Access to SPAM’s Cole Creativity Center ceramic studio is available Tuesday through Friday with complimentary kiln firings. Students must purchase clay from our store. Outsourced clay bodies are not permitted.

Enrollment

This is not an auto-reoccurring charge. Individuals must enroll online for each month. Access is divided into two groups: Group A : Tue/Thur from 2:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Group B : Wednesday/Friday from 10:00 am - 4:00 p.m. Choose whether you will be Hand Building or Wheel Throwing.

Enrollment is limited and preregistration is required.

Open Studio Guidelines

• All participants must have previous studio experience, or have taken any of our multi-day ceramics classes twice. You should be able to wedge, center, operate the wheel and slab roller comfortably on your own. Participants must also have previous experience with glazing their own work.

• Open studio is uninstructed; our kiln technician, Jynell Dimalanta will be on-site to answer any questions and assist in purchasing clay.

• Outsourced clay bodies are not permitted inside the studio. All clay must be purchased from the Santa Paula Art Museum. We have a rotating offering of five Cone 5 Laguna clay bodies: B-Mix, Speckled Buff, RSMC, Frost Porcelain, Azabache.

• No production pottery. Our studio is designed for craft development and personal projects. Please be mindful of the space you occupy, we are a small studio and cannot store work for extended periods of time.

• All work will be loaded, fired, and unloaded by our kiln tech.

Firing Schedule

Students can expect regular bisque and glaze firings, usually at the rate that reflects the volume of work on the shelves. Please allow at least two weeks for your work to be fired once placed on the greenware shelf.

As a reminder, we only fire clay purchased from the Santa Paula Art Museum

Clay Shop

Maintaining a Clean Studio

Please allow yourself enough time to clean your workspace properly at the end of each session. Clean up should begin 15 minutes before open studio ends.  If closing time is 8pm, plan accordingly to be out of here at that time. Please leave the space as cleaner then you found it at the start of your work period. This includes any equipment used, such as wedging tables, slab roller, wheels, bats, buckets, towels, studio aprons, etc. We do our best to maintain a clean studio environment. Some clay dust is bound to happen, but it can be hazardous if it builds up. 

Guests

No one other than members and students are permitted to work in the studio.

Animals 

We ask that you do not bring animals to the studio space except for permitted service animals, or if previously arranged with Jynell or Gabriel.

Photography Notice

By purchasing this service you consent to being photographed, filmed, or otherwise recorded. Your presence constitutes your consent to the publication, release, or reproduction of these materials for promotional purposes, website, or social media use. Your name will never be shared.

Studio Policy

By purchasing this service, participants understand that the studio is a shared space and appropriate conduct and cooperation is essential for everyone. Participants who demonstrate disrespectful behavior, such as discrimination, direct or indirect aggression, and harassment, or failure to follow safety protocols and the studio guidelines, may result in immediate cancellation of studio access. In such case, the Santa Paula Art Museum does not guarantee a refund, of any amount, to the participant.

Questions? We are here to help!