Ceramics Program

Open Studio
Membership

Continue your practice beyond the classroom with over 60 hours per week of open studio time – midrange electric, highfire gas, raku, soda firing, and 30 in-house glazes. Pay month-to-month and be rewarded for staying committed to the studio.
Enroll in a ClassSign Up for Membership Do I qualify?
Studio Hours

Open Studio

Mon – Sat

10 AM – 8 PM

Sunday

Closed

Monitor on Duty

Mon- Fri

10 AM – 6 PM

Saturday

10 AM – 4 PM

Sunday

Closed

What’s included

60+ hours a week to
make what you love

Studio membership opens the full SCC ceramics facility – studio floor, glaze barn, kiln shed, and a community of fellow makers. Members are surrounded by artists and makers of all experience levels.

Studio Spaces

Six days a week of dedicated wheel-throwing, hand-building, and slab work alongside a community of members.

  • 16 electric pottery wheels
  • Peter Pugger pug mill
  • 30″ Northstar slab roller
  • 40″ spray booth & extruder
  • Member tool bins & WIP storage
  • Raw materials lab
All Kiln Types

One of the most complete kiln arrays in the Bay Area – fire in any atmospheric style your practice calls for.

  • Geil downdraft gas kiln, 24 cu.ft. (Cone 10)
  • Skutt electrics: 11.6 cu.ft. and 6.4 cu.ft.
  • Raku kilns
  • Cross-draft gas soda kiln, 21 cu.ft.
  • 30+ in-house glazes, Cone 5 & Cone 10
Community & Support

40 of our 60 weekly hours are monitored – a team member is on the floor to answer questions and sell materials.

  • 12 studio monitors on rotation
  • Weekly & bimonthly member clubs
  • Monthly shop talks & member-only events
  • 10 clay types in stock at all times
  • Rolling enrollment – join any time

50% Student Discount

Registered for any Ceramics class? A link to the student membership at 50% off arrives in your pre-class confirmation email, typically 1 day before your first session. Sign up for a class first, then use that link to join at half price.
If you did not receive the link, you can contact [email protected]

qualifications

Ready to join?
Check the list.

Membership is open to anyone with foundational ceramics experience – from a class at SCC or from prior studio work.

If you’ve taken a Ceramics class at SCC, you automatically meet the first requirement. Haven’t taken one yet? You can still qualify – but you must be able to check every box below honestly.

Browse Classes First

01

I have taken at least one class with Sonoma Ceramics, or I feel comfortable working independently in a ceramics studio and glaze room.

02

I know the difference between Cone 5 and Cone 10 clay and can match clay to the correct firing temperature.

03

I know the safety precautions for working with clay and understand how to properly clean up after myself in a shared studio.

04

I can operate a slab roller and other standard ceramics studio equipment without needing guided instruction.

05

I am able to schedule and attend a studio tour with a ceramics team member before my membership begins.

06

I understand that all clay used at the studio must be purchased through SCC, unless the Director of Ceramics grants explicit permission.

A studio tour is required before enrolling – including for returning members

Equipment, policies, and available materials are regularly updated. Every new or returning member must complete a walkthrough with a team member before their first studio visit. To schedule, email Studio Coordinator Azelia Mazur at [email protected].

membership

Choose your plan

Pay month-to-month or commit to longer and pay less. 1-month memberships charge once and must be manually renewed. 6 and 12-month plans are set to auto-pay.

Full Studio membership

Complete access to all SCC ceramics facilities – studio floor, glaze barn, kiln shed, and all equipment during open studio hours.

  • 60+ hrs/week of open studio access (Mon–Sat)
  • 16 electric pottery wheels, Peter Pugger, 30″ slab roller, extruder, 40″ spray booth
  • All kiln types: midrange electric, highfire gas, raku, and cross-draft soda
  • 30+ in-house glazes at Cone 5 & Cone 10, member storage bin
  • 40 of 60 weekly hours are monitored – buy supplies, ask questions
  • Free weekly & bimonthly clubs, shop talks, and member-only events

1 Month

$150 one time

6 Months

$140 per month

12 Months

$135 per month

Home Studio Membership

For ceramicists with their own home studio setup – bring your work to SCC to glaze and fire using our professional kilns and in-house glazes.

  • Access to all kiln types: electric, gas, raku, and soda
  • Full glaze barn access – 30+ in-house glazes at Cone 5 & Cone 10
  • Bring your own clay work from home for professional firing
  • Ideal for experienced ceramicists who work primarily at home

1 Month

$75 one time

6 Months

$65 per month

12 Months

$60 per month

50% student discount – link sent in your pre-class confirmation email when you register for any ceramics class

Day passes – $40 for highly experienced ceramicists or former members.
Purchase in the main office

Sign Up for Studio Membership Full Info, FAQ & Studio Policies

You must take a class with us or have prior ceramics studio experience to join.
A studio tour is required before enrolling – email [email protected] to schedule.

studio inventory

Everything in the studio

A full reference for the equipment and materials available to all studio members.

Wheels & Hand Tools
  • 16 electric pottery wheels
  • Peter Pugger pug mill
  • 30″ Northstar slab roller
  • Spray booth – 40″ × 30″ × 18″ Northstar
  • Northstar extruder
  • Community tools available for studio use
  • Member bins for storing personal tools and aprons
  • Limited work-in-progress storage (members only)
  • Raw materials lab
Kilns
  • Geil downdraft gas kiln – 24 cu.ft., Cone 10
  • Skutt electric kiln – 11.6 cu.ft., programmable, Cone 10
  • Skutt electric kiln – 6.4 cu.ft., programmable
  • Skutt electric kiln (additional)
  • Raku kilns
  • Cross-draft gas soda kiln – 21 cu.ft.
Clay
  • 10 clay bodies in stock – from Claypeople & East Bay Clay
  • Midrange stoneware, red clays, and porcelain
  • High fire stoneware, red clay, porcelain, and BMIX
  • Smooth and high-grog options for hand-building and wheel
  • All clay must be purchased through the studio
Glazes & Supplies
  • 30+ glazes, all made in-house at SCC
  • Cone 5 (midrange electric) glazes
  • Cone 10 (gas & soda) glazes
  • Variety of colored slips
  • Underglaze and surface decoration materials
  • Raw materials lab for custom glaze mixing

Why the pricing is a great deal: Behind every studio session is significant unseen cost – clay mixing, glaze mixing, reclaiming, cleaning, kiln firing, and equipment maintenance. We track membership pricing across studios in the greater Bay Area and work hard to keep SCC the most accessible option we can.

$12

per hour
3 hrs/week

$6

per hour
6 hrs/week

Common questions

Studio Membership FAQ

See the full equipment inventory above – 16 electric wheels, Peter Pugger, slab roller, spray booth, extruder, all kiln types (gas, electric, raku, soda), 10 clay bodies, 30+ in-house glazes, colored slips, community tools, member storage bins, and a raw materials lab.

Yes – day passes are $40. To qualify, you must be highly experienced in ceramics or have previously held a studio membership at Sonoma Ceramics. Purchase in the main office.

Your membership starts on the date of purchase. You must complete your studio tour before your first visit – we recommend scheduling your tour at the same time as signing up so there’s no delay.

We still require all returning members to complete a tour. Equipment, policies, and available materials are updated regularly – the studio may look quite different from what you remember. Email [email protected] to schedule.

Email Studio Coordinator Azelia Mazur at [email protected] to arrange a walkthrough of our facilities.

The 50% student membership link is sent in your pre-class confirmation email – usually 1 day before your first class. It won’t appear in the general sign-up form. If you didn’t receive the email, contact [email protected].

No – all clay worked at the studio must be purchased through SCC, unless you have received explicit permission from the Director of Ceramics. This policy helps us maintain clay quality and contamination control across our kilns.

There’s significant unseen cost behind every studio session – clay mixing, glaze mixing, reclaiming, cleaning, kiln firing and maintenance, and equipment upkeep. We keep tabs on pricing at studios across the Bay Area and work hard to stay the most accessible option we can.

If you spend 3 hours per week in the studio, you’re paying around $12/hour. Six hours a week? That’s $6/hour. At 60 hours of weekly access, the value increases with every hour you put in.

get in touch

Questions? We’re
here to help.

ceramics director

Meg Billingham

(707) 938-4626 ext. 822 · [email protected]

studio coordinator – tours & membership

Azelia Mazur

[email protected]

Once you’ve completed your studio tour, you’re ready to sign up. The membership form handles all plan selection and payment – bring your questions to the tour and Azelia will walk you through everything.

Sign Up – Studio Membership Join the StudioSchedule a Studio Tour