Frequently Asked Questions

Before contacting us please read these questions! Please note some of our usual rules have changed due to COVID, these will be noted with an asterisk.

How does the UBC pottery club operate?

As a studio space, we are open whenever the Life/Nest building is open. It is an open studio so you can do pottery independently and are able to come and go as you please (note: see next section for COVID-19 restrictions). For beginners, we also offer workshops at the beginning of each term.

What will the club be doing differently in light of the current pandemic?

• Wearing a mask is mandatory on designated days in the studio.
• Requiring members to sign up for wheel time-slots online prior to visiting the studio to ensure physical distancing can be maintained.
• Increasing cleaning requirements including sanitizing all shared tools and surfaces after each use.I am really excited about pottery, how can I join?

I am really excited about pottery, how can I join?

We take new members in September, January and May. Check the memberships tab a week or two before sign up to get specific details for prices and sign up times. Sign up itself takes about 2-3 minutes. If you get a spot, you will be required to do the orientation/quiz, which is another 45 minutes.

How many members does the club take?

We have cubbies for 155 members.

The club is full but I really want to join! I am fine not having a cubby! Can I still join?

As much as we would like to take an unlimited number of members, cubby space is not the only place in which we have space limitations. At 155 members we are already operating like an overbooked plane, with the expectation that not all members will show up. If you want a detailed run-through of why we cannot accept more members, please go to the end of this document.

I was not able join this year, is there any way I could get involved?

We are currently piloting public workshops, and once those are available you can find those under the Public Workshop tab. If those don't seem like your thing, then keep an eye out for our club sales. Our club holds sales twice a term (October, December, February, and April) and they are a great and affordable way to support new artists!

Are there any other local pottery studios?

Yes, there are! Here is a list of local community centres with pottery studios. West Point Grey Community Centre and Vancouver Ceramics Studio are close by.

Once I purchase a membership will I have to pay for pottery supplies?

Short answer is no, members are not required to purchase any materials.

To be more specific, all of the regular tools a potter would need are provided by the studio (wheels, wheel throwing tools, trimming tools, glazes, etc.), the only thing members may want to pay for is clay. Members have the option of purchasing clay from us at cost or recycling clay in the studio for free. Recycling clay is a viable option for all members: it is completely free but requires some time and effort to do it right.

Additionally, workshops are free for members. To sign up for a workshop members have to put down a deposit, however this is given back to the member when they come to the workshop. Members who put down a deposit but do not show up the workshop are not eligible to get their deposit back.

I have never done pottery before, is this club suitable for beginners?

Yes! Our club caters to both complete beginners and more advanced potters! We have workshops for all skill levels, with introductions to hand building, wheel throwing and trimming featured heavily in our program. Additionally, our space is very community based so new members are welcome to ask other members for help and advice! Please note however that these workshops are run by executives who are students, therefore the number of workshops will be low during exam times or over the summer. Email us if you have a specific workshop/time in mind.

As a member, when can I access the studio?

Members receive a door code to the studio after completing orientation, this door code allows members to access the space whenever the Student Life Building is open.

I love clay and would like to book an event (e.g. birthday party, children's camp activity, etc.) at the club's studio, can I do that?

Unfortunately, our space is not set up to run events or host large groups and so we have to say no to these types of requests.

Are you sure you can't go over the 155 person limit?

This explanation is going to be split into parts.

Work space in our studio is limited. We have 6 wheels, of which 4-6 of them are in use at any one time at peak hours (3pm-7pm). At extremely busy times there can actually be people waiting to get on the wheels. Additionally, we have one table for hand building and one for glazing which can each seat about 5 people at a time and can also be busy at peak hours.

There is unfortunately no room in our studio to fit more work space (wheels or tables) and so adding more members to our group would cause overcrowding.

Our storage space is limited as well. We have two drying cabinets for storage of work-in-progress, and currently this seems to be exactly enough for the workflow in the studio. An influx of more members could push us over this edge and cause storage space issues.

We do not have control over the size of our studio. It is generously provided to us by the AMS, and to pursue a larger, rented space, our membership costs would increase drastically, contradicting our aim to make pottery accessible for members of the UBC community.

Our studio makes all of our glazes in house (round of applause for our amazing glaze technicians) which requires us to purchase large quantities of chemicals and then (through a time consuming and complex process) mix them into beautiful glazes which is no easy feat. Our glaze technicians wouldn't be able to keep up with adding extra members!

Our studio has only two kilns as well so we can't fire pottery any faster. As these kilns are running as much as possible.

All in all, our studio does not have the space to accept more than our usual allotment of members. It is unfortunate, but it is the reality of our space. While we would absolutely love to take in everyone interested, we simply cannot in our current situation. We hope everyone can understand why we need to do things the way we do.

If you are SURE that we have not answered your question on our website, please send us an email. Our email is ubcpotteryclub@gmail.com . Try to avoid messaging our Facebook page as we do not habitually check those messages.