With a move to a new location, KC Clay Guild is ready to keep growing

Whether you’re a pro at the pottery wheel or don’t know the difference between throwing and handbuilding, KC Clay Guild’s new location offers instruction and options to anyone interested in learning how to work with ceramics.

“We take a top-to-bottom approach,” says Louis Reilly, director of KC Clay Guild. “At the very entry level, we have classes for five-year-olds and first-timers all the way through serious hobbyists and professionals.”

The Clay Guild has been in operation since 1988. It started by meeting in the home of potter Michael Smith, but it eventually found its way to the 4,500-square-foot Waldo location on 74th Street, where the Guild has been since 1999. Now, the nonprofit organization is relocating to 39th Street, moving to an impressive 18,600-square-foot building.

Reilly says that the relocation was necessary to meet the Guild’s needs. “We had a high demand for programming, with a waitlist six months to a year long on a lot of our recurring classes,” he says. “The same was true for small private studio rentals.” Previously, the KC Clay Guild only had four private studios to rent, but now there are 26. As if more proof were needed to illustrate the demand for ceramics services in Kansas City, all 26 of those studios have been rented ahead of the Guild’s September 12–13 grand opening.

The organization is self-sufficient, only relying on grants and capital campaigns for bigger investments, like the new building and equipment upgrades. The Guild stays afloat with membership fees, class costs and studio rentals. The new, expanded space will allow for more of each. Beyond offering meeting workshops and classes for beginner to intermediate ceramicists, the Clay Guild also has mixed skill level meetings providing continued learning and collaboration. “People find their interest and what they want to focus on,” Reilly says. “Most of our classes are fairly self-directed, so it’s really just us helping them continue to progress and figure out their own way.” 

Additionally, KC Clay Guild offers “Family Fun Nights” on Friday and Saturday evenings from 6 to 10 pm. For a discounted rate of $10, visitors are free to work with clay, try out handbuilding or give the potter’s wheel a spin, all in a professional, well-equipped studio space. 

“We have a very open and accommodating community, so there are generally going to be folks around that have a little bit more experience who are willing to lend a pointer or two,” says Reilly. “Also, we always have volunteer studio monitors on site to help steer you in the right direction.” 

Beyond classes, KC Clay Guild provides a space for people to work and be part of a community. Memberships give discounts, and the studio provides a place to craft and store your tools and projects for a fee. More room in the new building means more revenue and room to grow. “What that means for us is that we are able to add more free programming for other nonprofits in the schools and expand our artist and resident programs,” Reilly says. “I think people are looking to start attacking their bucket lists before it’s too late. They want to get away from their devices and put their hands to work in a physical way and their minds to work in a creative way.” 

For more information on memberships and class schedules, visit KC Clay Guild’s website at kcclayguild.org.

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