Classes and Workshops
Rise and Shine Wheel Throwing For Beginners +
with Shari Zabriskie
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This fun morning class will introduce you to the fundamentals of throwing pots on the wheel. Over the course of eight weeks, learn and practice the techniques of clay preparation, centering, throwing, trimming, glazing, and more! This class is geared towards beginners, those continuing to work on their basic skills and those who are coming back to pottery after many years. . Demonstrations, discussions, coaching, and abundant practice time. Ages 16 and up.
Upcoming Sessions:​
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March 18-May 6, Tuesdays 9am-Noon
April 17-June 5, Thursdays 9am-Noon
June 3-July 22, Tuesdays 9am-Noon
June 26-August 14, Thursdays 9am-Noon
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TEEN WEEK AUGUST 18-22 9am-Noon with instruction; open studio for independent work until 6pm: $295 plus clay
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September 2--October 21, Tuesdays 9am-Noon
September 18-November 6, Thursdays 9am-Noon
October 28-December 2, Tuesdays 9am-Noon SIX WEEK COURSE $270 plus clay
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$320 fee + $42 for each bag of clay used.
Daily practice time included.
email shabbazabba@yahoo.com to register!
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Beginner+ Wheel Throwing
with Teta Hilsdon
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Practice the basics of making pots on the wheel: centering, throwing different forms, trimming, glazing, recycling clay and a few decorative techniques.
For beginners, those continuing work on their basic skills, or those coming back to pottery after many years.
Demonstrations, discussions, coaching, and abundant practice time. Ages 16 and up.
Upcoming 8-week Sessions:
$320 fee + $42 for each bag of clay used.
Mar 11 through May 6, Tuesdays 6–9pm (includes snow date)
Apr 14 through Jun 2, Mondays 6–9pm
May13 through Jul 1, Tuesdays 6–9pm
Jun 16 through Aug 4, Mondays 6–9pm
Jul 15 through Sep 2, Tuesdays 6–9pm
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Fall 10-week Sessions:
$400 fee + $42 for each bag of clay used.
Sep 8 through Nov 10, Tuesdays 6–9pm
Oct 7 through Dec 16, Mondays 6–9pm
Fall/Winter 2-week Short Intensive Intro Classes:
$200, including clay and loaner tools.
5 dates in early December, 6:00-8:30pm:
Monday 12/8, Wednesday 12/10, Friday 12/12, Monday 12/15, Friday 12/19.
5 dates in mid-January, 6:00-8:30pm: TBD, please inquire if interested
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Email tetahilsdon@gmail.com to register!
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2025 workshops
Building with Slabs!
with Teta Hilsdon
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Building with slabs is a fun and relatively easy way to make plates, trays, platters, and vases with beautiful textured patterns. Learn to use a slab roller to roll clay into a slab, cut, design, texture, form pieces, and glaze. We'll make flat and three dimensional pieces on forms. Class includes practice time during Wheelhouse's daily Open Studio. Once the class is over, you'll have the skills to work on your own at Wheelhouse using a day pass.
January 4, 11, 25
Saturdays, 9am – 12pm
For ages 16 and up. No experience necessary.
$200 plus clay ($42 per bag, includes glazes and firing).
To register email:
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Winter Moon Rising:
Throwing Round Vessels
with Ben Eberle
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Love the volume of those round moon pots? Having issues finding that form on the wheel? Interested in learning to throw a little larger and level up your cylinder game? This weekend workshop will address those issues with demos and hands-on practice exercises. Students should consider themselves intermediate throwers with experience throwing 3-4lbs of stiffer clay. The ability to pull a 6-8" cylinder is a bonus but not 100% necessary.
Ben Eberle is a studio potter, writer, kiln builder and educator from Conway, MA. He has been working in clay for over 25 years and teaches workshops all over New England. His thrown and altered pots have appeared in shows accross the country as well as the two local pottery tours in Western, MA. He hosts group firing workshops twice a year at his Karma Kiln in Shelburne, MA.
Satruday and Sunday
February 1 and 2 RESCHEDULED TO APRIL 5 and 6
9 AM-Noon
waitlist only
For ages 16 and up with throwing experience.
$200 plus clay. Students are welcome to continue working independently until 6pm on both workshop days.
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To register email:
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Coil and Pinch Vessels
with Josh Gold
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This course will teach the ancient art of coil and pinching clay vessels. Learn how to gain complete control of the form while building bowls, cylinders and thin necked vases and bottles.
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Josh Gold has been a studio potter for over 50 years. His functional pottery has been sold in galleries and included in National Exhibitions all over the USA. For the past 10 years he has been concentrating on hand built figurative sculpture, on display and for sale at his studio in Westminster West, VT. Josh has taught month long workshops at Iowa Wesleyan University, Knox College, Carrol University and continues to offer private lessons from his home studio.
Saturdays
March 1 and 8​
9 AM-Noon
waitlist only
For ages 16 and up. Some clay experience is helpful but not necessary.
$200 plus clay. Daily practice time between 12-6 during the week between sessions is included in the tuition.
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To register email:
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Exploring Glaze!
with Meg Dougherty
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What is glaze? What makes a glaze durable? Is this food safe? What are the best ways to apply glaze? In this workshop you will learn the basics of what glaze is, how it works, how to apply it and how to start making adjustments to ready mixed glazes. We will run three glaze experiments: layering glaze, combining ready mixed glazes and adjusting color. This class will offer you a few ways to play with your studio's glazes even if you don't have access to a glaze mixing lab.
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Three Saturdays:
April 12, 19 and 26
9 AM-Noon
For ages 16 and up. Experience is necessary.
$235 plus materials
For more information on what to prepare for class visit:
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To register email:
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Screen Printing Collaboration with First Proof Press!
with Daniel Ciaccio and Shari Zabriskie
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Join us for our first collaborative workshop with our neighbor upstairs, Daniel Ciaccio. Daniel is the insanely talented artist and owner/mastermind of Brattleboro's community printing studio, First Proof Press! Spend the first day at First Proof learning how to develop your own custom silk screen images and then create crisp rice paper and newspaper transfers for use on pottery. Day two will be spent in the pottery with Shari Zabriskie unpacking the mysteries of the transfers on clay. Explore different techniques using water and slip for your own transfer style. Additionally, we will play with the concept of mono prints. Potters should arrive with pre-made leather hard (or close to bone dry) STRAIGHTWALLED pots or trays.
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Saturday and Sunday May 17 and 18
9am-Noon
$200 plus materials
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Check out First Proof Press!
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To register email Shari: shabbazabba@yahoo.com
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Clay Whistles-
Making Sculptures That Sing!
with Annie Lauterbach
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There is something magical about taking a soft piece of earth/clay and making it whistle. This workshop will introduce you to creating clay whistles with simple tools. We will explore how to build whistles by pinching, joining and carving clay. If time allows, our whistles can be decorated with colored slips/underglazes. Whistles will be allowed to dry for a week and fired in the kilns at Wheelhouse.
Annie Lauterbach has been creating functional, stoneware pottery and whistles for many years. She is a member of Brattleboro Clayworks Studio and lives in Putney, VT.
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Saturday, June 14
9am-Noon
$70 includes all materials
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To register email Annie: annlauterbach6@gmail.com​
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Pinching As Throwing:
Hand Built Vessels
with John Dorsey
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Looking to infuse a personal touch into your ceramics? Join us for this hands-on two-day workshop where we'll explore the art of pinch pots with a wheel-thrown perspective. On day one, we'll create a variety of simple yet creative dynamic forms, including both symmetrical and asymmetrical bowls and cylinders. On day two, we'll challenge our skills by combining these foundational shapes into more complex designs such as pitchers, ewers, boxes, and basket forms. This workshop is perfect for those looking to deepen their craft while experimenting with creative possibilities!
John Dorsey is a studio potter and teacher from Brattleboro, VT and Dedham, MA. He has been working in clay for over thirty years and teaches clay at Noble and Greenough School. His work has been shown internationally as well as across the country. He recently completed a residency at Taller Gingell in Barcelona, Spain. HIs work can be seen at Verdigris in Downtown Brattleboro.
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Saturday and Sunday
July 19 and 20
9am-Noon
Ages 16 and up, no wheel throwing experience necessary
$200 plus clay.
Students are welcome to continue working independently until 6pm on both workshop days.
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To register email:​
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Teen Week!
End of Summer Teen Studio
with Shari Zabriskie
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Shari will lead a group of clay curious teens through different ceramic projects each morning from 9am-Noon. Students are welcome to stay and work independently all afternoon until 5pm if they choose. Explore clay with pinching, coils, slab, sculpture and the wheel.
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Monday-Friday 9am-Noon, followed by open studio
August 18-22
$295 plus clay
students must be able to work independently
ages 14 and up
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To register email Shari Zabriskie: shabbazabba@yahoo.com​
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Throwing BIGGER!
with Teta Hilsdon
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In this super fun, four week workshop, potters will work on making bigger pots by three different methods: 1) Throwing your usual amounts of clay thinner and more efficiently. 2) Throwing larger amounts of clay. 3) Throwing in sections. Plus, one session is devoted to trimming tips, glazing practices, and best tools. Potters will then glaze on your own. You must be able to comfortably throw 5# to make good use of this workshop. Between classes, practice making bigger pots at Wheelhouse during your free Open Studio time. Handouts on each topic will remind you of what you learned. Limited to four students.
Most students will use two bags of Sheffield S-14, stocked at Wheelhouse, costing $42 per bag, including glazing and firing at Wheelhouse. Bringing your own clay must be cleared with the teacher.​​
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Saturdays, August 9, 16, 23 and 30
9:00 AM to 12:00 PM​
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To register email Teta Hilsdon: tetahilsdon@gmail.com
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Building with Slabs!
with Teta Hilsdon
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Building with slabs is a fun and relatively easy way to make plates, trays, platters, and vases with beautiful textured patterns. Learn to use a slab roller to roll clay into a slab, cut, design, texture, form pieces, and glaze. We'll make flat and three dimensional pieces on forms. And we'll spend one class making free-form pieces. Class includes practice time during Wheelhouse's daily Open Studio. Once the class is over, you'll have the skills to work on your own at Wheelhouse using a day pass.
September 9, 16, 23, and 30.
Saturdays, 9am – 12pm
For ages 16 and up. No experience necessary.
$250 plus clay ($42 per bag, includes glazes and firing).
To register email:
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