal shelf such as personal items, tools, etc.

    We understand you may need to carefully move someones piece when retrieving your glazed work- however please do not pick up other people’s finished work to feel it, look at the glaze, etc. If you have a question, leave a note on it w/ your name and that person will most likely respond by leaving you a note on your shelf.

  • Adults (18 or older) may register for classes & workshops at Chases Garage. Chases reserves the right to cancel courses, substitute instructors, change course times, and limit enrollment. The student agrees to abide by any and all rules and policies of the studios. Chases will assume no responsibility for any loss, personal or physical. With enrollment, a student consents to being photographed in classes (unless we informed in writing). These photographs may be used by Chases in future promotional efforts without specific written permission from the student.

    Members and registered students agree to the following that participation in our ceramics programs may involve some risk of personal injury and damage to the studio property: therefore, they assume all risks related to these activities and release Chases Garage, its directors and employees from all resulting liability from personal injury and property damage.