Skip to main content

Throwing Basics Series - Find Your Center: Clay Prep & Centering

Date: Tue, Sep 22, 2026

Time: Tues. and Wed., 6-8pm and Sat., 10am-noon

Venue: ShopSpace, Raleigh

Price: $100

Category: Community

The Throwing Basics series is designed to support the many ways people learn to throw. Each step is offered as a separate class, allowing students to move at their own pace, repeat classes as needed, and build strong, lasting fundamentals before moving on. The classes build on one another, but students with prior experience are welcome to step in at the level that best matches their skills. The series begins with Find Your Center: Clay Prep & Centering, focusing on preparing clay and establishing a solid foundation on the wheel. Building Up: Raising Walls & Form Control builds from there, teaching students how to pull even walls and shape intentional forms. Refining Forms: Trimming Fundamentals introduces trimming leather-hard work to improve balance, function, and finish. The series concludes with Surface & Finish: Glazing Basics, covering glaze application and surface choices. The final two classes include firings. Students are strongly encouraged to spend time practicing independently between classes to reinforce skills and build confidence at the wheel. This class is the first in the Throwing Basics series. Centering is the foundation of everything you do on the wheel and for many potters, the hardest skill to master. In this focused, hands-on class, we’ll concentrate on the essential first steps of wheel throwing: properly preparing your clay and learning how to center with confidence.

Community · Raleigh

Throwing Basics Series - Find Your Center: Clay Prep & Centering

Trim your fingernails short before class to make centering the clay much easier.

When
This Tuesday
Tue, Sep 22, 2026
Tues. and Wed., 6-8pm and Sat., 10am-noon
Where
ShopSpace
Raleigh, NC
Ages
Check ages with the venue
Price
$100
raleigh

Throwing Basics Series - Find Your Center: Clay Prep & Centering is an introductory pottery class designed to teach the essential first steps of working on a pottery wheel. Hosted at ShopSpace in Raleigh, this session focuses entirely on wedging clay and securing it on the wheel, which is the foundation for all successful ceramic pieces. Because the studio structures these skills into individual classes, you can learn at your own pace without committing to a massive multi-week course right away. This class costs $100 and is designed for adults and older teens. Wear comfortable clothes that you do not mind getting covered in wet clay, and make sure your fingernails are trimmed short to make working on the wheel much easier. ShopSpace is located near downtown Raleigh, and free parking is available in their designated lot and along the street. If you have been wanting to try your hand at pottery but feel intimidated by long, expensive courses, this single-session format is the perfect low-pressure introduction. It makes a fantastic creative date night or a solo weekend activity to clear your mind and learn a tactile new skill.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this pottery class suitable for absolute beginners?
Yes, this specific session is designed for beginners and focuses entirely on the very first steps of preparing clay and centering it on the wheel.
What is the cost and what should I wear?
The class is $100. You should wear casual clothes that can get dirty, and it is highly recommended to trim your nails before arriving.
Where is the class held and is parking free?
The workshop takes place at ShopSpace in Raleigh, which offers complimentary on-site parking for students.

Last updated

$100

This Tuesday

Plan Your Visit

Schedule

Throwing Basics Series - Find Your Center: Clay Prep & Centering runs Tue, Sep 22, 2026, Tues. and Wed., 6-8pm and Sat., 10am-noon.

Getting There

ShopSpace is at 1505 Capital Blvd., Ste 18, Raleigh, NC. Open in Google Maps.

More events at ShopSpace

What to Bring

  • Tickets or entry money — admission is $100

Community Guides

All guides →