Studio
Surrounded by acres of beautiful parkland in Roswell sits a white house on a hill that has become a playground for the artistic soul. Art Center West, a community ceramic arts studio operated by Roswell Recreation and Parks Department, offers a variety of adult and youth classes for anyone wanting to add art and imagination into their lives. If you are new to clay, or a seasoned expert and are looking for a new inspirational location to continue your learning experience, ACW has a class or workshop waiting for you.
Handbuilding classes are offered for students from beginner to advanced learners. Beginning courses guide students through basic forming techniques including pinch, coil and slab construction, as well as a variety of surface and finishing options. More advanced courses, such as figurative sculpture and mixed media, explore both human and animal forms.
Wheel throwing classes are offered for the beginner to advanced learner. Novice students learn to wedge clay and use the potter’s wheel to center and throw basic forms such as mugs, bowls and vases. Advanced students learn more complicated forms and refine their technical skills on the wheel, while exploring more surface design options.
Atmospheric firing classes and workshops are available to all level learners. Students are able to experiment with alternative firing techniques, including raku, saggar, and soda.
Independent study is available for the intermediate to advanced student who desires time in the studio to complete projects outside the structure of a formal class.
Youth classes are available to youths as young as 8 years old, and include classes that combine wheel throwing and handbuilding or wheel throwing and recreational tree climbing.
Classes are offered weekdays, evenings and Saturdays. Additionally, open studio hours, scheduled each session, allows adult students to use the studio to practice their skills in a friendly and peer-supported environment.
Throughout the year, ACW also hosts several workshops conducted by visiting artists. These workshops help expand the knowledge and skill-set students have acquired in and out of the class, and build their connections within the ceramic art world.
The Art Center West Gallery hosts a huge cross-section of finished works made possible using the ceramic medium. The gallery hosts approximately eight ceramics exhibits each year that vary from sculptural, to figurative, to functional works, and is free and open to the public.
Art Center West is so much more than classes and workshops! It is a community, a family, a collective of ceramic artists. Walking into the studio today, you would witness an array of artwork being created. In one room, students create figures in numerous poses, while a narrative clay class works to combine the written word with their clay pieces. In another room, potters are throwing bowls, jars, plates and vases on potters’ wheels. And upstairs, students are learning how to mix and experiment with glazes. Art Center West is a welcoming space that encourages evolving creativity.
Please feel free to stop in for a tour if you are interested in learning more about ACW, looking to sign up for a class, or wanting to see the fun and creative magic happening here.
