About this Event
Workshop Overview
Taught by: Sue Decker with Four Elements Pottery
Time: Thursday, July 2, 1:30 PM - 3 PM EDT (1 hour and 30 minutes)
Format: In-Person Workshop, hosted by Sue Decker
Skill level: All skill levels; Family Friendly
Accessibility: ASL interpretation and other services are available upon request
Participant Fee: $20
Registration Limit: 10 participants
Your Instructor:
Sue Decker’s pottery journey began in her 20s when she bought a small bowl at a street fair and fell in love with the tactile feel of eating out of a homemade item.
Fast forward a couple decades, Sue’s thriving one-woman business, Four Elements Pottery, is a reflection of how water and earth can be transformed by air and fire into something lasting and beautiful. Sue’s artistic style builds on that to create vibrant, functional pieces. Each mug, bowl, serving dish, or novelty piece is crafted to fit warmly in the hand, and to bring a smile and sense of joy.
Currently, Sue is a member of the Mt. Pleasant Artists Collective, serves on the board of the D.C. Makers Guild, and is co-owner of Studio 51 Ceramics, slated to open soon in Adams Morgan. She teaches at District Clay Center in Northeast D.C. and teaches private lessons at her studio in historic Mt. Pleasant, including one-on-one classes for teens with autism.
"To hold a bowl or mug in your hand and know it was made by a person, not a machine. To feel that connection with your ancestors. All of those feelings in something so prosaic is just magical. My goal is to bring that same joy to others, to add a bit of brightness to the world."
Learn more about Sue and her work!
Workshop Outline
Enjoy a creative moment as you form, stamp, and paint a small trinket bowl. While your project dries, paint a pendant to match!
Different stamps are available to texture and pattern your clay and a wide variety of paint colors are available so you can design each piece to fit your style.
As you work on your project, learn about the ceramics process as well as the history of pottery around the world and in the United States. Use your trinket bowl for jewelry, knick knacks, or simply custom-made decoration.
Please note, the pieces are made with air dry clay and acrylic paint, so the items are not food safe.
The workshop is open to all skill levels and is family friendly. Tickets are required for children and their accompanying adults.
Terms & Conditions and FAQs
Registration Requirements:
- To register, you will need to provide credit card information for payment and your contact information.
- If you have questions about this workshop before you register, please email us at [email protected] with Workshop Question in the subject line.
Refund Policy:
All sales are final. No refunds, credits, or transfers.
Cancellation Policy: We reserve the right to cancel workshops in the unlikely event of circumstances beyond our control. If a workshop is cancelled, our liability is limited to a refund of registration fees. We will process refunds within sixty days of cancellation.
Capacity: This workshop is limited to 10 participants. Early registration is encouraged.
Language: English will be the main language used in the workshop.
Accessibility: We strive to create an accessible and inclusive environment for all visitors. If you require accessibility supports such as ASL interpretation, captioning, audio description, or other services, you can indicate that request on the order form. To allow for provider scheduling, please make requests no later than ten days prior to the workshop date. Please direct any other accessibility questions to [email protected] with the subject line “Marketplace Workshop Accessibility.”
Attending the Workshop:
- Short breaks will be provided during the workshop. After each period of instruction and Q&A, there will be “open studio” time as attendees work on their individual projects.
- All Information the artisans share during the workshop is proprietary to them and their communities. We ask that you do not duplicate or distribute it.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Smithsonian Arts + Industries Building, 900 Jefferson Drive Southwest, Washington, United States
USD 20.00
