Frequently Asked Questions

810 Ashland Ave. Simi Valley Ca. 93065

We are a small pocket neighborhood studio located in Simi Valley.

No experience is necessary! Our classes are open to all skill levels, whether you’re a complete beginner or looking to build on existing skills. If you’re new to ceramics, our introductory classes, such as Wheel Throwing for Beginners and Hand-Building Basics, are a great starting point.

We encourage students to attend every scheduled session, as our classes are designed to build upon previous lessons. If you do miss a class, we may be able to place you in a different session if space allows, but this is not guaranteed. Some lessons also have recorded demonstrations you can review, and your instructor will help you catch up when you return. If you'd like one-on-one assistance, private make-up lessons are available for $60, depending on instructor availability. If you need to miss a class, please email classes@villageartproject.com, and we’ll do our best to assist.

If a student cancels, we notify those on the waitlist via email. Open spots are available on a first-come, first-served basis, so we recommend checking your email frequently and acting fast if you receive a notification. While cancellations do happen, we cannot guarantee when or if a spot will become available.

For beginner classes, all essential materials—including clay, tools, and firing—are provided. If you'd like to try a different type of clay, we offer additional options for purchase. The only personal item we recommend bringing is a hand towel.

For students in Continuing Wheel, we suggest bringing a personal toolkit, and we require you to provide your own 12” bats.

Yes! We offer open studio hours for students who want extra time to practice. Since space is limited, reservations are required in advance.

As long as your class is still in session, you can use open studio hours to continue working on your project. However, all greenware (unfired pottery) must be completed and submitted for bisque firing by the final session of your course.

If you have bisque-fired pieces that still need glazing, you have up to one month after your class ends to return during practice hours and finish them.

Continuing Wheel is ideal for students who have a solid grasp of the fundamentals of wheel throwing. You should feel comfortable wedging, centering, and throwing 2.5-3 lbs of clay with some consistency. Many students take our beginner wheel class twice before moving on to the next level.

Cancellations made at least 4 days before class starts are eligible for a full refund.

Cancellations for workshops made at least 4 days in advance will receive a refund minus a $20 cancellation fee.

Cancellations between 4 days and 24 hours before the start time qualify for a 50% refund or a 50% credit toward a future class or workshop.

Cancellations made less than 24 hours before class begins, missed classes, or late arrivals are not eligible for a refund or credit.

Due to storage limitations, we can only hold pieces for a set period.

Unfired greenware will be discarded after the last session of your class.

Bisque-fired and finished pieces will be stored for one month after your class ends before being discarded.

If you need additional time to pick up your work, please speak with an instructor or staff member in advance.

If you attended a Bowl in One or Happy Hour class, your piece will typically be ready in about three weeks. We will notify you via email when it is ready for pickup.

For multi-week courses, firing usually takes 1 to 2 weeks after glazing, but it may take longer depending on the volume of work going through our kilns.

We do not send individual notifications for all fired pieces, so feel free to stop by and check on the status of your work. Please note that even if you submitted multiple pieces at once, they may not all be fired at the same time.

Yes! We offer outside firing services for ceramic artists who need kiln access. We also provide Firing-Only memberships for those who want ongoing firing support. Visit our website for details and application information.