By: Megan Smith
What might you be “throwing” in Ignite? Clay, of course! Not on our walls, but onto one of our pottery wheels.
We have four Amaco Brent pottery wheels in Ignite that patrons can use with our in-studio kits and recyclable clay. Find a wheel throwing kit in our Kit Library – be sure to grab the two buckets next to the kit! Each kit has a different book written by knowledgeable potters, two small sponges, one big clean-up sponge and a container of twelve useful tools. After checking out the kit at our service desk, you will find the pottery wheels in our Messy Arts Area.
Pro-tip: Using the hand towels and aprons in our Clean-Up Area will help keep you clean, but any clay splatters will come out in the wash!
On your first visit, we have you watch two videos for beginning potters: Danielle The Clay Lady Throwing a Pot and How to Clean Your Wheel with The Clay Lady. These are two great videos that demonstrate the fundamental processes of wheel throwing. If you want to watch more videos as you practice your new skills, we put together an entire playlist on our YouTube channel.
We have recyclable clay that you can borrow during your throwing session, found in the right-hand bucket underneath our canvased wedging table. During clean-up, be sure to place all used clay in our left-hand bucket labeled for recycling clay. If you want to take home your clay creations, we recommend AMACO/Brickyard Warehouse, United Arts and Educationand Fountain Square Clay Center as local resources on where you can purchase clay and fire your work.
Our wheels are available on a first-come, first-serve basis, but if all the wheels are being used when you come down to Ignite, let a studio assistant know you want to use the wheel next and try out another activity while you wait. Don’t be afraid to get some clay underneath your fingernails and challenge yourself to practice throwing it down!
