District Clay Center — Attraction in Washington

Mixed experience. Upsides: the space is great, wheels are usually available, plenty of tools in the handbuilding room, enough basic glazes and a couple of nice ones to get you by, you can ask a teacher or staff person for help/pick their brain, there's a nice little resource library, responsive on COVID safety, and I truly appreciated a couple of the instructors. Now for the downsides, which were downers enough that I don't think I can return: the place is very, very white. Rabid microaggressions about my name from one instructor, and another one who somehow couldn't find a single thing to appreciate in my work, and would instead take the time to point out flaws every time. To a beginner! The wheel now gives me so much anxiety, safe to say I will never touch one again (thanks, J.K.). So if you're not white, think a third time before you sign up for a longer class. Other things to know: sometimes you can be on the waitlist for the 10 week classes for a long time (I was), though maybe this has changed, pieces are sometimes handled carelessly during firing and may break, wait times for firing...

I love District clay and all that I have been able to accomplish since taking classes there! Great people, teachers, and equipment. The price is good, considering the (few) pottery studios in the area charge slightly more. Also, as a student in a class, you can visit any other classes during the week (without paying more) and they have open studio time on Sundays.

The only downside is that as the place gets bigger and adds more students, they don't appear to do much about the spacing and needs of the greater amount of students, until it is late in the game. For example, shelf space and firing times seems to stay the same unless enough complaints come in. I wish they would anticipate these needs of a growing location.

On the whole though, it's a great place and I love...

I recommend this place only to people who are flexible and not too concerned about what comes out. I have mixed feelings about it.

On one hand, it's a good deal and the instructors are nice (for the most part).

On the other hand, you need to speak up if you need guidance, most of the time the kiln is loaded by work-study people that are sometimes a bit careless and unfocused, so there are accidents, and then there are also problems with glazes.

After the 10 weeks of class, students must clear their shelf but the temporary shelf is always crowded, increasing chances of accidents, and it takes a few more weeks for your final pieces to be fired. So even if you are finished, kiln traffic is always high and you have to go back every other week to see if your...