WELCOME TO BITTER ROOT POTTERY

Membership Baroque

$220/MONTH

(ages 18+ only, who’ve taken class at BRP and been approved)

We kindly ask that you attend a class prior to becoming a member for several important reasons.

  • Personal Connection: We want to meet you in person and give you a warm introduction to our studio.

  • Understanding Rules: This is an opportunity to explain our studio's rules and safety protocols.

  • Community Values: As a community, we cherish the chance to connect with individuals before they commit to membership.

  • Safety and Peace: We aim to ensure that our studio remains a safe and serene environment for all members.

We wholeheartedly welcome beginners, and no specific skill level is required for membership approval.

Members get access to the studio during open studio hours (except major holidays):
Sunday - Monday 10am-9pm
Tuesday - Saturday 10am - 10pm

Beverly Grove Members get access to both the Beverly Grove and Baroque studio spaces during member hours.

Membership also includes:
Monthly firing allowance of 15 pots - no extra firing fee!
Personal shelf space
Community tools
25+ in-house cone 5/6 Laguna glazes (with electric drill mixers)
50+ Shimpo V-Lite potter’s wheels
North Star extruders and slab rollers
Light and dark clay wedging tables
Large hand-building tables and boards
PLEASE NOTE: Clay is not included in membership but can be purchased at the studio.

  • 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)

  • 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!!

  • 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!

  • 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.

  • 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!

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Monthly membership is $220 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.

MEMBERSHIP RULES and GUIDELINES

By becoming a member of Bitter Root, you acknowledge that you have read, understood and agree to adhere to all terms, conditions, rules and guidelines cleanliness. When members join the Bitter Root family, you become part of a community of potters and clay enthusiasts who are all contributing to the cleanliness and success of a shared, communal art studio! Staff cannot be successful in maintaining clean, functioning studio without the cooperation of our members! The collective effort of our staff and members is what has made Bitter Root stand out for 2 decades as a welcoming, safe space for anyone seeking to work with clay.

BITTER ROOT POTTERY MEMBERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ADHERING TO OUR CODE OF CONDUCT AND CLEANING POLICY OUTLINED BELOW

  • Membership is on a month-to-month basis. Membership may be revoked if someone acts outside of the rules and guidelines or creates a disturbance that puts others and the studio at risk. 

  • MEMBERSHIP ACCESS IS ONLY FOR YOU: Membership is for ages 18+ only and is valid only at the studio where your shelf is. Your membership benefits and access cannot be transferred to or shared with anyone. Members may not bring in family and friends to work on pottery. Nonmembers must take class with staff.

  • CONTACTING US: Staffing varyies and you may not always get us on the phone. Please email beverlygrove@bitterrootpottery.com and leave a contact number.

  • PERSONAL BELONGINGS: Please take care of any valuable personal belongings at all times! Bitter Root is not responsible for any lost or stolen items. 

  • CELL PHONES: Take your phone call outside please! Thank you!

  • PARKING: Please see staff for specific parking instructions. Parking is street metered and non-metered. Do not park in BRP staff spots. Be aware there are other tenants and businesses who have their own reserved parking spots. If you park in their spots, they will tow you without warning.

  • CANCELLATION/RENEWAL: Memberships are on an automatically recurring monthly basis according to your sign up date. To cancel, please alert Bitter Root staff at least 48 hours BEFORE your next due date to avoid any charges. You must clear your shelf by your due date. After 48hrs, if your shelf hasn't been  cleared, Bitter Root has the right to donate or discard all property on the shelf to make room for new members. (Note: With manager approval, arrangements can be made to glaze the remaining pots.)

  • Important Safety Notice: Kiln Areas

    Access Restrictions:

    • Please refrain from entering the kiln areas under any circumstances.

    • Access is limited to individuals currently employed and trained by BRP.

  • Maintain a Tidy Shared Space

    CLEAN UP AFTER YOURSELF: This is a communal area, so please ensure you leave it clean! Avoid leaving sinks, equipment, and wedging tables in disarray.

    • Collect all your trimmings

    • Clean your wheel and stool

    • Wipe up any spills in the glazing area

    • Sanitize wedging tables and surfaces you’ve used

    • Thoroughly wash all tools and brushes

    • Rinse out sponges

    • Remove clay chunks from the sink

    Let’s work together to keep our space neat and enjoyable for everyone!

  • RETURN COMMUNITY TOOLS CLEANED: Please do not keep community tools on your shelf. Clean and return them. There are clay kits and a wide variety of  tools, glazes and bats for sale in the General Pottery Store! We encourage you to build your own toolbox so you have your own set of clean, nice tools.

  • MONTHLY FIRING ALLOWANCE and POT SIZE: The pot allowance is 15 pieces per month. Pot size should be within 5” x 5”. If you choose to make larger pots, understand they will be counted as multiple pots within the 15 pot allowance. Please be aware that larger pots may incur a longer wait time for firing, as there has to be sufficient kiln space to accommodate them. No production! We cannot accommodate deadlines or continuous production. This is a hobbyist studio.

  • SHELF SPACE: All personal belongings and pottery must fit on your shelf at all times. You may not use empty shelves, store in any other area, or move other people’s pots to accommodate your own. Members may not move to another shelf without staff approval. You risk losing your clay/tools/pots, etc if you don’t follow this guideline. 

  • BISQUE FIRING: No signature = no fire. Sign each piece to ensure timely firing and return of your work. 

  • GLAZE FIRING: Check in with staff before glazing for the first time. All pieces must have cookies AND be wiped on the bottom. We will not fire on stilts. No cookie = no firing.

  • RE-FIRES: No re-fires! Test new glazes and combinations on test tiles and keep notes.

  • SANDING: No sanding inside or near the studio at any time! Clay dust has silica particles that could be damaging to your lungs (over years at a time.)

  • CONE 5-6 CLAYS/GLAZES ONLY: No low fire clays/glazes will be fired. All clay and glazes must be cone 5 or 6.

  • BASIC ETIQUETTE: All members, including staff at times, are in the studio to create. They come for peace and quiet. Please be respectful of the atmosphere and keep conversations to a respectful level. If you have questions, ask the staff/teacher on duty. If it is after hours, email. Clean up after yourself so others can enjoy the studio!

  • ENJOY YOURSELF; TAKE YOUR TIME: The goal of Bitter Root Pottery is to provide members with the tools to excel. Look at each piece and enjoy the process just as much as the end result. Quality will always outweigh quantity. We hope that everyone experiences the joy of creating handmade, unique pottery.

  • BRP RESERVES THE RIGHT TO CHANGE OR ADD TO THE RULES AND GUIDELINES AT ANY TIME TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE AND CREATIVE. We will do our best to notify all members of any changes. Please provide a working email to staff at orientation so staff can keep our members updated of studio policies as needed. (You can opt out of the general BRP marketing list but we must be able to email our current members.)