Purple Sage Classes

pottery class

Fall/Winter classes 2010

Purple Sage Pottery offers classes for all ages taught by teachers as committed to teaching as they are to pottery. While grounded in the fundamentals of hand-building, throwing and glazing, we strive to nurture your creative spirit. Classes are small, having at most 10 students.

You can take full advantage of our well-equipped studios, including electric wheels, slab rollers, extruders and various tools. We recycle your clay, a great benefit, which assures that you will always have clay in good working condition, giving you more time to create. Our extensive selection of beautiful reduction-fired glazes will practically guarantee the success of your work. It is handled with great care, and we pride ourselves on the exceptional results we get from our 70 cubic foot gas fired kiln.

Classes for Adults

Brochure for all classes (printable PDF)

Tuesday morning intermediate:
Purple Sage Pottery owner Iris Minc helps you refine current skills and learn more advanced techniques. Spring only.

Tuesday night beginner and beyond:
Lisa Mistretta helps you discover the joys of working with clay through hand building and wheel throwing.

Tuesday night intermediate/advanced:
Benefit from Anni Melancon’s depth of knowledge to boost your clay work to the next level.raku firing

Wednesday night intermediate:
Beth Bell helps you express your creativity with clay through hand-building and throwing.

Thursday night beginner& beyond:
Beth Bell reinforces basic skills and helps you materialize your visions in clay. Spring only.

Tuition and class times

10 week Adult Sessions cost $280.

$4.50 per pound is charged for finished pieces

Saturday Open Studio

9:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Saturday Open Studio time is available to former and present students. No instruction is offered during this time period. Current students may get additional studio time between classes and former students may work independently. Either may bring a guest under their guidance. First-time guests may attend free-of-charge.

Saturdays with class: an additional $40 will cover students for 10 weeks while taking a class. This fee is kept low to encourage students to practice. Current students may, however, pay $15 per Saturday or $7 per hour.

Former students and guests: $65 a month or $20 per Saturday or $9 per hour.

girl at wheel

Kids & Clay

New, flexible schedule!! We are offering our Kid’s Classes in 5 week increments. Sign up for just 5 weeks or more - it’s your choice! This gives you the flexibility to pay every 5 weeks and saves you money.

Tuesday class 3:45 - 5:15 p.m. for 8 and up:
Lisa Mistretta will focus on hand-building techniques along with some wheel throwing. Fee: $110.00 for the first 5 weeks, then $95.00 for every consecutive 5 week session thereafter.

Friday class 4 to 6 p.m. for 12 to 18 year olds:
Lisa Mistretta will teach students both hand building and wheel throwing. Fee: $130.00 for the first 5 weeks then $115.00 for every consecutive 5 week session thereafter.

Five pounds of finished pieces are included in the price of 5 week classes. $4.50 per pound firing fee will be charged thereafter.

Studio Rental Info

For the potter who is ready to work independently, studio access is available. $130 per month will allow you to use the studio anytime.

You'll need to purchase your own clay. Firing fees are charged by the kiln load for bisque firings and electric kiln glaze firings. Use of the gas kiln is figured by the cubic inch or by the kiln load for the more productive potters.

You will have your own storage shelf for tools and clay, as well as use of the studio racks and damp closet to keep works in progress. You will have control of your own pots through the various stages, including loading your own bisque kilns and helping load your pots into the gas kiln. Learning about gas firing your own pots is encouraged. You may use most of the studio glazes or mix your own. Support and instruction is offered to help emerging potters acquire the tools to become successful at making pottery on their own.

Purple Sage Profiles

Iris Minc founded Purple Sage Pottery 15 years ago to create her own work and share her love of pottery with students and fellow potters. Iris has been developing her own unique style since graduating from college in 1981, designing her own molds, stamps and other tools to make her work truly one-of-a-kind. Her independent style and easy-going nature carries into her classes, where she helps her students materialize their ideas and concepts into clay.

Beth Bell’s journey with clay began 19 years ago at the Worcester Center for Crafts, where she developed her unique, playful style. Still a student of clay, Beth finds that learning and teaching are two sides of the same coin. Her combination of passion and patience helps her students find their own voice in clay whether they are hand-building or throwing.

Anni Melancon has been a studio potter in Gloucester since 1978. For the past 11 years, she has generously shared with her students at Purple Sage her broad experience with clay and glazed techniques. Anni’s expertise includes decorative and functional stoneware, majolica, raku and pit firing.

Lisa Mistretta brings her love of clay and easy going nature to her pottery classes. Students will benefit from her creativity and depth of knowledge.

Directions to Studio

From Rte 495 take Exit 53/Broad St. to
Rte 110 W. Take first right onto Liberty St., take first left onto Mechanic St.

To Register

Please mail one-half of the tuition fee to Purple Sage Pottery, 3 Mechanic St., Studio D, Merrimac, MA 01860. Make check payable to the instructor teaching the class or Purple Sage Pottery. Registration fee is refundable up to one week prior to the start of class. Please indicate the desired class, and include your home and work phone numbers.

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Page Last Modified 07-16-2010