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Start the countdown! It's time to put a troubled 2020 behind us and get a fresh start in 2021. To all the resident artists, students, and friends who saw Yourist Studio Gallery through this difficult year, you have our deepest gratitude. We cannot thank you enough for your generous support. May all your dearest hopes and wishes come true in 2021.

The studio and gallery are currently closed for the holidays. We will resume our regular hours on Tuesday, January 5, at noon. See you then.
What better way...

...to start 2021 than by signing up for a pottery class at the studio and getting your hands in clay? This year resolve to try something new: learn wheel throwing or improve your wheel throwing skills, learn hand building or improve your hand building skills, or step up your decorating and glazing abilities.

Our inaugural 2021 classes begin soon, but there's still time for you to register Here's the full schedule of the classes for our first term of the year:

Advanced / Intermediate Fridays
  • Fri, Jan 8-Apr 9, 6:30-9:30 pm, with John Leyland
Don't miss this opportunity to learn from a great teacher!

Advanced / Intermediate Independent Study
  • Wed, Jan 6-Apr 7, 6:30-9:00 pm, with Kay Yourist

Introductory and Continuing Wheel
  • Mon, Jan 11-Feb 15, 6:30-8:30 pm, with Kevan Wilson
  • Thurs, Jan 7-Feb 11, 10:00 am-12:00 pm, with Nancy Bulkley
  • Thurs, Jan 7-Feb 11, 12:30-2:30 pm, with Nancy Bulkley
  • Thurs, Jan 7-Feb 11, 4:30-6:30 pm, with Kay Yourist
  • Thurs, Jan 7-Feb 11, 6:30 pm-8:30 pm, with Kay Yourist

Introductory Wheel Sundays
  • Sun, Jan 10-Feb 14, 11:00 am-1:00 pm, with Kay Yourist

Continuing Wheel Sundays
  • Sun, Jan 10-Feb 14, 1:30-3:30 pm, with John Leyland

Coffee and Clay
  • Wed, Jan 6-Feb 10, 10:00 am-12:00 pm, with Nancy Bulkley
  • Sat, Jan 9-Feb 13, 9:30-11:30 am, with Nancy Bulkley

Reminder

All of our studio health and safety precautions, including those for students, continue in effect for these classes.
Questions?

If you have any questions about our classes, please call Kay at the studio from 1:00-5:00 pm Monday through Friday at 734-662-4914.
Studio life
Felix Nicol making glazes
Glaze maker extraordinaire

Who makes the glazes you use at the studio? Glaze elves? Nope. (That's just a rumor.) We caught Felix Nicol hard at work whipping up batches of yellow salt and other studio glazes so you can get your pieces ready for the next glaze firing. Thank you, Felix!
Ready, glaze, fire!

Here's the tentative date for loading wares for our January gas kiln firing:

Thursday, January 21

As usual, we will load and fire in January when we have accumulated enough pieces to fill the kiln. Be sure to check with the studio for January gas kiln firing updates.
It's time...

...to make a good start in the new year by clearing our bisque shelves. If you have bisque ware on our shelves that was fired in December, please glaze it or pick it up and take it home by Saturday, January 30. Regrettably, any unclaimed bisque ware remaining after that date must be discarded to make room for new work. (And you know we hate doing that!)
Potter's quick tip
Q. I'm struggling to take control at the wheel. Who's in charge? Me, the wheel, or the clay?

A. Here are some helpful tips from Danielle McDaniel, the Clay Lady, for improving your control at the wheel. McDaniel gives advice on body mechanics, centering, and taking charge of the "invisible forces around the clay."

This video is part of our continuing series for beginners.
Clay lover's web events
Shell Pods in Green by Lauren Kearns
ICAN Holiday Exhibition
Virtual tours and videos

Here's a selection of pottery events, exhibitions, and museum tours that you can visit and enjoy online.

Holiday Entertaining. International Ceramic Artists Network Online Juried Exhibition. Now - January 15. More . . .

One Table Oodles of Dishes. The International Museum of Dinnerware Design recently received the generous donation of wonderful examples of California-designed dinnerware from the estate of Bill Stern, founder of the Museum of California Design in Los Angeles. Selections from this generous gift will be included in the upcoming IMDD on-line exhibition One Table Oodles of Dishes. IMDD will announce the unveiling of the exhibition here in the next few weeks.

2020 NCECA Annual: The Burdens of History. Online book of the exhibition. More . . .

The Clay Studio: 100 Artists 1000 Cups. Online book of the exhibition.
Call for entries

Fourth Biennial Juried Exhibition: Breakfast.  April 10 – August 28, 2021, The International Museum of Dinnerware Design. Entry deadline January 31! More . . .
Resources for potters
Red iron oxide effects
Watch potter Matthew Kelly demonstrate how he uses a red iron oxide wash to bring out the texture on his carved pieces, with tips on how to avoid a mess when working with red iron oxide.

Studio and Gallery hours
The studio and gallery are currently closed for the holidays. We will resume our regular hours at noon on Tuesday, January 5, at noon.

Here are our current open studio hours for 2021:

  • Tuesday, 12:00-6:00 pm
  • Wednesday, 12:00-6:00 pm
  • Friday, 12:00-6:00 pm
  • Saturday, Noon-6:00 pm

Please be aware that we will continue to adjust our open studio hours as additional classes on our schedule start and activity restrictions are lifted. As is customary, only registered students will be admitted to the studio during class times.

We have fresh-air tent space available and limit our indoor capacity to 10 students at the pottery wheels, 2 students in the glazing room, and 2 students at the large work table. We will continue to observe all our health and safety precautions during open studio time.

Please remember to sign in when you arrive and sign out when you leave. And make sure to clean your work area thoroughly before leaving.

We also have curbside delivery of clay, tools, and pottery during our regular hours. If you have a specific need, please call Kay at the studio during regular hours, at 734-662-4914.

Yourist Studio Gallery
1133 Broadway
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
734-662-4914 | www.youristpottery.com

•Classes and workshops
•Community studio workspace
•Pottery tools for sale
•Exhibit gallery