FAQ

Do you offer private lessons? This programming is currently on hold due to high volume of full session classes, lack of instructors, and studio space availability. Please contact the studio office for specific requests.

Do you have open studio time or a membership program? No, the Gloucester Pottery School operates solely as a school and the studio is not available for public use outside of class time.

Do you offer make-up lessons for classes missed? Make-up lessons or substitute classes are not offered. However, if you have missed your last glazing class, arrangements can be made with the studio office to have you attend an alternate glazing class if available. If you cannot join another glazing class, we will happily glaze your pieces for you with your selected glazes. If you have missed a wheel throwing or trimming class, please contact the office so we can make arrangments for either extra pieces to be thrown or trimmed for you.

Where can I find examples of kids projects to choose from for birthdays and workshops? On the Book a Party - Children's Handbuilding Party page of our website you will find a gallery of sample projects your child can choose from for a birthday party or workshop.

When will my pottery be ready for pick up? Pottery will be ready approximately 3 weeks from: - The last day of class (for students enrolled in a full session) - The day of drop off (for clients who have brought in pots outside of class time) - The day of the birthday or workshop Please note that you will receive an email from our Studio Manager when the pieces are ready to be picked up. We recommend checking your junk/spam folder and calling the studio office if you have not heard from us after 3 weeks.

What happens if I miss my glazing class? The instructor/technician can glaze the pieces for you. If you know in advance you will be missing the class, choose the colours ahead of time and we can get them glazed and fired with the rest of the class. Otherwise follow up studio manager regarding what you want to do. You can take your bisqueware home and bring them to a future glazing class in the next session you are registered in. You can sign up for a glazing session. Due to our packed schedules, glazing sessions have been scheduled Wednesday mornings (10am-12pm) at the end of each session. You can contact Studio manager to register. We recommend this for students who have experience glazing. First timers will struggle in a glazing session as we may not have an instructor available to teach them the basics.

How do I register for a course, workshop, camp, One Night on the Wheel, birthday party, etc? On our website you can visit the Register page which will give you the options of registering for Classes, Camps, One Nights, and Glazing Sessions. When you click on the ‘Register’ button, you will be redirected to our programming website to complete and process your registration. For birthdays, you would visit our “Book a Party” page and follow the prompts for selecting a time slot and payment.

How do I know if there is room in a class or workshop? Courses may be noted as Full or Almost Full, but these notations are updated manually and may not be indicative of the actual availability in a class. It is best to check our programming site for up-to-date enrollment numbers. To check enrollment numbers on our programming site, click the ‘Register’ button for a course you are interested in. This will redirect you to our programing site where more information and number of spots remaining in a course will be noted.

How old do I have to be to use the wheel? The minimum age for enrolling in a wheel class or camp is 12 years old.

Can I register my child for Pottery and Dance summer camps? The Pottery and Dance camps are run through the City of Ottawa, with the Gloucester Pottery School hosting the pottery portion of the day. All registration for Pottery and Dance camps must be done through the City of Ottawa recreation website. Please note that GPS does not have access to your City of Ottawa account or personal information.

Can I fire clay from outside the studio? No, only clay purchased from our studio will be fired in our kilns.

Can I buy clay to work with at home? Only active students can buy clay to work with at home. It is recommended that they follow the class timeline in terms of firings, to ensure their pieces are completed before the glazing class which is the last day of classes in the 6-week session.

What is included in the cost of clay? The bisque firing is included, but there are additional fees should you be unable to complete your pots during class time.

Are the glazes used at Gloucester Pottery School food safe? Yes, unless mentioned otherwise by the instructor, all glazes are food, microwave, oven, and dishwasher safe.

What are the Gloucester Pottery School’s hours? Our administrative hours are Monday to Friday 8:30am-2:30pm. Emails and phone calls will be answered during this time. There will be additional hours outside of these times for pottery pickups, which will be noted in the communication you receive from the Studio Manager once the pieces are ready for pickup.

Where is the Gloucester Pottery School located? We are on the lower level of the Shenkman Arts Centre (245 Centrum Blvd, Orleans): - From the upper main entrance on Centrum Blvd, go down the grand staircase and our school will be in the back left corner behind the galleries. - From the rear main entrance on Brisebois (across from the Holiday Inn hotel), walk past the galleries and turn right.