Welcome to Crescent City Clayworks! The following handbook and policies are for the safety of you, our staff, and the working artists in the studio. The policies also help to create a positive working atmosphere for our community.

Those not adhering to the policies may be asked to leave the studio for the day or permanently without refund. Please read carefully and see our website for the most up-to-date version of this handbook.

STUDIO HOURS: 24 HOURS 7 DAYS A WEEK

LOCATION: 1925 CONTI STREET, NEW ORLEANS, LA 70112

Studio Membership Requirements

Must be able to work independently without aid or belong to a current multi-week class and be able to maintain clean and safe studio practices.

Must adhere to the guidelines set below.

Studio Access & Liability

Members can access the studio during at any time. Members are allowed to stay as long as they like. Please clean up after yourselves.

We have no rules about clay bodies, as long as they are able to be fired at Cone 6. Use of clays that are not able to fire to cone 6 must be approved by Crescent City Clayworks prior to use.

Firing Costs for Pay as you Go Members are charged as follows: 3 cents per cubic inch for bisque, and 4 cents per cubic inch for glaze firing. For example, a 10 oz mug would cost $1.03 for a bisque firing and $1.74 for the glaze firing. Standard, Table, and Private studio membership fees include glaze and firing.

Studio members assume all responsibility for any damages and/or loss incurred during, or as a direct result of, their use of the space.

Only registered students and active studio members may use the studio and equipment. Members are not permitted to host their own classes or private lessons in the studio. A guest or teaching fee of $50 is charged if members would like to host private lessons.

Safety guidelines are in place to protect all members, staff, and visitors. See ‘Health & Safety’ section for more information. Crescent City Clayworks is not responsible for any accidents or incidents resulting from improper and/or unsafe use of the studio.

Crescent City Clayworks is not responsible for lost, stolen, or misplaced items. Please be sure you check all areas of the studio where you may have worked before leaving for the day.

Crescent City Clayworks, and any staff operating on their behalf, are not responsible for watching children, pets, or guests, or for accidents of any kind unless prior arrangements have been made for childcare.

Crescent City Clayworks will dispose of your work, tools, and equipment if it is not cleaned out of your cubby at the time of your membership or classes expiration date for any reason. Crescent City Clayworks is not responsible for promises made by employees or other members to safeguard these items if your membership has lapsed. It is your sole responsibility to make sure your space is cleaned out so that Crescent City Clayworks can offer the space to the next students/members.

Our Community Studio Atmosphere

Any disrespect, harm, or harassment to Crescent City Clayworks staff, instructors, employees, interns, studio members, students, etc. is not acceptable or tolerated. Crescent City Clayworks has the right to refuse access to any person(s) at any time.

Please respect all artists of the studio. Do not disrupt them while they are working, use their tools, or touch their work/possessions without their permission.

Please be courteous and accommodating of any classes taking place in the studio. If a staff member asks you to clean up your work area to prepare for a class, please do so quickly and efficiently. Do not disturb instructors or students and try to keep noise to a minimum. Students enrolled in classes shall have the instructor’s full attention.

No smoking of any kind in the studio.

Please practice cell phone courtesy when in the studio and take phone conversations outside if needed.

The studio promotes the sharing of best practices and an overall community appreciation of ceramic work. Please be respectful of intellectual property and do not photograph or otherwise appropriate any work, procedures, methods, or likewise of any studio members, staff, or guests.

If you have special needs please communicate this clearly to staff ahead of time. A conversation along with a written note and/or email will assist in the working relationship of the studio.

In the case that human error or a ceramic error happens, please be considerate to staff and fellow artists. Crescent City Clayworks staff work very hard to provide the most professional studio atmosphere possible. Staff are willing to discuss these situations in a professional manner. Hostile, accusatory communication is not acceptable.

In the event that staff, members, and/or students break or damage any personal property, including ceramic work, they must leave a note for the owner and we will do our best to notify you.

Please do not create a negative environment for other people in the space. Staff have the right to ask any person to leave if they are negatively affecting the studio environment and/or safety.

General Cleaning Guidelines

This is a wet cleaning studio and all members and students are responsible for cleaning up after themselves in accordance with the following guidelines. 

• Common areas such as the glaze station, wedging tables, sink area, etc. must be wiped down and cleaned with fresh water after use. 

• Do not let clay dry out on surfaces-- always clean up your wedging or work area right away with water and a sponge. 

• Do not let large amounts of water sit on table tops and other wood surfaces as it will warp the wood. 

• Beware and limit any studio actions that create dust, as liberation of airborne particles is hazardous to all of our health. Sweeping of trimmings is allowed but must be done slowly and carefully with the large squeegee to avoid kicking up dust. 

• When finished using a wheel, ensure that it has been switched off before following posted cleaning instructions. 

• Wash all community tools, buckets, bats (including the rims), wareboards, etc. and put away prior to leaving.

• Check your throwing buckets for any tools before dumping it into the reclaim bins/sink. 

• When cleaning glaze material, please only use the bucket on the right side of the sink. 

• Glaze tools such as whisks, spatulas, and tongs, must be thoroughly cleaned between glazes and after use. Contamination between glaze buckets can ruin an entire batch of glaze and disrupt use for other artists in the studio. If a glaze batch is ruined as a result of improper use, artists may be charged for the materials and the time it takes to replace it. 

• There is ABSOLUTELY no clay or glaze material to be washed in the bathroom sink. Use the studio clay sink in the community area for filling buckets, cleaning, and anything clay/glaze-related. Wash any clay/glaze from your hands before entering the bathroom.

• Final cleaning is to be done using fresh water and a clean sponge. Using dirty sponges can lead to the spreading of thinner layers of clay-water which evaporate and leave dust. 

• Please dispose of trash and recycling in the appropriate cans. 

• Follow all posted signage. If you are unsure of any clean-up procedures, please ask a member of staff. 

• A fee may be charged to cover any mess left behind, damage, or loss resulting from improper studio use. 

Tools, Shelves & Storage

Members and students are responsible for providing their own tools if they require something the studio doesn’t have. All provided equipment and community tools are shared among the studio and should be looked after, cleaned, and returned after use. 

• Members are assigned one 2x4x19’  shelf. All work and personal studio items are to be stored on your shelf space, including any greenware not yet ready for the bisque shelves. Nothing is to be stored in general studio areas.

• Members/students working on large-scale work will need to provide their own cart for transporting work if they are unable to move it unaided by others.

Handling of Clay and Glaze Materials

Do not eat or drink in the glaze area. 

• Only wet sanding is permitted indoors. Please take all dry sanding outside away from the windows.

• Dry glaze materials are off-limits to members and students without prior arrangement or unless your instructor is present, and you are working on a class project. 

• There is no use of plaster without prior arrangements and only in our plaster room.

• When authorized and working with dry materials a respirator with a P100 filter is required. 

• When working with wet glazes and stains, rubber gloves are recommended as some colorants can be absorbed through the skin. Please be sure to clean hands thoroughly before using other parts of the studio.

Kilns & Firing

Never open, touch, or unload any kilns without the permission of Crescent City Clayworks.

Firing schedules are subject to change according to the quantity of work that is ready to fire and the overall happenings of Crescent City Clayworks. We currently fire twice a week, with a bisque fire on Monday and Glaze fire on Friday. This is subject to change.

Crescent City Clayworks staff strives to move all work through the kilns in a timely manner, but it is not our responsibility to track your individual pieces. We do not fire on

Membership & Firing Costs

All memberships and access are provided on a trial basis. Crescent City Clayworks staff may ask an artist not performing at the applied level of expectation to enroll in-studio classes if needed.

Membership is charged monthly and a minimum four month commitment is required for discounted membership

Notice of non-renewal for monthly memberships requires 21 days' notice. Notice is to be delivered by email or in writing. Monthly membership will otherwise automatically renew on the 1st of the month. 

In the event of membership cancellation, shelves are to be fully cleaned down, and belongings collected before closing on the last day of membership. If unable to clear off shelves in time, please contact a staff member who can assist. Shelf cleaning fee and day rates may apply to any days that belongings remain in the studio. 

• Members who do not adhere to the guidelines set out in the handbook may, at any time, be asked to leave or have their membership discontinued, without a refund. 

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Health and Safety Rules

Do not eat in the glaze area. 

• Do not touch the kilns. 

• Do not run in the studio. 

• Silica dust is extremely dangerous. All measures possible should be taken to minimize the creation of excess clay dust throughout the studio. Additional information can be found here: https://www.consumernotice.org/environmental/silica-dust/ and here: https://www.consumernotice.org/environmental/silica-dust/silicosis/

• All dry sanding is to be done outside away from windows. 

• Spills must be cleaned up and staff must be informed of any accidents that could be unsafe.

• When applying stain and sponging off it is wise to wear rubber gloves. Some stains may be absorbed through the skin and the amount of colorant in stains is a much higher percentage than glaze. Copper, manganese dioxide, and other colorants may be absorbed through the skin with prolonged exposure. 

• Glaze can be an eye irritant. Wear goggles/protective glasses. If you get a glaze in your eyes, find a member of staff or first aid kit for saline rinse. A first aid kit is available behind the front desk. 

• Proper attire, including closed-toed shoes, eye protection, dust masks, and rubber/work gloves must be worn when working on certain projects or when working in certain areas of the studio.

• No smoking of any kind in the studio.

SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Crescent City Clayworks adheres to all applicable federal, state, and local anti-discrimination and harassment laws and regulations. Crescent City Clayworks staff, contractors, vendors, visitors, members, and the like are entitled to work or visit an environment free from sexual harassment and a hostile or offensive environment.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Crescent City Clayworks is committed fully to complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable federal, state, and local laws.

If you are currently disabled or become disabled, please contact Crescent City Clayworks staff to assist you with evaluating reasonable accommodations.

COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS

Members/students shall, at their sole cost and expense, comply with all of the requirements of all municipal, state and federal authorities hereafter adopted pertaining to the use of said premises, and shall faithfully observe in said use all municipal ordinances and state and federal statutes now in force or which shall hereinafter be in force.

The judgment of any court of competent jurisdiction, or the admission of the member/student in any action or proceeding against the member/student, whether Crescent City Clayworks Studio is a party thereto or not, that the member/student has violated any such order or statute in said use, shall be conclusive of that fact as between the ceramic studio and the member/student. If a member/student fails to comply with the provisions of this paragraph, the member/student shall, at the option of Crescent City Clayworks, be asked to terminate classes, remove their belongings, and vacate the premises. 

INSURANCE LIABILITY

Crescent City Clayworks and Crescent City Clayworks staff shall not be liable at any time for any loss, damage, or injury to the property or person of any whomsoever at any time occasioned by or arising out of any act or omission of the member/student or the occupancy or use of the premises, or directly or indirectly for any state or condition of the premises unless such liability is the result of any act or omission on the part of Crescent City Clayworks.

In the event that Crescent City Clayworks is named as a party to any litigation as a result of the sole act of the member/student or the sole act of any person coming on the premises for the benefit of seeing the member/student, then the member/student shall provide to Crescent City Clayworks at the member/student’s expense a complete defense to the action so filed and Crescent City Clayworks, in the event that the member/student does not provide such defense, shall be authorized to employ attorneys of Crescent City Clayworks’ choice and the member/student shall be liable to Crescent City Clayworks for the costs of such legal representation. Crescent City Clayworks shall be liable and responsible for its own acts and omissions and to such extent this indemnification.

No guarantee is offered, explicit or implied, regarding the quality or serviceability of fired work. Every precaution will be taken to ensure the best possible outcome for every firing. Use of the studio indicates you agree that you will not hold the studio, its volunteers, or any other person associated with the studio responsible for work that is damaged or defective in any way while in the studio at any stage of the process.

While working with clay is relatively safe, there are hazards and risks. These risks include the possibility of injuries or illness related to the use of the studio, materials, or equipment. Use of the studio indicates you agree that you have been informed of the risks and have signed the Crescent City Clayworks waiver.

SURVEILLANCE

The studio is monitored by security cameras 24/7 to ensure the safety and well-being of all members, students, staff, visitors, and equipment.

Please note, the policies and guidelines outlined are subject to change. The most current version of the handbook will be available on our website at all times. Any changes to the handbook will go into effect immediately following posting. Larger updates will also be communicated via email.

Thank you for helping us create a fun and positive environment in our studio space!