Specialty Class 201/202: Raku & Alternative Firings with Judi Harwood | Fridays | October 2 to December 4
This more advanced class is designed for seasoned beginners through advanced potters who are comfortable working independently with clay. It is not recommended for students who are completely new to pottery.
Fridays (8 class sessions)
October 2, 2026 – December 4, 2026
Instruction & Classroom Sessions
Fridays, October 2, 9, 16 and 23
10:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Extended Firing Preparation Session
Friday, October 30
10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Outdoor Firing Sessions
Fridays, November 6, November 20 and December 4
Students will attend either the morning session from 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. or the afternoon session from 3:00–6:00 p.m. More information below.
There will be no class on November 13 or during Thanksgiving week.
What’s included in this class:
- 25 pounds of clay
- 16 hours of Open Studio time (to be used in the first four weeks of the class session)
- Specialty firing materials and studio glazes
- Alternative firings including sagger, horsehair, obvara, and glazed raku techniques
In stock
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Experience the excitement, unpredictability, and remarkable surfaces created through raku and other alternative firing methods. In this eight-week specialty class, students will explore several distinctive processes, including sagger, horsehair, obvara, and glazed raku techniques.
About the Class
The first five sessions will focus on creating decorative forms specifically suited to alternative firing, preparing surfaces, applying terra sigillata and glazes, and learning how construction choices affect a piece’s ability to withstand rapid heating and cooling of alternative firings. The final three sessions will bring everything together through hands-on outdoor firing experiences.
Alternative firing is immediate, collaborative, and full of surprises. Students will have the opportunity to participate in the firing process, observe how atmosphere and reduction affect their surfaces, and evaluate their results with Judi and the rest of the class. No two pieces or firings will ever be exactly alike.
Because students will need to create enough work for several firing techniques, using the included Open Studio hours during the first four weeks of the class will be essential.
Important Scheduling Information
Due to the special nature of this class, please make sure that all class and firing dates work for you before registering. The firing portions of this class will take place outdoors, so firing dates and times may need to shift because of rain, high winds, or other unsafe weather conditions. We will do our best to provide as much advance notice as possible if a change is necessary.
Due to the size and capacity of our raku kiln, the class will be split into morning and afternoon firing groups for the three firing days. Each group will have a maximum of six students. This smaller-group format allows us to maximize the number of pieces each student can fire while providing a safer, more hands-on experience. Some flexibility may be required with firing assignments so we can balance the groups effectively.
Class Schedule
Instruction and Preparation
- Friday, October 2: 10:00 am–12:30 pm (2.5 hrs)
- Friday, October 9: 10:00 am–12:30 pm (2.5 hrs)
- Friday, October 16: 10:00 am–12:30 pm (2.5 hrs)
- Friday, October 23: 10:00 am–12:30 pm (2.5 hrs)
- Friday, October 30 (Firing Prep Day): 10:00 am–1:00 pm (3 hrs)
Outdoor Firing Days
For each firing date, students will participate in either the morning or afternoon firing group, with a maximum of six students in each to allow each student to fire more pots.
- Friday, November 6: 10:00 am–1:00 pm or 3:00–6:00 pm
- Friday, November 20: 10:00 am–1:00 pm or 3:00–6:00 pm
- Friday, December 4: 10:00 am–1:00 pm or 3:00–6:00 pm
There will be no class on November 13 or during Thanksgiving week.
Missed Classes
Because each session builds toward the scheduled firings, missed classes, especially preparation and firing days, cannot be made up. Students may still receive two additional Open Studio hours for each of up to two missed classes, in accordance with our standard policy, but no makeups are available. Please register only if you can attend all preparation and firing dates.
Number and Size of Pieces
Students should expect to include approximately three to four modestly sized decorative pieces in each firing. The exception is sagger firing, which will be limited to one or two pieces per student because of the additional preparation, materials, and kiln space required. Exact numbers will depend on the size and shape of the work, kiln capacity, and available firing time. Students should make additional pieces so they can select the forms best suited to each technique and have backups available. The instructor will make the final determination about which pieces can be fired safely.
Alternative firings are inherently unpredictable and involve rapid changes in temperature. While we take every reasonable precaution and help students prepare their work for the greatest chance of success, cracking and breakage can occur. Variations and unexpected results are part of the nature and excitement of these firing processes. Alternative fired pieces are decorative only and not to be used with food or water.
LEARN MORE about the instructor, Judi!
Basic logistics of our classroom:
To find the full details of how our Teaching Center classroom runs, please click on the “TC Policies & Procedures” button.
Facility & Class Information
Class Logistics
- Arriving for class: Plan to arrive no earlier than 5 minutes before your class begins. This allows our instructors and staff time to prepare the space for you and ensures classes can begin on time.
- Cleanliness: We take cleanliness and safety very seriously at our studio. We expect all of our students who utilize our TC classroom work hard to maintain our cleanliness standards by following the cleaning procedures we use.
- Cell Phone Use: Please limit your cell phone use during class so as to not disrupt an instructor’s demonstrations or learning experience for other students. You are welcome to use your phone to take photos of your work or progress. We ask that you step outside the classroom to take calls. Please take photos only of you and your own work, not of other students.
- Guests: To ensure space and safety for all, guests are not allowed in the Teaching Center during classes or Open Studio.
Safety & Respect
- Footwear: Close-toed shoes are required at all times in the studio. This protects your feet from dropped tools, clay, and other potential hazards.
- Hair & Clothing: Long hair should be tied back or tucked into a cap, and loose clothing should be avoided. This prevents them from becoming caught in moving equipment like the potter’s wheel or slab roller.
- Restricted Areas: Some spaces in our building are private working studios for other artists. Please enjoy only the Teaching Center spaces designated for student use, and do not enter any other areas unless invited.
- Inclusivity: We are committed to maintaining a safe and welcoming environment for everyone. We value inclusivity and kindness.
- Non-smoking facility: Smoking/vaping are not permitted anywhere inside our clay center.
- Safety: To ensure the safety and well-being of everyone in our community, firearms and weapons of any kind are strictly prohibited on our premises, whether concealed or openly carried.
Clay & Firing Details
- Included Clay: Your class registration includes one 25 lb bag of clay, selected by your instructor to best support the projects and techniques you’ll be learning. Additional bags may be purchased from our gallery if you need more. If you use more than two bags during the session, a small additional firing fee (per extra bag) will be applied to help cover the extra firing and glaze costs.
- Outside Materials: If you’d like to bring any outside materials (such as commercial glazes or underglazes) please check with your instructor first. We want to be sure everything used in the classroom is safe and compatible with our studio processes.
- Firing Policy: We fire only the work created here at The Village Potters during your class time or open studio. You’re welcome to take in-progress pieces home to decorate or refine, as long as the piece was started in class. Only work originated at The Village Potters will be fired in our kilns.
- Scheduling: Firing schedules will be set by instructors and the studio manager. Every effort will be made to fire all student work so it can be picked up within two weeks after the final class.
- Firing Atmosphere: Our Teaching Center classes fire cone 6 oxidation unless otherwise specified in the class description.
Open Studio Information
- Independent Working Time: Open Studio offers dedicated, self-guided time in our Teaching Center classroom. It’s a wonderful opportunity for students who feel comfortable working independently to practice what they are learning in class(es).
- Access: Open Studio is a special benefit just for students currently enrolled in our Teaching Center classes.
- Reservations: To help us keep the studio running smoothly, please reserve your Open Studio sessions in advance using the online calendar link your instructor will email to you.
- Tracking Hours: When you arrive and when you leave, simply sign in and out and log your hours. This helps us ensure fair access for everyone.
- Additional Time: If you’d like even more time at the wheel or table, additional Open Studio hours may be available depending on overall classroom use and with instructor approval.
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Extra hours should be purchased ahead of time.
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While we do our best to accommodate requests, extra hours beyond those included with your class registration cannot be guaranteed.
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Additional firing and glaze fees may apply.
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Cancellation Policy
By purchasing a class registration, you agree to the following cancellation policy:
Student Cancellation
- Cancellation before 30 days to the start of class, students have the option to transfer their registration to a different class, receive a credit on their account equal to the value of the class to use for a future class within six months, or receive a refund (minus a $75 administrative fee).
- Cancellation within 29-15 days to the start of class, students will receive no refund, but will have the option to transfer their registration to a different class, or receive a credit on their account equal to the value of the class to use for a future class within six months.
- Cancellation within 15-0 days of the start of class, students will receive no refund and are ineligible for registration transfer. In the event of emergencies, we will work with you to find a fair resolution.
- To provide you the best experience possible in the class, we restrict our class sizes to only 12 registrants. By registering for a class, you understand you are making a commitment to the instructor and reserving a spot that someone else could potentially take.
TVPCC Cancellation
- In the rare event that a class is canceled by The Village Potters, students will be given the option of transferring their registration to a different class, receiving a credit equal to the value of the class to use for a future class within six months, or receiving a full refund.
- A minimum of six students is required in order for a class to run. If fewer than six students have enrolled, the instructor will reach out to each registered student a week before the class begins. They will provide an update on the situation and inform them of the specific day when a final decision will be made regarding the class status.
- We reserve the right to have an equally qualified instructor sub-in for an instructor should that instructor be unable to teach a class.
Please read our Teaching Center (TC) Policies and Procedures by clicking the button below.
Registration for class signifies agreement and compliance with these policies.
Read our Skill Level Guide to see which of our classes best fits your existing skill set.
NOTE: Our classes are designed with adults in mind. That said, we occasionally welcome younger students, ages 16 and up, when it’s a good fit. For those under 18, a parent or guardian is required to register and attend alongside them.
Before registering, both the student and guardian must meet with the instructor and tour the center to ensure everyone feels confident and prepared. Enrollment for younger students is a special opportunity, granted at the instructor’s discretion.