Studio News

Good news: We have a door! The door to the new production space has been installed, and changes are happening to get the new space ready for our master potters to work. We expect them to start moving by the end of the month. This means we will have extra space in the studio and we’re thinking we’ll add a hand-building space. This will be just in time for our new month-long, progressive class, taught by studio member, Betsy Young: Intro to Hand-building. Here is a photo of Betsy’s beautiful work that she’s developed through her years of experience in ceramics. You can see more on the website listing for the class HERE. The class will be held on Wednesdays in April and will be limited to only 8 students, so get your spot right away!

Member Meeting

We want to connect with and hear from our members, so we are planning to start having a member meeting once a month. After the meeting, everyone is welcome to stick around and work on their projects or just chat and socialize. We hope it will build an even stronger clay community with members building into each other and sharing knowledge.

The first meeting will be Monday, March 21, at 7pm. We’ll probably run for about an hour and then hang out and socialize and/or work on our projects until people need to sleep. There will be food and drinks! Feel free to bring a snack or adult beverage to share!

Help Save Our Drains!

One important part of this first member meeting will be to talk about our new process for dealing with reclaim, saving our drains from constantly getting clogged and flooding the studio. Those who are not able to attend the meeting will be asked to attend a make-up session for a re-orientation with Jess Tinsley (Membership Coordinator) to go over the fine details of this new bucket/reclaim system and make sure everyone is handling clay so that the least amount goes down the drains.

Member Clay & Supply Order

Mid-South Ceramics, based in Nashville, TN, usually supplies our clay, glazes, and other clay needs. Jess is planning a trip to Mid-South Ceramics March 22, 2022 and would be happy to pick up any supplies you’ve ordered, at your request. You can place an order, then choose “Pickup” at checkout and give Jess the order info so she can pick up for you. Click here for a link to the site.

Since there have been some clay shortages, you may want to consider ordering some extra clay. You could also consider ordering cone 6 speckled clay, colored clay, etc.

Belltower Summer Camps: Save the Date!

This year, we’ll be having two weeks of summer camps for kids! The dates are:

May 30-June 3, 2022: Kids Pottery Camp (Click HERE for more info.)

June 6-10, 2022: Kids Harry “Pottery” Camp (Click HERE for more info.)

We’re telling you this for two reasons:

1) If you have kids or know someone who has kids who would enjoy our camps, we encourage you to sign them up, or share the info on social media or directly with friends. All the info is in the links above.

2) We want you to be aware that the studio will be full of children during the day for two weeks. May 30- June 3 and June 6-10, 2022. They will be done by 4pm, so you may prefer to be in the studio during the evening or early in the morning.

Member Challenges

This one is just what it sounds like: We’ll soon be introducing member challenges that will be manageable for you to work at your own speed. When you complete each challenge, you’ll open a new “level” and level up your work. You’ll also receive a badge for your shelf to show your honor of completion and level of competence!

Social Throw

For all those pottery extroverts out there (just kidding, introverts can attend too!), we will be hosting a “Social Throw” a couple of times a month as an opportunity for people to throw at the same time. Feel free to join us or avoid us in the studio during these times!

Evening Social Throw: Wednesday, March 9, 2022, 6pm-9pm (or later)

Afternoon Social Throw: Wednesday, March 23, 2022, 12pm-2pm

March Calendar (& Beyond):

Social Throw: Wednesday, March 9, 2022, 6pm-9pm (or later) Bring your favorite snack or drink!
Order clay supplies from Mid-South Ceramics before March 11, and contact Jess Tinsley regarding pickup.
Member Meeting: Monday, March 21, 7pm
Social Throw: Wednesday, March 23, 2022, 12pm-2pm. Bring your favorite snack or drink!
Raku Firing: 2pm-6pm, Sunday, March 27, 2022. Sign up with Will Lescheck, sign up sheet in the kiln room. $10 per piece fired. Bring your own bisque-fired piece and any supplies you need to create textures and patterns.
March Month Long Class: Sold Out, Tuesdays and Thursdays in March, 6pm-9pm
Intro to Hand-building with Betsy Young: Wednesdays in April, 6pm-9pm. (Click HERE to register.)
Mug Making Class: Friday nights, 6:30pm-8:30pm
Intro to the Wheel Classes: Saturdays at 3:30pm and 6:30pm.
May 30-June 3, 2022: Kids Pottery Camp (Click HERE to register.)
June 6-10, 2022: Kids Harry “Pottery” Camp (Click HERE to register)

Sign up for classes and camps online HERE!

Replies, Ideas, Questions, and Help:

Contact: Jess Tinsley, Membership Coordinator

Email: jess@belltowercoffeeandstudio.com

Text: 865-363-6426

Belltower Bugler - Volume 2