Who doesn’t love a little experimentation? In this all-levels hand-building class, we’ll be focusing on the assembly and construction of clay forms by cutting pieces up and putting them back together in any weird or wild way you can imagine.

Groundworks will provide multiple leather-hard thrown pieces that you can use to make your one-of-kind piece - either sculptural or functional. Due to the short length of this class, you’ll have a handful of glazing options to choose from and our dedication lab - uh, we mean studio - assistants will finish them up for you. After a few weeks, we’ll reach out and let you know when your pieces are ALIIIIIIVE!

This class takes place at Groundworks EAST 3063 Sterling Circle, Boulder, CO. 

PLEASE NOTE: This one-time class runs for 3.5 hours. You will not have access to the studio outside of the scheduled class time and all work will be completed during class time. You will also not have access to our other locations.

Your pieces will be fired in our electric kilns to Cone 6 Oxidation.

Ages: 16+

Available for registration Tuesday, May 27th at 8:00am

Letterpress printing with LegosTaught by Brenda Gallagher and Julia Seko

Combine the beauty of letterpress printing with the fun of setting legos! Students will be given a type high lego baseplate on which to design their lego printing with lego tiles. Plates will then be locked up in the Vandercook letterpress to print. Students will learn printing with two different colors in two passes on the press. Multiple prints are encouraged for a print swap on the last day of class. If time allows, students can make a soft case to hold the collection.

This is a one month drop in course, held 4x, on four consecutive Wednesdays. Students can attend all 4 classes or just which ones work with the summer family calendar. This class is open to students ages 9+.

July 16

July 23

August 6

Students registered for the bookbinding class are invited to the letterpress shop to print a custom bookplate. This page will serve as the first page of the book that we'll bind on Friday. The book plate page will read, "This book belongs to ______" with the student's name. Students will choose a small cut from the Book Arts League collection and learn to set letterpress letters to print their names.

This book combines the soft opening of a leather spine with the sturdy firmness of board covers. The completed book opens nearly perfectly flat making it an ideal book for your journal writing or drawing. Creating your book involves sewing folded signatures through a leather spine with the long stitch. We will begin by getting acquainted with paper grain and its importance for the finished book. We will cover the boards of the book with decorative paper and once dry we'll drill holes in the covers to prepare for sewing. The leather spine will also need holes for sewing which we will pierce with an awl or drill. Paper signatures will be folded and pierced and then we'll take a short break for lunch. After lunch we will learn to sew the long stitch to bind the book. Covers will then be sewn onto the leather spine piece. By the end of the workshop, you will have completed your book, and have the skill to make more on your own. Class fee includes all materials we use to make a book: leather for the spine, a sheet of decorative paper to cover boards, paper for your signatures, a pair of pre-cut cover boards, glue, and waxed-linen thread. Students can borrow tools from the BAL or you can bring your own bookbinder's toolkit. Students will need: bonefolder, medium-weight awl, Xacto knife, scissors, ruler, and a bookbinder's needle. Optional: Students may elect to bring their own sheet of decorative paper for covering the boards. *

* Optional bookplate printing for Leather spine book

• Thursday July 31st
• 5pm-7pm
• $10

The evening before the longstitch journal class, students registered for the bookbinding class are invited to the letterpress shop to print a custom bookplate. This page will serve as the first page of the book that we'll bind on Friday. The book plate page will read, "This book belongs to ______" with the student's name. Students will choose a small cut from the Book Arts League collection and learn to set letterpress letters to print their names.

Register here

Welcome to Quick Print! These one-time classes offer students a crash course in one specific type of print without the commitment of a multi-week course. Perfect for beginners, experimenters, or anyone looking for a fun way to learn a new skill fast!

Wood blocks have an organic look, and you can use the woodgrain to bring beauty to your design.

Expand on the basics of relief printmaking using wood. This course provides an introduction to carving a block and making a successful print.

Ages: 16+ 

All supplies and materials will be provided. 

Will be available to register on Friday, May 30 at 8:00 am.

Join us at Groundworks Art Lab's Date Night! Our instructors will get you set up and working together on potters' wheels for a few hours of dirt and fun.

Make a piece, we'll glaze and fire your favorite one, then give you a call when it's ready in about four weeks.

For any additional pieces you would like glazed and fired, there is a $5 fee per piece.

It's good to wear some clothes you can get dirty and shorter nails will be helpful. :)

Each participant will need their own registration to participate.

Clay and tools are included. 

Must be 18+

PLEASE NOTE:

⁃ Date Night tickets are non-refundable. If you need to change or reschedule your reservation, please do so by 5:00pm on the Monday before your scheduled Date Night. No transfers are allowed after 5:00pm on the Monday prior to your Date Night.

⁃ Registrations are not transferable to another person. If you would like to purchase a class on someone’s behalf, the intended registratrant’s information must be provided at the time of registration. 

⁃ Date Night tickets may only be rescheduled one time.

Bring a Bestie, your BAE, or even your Baba for a night of creating. Our instructor will get you set up on a project for a few hours of ink and fun. You will try your hand at carving, mixing and rolling ink, and making a successful print. There will be an instructor demo and hands-on assistance, so all you have to do is show up. 

*Don't forget to wear or bring clothes you don't mind getting inky! Fabric ink will not wash out.

Please note: Date Night tickets are non-refundable. If you need to change or reschedule your reservation, please do so by 5:00pm on the Monday before your scheduled Date Night.  No transfers are allowed after 5:00pm on the Monday prior to your Date Night.

Alright alright alright… You have glazing questions, we’ve got answers. Join us for a special 2-week class to learn and practice the ins and outs of glazing. Week one will go over different glazing techniques including pouring, dipping, waxing, and taping. In week two, we’ll look at the results to see what worked and talk about what didn’t and why. 

Groundworks will provide bisqueware pieces and test tiles to practice on. Here’s the catch: all glazed pieces will go to our Chili Bowl Art Market sale on September 14 & 15. All proceeds from this sale go to support our Partner Programs, so we thank you in advance for your donation of glazed work! Here’s what we recommend: since you don’t get to hang onto your glazed pieces, we’ll also be providing test tiles to keep track of your glaze choices for future reference. That’s what we call a win-win.

This class takes place at Groundworks HILL, 1010 Aurora Ave, Boulder, CO. 

PLEASE NOTE: This two-week class runs for 2 hours each week. You will not have access to the studio outside of the scheduled class time and all work will be completed during class time. You will also not have access to our other locations.

This is a Pay What You Can class with a suggested price of $80

Ages: 16+

Available for registration Friday, May 30th at 8:00am