Studio Info
Hours of Operation
Members: Monday through Sunday 7am-11pm, 24 hour access by approval.
Students and members must book and reserve time in order to occupy the studio.
Outside pick up/Drop offs: We no longer provide outside firing services and there are no walk-ins.
Locations
Mouse Ceramic Studio: 1012 Beverley Rd between Coney Island Ave and Stratford Rd on the edge of Ditmas Park, Kensington, and Prospect Park South. Mouse is a 5 minute walk from the Q train at Beverley Rd and a 10 minute walk from the Church Ave F/G trains. We are also conveniently located for bus travel. The B49, B68 and B103 buses leave you steps from our door, while the B35 at Church Ave and Coney Island Ave is a 5 minute walk.
Mouse Annex: 750 Coney Island Aver. A six minute walk from the Q train at Cortelyou Rd station, a thirteen minute walk from the Ditmas F train stop. You can also take the B68, B103 or B8. Mouse Annex is only an eight minute walk from Mouse Ceramic Studio.
Contact info:
mouseceramicstudio@gmail.com
Open Studio Hours
Students and members must sign up for studio use outside of their class time before coming into the studio. Students don’t need to sign up for glazing as long as they come in during open studio hours.
There is currently no outside studio use or in studio glazing for non students/members.
Membership
Mouse membership is designed for people who are 100% self-sufficient and have taken at least a year of classes, and/or have demonstrated their aptitude in their craft. The idea is to continue to take classes to develop your skills and solidify your interest in ceramics before moving into membership.
Before membership will be considered, students must complete at least one advanced class. If you don't feel ready for the skills and techniques taught in the advanced class, then you are not ready to move into membership. This policy is designed to ensure that you can work both independently and be a part of the community we are building at Mouse.
Priority is given to current students at Mouse.
Private lessons/Private parties
Private lessons take place in Mouse Annex which is located at 750 Coney Island Avenue, not at the main studio on Beverley Road. You will learn everything from setup to cleanup! A two hour private wheel lesson or handbuilding includes a guided lesson through the techniques required to make a small dish or container. The students get to keep one piece from the lesson to be finished by our staff within two weeks.
Private lessons are two hours.
1 person $175
2 people $275
For more information on private parties please inquire via email at mouseceramicstudio@gmail.com. Private parties occur at Mouse Annex at 750 Coney Island Ave, two blocks south of the main studio. There are no refunds for no shows.
Firings Fees
Firing fees are calculated at $0.06 per cubic inch. Members and students get a complimentary glaze firing included unless they are firing bead racks or similar stilted items, in that case they must pay the firing fee again at the same rate. Outside firings are not permitted. All people must pay for their work before leaving it on the firing shelves by using the firing fees tab on the website on their own device or on the iPad.
Make-up Classes
Unfortunately at this time we are unable to offer makeup classes. As in college/university level classes, students are responsible for showing up to class.
Gift Certificates
Gift cards can be purchased on the store section of the website.
Cancellation Policy
If you cancel a week before the start of class you can receive a refund minus a $25 processing fee. You will not be able to receive a refund any time after that.
We do not pro-rate classes ,workshops or membership under any circumstances nor for any reason. Any cancellation after a payment will be subject to a $75 processing fee.
Mouse Ceramic Studio Rules
All members and students must adhere to the following rules. Failure to do so will result in termination of your membership/enrollment.
Studio Vibe
- Discrimination, bullying, sexual harassment, or targeting of any kind is cause for immediate dismissal from the studio – no exceptions. This applies to both students and members. Toxic behavior (i.e. gossip about individuals or the studio) brings down the vibe. Please be mindful. People come to Mouse to be creative.
- Please respect our request for a semi-library-esque environment and keep conversation volume low to avoid disturbing others. Many people come to Mouse to de-stress. Again, please be mindful!
- Online slander of the studio is grounds for dismissal. If you are unhappy with the studio, your first line of action is to talk to management directly for a resolution. If a resolution cannot be met and you choose to give up your membership, you must give notice one month in advance. Refunds will not be given if you are unable to give notice.
General
- Members and students must clean their workstation and surrounding area, including the floor. Pay attention to carved, trimmed, and wet clay that has fallen and throwing water that has dripped. Clean any equipment/tools you have used or inadvertently gotten dirty (i.e. the extruder, slab roller, scale, banding wheels, etc). It is not the primary duty of staff to clean up after you. Rule of thumb: leave things cleaner than how you found them.
-Do not touch work that is not yours, period, upstairs or downstairs.
- Do not use equipment without being shown how to use it by a staff member. If you break equipment because you used it without prior instruction, you will be held liable for any damage caused.
- Do not leave personal items out on the studio tables. Mouse is not responsible for lost or stolen items.
- Do not store bats under plastic over a long period of time – they will mold. When work is dry enough to safely move, remove the work from the bat or wrap the work but not the bat.
- Do not scrape or sand bone dry work in the studio. It creates hazardous dust. Wet sanding is ok. Any dry sanding must be done outside of the studio with the doors and windows shut.
-Students should only use the wheels and table in the main front area. When classes are in session, members should use the wheels in the rear starting with station O.
- Members- Evening classes start at 7pm. If you are working in the front where classes take place you must be cleaned up and out by 6:50 so teachers can prepare for their classes.
-No smoking of any kind is allowed at Mouse, including on the sidewalks in front of the building or in the backyard. You may eat and drink in Mouse, but please dispose of leftover food trash properly, ideally at the street trash can on the corner.
Shelving - Personal Use and Overflow
- Each student/member has their own shelf or shelves. Do not touch anything on any shelf that is not your own, period.
- Regarding overflow: Members may only use the space above the member shelving for overflow. Students may only use space above the student shelving for overflow, which is now labeled with yellow tape. Please note the new policy: Members and students have two weeks per piece to use overflow, and must label and date everything in overflow. Remember: overflow shelving is shared space – nobody should monopolize it. Keep your work flowing – fire it or reclaim it.
Clay
- Clay must be purchased before it is taken off of the clay inventory shelf. There are instructions taped to the clay inventory shelf.
- Clean and wipe down the wedging table after each use. Do not leave any clay on the wedging tables.
-When you clean the small plaster reclaim boards do not submerge them or run them under water, just wipe the tops with a sponge.
- Students/members are responsible for reclaiming their own clay.
- For members with single, wooden shelves, there are clay storage shelves near the table with the slab roller. Be aware: some of those shelves are for teachers, not members. Read the labels, so you know you are storing your clay in the right place.
Glazes
- Glaze buckets must remain covered when not in use. Why? To reduce evaporation and contamination.
- Do not open multiple buckets at the same time. Why? Splashes and drips from one glaze can contaminate and ruin another bucket. Lids might be unintentionally swapped. Use one glaze at a time.
- Clean up all spills and drips. Why? Wet glaze on surfaces dries and becomes toxic dust in the environment.
- Please be careful when moving glaze buckets. Accidents happen, but if you spill a glaze because of carelessness and improper conduct, you may be responsible for the replacement cost.
- Glaze should not be applied thicker than a 3 second dip (maximum). No more than two dips of a single piece unless the student/member has experience or has tested the combination. No glazing the bottom of work.
Firings:
- Firing slips must be filled out completely including full name, date, dimensions of each piece, and price. One slip is fine for multiple pieces. Firing fees are $0.06 per cubic inch, there is a 2” minimum in all directions, and there is a $1 minimum per piece.
- Glazed work that is considered dangerous for the kiln shelves or other peoples work may be rejected from any firing.
- Please take finished work home within two weeks. Work left at the studio for more than two weeks may be discarded without further notice – this is your notice. Thank you for understanding these rules make Mouse safe, efficient, and fair for everyone.