You caught the clay bug. We have the kiln.
Keep making pottery on your own time — no home studio, no kiln, no problem.
You've taken a class. You know you love it. You find yourself thinking about clay at random moments — what you'd make next, how you'd do it differently. But between the wheels, the kilns, the space, and the cost, setting up a home studio feels like a big leap.
That's exactly what the HFA Open Studio program is for.
Buy your clay here, build at home or come in and use our tools, and bring your pieces back when they're ready. We'll handle the bisque firing, the glazing, and the glaze firing — everything that requires a kiln. You just have to make the things.
How It Works
Buy your clay
Pick up a 25 lb bag of Standard 112 Speckled Brown stoneware. Bisque firing is included in the clay price — no surprise fees later.
Build at home or in-studio
Build whenever inspiration strikes, or come in during studio hours and use our tools. Mugs, bowls, vases, planters — whatever calls to you.
Drop off your greenware
When your pieces are ready, bring them back. Choose your glaze colors from our swatch card — glaze firing is paid at drop-off.
We fire, glaze & fire again
Virginia bisques your pieces, applies your chosen glazes by hand, and fires them to a beautiful cone 5–6 finish.
Pick up your finished work
We'll let you know when your pieces are ready. Come see what the kiln made — and start dreaming up your next build.
A note on timing — 6 to 8 weeks from drop-off to pickup
Ceramics can't be rushed. Once you drop off your greenware, the pieces need to be bisque fired, then glazed by hand, then loaded into the glaze kiln. We fire when there's enough work to fill a load — so the wait can vary. We'll always let you know when your pieces are ready. Good things take time in the kiln.
Pricing
Everything is priced transparently — no hidden fees, no surprises at pickup.
Studio Drop-In Fee
Use our workspace and tools for one handbuilding session.
25 lb Bag — Standard 112
Speckled Brown stoneware · bisque firing included · enough for 8–12 mugs or 6–8 bowls · clay goes home with you.
Glaze Firing — priced per piece
Measured and paid at drop-off, by the piece's single largest dimension.
We measure the single largest dimension of each piece — height, width, or depth, whichever is greatest. A mug that's 4.5" tall falls in the "up to 6"" tier. Glaze firing is measured and paid at drop-off, at the same time you choose your glaze colors.
What's Included
When you buy clay
- 25 lbs of Standard 112 Speckled Brown stoneware clay
- Bisque firing for all pieces made from that bag
- Option to build at home or come in and use our studio tools
- Greenware storage at HFA while your load is queued
When you come in to build
- $20 studio drop-in fee covers your workspace and session
- All hand-building tools — rolling pins, ribs, texture mats, cutters
- Table space and a relaxed, creative environment
- BYOB welcome (ages 21+)
At drop-off
- Glaze swatch card to choose your colors — glaze firing paid at drop-off
- Virginia glazes all pieces by hand at her home studio
- Professional cone 5–6 glaze firing
- Notification when your work is ready for pickup
The clay itself
- Standard 112 is a warm speckled brown stoneware
- Excellent for both hand-building and wheel throwing
- Fires beautifully at cone 5–6 in oxidation
- Speckling shows through glazes for a natural, artisan look
Good to Know
Your clay bag goes home with you
We don't store customer-owned bagged clay. Your bag is yours to build from at your own pace — or come in during studio hours and use our tools. When your pieces are ready, bring them back and we'll take it from there.
All clay must be purchased from HFA
We can only fire clay purchased from us — this ensures every piece in our kiln is a compatible clay body. We can't accept outside clay for firing.
Glazing is done by Virginia
All glazing happens at Virginia's home studio, where the kilns live. You choose colors from our swatch card at drop-off. Want to glaze your own pieces? Reach out — we can work something out.
About silica safety
Clay contains silica. Working with damp clay is safe, but sanding or carving bone-dry clay at home creates fine dust that can irritate lungs with repeated exposure. Work damp when possible and use an N95 for dry trimming. All participants sign an acknowledgment form.
Ceramics are unpredictable
Pieces can crack, warp, or surprise you in the glaze kiln — that's part of the craft. Virginia takes every precaution for safe, successful firings, but we can't guarantee outcomes. We'll always do our best for your work.
Unclaimed pieces
Finished pieces held longer than 60 days after pickup notification may be donated or discarded. We'll always reach out before that happens.
Is this program right for you?
- Have taken a pottery or hand-building class and want to keep making
- Love working with clay but aren't ready to invest in a home studio
- Want to work at your own pace without a scheduled class
- Are comfortable building independently — this is not an instructed program
- Would love access to a professional kiln without owning one