Curious about adding texture to your work, but don't know where to begin? Join us for this texture focused adult camp. During the first part of the week, students will learn a variety of texturing techniques such as carving with different tools, additions (both with and without stamps/rollers), decorating with holes, and slip trailing. During the second half of the week, students will learn how to finish their pieces by bringing their textures alive. How do stains and underglaze play a part in highlighting texture? How does glaze selection impact the texture underneath? Pieces will be fired by the studio and ready for pick up a few weeks after the camp ends.

This class will take place in the hand-building studio at Groundworks Main, 3750 Canfield St. Boulder, CO

Ages 16+

Summers are always muggy, so why not come learn how to make a beautiful hand-built mug? This adult camp will spend the first part of the week focusing on what it takes to construct a functional hand-built mug. The ins and outs of weight, drinking lips, handle placement and more and how that can affect your finished pieces. The second half of the camp will turn to surface decoration and ways to decorate beyond just glazing. Students will have the opportunity to make 2 or 3 mugs a piece to explore their different ideas and try out the different techniques. Pieces will be fired by the studio and ready for pick up a few weeks after the camp ends. 

This class will take place in the hand-building classroom upstairs at Groundworks Hill, 1010 Aurora Ave. Boulder, CO

Ages 16+

This three-hour workshop will introduce you to the basics of bookbinding, including appropriate materials and tools needed to make your own notebooks, journals, or albums. The book structures you will learn will include several single-sheet cut and fold book structures, a sewn pamphlet stitch journal and a covered hardcover accordion fold book. Additionally, you will learn the tools needed in a basic bookbinding tool kit, receive a detailed list of bookmaking resources and opportunities to study book arts further. By the end of the course, you will have had a thorough introduction to the basics of the folded book structure which will form a strong foundation for furthering your bookbinding skills.

The Book Arts League is a Colorado-based community of individuals who share an interest in letterpress printing, calligraphy, and bookbinding.

(kids 12+ must be accompanied by an adult)

All supplies and materials will be provided. 

Will be available to register on Tuesday, May 26 at 8:00am.

Ever throw something on the wheel and want to repeat it, but you’re not quite getting that consistency? Come figure out the form in this week long adult clay camp! In this camp, students will pick a shape and work on repeating it to learn consistency in throwing and how to make a uniform set. In ceramics repetition is key to getting the form just right. Come learn some techniques and tricks to making this happen along with plenty of wheel time to practice! This camp is all about the process and not about the product. Students won’t keep anything which leaves room to let go and explore without the pressure of completion. By the end of camp, students will have a much better understanding of what goes into making a repetitive shape that will greatly improve their throwing skills for sets in future classes. 

This class will take place at Groundworks Main, 3750 Canfield St. Boulder, CO

Ages 16+

Learn to turn! This class will be an introduction to using the lathe - a machine used for shaping all manner of cylindrical forms (think bowls, vases,  furniture legs, even pens!). 

Over the course of four weeks, you will learn about the tools directly associated with the lathe and their primary uses. From practicing spindle turning to learning how to make bowls, we will learn the two major turning techniques that can be explored to no end with further practice.  This class will be as hands on as any class can, wasting no time before getting students turning with tool in hand (don’t worry, we’ll go over safety basics too). Beyond the basics we will practice, practice, practice. You will not want to turn your machines off!

This class has no prerequisites and is open to beginners and seasoned woodworkers alike, but our Wood Studio has some safety basics before anyone is allowed to join in the fun (failure to meet these requirements will result in not being granted access to the equipment): 

•  Please come dressed in close-toed shoes, a shirt that can be tucked in and either short sleeves, or sleeves that can be rolled up past your elbows. 
• No loose or dangling jewelry.
• If you have long hair, please have it securely tied back from your face.
• We will provide safety goggles and/or full face shields, ear protection, and face masks to cover nose and mouth, but if you have your own PPE you would prefer to use, please do!

Ages: 16+ 

All supplies and materials will be provided. 

These classes include open studio time.

Will be available to register on Tuesday, May 26 at 8:00am.

Big spoon or little spoon? You don't have to pick in our very first 5-studio crossover class: Exploring Through Spoons!

In this Adult Summer Camp, you'll get a lightning fast introduction to our Clay, Glass, Wood, Metal, and Print studios. Each week, the students will be in a different studio learning the material through the ancient practice of spoon (or spoon related object) making (seriously, spoons are, like, 3,000 years old)! The schedule will be as follows:

Day 1 Clay -  Students will be in the clay studio making hand-built spoon crocks
Day 2 Glass - Students will be in the glass studio making fused spoon rest
Day 3 Wood - Students will be in wood studio learning how to carve a spoon
Day 4 Metal - Students will be in the metal studio learning how to forge a ladle
Day 5 Print - Students will be in the print studio learning linocut to make a 1 of a kind spoon-related print culminating in a display of craftsmanship for the ages.

Ages: 16+

This class will be co-taught by an expert in each studio. Clay (Codey Davis), Glass (Laura Beth Konopinski), Wood (Dennis Mulherin), Metal (James Makely), and Print (Akane Kleinkopf).

This class takes place at Groundworks Main at 3750 Canfield St.

This class does NOT include extra open lab time. All work must be completed during class time. 

Are you lazing in your glazing? Sleeping on slip? Craving more carving? Let’s dig into it! In this one-time 2.5 hour class, we’ll do a deeper dive into surface decoration techniques such as sgraffito, mishima, carving through wax, and using slip as texture. 

Groundworks will provide flat tiles in a variety of different clay bodies for students to practice surface decoration on. Students can pick if they want their final pieces clear glazed or left raw, and after a few weeks, our staff will let you know when your pieces are out of the kiln and ready for pick-up.

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

PLEASE NOTE: This one-time class runs for 2.5 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 gas kilns to Cone 6 Reduction. 

Ages: 16+

Available for registration Tuesday, May 26 at 8:00am