Studio Policies & Procedures
Welcome to Richmond Clay Center! We are stoked you are here. The following policies and procedures will help ensure you have a great time and make great work at RCC.
Hours of Operation: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM daily
Getting Started
- Parking: Free parking is available directly in front of the studio and in the two parking lots on the northeast side of the building.
- Attire: Please come to class ready to get dirty! Casual, comfortable clothes are best, and we highly recommend wearing long pants or skirts. Please bring a towel or an apron to help contain clay dust.
- Arrival: Please arrive a few minutes early for your class. Instruction begins exactly at the scheduled start time, and we cannot hold the class for late arrivals. However, you are welcome to arrive early during open studio hours to warm up and prepare.
- Materials: For multi-week classes, your class registration includes 25 pounds of clay. One day, classes and workshops will have all materials provided. All students will have access to community tools and equipment. Additional clay can be purchased as needed.
- Maker's Marks: All students are required to mark their work with a stamp. If you don't have one, you will make one with your instructor on the first day of class.
- Clean-Up: You are required to clean up thoroughly after yourself, both at the end of class and after using the open studio space.
Safety First
Ceramics is an incredibly safe medium to work with, but a clean studio is a healthy studio. Please keep these vital safety rules in mind:
⚠️ The Golden Rule: NEVER SWEEP!
Dried clay dust is hazardous to your lungs. To keep the air clean, sweeping is strictly prohibited. Always clean your workspace, wheels, and floors using a damp sponge or mop.
- Dust Prevention: Wearing a towel or apron helps keep clay dust off your clothes—and out of your car and home. Cover up while working to keep your clothes as clean as possible.
- Kiln Area: Do not touch the kilns. Our kiln firing area is strictly for staff only.
- Glaze Lab: Do not touch or handle raw chemicals in our glaze lab.
- Staff Guidance: Follow all safety instructions provided by RCC faculty and staff at all times.
Open Studio Rules
Practice makes perfect, and we welcome you to practice as much as you like! Please keep the following guidelines in mind while enjoying our open studio space:
- Availability: Open studio hours for enrolled students are available whenever a formal class or event is not actively running. Please consult the calendar posted online or in the studio to plan your practice time. Members can work in the members-only space whenever RCC is open.
- No Instruction: Formal instruction is not provided during open studio hours. While our staff is always happy to answer general questions about the studio and policies, they cannot offer technical advice, demonstrations, or artistic critiques outside of class time.
- The 30-Minute Buffer: Please stop working and begin cleaning up 30 minutes before the next scheduled class begins. This ensures you have plenty of time to clean your space and vacate before the incoming students arrive.
- Guests: If you would like to share the RCC experience with friends or family, you can purchase a one-day guest pass during open studio hours. Guests must use the registered students' clay allocation and cannot purchase any additional clay. If your guest wants to stick around, we’ll happily help them enroll in an upcoming course! Please email richmondclaycenter@gmail to purchase a guest pass.
Wrapping Up Your Class
- Shelf Clean-Out: You will be assigned a designated storage shelf for the duration of your class. This shelf must be completely cleared off by the final day of your course. Any personal belongings or artwork left behind will be discarded.
- Deadlines: Studio access is strictly tied to the duration of your class. Your final class session must finish all making and glazing.
- Final Firings & Pickup: Because kilns take time to cool, some of your final work will be fired after your class concludes. Final pickup is typically ready about two weeks later.
- Consecutive Classes: If you are registered for back-to-back class sessions, you may keep your storage space between terms with prior approval from the faculty.