CFisher995@aol.com on sat 8 mar 97
Awhile back someone asked about prices for classes etc., since they wanted to
start offering question. On the same order a friend has asked me to ask all
of you this question.
She owns a private studio. She has been offering classes for years and has
upped her prices over the years - but she is not making a profit. This is a
two story studio with the wheels (kick) upstairs and the glazing area
downstairs. She has a gas kiln, which she fires most of the glazed work in.
She has a small electric for bisque. She has a large electric which she
seldom fires - too #$@% expensive because they put her on a demand meter.
Currently she charges:
$95 for 8 - 3 hour classes
$11.77 for clay - most clay bodies (She has Miami Clay in Miami, FL make
her clay body, plus she uses a porcelain and a light colored
stoneware from them.
Firing is length x width x width x .025c in the gas kiln.
Questions:
Are her rates reasonable, too low, too high?
Those of you that offer classes do you fire gas or electric? Which would
be cheaper in a student oriented situation. (Yes I know there's been a
thread on potters and gas or electric and it can depend upon where you are
and what you do but if you were/are teaching classes what is more cost
effective for you?
Please feel free to e-mail me personally.
Cheryl in Sarasota
cfisher995@aol.com
Jonathan Blitz on sun 9 mar 97
We offer classes in 4 week sessions.
The tuition is $98.00 per month and includes 4 (3 hour) classes, 25#'s of
clay, and unlimited use of the studio during regular business hours. The
classes have a maximum enrollment of 10 students.
We don't charge extra for firing, because we sell the clay for $.36 per
pound. We usually have anywhere from 30-50 students enrolled at any one
time, and we will cancel a class if the enrollment is below 3 students.
I personally feel that our system here allows us to have an efficient
level of materials usage, and firing, while providing the classes at a
reasonable cost. We give away firing and glaze, because these are the
cheapest commodities. Since we are production potters we would always
maintain a large glaze pallette in large quantities anyway.
Don't assume that price is so important in getting people to take the
class. People will pay for a service they cannot get elsewhere. The
level of instruction is the most important thing. I find that students
will come to our studio from other less expensive community college
programs and stay because of our superior staff, and the more congenial
and less cliquish atmosphere. Teaching is an art no less difficult than
potting.
Jonathan Blitz
President
Applied Aluminosilicates, Ltd.
aal@inlink.com
http://www.iwc.com/krueger/aalhome.html
8153 Big Bend
St. Louis, MO 63119
314.963.0180
On Sat, 8 Mar 1997 CFisher995@aol.com wrote:
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Awhile back someone asked about prices for classes etc., since they wanted to
> start offering question. On the same order a friend has asked me to ask all
> of you this question.
>
> She owns a private studio. She has been offering classes for years and has
> upped her prices over the years - but she is not making a profit. This is a
> two story studio with the wheels (kick) upstairs and the glazing area
> downstairs. She has a gas kiln, which she fires most of the glazed work in.
> She has a small electric for bisque. She has a large electric which she
> seldom fires - too #$@% expensive because they put her on a demand meter.
>
> Currently she charges:
> $95 for 8 - 3 hour classes
> $11.77 for clay - most clay bodies (She has Miami Clay in Miam
> her clay body, plus she uses a porcelain and a
> stoneware from them.
> Firing is length x width x width x .025c in the gas kiln.
>
> Questions:
> Are her rates reasonable, too low, too high?
> Those of you that offer classes do you fire gas or electric? W
> be cheaper in a student oriented situation. (Yes I know there'
> thread on potters and gas or electric and it can depend upon w
> and what you do but if you were/are teaching classes what is m
> effective for you?
>
> Please feel free to e-mail me personally.
> Cheryl in Sarasota
> cfisher995@aol.com
>
"Rafael Molina-Rodriguez (Rafael Molina-Rodriguez)" on mon 10 mar 97
Jonathan :
As an instructor at a community college, I take exception to your
comments.
>I find that students will come to our studio from other less expensive
>community college programs and stay because of our superior staff,
>and the more congenial and less cliquish atmosphere.
>Don't assume that price is so important in getting people to take the
>class. People will pay for a service they cannot get elsewhere. The
>level of instruction is the most important thing.
Before I respond at length, I would like to get some more information
about you and your "system." Since you used this public forum for
criticism of community colleges, will you publicly establish some
credibility for yourself and your "system?"
What are your credentials? What is your education/training and
experience? How long have you been working in clay? How long have
you been teaching? Any juried exhibitions or retail craft fairs? Have you
ever been an artist-in-residence? Conducted any workshops? Have
you ever won any awards or grants? Have you ever been published?
What galleries carry your work? What museum collections are you in?
As for your "system" what are the facilities like? How many square feet
of studio space and kiln area? Do you have a gallery? What kind of
equipment? What kind of access and security? What kinds of
claybodies do you use? What kind of forming techniques do you teach?
What kind of glazes do you offer? What kinds of firing processes? Do
you ever invite guest artists to offer a different perspective for your
students?
>Teaching is an art no less difficult than potting.
Teaching and potting are not mutually inclusive. If you devote your time
to the narrow focus of the studio you certainly don't have a broad
experience to share with any student.
Finally, I'm dubious of your claims. There is no way a private studio can
offer the quality of facilities and instruction that a well-funded community
college can. Get over your self-delusions!
Rafael Molina-Rodriguez
Cedar Valley College
>>> Jonathan Blitz 03/09/97 09:42am >>>
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
We offer classes in 4 week sessions.
The tuition is $98.00 per month and includes 4 (3 hour) classes, 25#'s of
clay, and unlimited use of the studio during regular business hours. The
classes have a maximum enrollment of 10 students.
We don't charge extra for firing, because we sell the clay for $.36 per
pound. We usually have anywhere from 30-50 students enrolled at any
one
time, and we will cancel a class if the enrollment is below 3 students.
I personally feel that our system here allows us to have an efficient
level of materials usage, and firing, while providing the classes at a
reasonable cost. We give away firing and glaze, because these are the
cheapest commodities. Since we are production potters we would
always
maintain a large glaze pallette in large quantities anyway.
Jonathan Blitz
President
Applied Aluminosilicates, Ltd.
aal@inlink.com
http://www.iwc.com/krueger/aalhome.html
8153 Big Bend
St. Louis, MO 63119
314.963.0180
On Sat, 8 Mar 1997 CFisher995@aol.com wrote:
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Awhile back someone asked about prices for classes etc., since they
wanted to
> start offering question. On the same order a friend has asked me to
ask all
> of you this question.
>
> She owns a private studio. She has been offering classes for years
and has
> upped her prices over the years - but she is not making a profit. This is
a
> two story studio with the wheels (kick) upstairs and the glazing area
> downstairs. She has a gas kiln, which she fires most of the glazed
work in.
> She has a small electric for bisque. She has a large electric which she
> seldom fires - too #$@% expensive because they put her on a
demand meter.
>
> Currently she charges:
> $95 for 8 - 3 hour classes
> $11.77 for clay - most clay bodies (She has Miami Clay in
Miam
> her clay body, plus she uses a porcelain and a
> stoneware from them.
> Firing is length x width x width x .025c in the gas kiln.
>
> Questions:
> Are her rates reasonable, too low, too high?
> Those of you that offer classes do you fire gas or electric?
W
> be cheaper in a student oriented situation. (Yes I know there'
> thread on potters and gas or electric and it can depend upon
w
> and what you do but if you were/are teaching classes what
is m
> effective for you?
>
> Please feel free to e-mail me personally.
> Cheryl in Sarasota
> cfisher995@aol.com
>
LINDA BLOSSOM on mon 10 mar 97
Those prices do seem low. I have classes in which we have five sessions.
The first is usually 3 hours but after that they are about 4 hours each.
The participants are making tiles or a one piece unit such as a mirror
surround, hearth...whatever. They make up to five square feet and the
price includes the firing and clay and glaze. I charge $150 per person.
Linda
Ithaca, NY
LINDA BLOSSOM on wed 12 mar 97
Dear Rafael,
I would take exception to your implication that formal education and awards
give credibility. Your message reeked of snobbery. If all we try to pass
on to others is what we know best, we are doing something that this country
could use more of. Your message could serve to discourage people from
doing this.
Linda
Ithaca, NY
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