The following policies are in effect for the safety and welfare of all members, students, and guests.  Failure to follow any of the policies will result in loss of studio privileges.  Please see the studio director, instructor, or studio tech with any questions regarding the policies listed below.

• Safeguarding Policy and Liability Waiver: 

  • All instructors, members, studio techs, and class participants must agree to and sign the building safeguarding policy before they access the facility.  This is a requirement of the NAHN and HFH facility contract.  All students/members must register and sign a Waiver of Liability prior to accessing the facility.

• Scope of Services

  • We are a school and shared studio space, not a production facility.  If a student’s work exceeds number of pieces allotted for their class, the student will be responsible for any excess firing fees.

  • Please be aware that kiln firings can have unpredictable results and, as such, we cannot guarantee the final product. Damage and/or unwanted results during the entire loading, firing, and unloading process are not the responsibility of the studio. 

• Access

  • Studio use is for current members and students only.

  • Day passes and monthly memberships are available through the website for individuals who have taken at least one introductory pottery course or can demonstrate their knowledge of pottery.

  • Due to limited space, members are discouraged from bringing guests into the studio.

• Studio Hours

  • See calendar/web page for monthly schedule.

  • Classes will have specific dates and times set and may make equipment unavailable for members.  If equipment is available during class, members are welcome to work, but students have primary access to all equipment during class time.

• Clay

  • Membership and class fees include a clay allotment.  No outside clay is allowed in the studio.  Extra clay beyond the allotment may be purchased through the studio.

  • If you want to work with a specific clay body, please speak with a studio tech.  They will check on clay availability and compatibility with our glazing and kiln systems.

  • No clay may leave the studio for any reason. 

  • We Recycle Clay!  Please make sure all clay and slip to be recycled is free of tools and debris before putting it in the appropriate recycle bucket or plaster bat. 

  • Do Not Recycle anything that has fallen on the floor.  It is considered contaminated.

• Tools

  • Keep personal tools separate from studio tools. 

  • Tool sets are available for purchase.  See studio tech or instructor if you wish to purchase your own tools.

• Equipment Operation

  • Studio equipment operation requires training.  If you would like to be trained on any machine other than a pottery wheel, including but not limited to pug-mills, slab rollers, extruders, and kilns, please inquire with a studio tech, instructor, or the director.  If you have not yet been trained, please do not attempt to use it.​

• Throwing

  • All students and members are required to transfer work from throwing bats to wareboards to prevent warping, to preserve the life of bats, as well as conserve shelf space.

  • Match the size of your bat to the size of the work.

  • Return cleaned bats to appropriate storage space once your pieces are on ware boards.

• Cleaning

  • Individuals are responsible for their own cleanup including wheels, tools, and areas they have accessed.  Complete cleaning checklist posted in the studio.

  • This is a WET CLEANING studio. NO SWEEPING ALLOWED. Wet mop the floor around your work area when you are finished. Always use a wet sponge to clean up clay dust.

  • It is very important to keep the studio workspaces and glaze areas clean. Clay and glaze left on the floor will dry and become a fine, nearly invisible silica dust, which is circulated and suspended to float indefinitely in the air. This dust is a serious health hazard to all who use the studio.

• Classes Shelf Space

  • Each class is assigned shelf space for that class only.  All saved greenware must be clearly identified on a wareboard and stored in the assigned space.

• Glazing

  • All glazes are provided by the studio and are to be used only on clay provided by the studio.  Glaze cost is factored into the firing cost.

  • If you would like to try a glaze purchased elsewhere, please check with the instructor or studio tech before glazing your bisqueware.

  • Do not alter or add water to the glazes.

  • Rinse mixer in rinse bucket prior to mixing each glaze and report any cross contamination of glazes immediately.

  • When applying wax resist, only use the designated wax resist brushes.

  • Mix glaze thoroughly before using.

  • Leave an unglazed area at the bottom of your work.

  • After glazing, clean all the equipment used and put lids back on glazes.

  • Staff reserve the right to reject poorly glazed work from being fired.

• Firing

  • No greenware may leave the facility to be fired elsewhere.  If it is made in the Hungry Hill studio, it is bisque fired in the Hungry Hill studio.

  • Firing fees are not included in the membership fee. Firing fees are all inclusive and cover glaze cost, bisque firing, and glaze firing.  See current firing fee schedule for information.

  • Firing fees are included in any class tuition for a specified number of pieces.  If the student exceeds the allocated number of pieces to be fired, additional firing fees will be charged.

  • Unsigned work will not be fired. All work must be signed.

  • Loading and unloading of the kiln by independent potters or students is prohibited. Only the director or designated instructors may load or unload the kiln.

• Food

  • You are welcome to eat in the studio at your own risk.  Please be courteous of other people’s space and work.  Clean up after yourself.

  • Any food items left in the studio are subject to fair game or may be thrown away.  Please don’t bring bulk food thinking you can store it for whenever you are working.

• Safety

  • Pay attention to the posted safety information on the walls in the studio.  A first aid kit is available at the microwave/coffee station.

• Tobacco/ Vaping Use

  • Smoking and vaping are prohibited in the building.  Please smoke outside at least 25 feet from any doorway or window.  

• Alcohol Use

  • Alcohol use, except for special events, is discouraged in the studio facilities.

  • Consequences of consumption of alcohol on the premises are the sole responsibility of the consumer. Hungry Hill, NAHN, and HFH assumes no responsibility for any accidents, injuries, or damages to the building or equipment that occur while a member or student consumes alcohol or is intoxicated. 

  • Special events that take place in Hungry Hill facilities and include the consumption of alcohol are the sole responsibility and legal liability of the event host. Location does not imply responsibility on the part of Hungry Hill, its members, board of directors, or facility owners.

  • Anyone who provides alcohol or other prohibited substances to minors will be immediately removed from the premises and the police will be contacted.

• Drug Use

  • Illegal drug use is prohibited.  Anyone caught using illegal drugs on the premises will be removed and banned from any further access to Hungry Hill Center.

  • Non-illegal drugs such as marijuana are not allowed in the building and fall under the same restrictions as tobacco and alcohol use.

  • Anyone under the legal age caught using any prohibited substance will be removed and banned from the facility pending a review by the policy review board.

• Accommodations 

  • Hungry Hill is committed fully to complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable federal, state, and local laws. Reasonable accommodation is available to any studio student, member and/or resident artist with a disability when the disability affects the ability to participate in a class or to create work in the studio. If you are currently disabled or become disabled, please contact Hungry Hill staff to assist you with evaluating reasonable accommodations that may enable you to participate fully in the studio. Staff may require a physician’s note covering any restrictions to ensure that proposed reasonable accommodations meet your needs. 

• Publicity Policy

  • Unless informed otherwise, Hungry Hill will consider photographs taken of members, students, and artwork to be permissible for publication in Hungry Hill publications in print and online.

• Surveillance 

  • The studio is monitored by security cameras 24/7 to ensure the safety and well-being of all members, students, staff, visitors, and equipment. 

• Sign In/Sign Out

  • Please sign in/sign out so that we can track studio use hours.  This is extremely important when we seek grants and other funding in order to keep the studio available to our community.

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Community Studio Atmosphere and Expectations

• Please be aware of other people’s space and work.  Give each other space to move in the facility.  Move with care so as not to ruin someone else’s work.

• Do not touch other people’s wares without permission.  This includes moving them for any reason.  If someone else’s work must be moved, please ask a studio tech to move it for you.

• Engage and participate:  As part of our core value system as an arts driven community, Hungry Hill asks that all members and students be open to helping each other out.  It is through engagement and participation that we grow.  Please take the time to reach out and engage with others in the community.

• Engagement does not mean offering unsolicited opinion, critique, or advice.  Feedback is nice but only if the other person is asking your opinion.

• Any disrespect, harm, or harassment to Hungry Hill staff, instructors, employees, interns, studio members, students, etc. is not acceptable or tolerated.

•  Hungry Hill has the right to refuse access to any person(s) at any time. 

• Please be respectful of instructors and studio staff that may be working on personal projects during their free time. If you have questions or need assistance during this time, please approach the on-duty staff member.

• Please be courteous and accommodating of any classes taking place in the studio. If a staff member asks you to clean up your work area to prepare for a class, please do so quickly and efficiently. Do not disturb instructors or students and try to keep noise to a minimum. Students enrolled in classes shall have the instructor’s full attention. 

  • In the case that human error or ceramic error happens, please be considerate to staff and fellow artists. Staff are willing to discuss these situations in a professional manner.  Hostile, accusatory communication in not acceptable.

  • If staff, members, and/or students break or damage any personal property including ceramic work, they must leave a note for the owner.

  • Please be courteous when playing music.  Tastes differ.  Be aware and open to changing the type of music and volume if there are others in the studio.  

  • Practice cell phone courtesy by taking calls outside the studio space.

  • Studio access during classes and workshops is limited to paying students and the occasional member only.  No guests are allowed during class time.

  • Equipment Use:  Please do not “hold” the wheel if you are working in another area.  We have limited space and equipment.  Make room for others to work so all may enjoy the shared space.

  • Report any broken equipment or other hazards to studio personnel immediately.

  • Conflict Resolution:  If you have a problem with someone else in the studio, please try to communicate and resolve the issue directly with the individual in a courteous and professional manner before you complain to others.  We are a community that practices open and honest communication.  If you have difficulty resolving the issue, then discuss the situation with a studio tech, instructor, or director.  They will help with the resolution. 

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Any student, member or volunteer who violates studio rules will receive a written warning stating that they will be asked to leave the Hungry Hill studio unless their behavior is corrected. Hungry Hill reserves the right to deny admittance or membership to anyone who does not observe the rules and procedures.