Bring your class to the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery.

3 hour workshops – includes observational drawing and discussion in the gallery, followed by a creative activity of your choice. Options include:

• Symmetrical patterns – explore radial and mirror symmetry! Sketch symmetrical patterns in the gallery and create a small clay plate decorated with DIY symmetrical stencils. Students will decorate pieces with underglaze. Their work will be dipped in a clear glaze during firing process to create a plate with a foodsafe finish. (max 60 students)
  
• Claymation: Stop Motion Animation – work in groups to create claymation animations with plasticine! Students will make a settings and characters then animate their short stories using ipads and the Stop Motion Studio app. See examples of stop motion animation projects here. (max 30 students)
  
• Fun and Functional Pottery! Students will study the principles of design using examples at the gallery, and make a clay piece that is both fun and functional. Teachers can select which principles of design to focus on. Students will decorate pieces with underglaze and their work will be dipped in a clear glaze during firing process for a foodsafe finish. (max 60 students)
  Teacher to select 1 project per class:
  • Grades 1-3: plates
  • Grades 4-6: pinch pots, or plates
  • Grades 7-8 and above: mugs, or plates, or pinch pots
    
• Class art project – do you have an idea for a class art project you would like to make with clay? Chat through ideas with Shannon and we will create a bespoke workshop for your group. (max 60 students)

1.5 hour programs

• Sketching and discussion in the gallery – create a sketchbook and explore current exhibitions. Explore how artists communicate ideas and evoke emotional responses.

• Clay Nature Tiles – create square tiles, decorated with textures and real plant impressions! Tiles will be fired in the kiln and can be painted with acrylic paint back at school. No underglaze or glaze is used. (max 60 students)

• Clay Planter – create a pinch pot planter out of clay. Planters will be fired in the kiln and can be painted with acrylic paint back at school. No underglaze or glaze is used. (max 60 students)
  
• Clay Character Head – make a pinch pot creature out of clay! Heads can be painted with acrylic paints back at school. No underglaze or glaze is used. (max 30, or combine with a gallery sketching 1.5 workshop to create a 3 hour workshop for 60).

Please note 30 students can do clay at one time. Groups with more than 30 students will be divided in two and will spend half their time in the gallery and half their time doing clay.

Cost

3 hour workshops:
$20 +hst per child. A minimum charge of $250 applies.

1.5 hour workshops:
$13 +hst per child. A minimum charge of $200 applies.

Time slots

3 hour workshops:

• 10am – 2pm, with 1 hour lunch break supervised by teachers.

1.5 hour workshops:

• 10:00am – 11:30am *or* 12:30pm – 2pm.

Shorter visits and alternate times are also available to accommodate bus and school schedules.

Teacher / Student Ratio

Please note that schools are responsible for bringing the following number of staff or volunteers with each group:

Pre-school: 1 adult to every 3 students
Grade 1 – Grade 6: 1 adult to every 6 students
Grade 7 and up: 1 adult to every 15 students

*There is no charge for teachers or volunteers

French language is offered for gallery tours and activities. Clay instruction is offered in English.

During this live zoom workshop, your instructor will demonstrate basic building techniques (pinch pot, coil pot, and slab if you have rolling pins).

You will also learn how to decorate pieces with underglaze and see examples of what you can build with the techniques you’ve learned.

This 1 hour virtual workshop is designed to get you started on a project that you will complete afterwards.

We will work with you to develop a clay workshop for your class.

This is a great opportunity to create cross-curricular links by making clay pieces inspired by any subject. Make clay board game pieces, story characters, animals, or models for concepts you are exploring in class.

Our bespoke workshops can be done in person at local schools or virtually. During in person workshops at your school, we can bring rolling pins to do slab work.

Learn how to use the Stop Motion Studio app to bring your stories to life!

Students will work in groups to create stop motion videos using paper & plasticine. This workshop can be used as an intro. After the workshop, students can use the skills they’ve learned to design their own stop motion school projects.

This workshop relies on access to tablets with Stop Motion Studio installed. If you book an in-person workshops, we will bring 5 ipads for students to use in groups.

Each class pack includes materials, delivery, & firing for max 30 students

Materials

Each Clay Class Pack includes:

• 1 box of Clay – 20kg box of cone 6 clay 
• Red, yellow and blue underglaze – Primary colours can be mixed to create more colours. 8oz of each colour. 
• Printed instructions – basic tips and tricks 
• 30 work surfaces – 1 foot x 1 foot pieces of drywall
• 60 paintbrushes – 30 medium and 30 small brushes
• 30 skewers – for cutting and shaping clay   
• 30 sponges – for smoothing out surfaces
• 1 wire cutter – for cutting clay into portions
• 30 plastic plates & 10 plastic bowls – for palettes and water.
  If you’d prefer to use your own re-usable plates and bowls, please let us know.

***Rolling pins are available for loan. Please let Shannon know if you would like to loan a class set. Returnable deposit required.

Delivery

Delivery service includes three trips within Kitchener, Waterloo, or a 20km radius of the gallery: 

1. Delivery of your Clay Class Pack to your school 
2. Picking up unfired artwork at your school and bringing it to the gallery to be fired in a kiln 
3. Delivery of finished pieces to your school

Firing

Kiln service includes firing and glazing of maximum 30 pieces.

• Our studio team will bisque fire pieces, dip them in a clear glaze and glaze fire pieces.
• Please note that items that are too thick (maximum 3/4 inch thick), painted on the bottom (underglaze can stick to and damage kiln shelves), or otherwise deemed not safe to fire by the studio team will not be fired. These items will be returned to you. Thank you!

Cost

The 2021 Clay Class Pack rate is: 

• $425 + hst with delivery service 
• $350 + hst if your school is handling all pick-ups and delivery. Please note that finished pieces must be picked up within 30 days or a $50 late fee applies.

Clay Tutorials

Click here for the full playlist.

Let us know what techniques you’d like to see!

Artist Talks Online

Click here for the full playlist and learn from local artists! This series of online artist talks provides in-depth information about the creative process and artistic techniques.