C-U Potters' Club - Orientation of New Members
Club Meetings.
Members are encouraged to attend all general meetings of the club. At a minimum, members must attend the first meeting of every term and one additional general meeting during each term. Members who will be absent from a general meeting must contact their committee chairs to let them know in advance.
Club Etiquette.
Be courteous to Park District employees and other club members. The club president is the club's representative to the Park District and any non-emergency concerns regarding the studio facilities, Park District classes, or other club members should be brought to his or her attention (or to the attention of the appropriate committee chair). If there is an immediate concern with plumbing, the kilns, or any other safety-matter, let the Springer-building receptionist know, and he or she will contact our Park District affiliate representative (who is also Facilities Manager) immediately.
Be respectful of other members' need to concentrate on their work. This is a social club, but some members prefer to work in silence and many are limited as to how much studio time they can afford themselves each week. Don't touch or move other people's work without permission. Stay aware of what time the studio will close and leave adequate time for cleaning up and exiting; the Park District has to pay its receptionist overtime when we are late getting out.
Signing In.
For security reasons, club members are required to sign in and out at the front desk. You must leave a photo I.D. with the receptionist.
Lock and Key.
The studio is locked whenever not in use by the club or a Park District class. This is important since children are coming and going at all hours outside our studio. If the studio is locked when you arrive, the receptionist will give you the key. Twist to the right (clockwise) to unlock the door so that when the door is closed again (when you or the last person leaves), it will lock itself. Immediately return the key to the front desk, leaving the door propped open. If you are the last one out, make sure the door to the green room is closed, all lights are out, and the studio door is closed and locked.
Committee Work.
You should average not less than 2 hours per month. Log all you do. Members who don't fulfill their committee-work obligations will not be allowed to return as members the following term (warnings are given out by the committee chairs). Contact your committee chair to make arrangements if you are traveling or sick and cannot do your work.
Clean Up.
Clean up your own mess and put away any tools and bats you've used. Mop or sponge the floor if glazes or wet clay have dripped. Also wipe down the wedging table if you have used it. Avoid stirring dust, which is harmful to breathe—don't sweep! Use a wet sponge or cloth to clean up. Potters' Club special tools and supplies are kept separate in Studio B—please return these after cleaning them.
Towels.
We have no laundry service. Towels are supplied for those occasions when members forget their own. These can be put into the basket for washing, or you can take them home, launder them, and return them.
Clay Recycling.
Clay that is damp but not liquid can be dried on a plaster disk and then wedged and returned to the clay bins. Dry or liquid clay should be recycled: keep red and white clays separate. Break up dry clay pieces until they are small (less than 1 inch) and put them into the appropriate dry bucket. Screen liquid clay into the appropriate wet recycling bucket. Clay is cheap so don't put contaminated raw clay into recycling buckets—throw it in the trash if there is any doubt. Unwanted fired pieces (bisqueware) cannot be recycled as raw clay—it's now more like stone.
Overflow Shelves.
Label your pieces with your name and the date. Unclaimed items that have sat for 1 month will be donated to our annual Taste of Champaign sale.
Bisque Shelves.
Put trimmed items that are bone-dry on the upper shelves. If still damp, use the lower shelves. Your bisque-fired pieces will be placed either on your shelf or on the unclaimed bisqueware shelf.
Glazing.
Stir glazes well before use. Wipe back your dipped pieces along the base. Don't contaminate glazes by double-dipping without drying in between. Clean drips of glaze that spill on the floor. Wear gloves—toxic components are small enough to enter your bloodstream through skin abrasions.
Glaze cabinet.
Put items in where they will fit, starting with the top shelves. Do not touch other members' items. If there is any risk of your glaze running, put your piece on a broken piece of bisque tile. The firing committee will reject any pieces with glaze that is applied too thick; you will find these on the top shelf above the bisque shelves. Only the firing committee and Park District ceramics teacher are authorized to load, unload and open the kilns. Your glaze-fired pieces will be placed either on your shelf or on the unclaimed bisqueware shelf.
Donations shelf.
Each member must donate 3 pieces per term or 10% of their work, whichever is greater. We ask for donations that are representative of your ability, not just the pieces that didn't turn out (though we'll take those, too, if they are saleable). We cannot accept pieces that are cracked, damaged, or have substantial glaze faults.
