Class: Introduction to Wheel Throwing

Introduction to Wheel Throwing

Class: $450 Per Person / Ages 18 and up
Instructor: Matthew Hawkins

Welcome to the wheel. This six-week course is designed for beginners and people who have thrown in the past but want a refresh alike, who want to learn the fundamentals of wheel throwing in a supportive, community-focused environment. You'll learn how to center clay, pull walls, shape forms, trim, and glaze—all while developing a hands-on understanding of the rhythm and flow of a ceramics studio. Expect friendly instruction, lots of practice, and the satisfaction of making functional pottery with your own two hands. After each class you are welcome to stay an additional hour to finish up projects, and you’re invited to book studio time during the week to practice.

In addition to the techniques of throwing, we’ll guide you through studio etiquette and shared space management, including how to properly clean, recycle clay, and care for tools and equipment. Our goal is to empower you not only to make pots, but to feel at home in a working studio environment.

Weekly Breakdown:
Week 1 – Intro to the studio, wedging, centering, and basic cylinder forms

Week 2 – Building taller forms: cups and tumblers

Week 3 – Bowls and shaping with intention

Week 4 – Trimming and finishing greenware

Week 5 – Surface design and intro to glazing

Week 6 – Glazing final pieces + group wrap-up

Includes:
Clay, glazes, firing, and access to open studio hours outside of class. No experience necessary—just bring your curiosity and a towel.

Coming This Summer To McMinnville

Mac Clay is the first ceramic studio solely focused on classes, workshops and events in McMinnville. We believe in strengthening community by stoking conversations and deepening understanding of ceramic practice — whether wheel throwing technique, pinch pots, Instagram trends or pre-historic forms. Wherever you are on your ceramic journey, we will meet you at the place where curiosity, passion and technique find form.

Think of Mac Clay as a town square for all things ceramic. Whether you’re taking a multiweek class at our Downtown location, attending a weekend masterclass, or reserving space in the studio for the day, we exist to help you access the magic of clay creation. Our mission is to serve both the beginner and advanced studio potter in a safe, vibrant environment.

But there’s more: we don’t only make beautiful things; we explore new dimensions of ourselves and how we relate to each other. Mac Clay is honored to enter a conversation with the Yamhill County area. So follow along as we kick off a series of events that introduce ourselves while recentering a craft that developed lock-step with humanity itself.

804 SE 1st Street
McMinnville, OR 97128

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