MEMBERSHIP
Membership at Bitter Root gives you a break from the constant barrage of news, social media and your phone. Members can take a deep breathe and enjoy working in an artistic, spacious, clean studio staffed with knowledgeable potters.
$250/MONTH
(ages 18+ only & for those who have taken class at BRP and have been approved)
Members get access to the studio during open studio hours (except major holidays):
Monday-Saturday 10am-9pm
Sunday 10am - 8:30pm
Membership also includes:
Personal shelf space
Monthly firing allowance of 15 pots (no firing fee!)
Use of in-house cone 5/6 Laguna dipping glazes
Shimpo V-Lite pottery wheels
North Star extruders and slab rollers
Tables and boards for wedging and hand-building
Weekly clinics for beginner and intermediate level members
Members can take the Beginner Wheel Class at no extra charge and receive special member prices for select workshops and artist demonstrations
PLEASE NOTE: Clay is not included in membership but can be purchased at the studio.
FAQS ABOUT MEMBERSHIP
WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR MEMBERSHIP?
Adults 18 and older who have taken a class at Bitter Root Pottery (any location is fine as long as it’s a Bitter Root)
WHAT ARE THE ACTUAL STEPS TO BECOMING A MEMBER?
STEP 1: Reserve online and take class. Regardless of prior clay experience, it is required that you take a class as an introduction to our studio
STEP 2: You've taken class; you loved it and you want to be a member at Aqueous! Call us during open hours and we will schedule a start date and member orientation with you. We will go through studio guidelines, set you up with a shelf and clay to start.
STEP 3: Once you’ve gone through orientation and received a shelf, you’re officially a member. Make sure you understand the rules and guidelines. If you have questions, just ask. Happy Potting!!
DO I HAVE TO TAKE A CLASS FIRST? I ALREADY KNOW EVERYTHING.
YES! Regardless of experience, everyone must take a class to be approved for membership. This helps us get to know you a little more and show you how the studio generally works. We cannot bypass this step for anyone!
BUT I’M A HANDBUILDER.
Awesome! We have lots of handbuilders at Bitter Root. There are plenty of workspaces throughout the studio for sculpting and handbuilding projects. If you don’t want to take a wheel class to be eligible for membership, you’ll need to book a private handbuilding lesson instead.
WHAT IF I’VE BEEN A MEMBER OF BITTER ROOT BEFORE?
Email us. Once we’ve confirmed your prior membership status, we can discuss next steps on a case-by-case basis. Please be aware that we may still ask you to take another class so you can be up-to-speed with any studio updates and protocols (especially if you haven’t been a member for a longer period). Safety first!
DOES MY MEMBERSHIP AT ONE STUDIO GET ME INTO ALL BRP LOCATIONS?
No - membership is location-specific. You have full access to the studio where your shelf is located. However, if we have special events or workshops at other studios, you may take advantage of any membership discounts regardless of which location you are a member of.
CAN I BRING MY KIDS IN TO THROW WITH ME?
Unfortunately - no, we cannot accommodate this. We love that you want to share this with your children but we kindly ask that you register them for Open Wheel class, camps, or privates. Staff can give you more information. This is in the interest of safety, organization, capacity, and making sure we know who is in the studio at all times.
WHAT CONE DOES THE STUDIO FIRE AT? WHO DOES THE FIRING?
We fire electric kilns for both bisque and glaze. Bisque is fired to cone 04/05 and Glaze is fired to cone 5/6.
We do not fire outside of these ranges (no low-fire glazes or clays!!)
Studio staff members operate the kilns. We load and unload the kilns on a daily basis.
HOW DOES THE 20-POT MONTHLY FIRING ALLOWANCE WORK?
Staff have a master list to track everyone’s firings. This is mainly to ensure that all members have gotten their fair share of the firings every month. Pots larger than 5”X5” may count as 2 points depending on how much space is taken up by your piece in the kiln.
WHAT TYPES OF CLAY CAN I WORK WITH?
Our clay is cone 5/6 only.
Clay is not included in the monthly membership but members can purchase cone 5/6 stonewares and porcelains at the studio.
BASIC TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Bitter Root Pottery reserves the right to refuse an individual for a new membership or to cancel an individual's existing membership at any time if that individual acts outside of the BRP Code of Conduct and Cleaning Policy and/or causes serious disruption to the safety of the studio, members, and staff.
Monthly membership is $250 per month and does not include clay. It begins on the day you sign up and will expire 30 consecutive days after that date. Memberships are renewed monthly on an automatically recurring basis according to your due date.
If you do not want to renew your membership, you must alert Bitter Root staff at least 48 hours BEFORE your due date to avoid any charges.
Your membership and shelf is for your use only and is valid at the one studio where you signed up. Your membership benefits, including access to the studio outside of class hours, cannot be transferred to anyone else. Family and friends who are not members should take classes with staff.