Fireborn Studios

functional pots and beyond

  • Home
  • Gallery and Shopping
    • Gallery and Shopping
    • Small Business Saturday & Sunday
    • Kiln Openings
    • See Our Glazes
    • Handblown Glass
    • Images of Fireborn Pottery
  • Reviews
  • Pottery Classes
    • About Classes
    • Images of Our Glazes
    • Videos About Classes
    • Open Studio Saturday Access
    • Private Lessons
    • Sign-up for Pottery Class
    • Images of Students’ Pots
    • Reviews
  • Current Student Info.
    • Current Student Information
    • Re-Up for Current Students
    • Make-up class post page
    • Ending Your Term
    • Throwing Help
    • Glazing Help
      • Glazing Independently
      • Understanding and Applying Glaze
      • Danger…Runny Glazes
      • Even the Pots Can Melt
    • Expand Your Knowledge
    • Downloads
  • Workshops
    • Saturday once a month workshops
    • Special NCECA Conference Workshops
  • About
    • About Fireborn
    • Hours and Contact Information

Pottery Classes

trimming a lidded casserole

 

Adult Classes are for beginning through advanced students, with individualized instruction based on student’s interests. Basic and advanced wheel throwing techniques will be covered. Techniques for making a variety of forms such as mugs, plates, bowls, vases, pitchers, and teapots will be demonstrated. Textured and altered forms will be explored as well as a variety of glazing and decorating techniques.

  • Get on the Class Mailing List
  • Check out our Glazes
  • See our recent exhibition of student work
  • Sign up right now.

Navigate This Page

  • Instructors
  • Schedule
  • Tuition
  • Make-up Policy
  • Cancellations, Withdrawals, and Refunds
  • Supplies
  • A Typical Class
  • Private Lessons
  • Demonstratons

Information for Prospective Students

Beginning students usually produce from one to three pots per day. When finished, all pots are food safe and usable in a microwave, dishwasher or oven. Choose from a wide range of beautiful glazes; we have thirty exceptional high-fire reduction glazes, from deep cobalt blues to dramatic copper reds. Maximum class size is fourteen students. Beginners and advanced students work alongside each other, so you’ll have plenty of inspiration.

Why Choose Us?

  • Adult Classes
  • Small class sizes – fourteen students or less
  • Over 30 gorgeous high-fire reduction glazes
  • Frequent firings – consistently excellent results
  • Superbly maintained studio
  • Individualized instruction in an artist’s studio
  • Make-up classes available
  • Day and evening classes
  • Dedicated trim wheels with Giffen Grips
  • Your pots are dried to leather hard for you.
  • Personal clay storage
  • Low fees
  • Great quality, twice pugged, Grolleg porcelain clay
  • A secure environment for you and your pots
  • South Side location

Instructors

Dan and Donna are full-time professional potters and certified teachers. They make a varied and extensive body of work which has been exhibited in hundreds of galleries. Dacey Haughwout has been a professional potter for 5 years. Bryce Hemington, MFA Ceramics, and Garick Tai-Lee, MFA Ceramics.

2017 Class Schedule (for the whole year)

There are six terms that run one after the other, without a break between terms, all year long, except for a two-week break in August.

Terms
Term Starting Length
Term 1 The week of January 2nd 2018 8 Weeks
Term 2 The week of February 26th 2018 8 Weeks
Term 3 The week of April 24th 2018 8 Weeks
Term 4 The week of June 19th 2018 8 Weeks
Term 5 The week of August 28th 2018 8 Weeks
Term 6 The week of October 23rd 2018 8 Weeks
Upcoming Classes
Start  Day Time Length Instructor
4/23/18 Monday evening 6:30p.m.-9:30 p.m. 8 Weeks Dacey
4/24/18 Tuesday morning 9:30a.m.-12:30p.m. 8 Weeks Garick
4/24/18 Tuesday evening 6:30p.m.-9:30 p.m. 8 Weeks Dacey
4/25/18 Wednesday morning 9:30a.m.-12:30 p.m. 8 Week Dacey
4/25/18 Wednesday evening 6:30p.m.-9:30 p.m. 8 Weeks Bryce
4/26/18 Thursday evening 6:30p.m.-9:30 p.m. 8 Weeks Dacey

sign-up-now-button
Classes meet once a week. For example, if you are in the Tuesday evening class, you come for 3 hours every Tuesday night for eight consecutive weeks. There will be a mix of new and continuing students in all classes, so we constantly review the basics as well as introduce new and advanced techniques.

Reviews

Stephanie Tracy, 5 stars Facebook, Mar 11, 2016

I have been lucky to learn under the wing of Dan Vito, and it has turned a hobby into a passion. His glazes are unparalleled. The shop is full of beautiful work, which I have purchased, and his studio full of fun and learning. I couldn’t be happier with my time spent at Fireborn. MORE REVIEWS…

Tuition

There is a 3 tiered price structure. For an 8 week term, new students pay $290. For students not currently enrolled but who have previously taken classes at Fireborn, (“returning students”) there is a $20 discount. For currently enrolled students who are rolling over into the next term without a break, there is a $40 discount. BUT, to get the $40 discount, your deposit MUST be paid before mid-term. Otherwise, you only get a $20 discount, the same as “returning” students.

  • Get on the Class Mailing List
  • Check out our Glazes
  • See a  student exhibition of some great work

Make-up Policy

We try to be flexible. If you have to miss a class, you may attend a class on another day of the week, space permitting. (For example, if you regularly attend Tuesday’s class, you can make up on a Thursday). You will need to fit your make-up classes within your eight-week term. Click here to schedule a make-up and if you will miss a class, click here to tell us.

Cancellations, Withdrawals & Refunds

Fireborn may cancel or postpone classes if minimum enrollment is not attained, in which case deposits will be refunded. A $100 deposit is required to enroll. The balance must be paid online or in person, before or on the first day of class. If students withdraw within 5 to 10 days of the start of class, a $50 withdrawal fee will be charged. Within 4 days of the start of class a $100 withdrawal fee will be charged.  Once classes have started there will be no refunds at all. Click here for cancelations due to weather conditions.

Materials Fee

Twenty-five pounds of clay is included in tuition. If additional clay is needed, it may be purchased. The clay used is Grolleg porcelain, imported from England. Glazes and firing are included in the price of clay. Glaze materials are included in the cost of clay.

Supplies You Should Bring

You should bring a towel. I sell everything else you will need… toolkit, brush, and bucket… which you can buy on the first day of class, and cost $16, $3 and $4 respectively. I recommend you get the brush and toolkit from me, as they are good quality. Brushes are used for slip, waxing, and glazing. The bucket should be one gallon or less and, if you want, you can use an old gallon milk jug with the top cut off. Wear a short-sleeved shirt. Aprons are optional. Clay easily washes out of clothing. Some glaze materials will stain.

  • Get on the Class Mailing List
  • Check out our Glazes
  • See our recent exhibition of student work

sign-up-now-button

Understanding the flow of work through the studio cycle:

Class 1, you make a pot. By class 2, it will be dry enough to trim and sign. When the pots are fully dried (in another 5 to 7 days), they are ready for the bisque firing, which takes 9 hours and goes to 1900 degrees F . After that, your pot is called “bisqueware.” Prior to the bisque firing, pots will dissolve in water. After the bisque, they will not dissolve. On the fourth week of class, the pots you made during week one and trimmed on week two will be bisqued and ready to wax and glaze. After glazing, your pots are fired a second time to 2400 degrees F. That firing takes 18 hours to heat up and 18 hours to cool down. When finished, your porcelain pottery will be safe to use in an oven, microwave, and dishwasher. Each week, you make new pots, trim pots from the previous week, and glaze your bisque ware.

A typical class schedule:

6:30 to 6:45 set up/new student orientation 6:45 to 7:15 demonstrations (see below) 7:15 to 8:30 individual help, throwing and trimming 8:30 glazing 9:15 clean-up 9:30 out the door.

Typical Demonstrations

  • Plates and Platters
  • Pie, Quiche, and Soufflé
  • Small bowls
  • Tea-bowls and Unomi
  • Rice bowls
  • Large bowls variations
  • Mugs
  • Various mug handle techniques
  • Flowerpots, Utensil Holders
  • Lids
  • Honey Pots, Garlic Keepers
  • Jars and Canisters
  • Handles and Knobs for lids
  • Surface Design and Texture
  • Alternate lips and feet
  • Casseroles
  • Teapots
  • Altered Forms
  • Trimming
  • Critical analysis
  • Glaze application

Private Lessons

We do offer private lessons. Click here for more information.

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Search

Sharing

FacebooktwitterpinterestmailFacebooktwitterpinterestmail

About Fireborn Studios!

Welcome to Fireborn Studios. Learn about pottery classes we offer and check out our gallery where we have pottery, glass and jewelry. Read More…

Categories

Contact Us

We would like to hear from you. Please send us a message by filling out the form below and we will put you on the appropriate email list.

Contact Fireborn
First
Last
This is a required field that will block spam robots.
Sending

Hours and Contact Information

Gallery Hours

The gallery will be closed beginning  April 12, 2018.
We will reopen when Dan recovers from knee surgery. This may take a month. Look for updates here as he progresses.  

  

Pottery Class Times:

Mornings Classes are Tuesday and Wednesday 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Evenings Classes are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Free Parking

Shoppers may park in my loading zone, on the corner, right next to the Gallery, on 24th street, or on the street nearby. Evening students have access to parking permits for a nearby lot (permits are not required for morning students).

Directions/Map

For Directions to Fireborn use google map and directions

Location

Fireborn Studios
2338 Sarah St
Pittsburgh, PA 15203
(412) 488-6835

Sharing

FacebooktwitterpinterestmailFacebooktwitterpinterestmail
  • Home
  • Gallery and Shopping
  • Pottery Classes
  • Current Students
  • About Fireborn
  • Site Map