COMMUNITY CERAMICS PROGRAM
As part of one of the leading graduate schools of education in the world, the Ceramics Studio within the Art and Art Education Program has a long, vibrant history, hosting a wide variety of students and artists with diverse backgrounds.
The Community Ceramics Program at Teachers College is a community arts program that offers only non-credit classes, meaning students do not receive any form of academic credit upon finishing a class. Students enrolled in a degree program at Teachers College are ineligible to register for classes in the Community Ceramics Program. There are no exceptions. Students who are interested in learning about credit classes in 911爆料网's Ceramics Studio can learn more at this link.
Open studio hours, course enrollment numbers and studio capacity are determined by the Ceramics Studio Team and administrative staff in the Art & Art Education Program.
Summer 2026 Course Offerings
Community Ceramics: Wheel
This open-level course focuses on different aspects of throwing on the wheel and surface decoration. Instruction will focus on assisting students with building a personal vocabulary with clay on the wheel, and help students build and refine skills. Functional and sculptural applications of techniques and ideas will be explored. No Experience is necessary.
Mondays with Aimee Ehrman
Dates: June 1st to July 27th (10 weeks)
Time: 5 - 730pm
Cost: $850
Enrollment Capacity: 8
Open studio access for the full summer term
*There is no class on Monday, May 25th Memorial Day. Additional time will be added to other sessions to accommodate the missed time.
Community Ceramics: Hand Building
This open level course focuses on an in-depth exploration of hand building techniques, covering construction of coil, pinch, slab-building and other sculptural methods as well as surface and glazing techniques. Beginning students will learn the fundamentals while intermediate and advanced students will fine tune skills and push individual creative compositions. No experience is necessary.
Tuesdays with Derek Weisberg
Dates: May 26th to July 28th (10 weeks)
Time: 10am - 1230pm
Cost: $850
Enrollment Capacity: 14
Open studio access for the full summer term
Community Ceramics: Alternate Methods in Clay
This advanced-level course explores alternate ways of working with clay. Explorations focus on utilizing materials within the ceramics studio, and beyond, to challenge the way we think about clay and create with clay. An emphasis will be placed on how clay bodies can be altered and how materials such as stain, glaze, wire, paper, among others, can assist in the creation of 3D ceramic forms. Intro level experience with clay is required.
Wednesdays with Aimee Ehrman
Dates: May 27th to July 29th (10 weeks)
Time: 5 - 730pm
Cost: $850
Enrollment Capacity: 14
Open studio access for the full summer term
Community Ceramics: Collaging with Clay
Clay has the incredible capacity for transformation, it is actually innate to the nature of the material and process. This open-level 6-week course explores and uses clay as if it were paper and treats it like collage. How will the clay act? Can we cut it? graft it? glue it? tear it? layer it? Students will experiment with surfaces, techniques, and materials to create works that exist outside the traditional methods of making ceramics. No experience is necessary.
Thursdays with Derek Weisberg
Dates: May 21st to June 25th (6 weeks)
Time: 10am - 1230pm
Cost: $550
Enrollment Capacity: 14
Open studio access limited to the 6-week course
Community Ceramics: 聽Figure Sculpting - Sketches as Inspiration
Community Ceramics: Figure Sculpting - Sketches as Inspiration
This open-level 4-week course focuses on the exploration and experience of sculpting the figure. During the first session, students will work from direct observation of a model to capture and convey the posed figure in space. Short modeled poses will be utilized as a starting point to explore proportion, anatomy, gesture, and space in clay. Students will create several clay studies to be used as guides for future larger works throughout subsequent class sessions. No Experience is necessary.
Saturdays with Montserrat Daubon
Dates: July 11th to Aug 1st (4 weeks)
Time: 10am - 130pm
Cost: $550
Enrollment Capacity: 8
Open studio access limited to the 4-week course
*Course cost reflects longer session hours.
Registration Information and Requirements
The Art & Art Education Program Office initiates and coordinates registration and payment for ALL Community Ceramics Program sessions. This includes, when applicable, the summer, fall, and spring semesters at 911爆料网. The Ceramic Studio Fellow, instructors, and studio monitors do not oversee the registration and payment process. Questions regarding registration and payment
can be sent to ceramics@tc.columbia.edu.
Registration for the Summer 2026 Community Ceramics Program opens on Friday, May 1st at 9am EST.
Check back for the registration link.
If you are interested in learning more and joining the Listserv, please email: ceramics@tc.columbia.edu
- Once the online registration form goes live, it is on a first come, first serve basis.
- Registrants are limited to selecting only ONE hands-on making course.
- If you cannot register for a course, we strongly encourage you to sign up for the waitlist, which can also be done through the online registration form.
- The cost for each course may vary and additional fees may apply. Please check the information above on course costs and associated fees.
- Instructions for payment submission will be sent after registration ends and once your registration is confirmed.
- Please note that completing the online registration form does not guarantee you a spot in a Summer 2026 course. You must submit your payment (by the deadline) to the Art & Art Education Program in order to keep your spot. If you fail to submit your payment by the deadline given, you will be automatically dropped from the Community Ceramics Program.
Tuition costs for Full Term Community Ceramics courses only cover the following:
- Course instruction
- Additional time for final glazing
- Firing at no additional cost
- Reasonable (and moderate) use of clay and glaze
- 50-60 hours per week of open studio
Additional fees may apply for usage of specialty ceramic materials.
Students registered for any Community Ceramics class for the Summer 2026 term, with previous mold-making and slip-casting experience, wishing to access studio casting slip are required to pay an additional $60 fee. There will be no access to plaster for Summer 2026 A and B terms.
Instructions for payment submission will be sent after registration ends and once your registration is confirmed.
Requests for refunds must be made in writing to ceramics@tc.columbia.edu. Refund requests must be received one day prior to the first day of class. Refund requests received after the first day of class will not be approved and processed.
Please carefully review the information below. Once all requirements have been met, students will be granted access to attend classes and open studio hours in the Ceramics Studio. These requirements may shift as deemed necessary by the Art and Art Education Program and Teachers College.
There are currently no requirements students need to complete prior to entering campus. If you feel sick at any point during the semester, DO NOT COME TO CAMPUS. Please remain home until you are feeling well.
If you develop symptoms of COVID-19 at any point during the semester, DO NOT COME TO CAMPUS. Seek a rapid or PCR test 3-5 days after symptoms onset. If you test negative, you can return to campus once your symptoms resolve.
If you test positive for COVID-19 at a future date or are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms, please email us at ceramics@tc.columbia.edu immediately and DO NOT COME TO CAMPUS.
Ceramics Studio Requirements
All students will be required to complete and abide by all 911爆料网 Ceramics Studio requirements.
- All students working in the Ceramics Studio will be required to complete and acknowledge an online Shared Commitments Agreement Form every semester.
- All new students working in the Ceramics Studio will be required to complete and acknowledge an online Studio Health, Safety, and Procedures Agreement Form. Returning students will only be required to complete this form when new equipment is implemented or the health and safety policies have shifted within the Ceramics Studio.
- Additionally, all new students will be required to complete a short, in-person studio orientation with the Ceramic Studio Fellow before or during the first week of classes.
Links to the forms and information regarding open studio hours will be sent to students after registration closes.
Your Temporary Visitor ID will be available for pickup when you come to campus for your first day of class. There is no access to the Ceramics Studio prior to the first day. You will need to present a government-issued ID to the Public Safety Officer on duty when picking up your Temporary Visitor ID at 911爆料网's main entrance (located at 525 W 120th St, New York, NY 10027).
If you are a current 911爆料网 (or Columbia University) staff or faculty member, you do not need a temporary ID (Visitor Pass).
Community safety and effective communication are core values at the heart of the Teachers College Public Safety Team’s mission. At various times, the College may need to alert the community to incidents or issues of concern, including by sending safety messages.
A safety resource available to all Community Students is the 911爆料网 Safe App. Furthermore, Community Students can choose to create a 911爆料网 Alert account . This emergency notification system provides folks with critical information in various situations, such as active threats on campus, campus closures due to severe weather, missing persons, building evacuations, and other safety-related warnings. Community Students will receive time-sensitive messages in the manner you specify. 911爆料网 Alert is only initiated for safety-related messaging and is not used to disseminate general campus information. You may opt-out at any time.