Questions or trouble signing up for this class? Email ceramics@tcmaker.org.
9 sessions across 3 summer months
Intermediate level
Prerequisite: Wheel Throwing 101 or equivalent experience
Summer is the perfect time to slow down, go deeper, and let your practice breathe. This three-part series is designed for makers who have the basics under their belt and are ready to push their forms further (without the pressure of a back-to-back weekly commitment).
Spread across three focused 3-week sessions with intentional breaks in between, this class gives you time to make, reflect, experiment on your own, and come back ready for the next challenge. Each module session builds on the last, so by the end of the summer you'll have a cohesive body of work and a noticeably expanded throwing vocabulary.
Session 1: Going Bigger We start by stretching your ambitions and your clay. Our focus will be on throwing larger, more complex forms: taller vessels, wider openings, closed vessels, and pieces that require more control, patience, and planning. Expect hands-on demos, individual feedback, and a honest look at where your technique wants to grow.
Session 2: Lidded Forms One of the most satisfying and technically demanding areas of wheel throwing, lidded forms ask you to think about fit, proportion, and function all at once. We'll explore different lid styles and how the relationship between vessel and lid defines the whole piece.
Session 3: Dinnerware & Beyond The final module takes on the dinner table — plates, bowls, and the forms that make a set feel intentional. We'll also explore what happens when the wheel is just the beginning: altering thrown forms off the wheel and integrating hand-building techniques to push your work into new territory. We'll close the summer with time dedicated to surface decoration and glazing, so your pieces feel as considered on the outside as they are on the inside.
The breaks between modules are part of the class. Use that time to keep making on your own, let pieces dry and get fired, and arrive at the next module with fresh eyes.
This class is for you if you've completed Wheel Throwing 101 or have equivalent studio experience and are ready to work with more intention and less hand-holding in the best possible way.
Instructor: Paola Evangelista is a ceramic artist and educator with 15 years of experience working across functional ware, sculptural installation, and everything in between. Her classes are a space to build real skill while asking bigger questions about what we make and why.
This class will provide wood shop users with foundational skills in woodworking including planning, materials, marking, skills, and tool use.
Students will be introduced to the TC Maker wood shop mindset and safety expectations. Learn how to plan a successful project with a focus on construction methods and joinery. Select wood, measure and mill materials, and learn order of operations and assembly. Finally, we'll cover wood finishing including finish options and technique.
Each of the four sessions will last two hours and start with a lesson portion. If we have any extra time, the instructors can help answer questions and consult on projects.
The workbench, clamps, vices, measuring tools, squares, chisel, hand plane, bandsaw, table saw, jointer, planer, sanding station, and more.
Clothing suitable to the wood shop. Wear close-toed shoes and avoid loose, dangling clothing and accessories.
Eye and hearing protection is required. Dust masks and eye/ear protection are available to borrow but bringing your own is recommended.
Create real silver jewelry using metal clay, a unique and flexible medium that becomes pure silver when kiln-fired. Use provided molds, surface patterns, and textures to design jewelry that is striking and original. Students will learn basic metal clay techniques to complete 3 to 4 silver pieces such as earrings, pendants, and charms that are truly unique!
Laura Juul
First day is mandatory.
This class is run by Articulture and hosted at Twin Cities Maker.
*Please Note: Ignore the "Spaces Left" on this Event. It will always show Zero!
MUST BE A MEMBER OF TCMAKER!
Orientation will be a half-hour session covering space changes, equipment and material locations, donations, cleanliness protocols, and safety procedures for new members and those who haven't been down to the Artifactory in a while.
Get oriented to use our space for blacksmithing! After this event, you'll be all set to turn on the forges by yourself and work independently.
Title: Cast it in Clay: Intro to Slip Casting & Mold Making
Dates: Sundays, August 2, 9, and 16
Time: 10 am - 4 pm (lunch break 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm)
Material Fee: $45
Registration: $150 (standard member rate)*
Total amount charged to each student for the full 3-week series (12 total contact hours), including materials: $195 (standard member rate)*
*Enrollment rates vary based on accessibility needs, whether participants are members or non-members, and a 10% discount for our volunteers. See registration panel for details.
Session 1 (August 2)
Welcome & Overview
Casting into an existing mold (instructor demonstration, followed by hands-on practice)
Discussion & takeaways
Planning your mold
homework: find or create an object to bring with you to class August 9 for making your own mold
Session 2 (August 9)
Make your mold (instructor demonstrations followed by hands-on practice)
Clay up and cottle
Mix and pour plaster
(lunch break)
Making the second half of your mold
Session 3 (August 16)
Casting with your mold
Instructor will check in with each student, review slip-pouring, and troubleshoot if there are issues with student-made molds.
Your successful cast pieces will be bisque fired at our studio. For glazing guidance, sign up for the August 23 Glazing Basics Workshop ($15 member rate).
Come learn about the jewelry bench! We have tools to support fabrication workflows as well as casting (red sand and investment casting). The instructor's subject area is silversmithing, but all interest areas are welcomed as we seek to expand our jewelry-making offerings.
Measuring and Marking
Forming
Cutting and Reducing
Joining
Polishing
Various Jigs and Miscellaneous
We will end by discussing what's next for the jewelry department, how to get involved, and where to find resources for learning more.
Happy making! ~Abby
Whether you are a brand new member of Twin Cities Maker, or have been a member for a really long time but haven't been in the shop for awhile, attending a new member orientation will get you up to speed on the policies, guidelines, and culture of Twin Cities Maker.
Signup, download a copy of our handbook, and come to session. During orientation you get to meet some new people, have all your questions answered, and get acquainted with Twin Cities Maker policies, guidelines, and culture.
Orientation lasts for about 1 hour with time after for questions and support for any issues.
After you have completed orientation you will receive your fob to access the facility, which will be activated once have paid all membership fees.
If you are going to be working in the woodshop be sure to sign up for woodshop orientation immediately following this class. Check our orientations calendar to register.
All New Members are required to Pre-Register for this Orientation.
If you cannot attend an in person orientation, please reach out to membership@tcmaker.org so that we can work out special arrangements.
Wood Shop Orientation is a required orientation for all woodworkers.
During Orientation we will cover basic shop safety guidelines along with best practices that are necessary to use the wood shop at Twin Cities Maker!
https://wiki.tcmaker.org/en/shop_departments/wood_shop
Students will be introduced to the TC Maker wood shop mindset and safety expectations .Each of the four sessions will last two hours and start with a lesson portion.
In this beginner friendly class, you will learn how to make holes on the drill press, angled cuts on the miter saw, curved cuts on the band saw, rip and cross cuts on the table saw, mill wood using the planer and jointer, taper edges on the routing table and make your project smooth and ready for the finish of your choice with the help of various sanders.
The workbench, clamps, vices, measuring tools, squares, drill press, miter saw, band saw, table saw, planer, jointer, routing table and various sanders, and more.
After this class you'll have a general understanding of how to operate the screen printing equipment along with the basic principles of screen printing.
Besides learning about the screen printing equipment, you'll learn about shop policies & safety, practical applications of screen printing, how to chose a good image for screen printing, and acceptable surfaces that will screen print well.
Rick Strohmeyer has been a long time member of Twin Cities Maker. After receiving his Bachelor of Fine Arets in printmaking, he has enjoyed sharing his knowledge he has learned while being a a print-maker, painter and general designer.
This workshop will explore the art of block printing, one of the more accessible of printing styles. Students will start out by planning their image idea, and then learn basic carving and inking techniques in prep of the final process of printing their block. A small edition of original numbered fine art prints will be run. If time permits, participants can take another step to dive into reductive printmaking, by additional carving away parts of the original block, to then add another layer with a different ink color. The possibilities of this unique art form are truly endless!
Eva Adderley
Title: Glazing Basics Workshop
Dates: August 23, 2026
Time: 10 am - 12:30 pm
Instructor: Jules "JJ" Bunch
Minimum enrollment: 4
Maximum Enrollment: 14
Glazing is one of those quietly magical parts of ceramics—the moment when color, chemistry, intuition, and a little bit of bravery all come together. In this workshop, we’ll take our time, explore glaze choices, talk through layering and surface effects, and practice techniques that help your pieces feel expressive and alive.
We’ll also spend time on safety, because glazing is both creative and chemical. You’ll learn how to protect your own health while working with materials, and how to glaze in ways that keep our shared kilns safe—preventing issues like work fusing to shelves, dripping onto others’ pieces, or causing kiln damage. Think of it as learning the “why” behind the process, not just the “how,” so you can glaze with confidence and care.
Whether you’re bringing your own bisque‑fired work or practicing on an instructor‑provided form, you’ll be supported every step of the way. Expect warmth, curiosity, and a community‑centered atmosphere where questions are welcome and experimentation is encouraged.
Add welding to your DIY skillset with this introductory course.
Learn the basics of MIG welding and walk away with your own small wall-mounted coat hanger. In this class you will learn a basic welding framework to use on your own projects at home or in the TC Maker shop. Safety, machine basics, gas choice and set-up, as well as basic tools will all be covered. For folks starting from zero knowledge to those who have welded in the past and would like to brush-up, this class emphasizes that everyone can be a welder and make their own project dreams come true. Class size is kept small to encourage participation and time with the instructor.
Bring a pair of welding gloves. Recommendations are ones that are thinner for dexterity. Examples are Black Stallion MIG gloves or Vulcan TIG gloves (both work for MIG welding).
Participants should be wearing close-toed shoes and clothing that is 100% cotton or wool. Jeans or similar material without holes are also recommended. No synthetic fibers. Improper attire may require participants to withdraw at time of class without refund. If you have questions regarding proper attire, please reach out to the instructor.
Up To 7 Days Before the Event Starts.
Cory Due is a local 539 pipefitter who focuses on service work and HVAC after earning a welding degree at MCTC and working in a fabrication shop and on the construction side of the pipefitters union. They have both a welding degree and HVAC degree and largely work on commercial systems. They enjoy teaching and making mechanical concepts more accessible to all. When they aren't teaching they're scheming about house projects, tending to their garden, or spending time with their family and menagerie of animals.
Learn enough metalworking to double your project list!
Curious about how to begin your metalworking journey? Have a project idea that you'd like to use metal in? Join us as we explore how to MIG weld, braze, solder, use hand tools, angle grinders, and cover the shear, drill press, and box and pan brake tools in the shop. Feel more confident using the space safely, add more skills to your tool belt, and walk away with a small completed class project. Participants are encouraged to bring in their own project ideas but not required.
Class One: We'll start with the basics—safety, handy tools to use and how to use them, thinking about fabrication layout, and
Class Two: Our second class will go over how to use the oxy-acetylene torch and plasma cutter. We'll also go over the shear, drill press, and horizontal bandsaw as we begin our class project.
Class Three: We'll learn howuse an angle grinder. We'll use the box and pan brake, small hand tools in the metal shop, and finish our small shop project. We'll also cover some basic finishing techniques.
Class Four: Class four is an open work class. Participants can come and work on their individual project with support from the instructor.
Suited to beginners but all levels welcome.
MIG Welding, Oxy-Acetylene, plasma cutting, angle grinder, shear, drill press, bandsaw.
Cory Due is a local 539 pipefitter who focuses on service work and HVAC. They have both a welding degree and HVAC degree and largely work on commercial systems. They enjoy teaching and making welding less intimidating. When they aren't teaching they're scheming about house projects, tending to their garden, or spending time with their family and menagerie of animals.
Autumnal Equinox Workshop
Date: Sunday, September 13th, 2026
Time: 10am - 1pm
More info coming soon...
Discover the beauty of watercolor through landscape painting in this 5-week series designed for beginners and developing artists alike.
Watercolor is beautifully suited to capturing the natural world. Its fluidity and versatility can give us soft skies, layered depth, and expressive textures that bring landscapes to life on paper.
In this course, you'll learn how to work with water and pigment from the ground up. We will begin with foundational techniques and build upon your culminating skills toward a finished landscape painting of your own. Along the way, you'll explore how to create natural shapes, color, atmosphere and depth—using a balance of control and spontaneity.
Each session combines guided instruction, hands-on practice, and time to develop your own work, giving you both the skills and confidence to continue painting beyond the course.
Whether you're brand new to watercolor or returning after time away, this class offers a supportive, focused environment where you can slow down, build technique, and enjoy the creative process.
Over five sessions, you will:
Solstice in Clay: Celebrating the Longest Night
Date: Sunday, December 13th, 2026