Registration Information
Please refer to class listings for tuition and fees. Unless otherwise noted, fees for adult classes include instruction, open studio time, 25 lbs. of clay, basic glaze materials, and a firing allowance. Tuition may not be pro-rated. Some students may incur additional expenses if they choose unusual glaze materials or if their work occupies a large volume of kiln space. Tool kits and additional clay may be purchased at NCC.
General Policies
Register with cash, check, Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover Card. NCC accepts registrations online at www.nccshop.org, in the sales gallery, or by telephone at 612.339.8007 x309. Member discounts are now available online.
Due to the high demand for classes, we require full payment with your registration to reserve your spot in class.
NCC will send confirmation of registration. If there is insufficient enrollment, we will cancel class, notify registered students, and refund all payments without penalty. Decisions are made approximately one week before classes begin. Please register early or you might find that your favorite class is full, or canceled because of low enrollment.
Tuition, Fees, & Refunds
Tuition may not be pro-rated. Some students may incur additional expenses if they choose unusual glaze materials or if their work occupies a large volume of kiln space.
- COVID-19 Cancellations: Given the uncertain nature of what lies ahead of us, NCC will remain flexible when it comes to cancellations as they relate to the current environment and recommendations by both local and national health authorities. In the event of an NCC-initiated cancellation, students will be issued a full refund without penalty. Cancellations initiated by the student will be handled on a case-by-case basis with individual and community well-being maintained as a top priority. If you are sick or have COVID-19-related symptoms, we ask that you contact us before coming to or entering NCC for any reason.
- Classes: 100% of tuition (less a $15 processing fee) will be refunded if a student elects to drop or transfer a class no later than one week (7 days) before the day of the first class meeting. 50% of tuition (less a $15 processing fee) will be refunded if a student drops or transfers a class within two business days after the first class meeting. After this period, if a student elects to drop a class or transfer, tuition and fees will NOT be refunded for any reason except documented medical emergencies. There are no other exceptions to this policy.
- Workshops: 100% of tuition (less a $15 processing fee) will be refunded if a student elects to drop or transfer a workshop for any reason at least one week (7 days) prior to the workshop. No refunds will be given with less than one week’s notice.
- Clay Camps: 100% of tuition, minus a $15 cancellation fee, will be refunded if a student cancels for any reason up to one week (7 days) before the camp begins. A $15 transfer fee will be charged if a student transfers from one class to another at any time. No refunds or transfers will be issued with less than a one-week (7 days) notice before the beginning of the camp. Tuition is not pro-rated. There are no make-up sessions.
Weather
As a general rule, NCC will remain open during inclement weather. We take our cues from local colleges and universities for canceling or rescheduling classes during particularly hazardous conditions. When in doubt, feel free to call us at 612.339.8007, and please be safe!
Special Needs
Signed interpretation is available for any camp. Please call the Center to request an interpreter at least three weeks in advance. NCC’s building is wheelchair accessible and is equipped with a wheelchair accessible potter’s wheel. The information in this brochure is available in large-print format upon request. To contact us via the Minnesota Relay Service, please call 1.800.627.3529.
Education Access Scholarships
To address and help bridge financial barriers to ceramic education, NCC is implementing new scholarship options for our education programming. This will open access to the ceramic arts and welcome all who wish to learn, grow as an artist, and participate in the ceramic arts community.
We offer two scholarship options:
- a half-tuition scholarship open to artists and learners with financial need
- a full-tuition scholarship open to artists and learners who identify as Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color
Scholarships are limited and will be available on a first come first, served basis to adult students only. Students are eligible to receive only one scholarship per session. We will do our best to offer students one of their top three choices of in-person or Clay-Along classes or workshops. Once enrolled, all scholarships are non-refundable and non-transferable. Scholarship students are committed to their selected class, and the scholarship cannot be applied to a different class or term. Should a selected class cancel due to low enrollment, students will have the option to transfer classes. Previous recipients can apply multiple times per year, though priority will be given to new applicants.
Within a week of your application, you will be notified of the status of your application and will be aided in registration from there should you receive the scholarship.
For any questions regarding NCC’s scholarship program, please contact Claire Miller, Education Manager, at clairemiller@northernclaycenter.org
Adult Education Information
Tools
Standard tool kits for introductory classes are available during check-in on the first night of class, and in NCC’s Sales Gallery for $25+ tax. Other specialty tools are available as well.
Open Studio
The tuition for regular adult classes includes access to open studio time. On average, at least one classroom with potter’s wheels and a handbuilding table is available between 9 am and 9 pm Tuesday through Sunday, and from 9 am to midnight on Thursday evenings. NCC reserves the right to close studios for special classes or workshops.
Minimum Age Restrictions
Only students ages 18 and up are eligible to register for NCC’s adult classes and workshops.
Continuing Education Credits
If you are a teacher in need of CEUs, contact the education department to learn how NCC’s classes and workshops can be taken for continuing education credit.
Kids Camp & Class Information
Half-day camps meet for three hours each day (from 9 am – 12 pm or 1 – 4 pm) and include a short break for snacks provided by parents and caregivers. Half-day camps do not include lunch. Caregivers must provide supervision from noon to 1pm for children registered for separate morning & afternoon camps during the same week; if unable, NCC does offer lunch supervision for these cases at a rate of $25 per week. Full-day camps meet for 7 hours each day (from 9 am – 4 pm unless otherwise noted) and include an hour-long supervised break for lunch and non-clay activities. Parents should provide snacks and lunches for full-day campers. Each camp is led by a teaching artist; on average one additional teaching assistant is present for each camp. New camps begin each Monday (except July 6), June 14 through August 16.
Our camps will be adjusted to public health guidelines by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). Our safety measures include lowered camp capacities to facilitate distancing, required face coverings, and thorough cleaning strategies.
Age and Ability Restrictions
We work closely with instructors to develop optimal age ranges and ability levels for each class. At the time their camp begins, children must have reached the minimum age and ability level indicated. In order to ensure the success of our classes, we ask that you observe these restrictions when registering your children for camps. NCC makes NO exceptions to the ages or ability levels indicated in the descriptions.
When registering online, if you register your child for the wrong age group, the registration will be canceled and we will contact you via phone to secure your second choice. If you have questions regarding the age ranges for a camp, please call Northern Clay Center at 612.339.8007 to register.
Drop off / Pick up
Caregivers should drop off and pick up their children at the northwest entrance to the Clay Center. Please do not drop your child off too early (no more than 5 minutes before class time); pick up your child promptly at the end of class. There is free parking on the west side of our building. NCC does not provide day care or supervision before or after camps. Caregivers must provide supervision from noon to 1 pm to children registered for separate morning & afternoon classes during the same week or pay a $25 fee/per week for lunchtime supervision; NCC will provide supervision during lunch for full-day classes.
Snack Break
Campers take a short break every day, so please pack a snack for your child and label the bag with his/her name. Caregivers need to supply lunches and snacks for children in full-day classes. Please note: NCC’s facility is NOT peanut free. Please notify us 3 weeks in advance if your child has special dietary issues that would affect the other campers and we will do our best to notify other parents of the issue.
What to Wear and Bring
Kids may get messy, so make sure your child wears appropriate clothing and footwear (sneakers are best; no open-toed shoes. Clay is washable). For all camps, kids must bring a reusable tote to hold finished projects. We recommend canvas or nylon, roughly the size of a grocery bag. For wheel classes, we suggest, but do not require a one-quart bucket (such as a yogurt container) and an old towel.
Completed Projects
Completed projects may be picked up one week after your camp ends; we will NOT call you when they are ready. We strongly recommend that you bring your child with you to help identify what they made. Projects left more than 4 weeks after the camp ends will be discarded. If you cannot pick up your child’s projects by this date, please make arrangements for someone else to pick them up.
Product Output Expectations
Your children will be encouraged to create several pieces of clay art during class. You can anticipate your child having at least 4 completed works. Please make note: not all camps result in the same number of objects for campers to take home. Several camps are focused on ideas of production, while others are more experiential in nature, or require a longer investment of time and energy into more complicated wares and objects. Regardless of output, ALL of our camps aim to create a positive and memorable experience for your camper.
Instructors and Class Content
All instructor listings are subject to change. Students can expect to make new work Monday through Thursday and spend Friday glazing. By the very nature of the material and the short tenure of these camps, some projects will not be glaze fired, but “once-fired” instead, rendering them decorative in nature and not for use to consume food or beverages. Class periods will include time for cleanup, an integral part of the process. Class descriptions are subject to change depending on ability levels of participating students.
Other Information
Please Note: Due to the very nature of clay and the firing process, NCC cannot be responsible for any damage to work caused by poor construction or the firing or glazing processes.
Scholarships
NCC has a small number of partial scholarships for children, awarded on a need basis. Scholarship funds will be allocated on a first-come first-serve basis, based on need, until the funds are depleted. A maximum of 50% the tuition for any particular class or camp may be approved. Because our scholarship funds are limited, no more than one scholarship per child will be approved in a calendar year.