Roll Up Your Sleeves with the Maker House in Goleta

The Art Studio Presents a Series of New Classes for the Spring and Summer, Plus a Pottery and Pints Event at Validation Ale

New classes are now available at Maker House | Photo: Courtesy

Art gives life meaning. At the Maker House in Goleta, you can make something truly meaningful. Goleta’s hub for everything art and creativity, the studio provides a space for makers to make, learners to learn, and explorers to explore. With a variety of classes and a maker’s space, possibilities are endless at the Maker House. The studio has just announced a series of new classes for the spring.

In addition, the Maker House will hold a fundraising event on April 19 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., where attendees are welcome to stop by for “Pottery and Pints” at Validation Ale in the Funk Zone. Staff and instructors will be selling exclusive wares and Validation Ale will contribute a portion of their bar sales to the studio as a part of the fundraiser.

Here are the class and workshop offerings coming up.

Creative Wallscape Planters

Elise Arnold is teaching an introductory class, leading students through the process of creating unique wall-mounted planters perfect for small plants, herbs, and flowers. Using techniques like texturing and slab construction, attendees will learn how to shape, assemble, and decorate their personal piece and ultimately transform plants into works of art.

Once completed, attendees will have the chance to choose a glaze and the studio will take care of the firing. The finished pot will be ready for pickup in around two weeks.

The class is taking place on April 20 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Throw Down Lessons

Join the waitlist for this crash-course on the ceramics wheel. After the instructor kicks off the class with a quick throwing demonstration, students will get hands-on experience in shaping their own creations. Clay will be provided for creators to use their imaginations. The studio staff will glaze and fire the pieces and will be ready for pickup 2-3 weeks after the lesson.

This class has several sessions running on April 27. The sessions run as follows: 10:15-11:30 a.m., 10:45 a.m. to 12 p.m., 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m., 12:15-1:30 p.m., 1:15-2:30 p.m., 1:45-3 p.m., and 2:45-4 p.m.

Flyer for Maker House and Validation Ale event | Photo: Courtesy

Intro to Wheel-Throwing

Over the course of the eight weeks, the class will guide individuals through the fundamentals of wheel-throwing, beginning with the basics of wedging and in the end, completing a personal ceramic journey.

Experienced instructor Gaby Mandelik will lead students through process and product, helping them to build skills along the way in a class that runs from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Mondays from April 28 to June 16.

Michael Adcock will run a session of the same class on Mondays from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. between April 28 and June 16. This class has an active wait list.

Marie Bose is running a session of this class on Tuesdays from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. between April 29 and June 17.

Jared Vazales is running a class from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesdays between April 29 and June 17.

Li Ye is also running a session of this class at the intermediate level. His classes will take place on Mondays from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. between April 28 and June 16. This class has an active wait list.

Maker House classes are open for spring | Photo: Courtesy

Intro to Handbuilding

This eight-week class will teach students how to make creations via the art of hand-building. Between learning coiling, pinching, and slab-building, students will ultimately leave the class having honed a new skill set and will create their own one-of-a-kind ceramic ware. Students have the option to work on independent projects or be guided by weekly demonstrations.

Experienced teacher Faryn Fee runs this class on Mondays from April 28 to June 16 from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m..

Reena Bajaj also teaches her own session of this class on Wednesdays from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. between April 30 and June 18. This class has an active wait list.

Individual Ceramic Study

This eight-session specialized class offers students the chance to hone in on one or two self-directed projects. The class emphasizes individual learning, providing extensive one-on-one guidance to achieve creative goals. The course will teach students how to master the necessary techniques and processes to complete independent projects.

Join the waitlist for this intermediate/advanced level class. It runs on Tuesdays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. from April 29 to June 17.

Continuing the Quest

This eight session class is designed for those who have already taken beginner hand-building and know the basic technical skills. Building off of this skill set, students will learn how to dive into their creative practice. This course invites students to explore the healing nature of clay by creating a cohesive body of work centered around a personal theme or story.

The workshop will allow students to continue building on their technical skills and refine their craft, ultimately creating a space for artistic growth and insightful exploration.

The classes will run Wednesdays from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. from April 30 to June 18.

There are also summer clay camps for children ages 5 to 12 years old running in six different summer sessions.

Visit canvas.makerhouse.org/classes for a full list of class and studio offerings.