Hi friends!
It’s been a beautiful and busy week here. We’ve got the two new beasties in place and installed, and we have named them Ethel and Doris! So we’ll be having no more of this impersonal Kiln 1 and 2 nonsense, thank you very much! 🤣😉
It was a huge effort to shift these chunky 500kg gals into place, but it was made easy (lol) with the help of John MacIntosh, Andrew Carnell, David Kenny, Craig Stephen, Mark Tamura and Stephen Leyburn-Williams – thanks so much for your person-power and good sense in working out how to get the ladies off their pallets and moved around.
Huge thanks also to our fab electrician, Paul Mann! Paul speedily hooked up the electrics and got them running lickity split on Monday and was all done around 11am.
We’re currently running the loooong drying firing programme on both kilns, then we’ll be doing some test firings for bisque and glaze so we know we’re dropping all the right cones before we start putting any of your precious pieces into them! Bear with us, we’re nearly there 😊
Memberships for 2025-2026
We’re fast approaching that time of year again… Our current membership year ends on the 31st of March, just over 3 weeks away! The 2025-2026 membership year is now live on the class bookings page, so you can renew your membership now.
By becoming a member you not only support the WSP in nurturing an inclusive pottery community for all, you also gain the following benefits:
Access to the dedicated Members’ Open Studio Sessions. Typically there are an additional 5-7 Open Studio sessions per week.
Discounted Play with Clay sessions.
Further discounts for Members' Open Studio and PWC sessions when purchasing a Concession Card.
Utilising our firing service for pieces made outside of classes and Play with Clay.
Discounted class and workshop enrolments.
Entry into the Annual WSP Exhibition at Arts Post.
Membership events such as the Mighty Waikato Pottery Throw Down.
The WSP membership term is based on our financial year, so runs from the 1st of April to the 31st of March the following year.
We offer a 12-month membership term running for the full year, or two 6-month membership terms, running from 1st April to 30th September and from 1st October to 31st March. We are not able to offer membership periods of less than 6-months.
PRICING
1 April 2025 – 31 March 2026
Adult $90
Child $35
Prices are regardless of the date you join and are non-refundable.
1 April 2025 –3 0 September 2025 and/or
1 October 2025 – 31 March 2026
Adult $50
Child $20
Prices are regardless of the date you join and are non-refundable.
Open Day Volunteers
Saturday 12th April, 10am – 2pm
We’re doing it again! On the 12th of April we’ll be opening up the studio and running lots of potty activities for anyone and everyone who wants to come and take a gander, make a few pieces, and see how good working with clay is.
And of course, we can’t run this awesome day without the contribution of our beautiful volunteers! If you’re keen to help us show the world how fab our club is, we’d be stoked to have you with us. If you can help for a couple of hours in the morning, or in the afternoon, or even for the whole day, there'll be a range of activities running, so there will be something everyone can help with, no matter your pottery skill level. Things like:
Selling activity tickets
Selling raffle tickets
Helping people underglaze their paint-a-pots
Showing people how to make and decorate pinch pots
Helping glaze the raku pots
Helping smoke the raku pots
Showing people how to make a wheel-thrown pot
Slippery dip helpers
If this sounds like a bit of you, sign-up for a time slot here, or on the register in the studio.
Thanks lovelies! xx
Members’ Pottery and Art Market at Open Day
Last year's Open Day was a very popular event and we saw a record number of visitors come through our doors (and queuing in the carpark!)
This year we're doing it all again, and we'd like to offer our members the opportunity to sell their pottery, or other hand-made arts and crafts on the day.
We will have 10 spaces set aside in the carpark in front of the studio so you can either bring a gazebo and table (please make sure you provide adequate weighting/anchoring for your gazebo in case it's windy), or set up your stall from the boot of your car.
If you don't think you have enough wares for a stall by yourself, you could even get together with your pottery mates and set up a stall together.
There is no charge for the space, and we are not taking a commission on sales! However, you will need to manage your own cash float for sales and/or have your own EFTPOS facilities.
Maximum of 10 spaces, first in best dressed, register here.
The Latest Classes and Workshops
Remember we’ve got all these luscious learning opportunities for you to fill your brains with new clay info…
Workshop: Chucks, chums and lids with Tess May
A two-afternoon weekend workshop
Saturday 10th May 1.30pm – 4.30pm AND Sunday 11th May 1.30pm – 4.30pm
Intermediate Level Throwing
Find more info here.
Workshop: Surface Treatments for Wood Firing with Duncan Shearer
Saturday 29th March 2025 9am – 4pm
Find more info here.
Class: Introduction to Pottery with David Kenny
Fridays, 6pm – 9pm, starting on Friday 7th March
Find more info here.
Class: Wheel Throwing Taster Class Sarah Steed
Sundays, 10am – 1pm, starting on Sunday
Find more info here.
Alternative Firings: Raku
Raku Firing – Saturday 15th March, 10am – 2pm
Raku Firing – Tuesday 22nd April, 6pm – 9pm
Workshop at Rotorua Potters Group – Carla Ruka: Intensive Coiling
Held across three Mondays, 9am – 3pm:
Monday 26th May
Monday 2nd June (Kings Birthday)
Monday 9th June
Location: the Arts Village, Rotorua
Transform your concepts into sculptural form using Carla's coiling technique uniquely developed from a Māori perspective.
Suitable for all skill levels.
$570 per person
Exhibition Opportunity – A Potters Mark – The Arts Village, Tauranga
Entries close 12pm, Saturday 26th of April.
Exhibition runs from 3rd May to 31st May, 11am – 4pm
The collaborative ‘A Potters Mark’ Exhibition, anticipated for May, will be open to potters from across Bay of Plenty and Central Waikato to come together and celebrate the stories behind their work. In this exhibition potters will tell the life stories behind their pottery, answering the deeper questions as to why people ‘pot’, and allowing the community a glimpse into how the art of pottery can be a space for rehabilitation and connection.
Studio Schedule
Here’s how things are looking for the coming week, but as always, check the online calendar before you come in 😊
Friday 7th March
9.30am – 4pm, Members’ Open Studio
6pm – 9pm, Intro to Pottery class
Saturday 8th March
10am – 4pm, CLOSED for Glaze Tech Workshop
Sunday 9th March
10am – 1pm, Wheel Throwing Class
Monday 10th March
9.30am – 12.30pm, Wheel Throwing Class
1pm – 4pm, Members’ Open Studio
6pm – 9pm, Hand Building Class
Tuesday 11th March
9.30am - 4pm, Wheel Throwing Class
1pm – 4pm, Members’ Open Studio
6pm – 9pm, Play with Clay – thanks Margaret, Trudie and John! xx
Wednesday 12th March
9.30am – 12.30pm, Play with Clay, thanks Mark and Silke! xx
1pm – 4pm, Members’ Open Studio
4pm – 5.30pm, Kids’ Play with Clay
6pm – 9pm, Wheel Throwing Class
Thursday 13th March
9.30am – 12.30pm, Sculpture Skills Class
1pm – 4pm, Members’ Open Studio
6pm – 9pm, Wheel Throwing Class
Friday 14th March
9.30am –4pm, CLOSED for Diploma
6pm – 9pm, Intro to Pottery Class
Saturday 15th March
10am – 1pm, Play with Clay – thanks Lydia and Amy! xx
1pm – 4pm, Members’ Open Studio, thanks Lydia and Alexis! xx
Sunday 16th March
10am – 1pm, Wheel Throwing Class
