Ceramics Program Area & Studio with Wade Pharr, Ceramics Studio Manager & Instructor at the Ely Folk School

Wedging, centering, opening & shaping, drying, trimming, bisque firing, glazing, glaze firing…there are quite a few steps between transforming a chunk of clay into a finished piece! You also need equipment such as pottery wheels (though there is always the option to hand-build pieces) and a kiln. Between having the space and the cost of equipment, there can be a high barrier to entry for folks interested in pursuing ceramics. 

From left to right: one of the first ceramics classes in the new studio in 2021, a class in December 2023, and the most recent wheel throwing class February 2026

We are proud to have opened our Ely Folk School Ceramics Studio in the Fall of 2021 to help provide a community space for beginning and experienced potters alike. Our sunlit studio is outfitted with eight electric wheels, a slab roller, and an electric kiln, as well as all the various tools you need to throw or hand build, trim, and glaze your pieces. We are honored to partner with local ceramic artist Wade Pharr of Pharr Thrown Pottery who acts as our Studio Manager and teaches many of the offerings in our Ceramics Program Area.

Wade has been instructing classes with EFS since 2016! When asked how his first class was in comparison to what it’s like now he laughed saying “It’s a lot less work now that everything’s here. That first class, I brought everything in. We did the class and then I hauled everything home. I did that for each step - worked on them, hauled them, fired them, hauled them, glazed them, hauled them.” Needless to say, he was excited to be a part of creating the Ceramics Studio as a dedicated space for classes and equipment. 

Wade's first class with EFS: Make a Slab Vessel, March 2016

“I wanted to help create a space that I never had when I started. A space to give people who are learning and experiencing ceramics a chance to really dig in and play."

Wade partners with the Ely Folk School because it allows him the opportunity to share his knowledge and to facilitate for people trying ceramics: “I wanted to help create a space that I never had when I started. A space to give people who are learning and experiencing ceramics a chance to really dig in and play - to actually be able to figure out that it’s what they want to do before they start spending a bunch of money.” This dedicated studio space allows Wade and EFS to support ceramics artists at every level. From class series aimed at beginners -  such as Wade’s Wheel Throwing and Jill Anderson’s hand building focused Pottery Basics - to specific skill building classes for intermediate students to monthly memberships for those who just need the space to continue building. 

Wade wants experienced potters to know that our space is available to them as well. Wade has designed skill building classes based on requests from members and would love to continue offering these experiences and building the potter community here. “You get into a bigger pottery community and then you start to be able to benefit from how different potters have different resources. For example, I have a gas kiln and I would love to share that with other potters too. I would love to help build experiences for folks who already have experience in pottery.” Our mission at EFS is driven by building community and that includes the pottery community.

The Ceramics Studio is a great example of the resilience promoted by folk schools.Folk schools are rooted in the value of the process, of creativity and resilience, not just about the end product. The process of learning ceramics is a wonderful example of this. There are multiple steps, and many opportunities for things to go awry. In his classes, Wade encourages students to learn through the challenges and embrace being a beginner, which is a skill in and of itself, especially for adult learners. 

Wade emphasizes that mistakes are just a part of the process and is open about how, even with thirty plus years of experience, sometimes clay just has a mind of its own. “I try to stress that everyone has to be a beginner. No matter how good they are now, they had to trip and fall to get there. I also try to tell them to have fun with it. I do point out that clay can be one of the hardest mediums because it’s very unforgiving at all levels and all stages, and it doesn’t care how ‘good’ you are. It happens to everyone. I make mistakes in class and I don’t hide them. I point them out.” 

But of course, Wade loves seeing a student experience success, and that is one of the things he loves most about teaching:  “I’m always really excited and proud when a student has a moment of ‘Oh I figured this out’ and I love being able to watch that for the first time as the realization hits them and that they’ve done what they wanted to do.”

A glimpse into Wade's Wheel Throwing Class.

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View our upcoming Ceramics Classes here. 

We offer monthly Ceramics Open Studio Evenings - designed for members to ask questions and create together and for prospective potters who want to try out our studio before signing up for a class or membership. 

The next upcoming Open Studio Evenings are Wednesday, May 20th, Tuesday, June 9th, and Wednesday, July 15th.

We have two upcoming multi-session classes this summer: 

Pottery Basics with Jill Anderson - 6 Sessions starting July 6th 

Wheel Throwing with Wade Pharr - 7 Sessions starting July 14th

Wade will also be teaching a Creative Kids: Make Pottery (ages 7-12) class on Saturday, June 6th. 

Last summer, Sue was a student in Jill Anderson's Pottery Basics class and found it to be just the creative outlet she was looking for. She is now a member of our ceramics studio and is back there practicing her pottery skills almost daily.

Studio Membership

There are two different Ceramics Studio Membership options. The Full Studio Membership includes 24/7 access to all equipment in the studio. The Firing Membership is for those with their own workspaces who need access to a kiln. Fill out our ceramics studio interest form to set up an orientation session!

If you’re interested in talking more about specific skill-building experiences, reach out to us at info@elyfolkschool.org.