2024 A YEAR IN REVIEW:
CHANGES, GROWTH, NEW DEVELOPMENTS
By Cheryl Stevens
As we look back on 2024, we reflect on a year of growth, creativity, and exciting changes and developments at TPS. It’s been a year of evolution as we’ve said goodbye to former Staff, welcomed new Staff members, expanded our class and workshop offerings, including exciting new classes taught by Staff members and bought a building to create our very own new space to better serve our vibrant community of potters. Let’s take a look at some of the highlights and transformations that have defined the year.
Expanded Class Offerings
In 2024, we introduced the dual track 12-week/6-week class schedule. This allowed us to offer more classes while offering new extended classes to allow in-depth clay discovery over the course of three months and introducing Students to new ideas through shorter more affordable classes. Some of the 6-week classes became so popular they were repeated in subsequent sessions and some even became a 12-week class because students wanted more in-class time to explore their “claytivity.” These new class formats catered to a wider range of skill levels and interests. From beginners to seasoned artists, we’ve focused on providing a more inclusive learning environment. We launched several classes taught by our very own Studio Technicians in addition to the comprehensive and exciting classes taught by our talented Teaching Artists including:
Hand-built Tableware with Antonio Casino. This started as a 6-week class and is now offered as a 12-week class dedicated to hand-building one-of-a-kind tableware pieces! Each week Students will explore various slab and pinched forms such as the basic cup, and bowls and plates with a focus on design and surface texture.
Wheel Throwing with Siegfried Oyales, where Students with little to no wheel experience, will learn to wedge clay, center, pull, shape, design, trim and glaze pottery!
Bright Ideas: Sconces, Shades and Switches with Paige Valentine was another 6-week class that became a 12-week class giving advanced students an opportunity to learn the fundamentals of lamp design, construction, and switch wiring along with making candlestick holders, candelabras, and mounted sconces.
Workshops and Demos
2024 was also a year when we brought fascinating instructors to the Studio for innovative Workshops and Demos. These Demos and Workshops brought artistic energy to the Studio, pushing boundaries and experimenting with new techniques. In February, Studio Member Janice Muller demonstrated How to Make Whistles and Ocarinas. In June, Lynne Hobaica taught a 2-Day Workshop on illustrating plates; visiting artists Alfred University Professor Paul Briggs, Japanese ceramicist Shingo Takeuchi and studio artist Candice Methe taught popular 3-day workshops in September, October and November exploring such techniques as pinch pots and making high-relief forms; stoneware inlay and carving and using the coil and pinch method of creating while looking at historical pots to inspire contemporary ideas and forms in clay.
While these Workshops and Demos were among the highlights of 2024, there were many other successful and educational Workshops and Demos given throughout the year to augment the classes taught throughout the year.
Increased Community Engagement
One of the most rewarding aspects of 2024 was the way our Studio became more deeply connected to the community. We hosted several pottery-themed events, including:
The Parking Lot and Holiday Sales in May, August and December: These public sales gave our Students and Members an opportunity to showcase their work, while simultaneously giving them an opportunity to connect with the community and sell their pieces.
Community Ceramics Contribution Project. The goal of this project is to contribute beautiful and useful ceramics to people who might be unable to afford them. These gifts would serve as a reminder that in a difficult period of life, there are people that care. Read the article about our most recent Community Ceramics Collaboration Campaign for our Afghan Refugee Neighbors >
From Class to Gallery: We also introduced gallery exhibitions during the year showcasing Student work created in classes. These exhibitions were publicized and open to the public increasing the Community’s accessibility to the Studio, hopefully inspiring new artists.
Through these initiatives, we’ve worked hard to build a stronger, more inclusive pottery community.
Our Staff
As with any organization, there were Staff changes that occurred over the year. Several employees moved on and new Staff was hired to promote the objectives and goals of the Studio. Dylan, Tali, Brigid, Stella, Clara, Phoebe, Ian and Katie joined our existing dynamic team of Teaching Artists, Kiln Techs, Pug Mill Operator, Studio Techs, Glaze Tech, Operations Manager and Executive Director. Each member of this amazing team worked extremely hard in 2024 to assist Students and Members throughout their clay journey. TPS is proud of its team and knows that we are lucky to have each and everyone of them as we head into 2025. Let the Staff know you appreciate them and thank them for a job well done next time you ask for help or see them in the Studio.
We Bought a Building
Clearly, the most significant change that occurred for TPS in 2024 is that we bought a building in February. With the lease on our current space expiring this Spring we decided to take the plunge and buy a building to house our TPS forever home. We found a wonderful space at 4th and Camelia, just a few blocks away from our current location. The new space is more than 9000 square feet and will have a dedicated space for Classes, a separate space for Members and an opportunity to cosponsor events with our neighbors, Trumer Brewery, Tessier Winery and Hammerling Winery.
The building is currently under construction based on the architectural and construction assistance from local businesses Stromberg & Associates and Holland & Harley. We are excited about this next phase in TPS history and look forward to making a big move to our new space this summer.
Capital Campaign
In order to fund the purchase price and the renovations of our newly purchased building, and raise funds for our programs, in September at the annual Throwdown, we kicked off our Capital Campaign. The goal of the Capital Campaign is not only intended to generate financial support for our nonprofit organization, but also to generate interest in TPS and our plans for the future. Although we hope to fund the purchase of the building and remodeling costs through grants and loans we also need your support to sustain our operations and our expansion plans. We know we have inundated your in box with requests for contributions and financial support and we understand this can become tiresome but as a nonprofit organization we rely on the support of the community and our Members to support our goals and objectives. We will continue to seek your support but we understand if you are unable to respond to and/or contribute to each and every request. However, if you know someone willing and interested in supporting our objectives, please share the Case for Support with the potential donor and ask them to support our goals. Also, if you know about any foundations or grants that are relevant or have ideas of how we can raise funds to further our objectives, let Bobbi know. We are also looking for volunteers and Board Members, so again if you want to become active in the Studio, we would love to have you join the team.
Celebrating Milestones
2024 marked an important milestone for TPS—we bought a building, we kicked off our Capital Campaign, we added new and talented individuals to our team, and we added new and improved protocols to enhance the potter’s experience. TPS has been around for more than 52 years and we are proud of how far we’ve come and the amazing people who have helped make the Studio a welcoming space for all.
As we look ahead to 2025, we’re excited about what the future holds. We’ll continue to innovate, collaborate, and grow—fostering a community of artists who share a passion for the craft of pottery. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of this incredible journey. Here’s to another year of creativity, inspiration, and artistic expression!
