Clayspace

I was looking for something new and interesting to do around Columbus, and am soooo happy a friend told me about Clayspace. My boyfriend and I came here for an early Valentine’s date for their Saturday Open Wheel. For $ 45/​person, you’ll be taught the basics of how to throw (so no experience is necessary!), practice and decorate your pieces for ~2.5−3hrs, and keep your favorite 3 items! They don’t lie, you’ll definitely get messy (so wear old clothes, or maybe bring an apron to wear), but it’s so much fun. If you’re tired of the same old thing, I definitely recommend Clayspace!

I went here with a bachelorette party this past weekend, and we had a great time! Tami let us schedule a private event, so we had the studio to ourselves. She gave us a lot of instruction, encouragement, and one-​on-​one assistance for improving our pieces (we made mostly mugs/​vases), but she also allowed us a lot of freedom to add personal touches and make each project totally different. It is clear that Tami is passionate and knowledgeable about ceramics, and it was a pleasure to chat with her while we worked. I haven’t seen the finished pieces yet, but I am sure they will turn out great! I would definitely recommend this studio to family and friends.

There’s not a lot of choices in Columbus if you want a place to go «mess around» with ceramics. Fortunately Tami and the rest of the clayspace staff are very cool with it!
I had some formal ceramics training when I was young, and wanted to get back in to try my hand at it again. I’ve been to clayspace now a few times, once for free-​throw-​friday ($ 35 for wheel time, slip glaze, firing and 6# of clay), and also a raku firing ($ 35 for a pre-​fired bisqueware pot, glaze, and second firing).
Both times I was able to produce amazing results with the guidance and help of the staff and volunteers here.
There’s also a fantastic gallery in the front, and a small selection of for-​purchase ceramics. The best part about this place is the atmosphere! It always seems to be pretty busy when I’m there, and everyone seems to enjoy themselves a lot!

Came to a gallery opening for a photography exhibition. Space is open and inviting.
They invited us out back to watch the raku firing. It was so interesting, I asked if it was too late to make a piece. They were welcoming and encouraging and said they would stay late for us to fire something in the raku kiln. They let us paint and fire two raku pieces and stayed late so that we could not only get them done, but so we could pick them up after they were cooled and finished.
Amazingly nice and welcoming, hands on staff, and surprisingly open space, Great for parties, classes and gallery shows.
To purchase pre-​made pottery to paint and fire, it’s around $ 35. But can be double fired in about two hours and taken home with you.

If you want to really «get dirty» and explore your artistic side, this is the place — a working ceramics art studio combined with a very nice art gallery. I have been taking classes there for a couple of years now, gradually progressing from learning the basics of throwing on the wheel, to doing much more advanced sculptural artwork.
The studio offers classes for people of all skill levels, and the teachers are terrific — knowledgeable, helpful, and supportive. A core group of long-​time students and a few professional artists often are hanging around as well — they are a friendly group willing to answer questions. The atmosphere is relaxed and fun.
As you become more skilled and confident, you will have a lot of freedom to explore different ways of creating ceramics, with as much or as little assistance as you desire. Unstructured «studio time» is also available if the classes don’t fit into your schedule.
At the end of each series of classes (roughly every couple months), a potluck party is held where all of the students’ work is displayed in the gallery. This is a real treat — nothing makes you feel «like a real artist» like having your stuff shown off on a pedestal under jewelers’ lights! The party also includes a firing of the way-​cool raku kiln in back of the studio (picture your glowing-​hot pottery being lifted out of a fiery inferno with giant metal tongs!)

This is a unique little studio on Front and Whittier streets in the Brewery District.
It is a welcome addition to the south end of Front that is dominated by office spaces intermixed with a handful of small homes.
I went here to check out the John Dietsch exhibition and was impressed with both the collection and the space.
The gallery is a mix of white and exposed brick wall and a decent enough size so you don’t feel like you are going to knock something important off a shelf.
I also had fun chatting up the interesting group of artists that work here and got some info on upcoming classes. The potter’s wheel class goes for 7 weeks and cost $ 190, which includes instruction, materials, and studio time.
Not bad.
On February 27^th from 7 – 9 they are having a student art show.
I suspect this is worth checking out.