Hope Wallace won Best of Show

at LORE at the Wassenberg Art Center, Feb. 14, 2025.

She says, “Honored, and a little giddy to have been awarded Best of Show. Thank you Wass, sponsors, and juror Ruth Koomler Art and TekVenture for getting these puppies fired!”

See Hope Wallace’s fantastically created works and the human issues she addresses,

at https://www.flowerpossum.com/ .

Three whimsical mushroom-shaped sculptures made of natural materials displayed on white pedestals in an art gallery. People are viewing artwork on the walls in the background.

Hope Wallace’s ceramic pieces in the process at TekVenture’s ClayWorx.

Unfinished clay sculpture of a house with a dog head base, located in a workshop with shelves and tools visible in the background.
A carved wooden sculpture featuring a small animal peeking out from a window in a whimsical, detailed design.
Untreated clay sculptures of various shapes and sizes on a workbench, including a mushroom-shaped piece, a rectangular block with branch-like patterns, and smaller sculpted fragments.

Clayworx Pottery Studio is a popular feature at TekVenture Makerspace in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Visitors learn the art of pottery-making in a supportive and inspiring environment.

Clayworx offers a fully-equipped clay studio for enthusiasts to explore their creativity in pottery. Our studio is stocked with a variety of clay, pottery tools, and equipment to support artists at every skill level. Members have the opportunity to learn from talented individuals within the community, making Clayworx a hub for inspiration and growth in the art of clay and pottery.

A woman smiling and working on a sculpture of a hand with a needle and string in a workshop surrounded by shelves of supplies.

Mary Klopfer shows how she will cut her wet clay sculpture of a hand into two pieces so she can hollow it out, and then re-connect the two pieces to be a hollow hand. She needs to do this because it is too thick to be fired in the kiln — it might explode. Clay pieces can only be a certain thickness to be fired.

ClayWorx has many experienced clay artists who are happy to give advice to the newbies.

A woman with curly hair in a gray t-shirt working on a detailed ceramic sculpture of a face with rose-like features in a workshop.

Miranda Dyson carefully attaches each petal to her roses-themed sculpture. She spent many days working on it.

Unfinished clay sculptures of boots and shoe covers on a metal tray, with detailed textures and patterns.

Ken Parisot’s sculptures resemble Bikini Bottom from Spongebob Squarepants.

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Mary Klopfer and Robyn Valdizon share a laugh while glazing their projects. Many people find working with clay to be a relaxing, pleasant experience.

Our newest Worx area is Glass Worx inside ClayWorx.

Click on the Flower to see it!

Stained glass ornament in the shape of an orange flower with green leaves hanging against a blue wall.
A wooden shelving unit filled with various ceramic and clay art pieces, including bowls, figurines, and decorative objects, in a pottery studio setting.
A person working on shaping a small clay vase on a pottery wheel, using a carving tool with a pop-up clamp and wearing a workshop in the background.
Workshop with a large wooden table, shelves of paint bottles, and a printing press with paper on it, along with people working at sit-down stations.
A person working on a pottery wheel in a ceramics studio with shelves of various clay and ceramic pieces around.

ClayWorx Tools & Equipment

  • 3 Kilns

  • 6 Pottery Wheels, including wheelchair accessible pottery wheels, and a kickwheel.

  • Shelf Storage for Members

  • Wedging Table

  • Handbuilding and Glazing Tables

  • Slab Roller

  • Drying Racks

  • Extruder

  • Clay & Glaze for sale.

A person shaping a clay pot on a pottery wheel with both hands covered in wet clay.
People working in a ceramics studio with pottery, tools, and shelves of supplies.
Two men working on a pottery wheel, one shaping a clay vase while the other watches in a ceramics studio.

Clay and Glaze Prices, and how to pay

STUDIO FEE required for TekVenture members using ClayWorx.

All ClayWorx users need to sign up for the monthly Studio Fee of $9.95 thru PayPal, or $10 paying cash or check in person.

The Studio Fee gives you a personal shelf, use of the glazes on clay you purchase from ClayWx, kiln firings, and use of sponges, towels, tools, paintbrushes, and all the potters wheels, slab rollers and other tools and machines in ClayWorx.

$9.95/month Studio Fee

(or pay $10 cash to Area Mgr or Treasurer)

ClayWx Studio Fee $9.95/mo. Subscription

How many shelves for you in ClayWorx?
Talk to Jen Verschure or Al Mack to be assigned a shelf.
Workshop with shelves filled with small containers of paints or coatings, buckets on the floor, and a work table with supplies.
Room with industrial shelving containing tools, boxes, and miscellaneous items, and a white table displaying various ceramics, bowls, and decorative objects.
A man and a woman making pottery outdoors. The man is holding a large metal bucket, pouring molten material into a pottery piece on a rotating wheel. The woman is watching and holding a tool. Several large metal pipes are in the background.
A collection of ceramic and glass bowls, cups, and decorative items on a white table, including a small Christmas tree ornament, a large jar with a lid, and various patterned dishes.
Unfired ceramic vase on a pottery wheel with a unique, twisting design.

Purchasing CLAY

Weight of Clay
Color of Clay
What is the number on your bag of clay?

ADDITIONAL FIRINGS

Your membership and your clay and glaze purchases from TekVenture pay for a bisque and a glaze firing on each of your clay projects.

If you supply your own clay and glaze, or want additional firings on a piece, or to fill up a kiln, those costs are:

$3 per piece

$15 up to a ½ kiln full

$30 up to a full kiln

$50 for XL Kiln or 2 full

Size of Kiln Firing
What cone? Be sure to talk w/ClayWorx manager.
Ceramic art pieces and bowls on a wooden shelf in a pottery studio.
An elderly man with gray hair and glasses shaping a large white ceramic vase on a pottery wheel inside a studio, wearing a black shirt and a beige apron.

Ready to Learn?

Master Ceramicist, Tom Sherbondy, will show you ways to make a bowl, cup or what you want using the potters wheel or coils or slab or hand forming. Return in 2 weeks on another Wednesday for guidance in glazing. Return after 2 weeks during Open Hours to pick up your finished work. $19.95 pays for clay, glaze, and instruction in two 90 minute classes. 

POTTERY CLASS with Tom Sherbondy

 FW Enterprise Center, 1830 Wayne Trace, Door 7, Fort Wayne, IN
Which Wednesday, 2-3:30 pm, for 1st class? Glaze 2 weeks later.
Questions?
A woman smiling outdoors in front of a historic building, wearing a wide-brimmed hat and a shirt with a cat print, with her arms crossed.

Clayworx Area Managers

Jen Verschure, 260 760-8013

Al Mack, 260 755-8073