Frequently Asked Questions

Membership is billed monthly on the first of each calendar month. The first month may be prorated from your approved start date. There is no initiation fee.

Month-to-month: $215/month — cancel anytime
3-month commitment: $210/month
6-month commitment: $205/month
12-month commitment: $200/month

At the end of a commitment term, members choose to renew at any term length or switch to month-to-month. Cancelling before a commitment term ends incurs a one-month early termination fee at your current rate.

Members on 6-month or 12-month commitments earn 7 days of gallery display time for every 3 months of membership, up to 28 days per 12-month period. Display time can be used whenever you like, subject to shelf availability. Unused time does not carry over to the next period.

This perk is not available on month-to-month or 3-month terms.

Tuition varies by course length, format, instructor, and included resources. Current prices, schedules, and exact course inclusions are published on the Classes page and in each registration listing.

Adult students purchase clay separately. Beginner adult courses include a standard firing allowance; intermediate and advanced courses do not. Youth, family, and specialist formats follow the terms stated in their listings.

Firebox sells approved studio clay for $25 per sealed 25-pound bag, plus applicable sales tax. Firebox does not divide or repackage clay and does not sell half bags.

Returning students may use compatible approved Firebox clay left from a previous course rather than purchasing another bag solely because they enroll again.

Standard-format adult courses include standard bisque and glaze firing for up to 20 pounds of bisqueware per student. Additional firing is charged at $3 per pound of bisqueware.

This allowance applies to standard wheel, handbuilding, and mixed-methods courses regardless of skill level. Members pay the standard firing rate. Youth and Parent + Child courses include standard firing for assigned class projects. Large-vessel, substantial-sculpture, Raku, and other specialist courses publish their own terms.

Refiring is $5 per piece and is subject to studio approval.

A day pass provides one full day of studio access for $25. Day passes are available to former members and students who need to return for glazing, pickup, or to finish work in progress. One complimentary day pass is included with every membership or class.

General adult classes and memberships are for people age 18 and older. Dedicated youth and family courses are offered with their own published age ranges, supervision requirements, and enrollment terms.

Beginner classes are designed for people with no prior experience. Intermediate and advanced courses list prerequisites. Membership requires the ability to work safely and independently.

Firebox courses are taught by working ceramic artists and experienced educators. Meet the current teaching team on the Instructors page.

Most classes are limited to 6–10 students, depending on the course format, equipment, age group, and instructor. The exact capacity appears in the registration listing.

Adult students purchase approved Firebox clay separately for $25 per sealed 25-pound bag, plus applicable sales tax. Adult students may not bring outside clay bodies. Compatible approved Firebox clay left from a previous course may be used in a later course.

Youth and Parent + Child courses use instructor-managed communal clay. Communal clay for assigned projects is included in tuition and is not issued as an individual bag. Specialist formats may have different terms, which are stated in the course listing.

Students use the standard studio glazes supplied or approved for their class and follow the application and use guidance provided by Firebox and the instructor. Any course-specific surface materials will be identified in the listing or syllabus.

Firebox provides basic class tools, pails, sponges, shared studio equipment, standard studio glazes, and routine cleaning supplies. Instructors identify any prerequisite, specialized tool, or project-specific component required for their course before registration. Students may also purchase personal tools if they prefer.

Standard-format adult courses include standard bisque and glaze firing for up to 20 pounds of bisqueware per enrolled student, unless the course listing states otherwise. This applies across skill levels. The allowance is not transferable, has no cash value, and expires when the course ends.

Youth and Parent + Child courses include standard firing for assigned projects. Large-vessel, substantial-sculpture, Raku, and other specialist courses state their firing terms explicitly in their individual listings.

Wear clothes you are comfortable getting dirty. Clay stains and glaze splashes are part of the process. Closed-toe shoes are required. Many potters like to wear a clay apron—Firebox may stock aprons at the studio. Ask at reception.

Missed classes are the student's responsibility. Firebox does not offer make-up sessions, substitute classes, prorated refunds, or credits for missed attendance.

When no class is scheduled in Studio A, enrolled students may use it for independent practice, subject to availability.

Student practice does not include the membership spaces. Students must clean and clear Studio A before the next scheduled class. Practice may never delay the start of a class session.

Dry your greenware on your personal shelf. When it is fully bone-dry, place it on the community firing shelf. Only bone-dry greenware on the firing shelf will be bisque-fired.

Firebox does not collect work from personal shelves. Wet greenware placed on the community firing shelf will be moved to the problem shelf and will lose its place in the firing queue.

Standard firing is charged at $3 per pound of bisque ware. The fee covers one bisque firing and one glaze firing.

This rate applies to members, standard-course work beyond the included 20-pound allowance, and courses whose listings exclude firing. Youth and Parent + Child projects made within the assigned curriculum include standard firing. Specialist-course terms are published in the individual listing.

Refiring is $5 per piece and is subject to studio approval.

Kiln rentals may be offered occasionally and only through consultation. See the Kiln Rentals page or contact the studio for more information.

If Firebox determines that a firing was unsuccessful because of kiln or studio-equipment failure, the affected firing fee may be waived or credited.

Ceramics is inherently unpredictable. Firebox will use reasonable care in handling and firing work, but cannot guarantee that a piece will survive or achieve a particular color, surface, form, or finish.

Firebox is a working studio, and someone may not be available to receive unscheduled visitors. Please contact us in advance to arrange a visit.

Yes. The studio is wheelchair accessible.

Yes. All students and members sign a code of conduct and liability waiver when they join or begin their first class.