The Warwick Pottery Studio Newsletter - September 2026

September is here! Fall is officially in the air; the weather has cooled, but our kiln room is hot, hot, hot! This month we're discussing kiln cookies and glaze rules and providing an update on our class schedule. - Marilyn

REMINDER: Our Annual Show is coming up!

This year, our Annual Pottery Show & Sale will be held on the Sunday before Thanksgiving — the perfect time to gather, shop, and celebrate handmade work! 2026 Annual Pottery Show Details When: Sunday, November 22, 2026 Time: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM Where: Warwick Valley Community Center @ 11 Hamilton Ave., Warwick, NY 10990

If you are a student and would like to register for the show, please click here to sign up. If you are interested in volunteering, please click here.

From Marilyn’s Corner of the Kiln Room:

My dears,

I love you all. I love your mugs, your bowls, your ambitious lidded jars, and your brave first plates. I love firing your work. Opening a kiln and seeing all your beautiful work glow back at me is truly one of my greatest joys!

But (and you knew there was a gentle "but" coming) our kiln worker (that’s me!!) has been working extra hard! So let's give her a little love, shall we? 

To help keep our kiln room running smoothly and our shelves clean, please keep these quick guidelines in mind:

Keep Feet Clean: Always, always leave the bottom ¼ inch of your piece completely glaze-free to prevent fusing to the shelf. If the foot is under ½ inch tall, leave the interior of the foot bare too—it will run! Wipe thoroughly and once more for good luck!

Kiln Cookies

• Should be as wide as the widest part of your piece, NO WIDER! (I know, I used all caps, but this is the one place I get to be bossy.) Wider is not better here!

• Nice and level: Give the cookie a little love pat when you make it.

• Marked with your name so you can pick it up at the end of the firing. I promise, cookies do not live in the kiln room forever. They want to go home with you. This is especially true for plates or anything wider than 5 inches at the base. Keeping plates flat through a firing is greatly dependent on the surface upon which they rest in the kiln. (see example image)

Tip: make cookies out of your own clay body. Same clay, same shrinkage!

Thank you for helping keep our shelves clean, our plates flat, and your kiln worker happy!

All my love,

Marilyn

A Little Note From The Studio: New Class Schedule

Hello Clay Family! 

I have some happy news to share. Beginning after the show, I will be taking Tuesday mornings to work in my own studio, focusing on creating my own body of work. A HUGE THANKS to our Tuesday morning class for being so encouraging as I take Tuesdays and Thursdays

Here is our fresh schedule:

Sundays: 10:00am to 1:00pm

Mondays: 10:00am to 1:00pm, 1:30pm to 4:30pm, and 6:30pm to 9:30pm

Tuesdays: 6:30pm to 9:30pm

Wednesdays: 10:00am to 1:00pm and 6:30pm to 9:30pm

Studio Time:

Studio Time will be most Sundays from 1:15pm to 4:15pm. Please be all cleaned up and out of the studio by 4:25pm so we can leave the space sparkling for the next day.

Until our show on November 22nd, we will also have Studio Time most Thursdays. There are two sessions you can sign up for on the website: 10:00am to 1:00pm & 1:15pm to 4:15pm 

For our Thursday sessions, we must leave right on time,  as the wonderful person who closes the  building needs to lock up by 4:30pm. 

You can sign up for studio time here.

I am so grateful for each of you, for your hands, your hearts, and the beautiful things we make together. I can't wait to see you in the studio soon!

All my love,

Marilyn