Chad Luberger
Wednesday evenings, 6:30pm to 9pm
January 9-April 30
Tuition: $10 per session
Meet in the Peninsula Art School ceramics studio on Wednesday nights and make original hand-built and wheel-thrown pottery. No formal instruction—just a fun and productive time in the studio with other people making pottery. Chad will assist you with your projects and present demonstrations on different techniques each week.
Chad Luberger is a Door County potter and 2006 Peninsula Art School Emerging Artist. He has studied at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Deer Isle, Maine, and learned glazing and firing techniques from Door County's master potter Abe Cohn. In Fall 2006, Chad travelled to China to work with local ceramic artists in the city of Jingdezhen, the center of Chinese porcelain arts for centuries. He studied with one of America's preeminent potters, Cynthia Bringle, during two month concentration at Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina. Chad is owner and resident artist of Plum Botton Pottery in Egg Harbor, Wisconsin. www.plumbottompottery.com. The tuition price for all Ceramics workshops includes one bag of clay as well as bisque firing of all works completed during the workshop. Additional bags of clay may be purchased at the School for $12.
TILEMAKING (CE801)
Jeanne Aurelius
M-
W-F, May 19, 21, 23, 9am-2pm, Tue & Thu Optional Open StudioTuition: Member $275 / Non-Member $300, plus materials fee
Open to All Levels
This three-day class is an introduction to the rich and varied craft of tile making and glazing. You’ll experiment with techniques and design and then work to complete your own unique tile project. Several types of surface decoration will be covered, including bas relief, sculptural relief and slip and knife decoration. Special attention will be given to methods designed to minimize warping. Students are welcome to work independently in the ceramics studio on the Tuesday and Thursday between class days. Supply List
Jeanne Aurelius is a talented clay artist and teacher. Working with children and adults, she and her husband David have completed several large public school tile murals. She has taught numerous workshops on hand building and has received grants for Artists in the Schools residencies. Jeanne graduated from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, in art education and attended summer sessions with Marguerite Wildenhain. Jeanne and her husband, David, own and operate Clay Bay Pottery in Ellison Bay.
INTRODUCTION TO POTTERY (CE802)
John Hansen
M-F, June 9-13, Mon-Thu 9am-Noon, Fri 5:00-6:30pm
Tuition: Member $250 / Non-Member $275
Beginner
Explore the creative and relaxing process of making pottery. Starting with hand building basics and then the potter’s wheel, we will introduce new techniques each day. Students will have the opportunity to practice and produce stoneware and raku pottery. Try clay for the first time or continue to develop your skills in a fun, open atmosphere with plenty of hands-on assistance. Students may continue working independently in the ceramics studio until 5pm each day.
John Hansen received a BA from University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and did graduate studies in art at the University of Colorado. He has been a professional potter and teacher for 23 years and has shown nationally and in Europe. John established Mudslingers Pottery Studio in Colorado in 1997 and has a home/studio in Baileys Harbor. His work can be seen locally at the Potter’s Wheel Gallery in Fish Creek.
THE MAGIC OF HAND FORMING AND THE MYSTERY OF THE FLAME (CE803)
Diane McNeil and John Dietrich
Mon-Tue, June 16-17, 9am-2pm
Tuition: Member $175 / Non-Member $200
Open to All Levels
Learn basic hand-building techniques including coil, pinch and slab as well as surface techniques such as 
burnishing, decorating and carving, etc., while creating treasures in preparation for the weekend pit firing. We will experiment with both common and uncommon surface treatments used in pit firing. Students may also bring and work on their own bisque ware (fired to 1500°). Tuition includes participation in pit firing on Saturday, June 21.
Diane McNeil and John Dietrich are co-owners of Ellison Bay Pottery. John graduated from Lawrence University in 1967 and then studied one year at UWOshkosh with Paul Donhauser. He then became Abe Cohn’s assistant at both the Milwaukee and Fish Creek studios. In 1974, John purchased an apple packing barn and transformed it into a studio/gallery (Ellison Bay Pottery) and home. He is an experienced teacher of throwing, surface decoration and pit firing. His work is in national and international collections. Diane, a self-taught potter, makes mostly hand-built pieces and has several years experience teaching both hand-building and pit firing workshops.
PIT FIRE: EXPLORING THE RANDOM EFFECTS OF FIRE ON CLAY (CE804)
Diane McNeil and John Dietrich
Sat-Sun, June 21-22, Sat 1-5pm, Sun 11am to Noon
Tuition: Member $65 / Non-Member $75
Open to All Levels
Pit firing is one of the most ancient techniques for firing ceramics. Come, pick out a favorite piece of pre-fired pottery and learn to treat the surface with some common and not-so-common treatments. You will help load the kiln and build the bonfire. Enjoy snacks and beverages while keeping a close eye on the flame until the moment to cover the pit becomes clear. Return Sunday at 11 am to find your pot covered in ashes. Clean up and seal the surface and take your ancient art home!
INTIMATE VESSELS: POTS TO LIVE WITH (CE805)
Jeff Noska
M-W, July 7-9, 9am-4pm
Tuition: Member $350 / Non-Member $375
Advanced Beginner
In this class we will concentrate on wheel-throwing to construct altered and assembled functional pottery including teapots, pitchers and a variety of pouring and serving pieces. Demonstrations and technical information will be presented with specific attention to individual needs and skill levels.
Jeff Noska is an artist/educator who earned his MFA at the University of Notre Dame and is currently associate professor of art at the University of Wisconsin-Waukesha. He has been making pots for over thirty years and established Composite Clay Studio in Waukesha County in 1984. His work is exhibited nationally and he is represented by Lill Street Gallery in Chicago and Northern Clay Center in Minneapolis.
HAND-BUILT FIGURATIVE SCULPTURE AND VESSEL FORMS IN CLAY (CE806)
Barbara Reinhart
M-W, July 14-16, 9am-4pm
Tuition: Member $350 / Non-Member $375
Open to All Levels
Humans and other animals take form in a variety of shapes and sizes. Explore and have creative fun with some of those possibilities in clay and hand-building techniques such as pinch, slab and coil construction, as well as modeling techniques to develop facial features and enhance surface textures. Uncover the connection between the body and the vessel through the combination of figurative elements with vessel forms, such as covered jars, bowls and cups.
Barbara Reinhart is an artist/art educator who earned her MFA at UW-Milwaukee and has been teaching at the university level for more than 20 years. She is currently associate professor of art at the University of Wisconsin-Waukesha. Her figurative work in clay has been exhibited nationally since 1990 and included in the book 500 Figures in Clay in 2004.
HAND BUILDING 101- PULL, PINCH, ROLL, AND THROW (CE807)
David Aurelius
M-W, July 21-23, 9am-2pm
Tuition: Member $250 / Non-Member $275 plus materials fee
Open to All Levels
In this workshop, David will show the hand-building techniques he has learned over his 30-plus years of pottery and sculpture making, including small figurative work to large standing forms and sculptural wall murals. On Day One, there will be plenty of demonstrations, discussion and time for explorations and experimentation. Then, on Day Two and Three, students will work to develop their own unique ideas in clay. Students will choose from a variety of slips, and glazes to use on their finished pieces. David will bring completed pieces back to his local studio, Clay Bay Pottery, for firing. Pieces may be picked up at the studio or shipped. Supply List
David Aurelius has been a studio potter and artist for 30 years working with stoneware and clay sculpture. He prefers stoneware for its strength when constructing assemblages and for its range of color. After two years at the University of Minnesota, David transferred to Luther College and continued his ceramic education in California. David studied for many summers with Bauhaus-trained potter Marguerite Wildenhain, learning and exploring many techniques in sculpture and design. David and his wife, Jeanne, own and operate Clay Bay Pottery, north of Sister Bay. They create large clay tile murals in public schools with the help of the community and students.
LIDDED POTS INSPIRED BY ARCHITECTURE (CE808)
Niel Hora
M-F, July 28-Aug 1
M-F, 9am-Noon , M-Th, Noon-5pm Optional Open Studio, Fri, Raku Firing
Tuition: Member $270 / Non-Member $295
Intermediate
Come explore pots inspired by the structures around us. Residential housing, commercial buildings and farm silos are all examples of containers. Consider how design concepts from these structures influence pottery. Working on the wheel, we will start the class with details that can make pots sing. But wait, wheel thrown pots don’t have to be round, so we will also cover techniques to change the shape of round pots. Open studio time will allow students to create work. At the end of the week, we will fire our modern pots using the ancient Japanese firing technique, Raku. See Supply List
Niel Hora grew up in Mississippi and now makes his home and operates his business, Niel Hora Pottery, in Madison, Wisconsin. He completed additional coursework and studio assistantships at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Deer Isle, Maine and at Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina. Niel is a full-time potter whose work consists of traditional forms and how they relate to his surroundings. www.nielhorapottery.com
HAND-BUILT GARDEN SCULPTURES (CE809)
Patrick Robison
M-W, Aug 4-6, 9am-3pm
Tuition: Member $300 / Non-Member $325
Advanced Beginner
It's time to create the clay garden sculpture of your dreams. Working with stoneware and terra cotta clays, students will explore a variety of hand building and wheel throwing techniques. Pat Robison, long time ceramics teacher at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan, WI, will demonstrate building his signature garden fish and houses. Learning these, along with other building methods, will help you develop your unique garden masterpiece. Pat will also share surface treatments and firing techniques he has experimented with over the past 30 years.
Pat Robison is artist/owner of Two Fish Gallery in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin and long time ceramics teacher at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center. He will be sharing a wide variety of handbuilding techniques and surface treatments that he continues to develop and use in his artistic journey. Represented in numerous public and private collections, Pat’s work can be seen at the Blue Dolphin Gallery, in Ephraim, Wisconsin.
RAKU BARBEQUE (CE810)
Chad Luberger
Sat, Aug 16, 6-9pm
Tuition: Member $50 / Non-Member $60
Open to All Levels
Experience the elements of form, texture, color and fire. Bisqued pots will be available or you may bring your own bisque ware. While learning about glaze application, the grill will be sizzling as your dinner is cooking. Your newly glazed pots will then be placed in the kiln and the Raku process takes over. Time to eat a delicious meal! After everyone is well-fed, the red hot pots will be taken from the kiln with tongs and placed in bins of leaves and other burnables. We’ll learn about reduction effects to create stunning metallic colors. Tuition includes dinner and pottery.
Chad Luberger is a Door County potter and 2006 PAS Emerging Artist. He has studied at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Deer Isle, Maine, and learned glazing and firing techniques from Door County’s master potter, Abe Cohn. Chad has traveled to China to work with local ceramic artists in the city of Jingdezhen, the center of Chinese porcelain arts for centuries. He studied with Cynthia Bringle at Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina. Chad is owner and resident artist of Plum Bottom Pottery in Egg Harbor, Wisconsin.
VESSELS WITH HANDLES (CE811)
Niel Hora
M-W, Aug 18-20, 9am-3pm
Tuition: Member $300 / Non-Member $325
Advanced Beginner
Single servings of a beverage are delivered by forms that come in a variety of shapes and sizes. In this class, we will cover drinking forms that have a handle. What hot or frosty beverage do you prefer? Do you prefer cylindrical or bowl forms? Do you like a one finger, two finger, three finger or full grip handle? Are you a coffee over-achiever? Discussions and demonstrations will cover form, beverage, volume, handle size, handle placement and handle significance. We will learn how to ‘pull’ different types of handles, including the ‘strap’ handle and the ‘bone’ handle. See Supply List
BEAUTY IN THE EVERYDAY: EXPLORING CULINARY FORMS IN POTTERY (CE812)
Prisca Benson-Fittshur
Thu-Sat, Aug 21-23, 9am-3pm
Tuition: Member $300 / Non-Member $325
Advanced Beginner
We will explore traditional utilitarian pottery culinary forms and then expand on those ideas for new variations. Starting with the anatomy of a pot—the lip, shoulder, belly, handle and foot, we’ll compare and create various forms. In particular, we will focus on the differences and similarities of Japanese and European forms, such as the sauce bowl, batter bowl, pitcher, colander, tsuribachi, and more. Good for any potter wanting to fine-tune skills on the wheel.
Prisca Benson-Fittshur’s interest in pottery began with archaeology, reconstructing prehistoric pottery vessels. This intimate relationship with the utilitarian and ritual pottery of past cultures awakened her interest in the beauty of the handmade object. She has studied in Japan and in the US with traditional wood-firing potter Mark Skudlarek. Prisca has lived and worked as a potter in Door County since 1996, and produces all of her own pottery and glazes. The natural beauty of the County has always stimulated her. Her glazes imitate the transformation of the seasons—from rich brown, watery bluegreen celadon, to the thick white shino.
LARGE SCALE POTS (CE813)
Bill Gossman
M-W, Aug 25-27, 9am-3pm
Tuition: Member $300 / Non-Member $325
Advanced Beginner
Are you ready to take your work to the next level? Discover the challenges and rewards of making large pots. Through demonstrations and hands-on work, Bill will teach techniques for making large ceramic pieces by throwing in sections as well as coil additions. Also covered will be smaller and more moderate-sized work with decorating techniques. Demos will take place in the mornings, and participants will work and experiment with new techniques in the afternoon.
Bill Gossman has been a potter since 1969. He began his studies in ceramics at Mankato State University. He moved to Denmark in 1979 and for over nine years fired his salt-glazed, one-of-a-kind stoneware and porcelain in his handconstructed wood fire kilns. In 1981, together with Kirk Creed, he established Tisheshwe Pottery in Mahlanya, Africa. Returning to Denmark, Bill received top award in Scandinavian and Danish National Throwing Championships. He and his family moved to Minnesota in 1990 to establish his studio on the shores of the Little Crow River in New London.
RAW GLAZING (CE814)
Bill Gossman
Thu-Sat, Aug 28-30, 9am-3pm
Tuition: Member $300 / Non-Member $325
Advanced Beginner
If you love to bisque fire, then this workshop is NOT FOR YOU. Experience the world of raw glazing and save time (from loading and unloading the kiln), money (fuel costs, wear and tear on your kiln) and the planet (by making your carbon footprint smaller). Learn the age-old technique of sgraffito (carving through glaze) and new decorating techniques that cannot be accomplished on bisque ware. You can even adjust your current glazes to fit your clay body and new glaze recipes. We will begin by forming pieces for the raw glazing technique and then work with glaze formulation and application.