WESLEYAN POTTERS INCORPORATED
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Mission Statement
Wesleyan Potters is a non-profit craft school, directed and supported by a dedicated artist co-operative, where handcrafted arts are taught, valued, and preserved for future generations. Wesleyan Potters offers a vibrant environment where a creative atmosphere encourages and enriches the cultural life of the larger community. Vision Statement: To provide outstanding quality educational programs in handcrafted arts. Wesleyan Potters strives to be a leader in the artisan craft movement and the visual arts. Core values • Wesleyan Potters strives to stimulate community interest, awareness, and appreciation of fine crafts, and to encourage high standards in their artisan creativity. • The stimulation of lively exchange of ideas, instruction, innovation, and opportunities continually challenge and inspire participating artists. • Wesleyan Potters supports the growth of existing and upcoming artists through a variety of craft sales, including an annual Exhibit and Sale. A continually updated gallery displays the best of crafts produced in our studios and from juried artists around the country. • Wesleyan Potters students who show proficiency in their craft and commitment to the organization are eligible to apply for a limited number of co-op key memberships. Key Members are an integral part of the organization, and their service hours help keep tuitions and key membership costs low. • Wesleyan Potters’ classes and workshops are open to the public, providing (a) year-round classes for adults and children in pottery, jewelry making, and fiber arts; (b) craft-related professional development workshops and lectures; and (c) unlimited and continuous access for key members to studio space and equipment. • Equity, inclusion, and access involving all populations are critical to the vitality of Wesleyan Potters • Wesleyan Potters recognizes the healing power of creating art, providing an encouraging atmosphere where artists can relax and feel a sense of accomplishment which can lead to a greater sense of wellbeing.
About This Cause
Wesleyan Potters, Inc. is a non-profit school and cooperative guild founded in 1948 to promote the learning and development of skills in crafts. Not just a pottery studio, Wesleyan Potters offers classes in three different media: weaving, metalsmithing and ceramics. We also offer Youth Pottery, Jewelry, Weaving and Sewing classes for children ranging from grade school up to high school. Additionally, we offer jewelry, ceramics, weaving and basketry workshops which feature demonstrations and hands-on experiences with nationally known craftspeople. Our classes are typically 9 weeks long and sessions are offered year-round in Winter (Jan-Feb), Spring (Mar-May), Summer(Jun-July) and Fall(Sept-Oct). Our well-qualified instructors design classes to accommodate all levels of experience and skill. With support from the Connecticut Office of the Arts, which also receives funding from the National Endowment of the Arts, a federal agency. Our Facilities Our vintage factory building boasts approximately 9,000 square feet of studio space. Our house next door provides an additional 1100 square feet of space for workshops, meeting space, as well a reference library and photo studio for documenting work. AC is provided throughout our light and airy workspaces. Pottery Our pottery program currently serves 144 students in nine classes. Our pottery studio is equipped with 18 pottery wheels, 2 slab rollers, 2 extruders, 2 glazing booths, and generous working space and tools for Handbuilding. We have two gas kilns, 7 electric kilns for bisqueware, a raku kiln and a soda kiln. Our students’ work is high-fired to cone 10. Metalsmithing & Jewelry Wesleyan Potters’ metalsmithing department is a state-of-the-art studio containing a wide variety of equipment and tools to accomplish soldering, forming, cold connections, stone setting, enameling, polishing and sawing metal sheet and wire. The jewelry studio contains 3 soldering stations, 3 kilns for enamel and precious metal clay (PMC), grinding and polishing stations, a bench shear, two flex shaft stations, a Bonny Doon hydraulic press and a rolling mill. There are also forming stakes as well as many hand tools for sawing, forming, fabrication and creating texture on metal. Materials used range from sterling silver, copper, brass and nu-gold in both sheet and wire form. Items created by students range from jewelry to decorative items such as wall art and three-dimensional objects. Many different techniques are taught by instructors during regularly offered classes as well as special focus workshops throughout the year. Weaving Our large weaving studio upstairs is equipped with 30 looms from various manufacturers—LeClerc, Macomber, Harrisville, Schacht—which allows a student to try different styles of looms before buying a loom of their own. Looms range from 4 shaft to 12 shaft, with weaving widths of 24 – 48”. There is an extensive library of books and magazines to inspire students in their selection of projects.