KC Clay Guild

Category: Guild Also called: Kansas City Clay Guild; KCCG; KC Clay Guild Ceramic Art Center; kcclayguild.org Last checked: 2026-10-14

What it is

KC Clay Guild is a membership clay guild and community ceramic art center in Kansas City, Missouri, now at 500 W 39th Street. The About page says it “was founded in 1988 in the home of potter, Michael Smith,” soon met at the Kansas City Art Institute, and grew to “approximately 70 artists” who gathered “to educate, purchase materials in bulk and socialize.” Its mission is “to promote the appreciation of and participation in ceramic arts through group and individual education programs, public outreach and the creation of a diverse ceramic arts community.”

Who it’s for

Kansas City-area potters at every level: members who want discounts and member events, students in classes and workshops, families (Family Fun Nights), and anyone who wants drop-in open studio time.

Why it’s listed

This is the guild’s own Squarespace site. It prints a street address, hours, published open-studio rates, membership benefits, and dated 2026 events. It is not a directory card.

• History (About page, checked 2026-10-14): founded 1988; later rented a building near 39th and Southwest Trafficway; bought 200 West 74th Street in Waldo “in the early part of the century”; “will make a final move to 500 W. 39th in Fall 2026.”
• Contact (Contact page, checked today): 500 W 39th Street, Kansas City MO, 64111, parking in the lots west of the building. Hours Mon–Thu 10am–9pm, Fri–Sat 10am–10pm, Sun 1pm–5pm. Closes when Kansas City, Missouri Public Schools close for snow or ice.
• Membership (Membership page, checked today): sliding-scale annual membership (tiers include Sustaining, the market rate, and Supporting, a pay-it-forward rate, with a questionnaire for reduced rates). Benefits listed: free Family Fun Nights (Fri & Sat, 6–10 PM), $35 off adult classes, $10 off youth classes, 50% off hourly studio time. Dollar amounts for tiers are not printed in page text.
• Open studio (Open Studio page, checked today): no reservation needed; members $4/hour, non-members $8/hour, or a monthly pass. Free for people in 4-week classes and multi-week workshops. Annual membership does not include free studio time.
• Events (homepage, checked today): Teabowl National Exhibition in the Rickard J Sterns Gallery through October 31; Youth Ghost Bowl class October 4 and 18; Charcuterie Board Workshop Sunday, October 18, 5–8pm; Raku Night October 17; Annual Holiday Sale and Studio Tour, December 4–6 (tour applications close October 15).

Event dates show no year. 2026 is calculated: October 18, 2026 is a Sunday, matching the site. Details are what the site showed on the check date and may change.

Official URL

https://kcclayguild.org/

About (History & Mission): https://kcclayguild.org/about

Membership: https://kcclayguild.org/membership

Open Studio: https://kcclayguild.org/open-studio

Classes: https://kcclayguild.org/classes

Contact: https://kcclayguild.org/contact

(Canonical first-party site checked 2026-10-14; www.kcclayguild.org redirects here. Every cited URL returned HTTP 200 to curl -sL with a Chrome User-Agent. No 202, 403 or 429.)

Location

KC Clay Guild, 500 W 39th Street, Kansas City, MO 64111. Hours Mon–Thu 10am–9pm, Fri–Sat 10am–10pm, Sun 1pm–5pm. Closed on major holidays listed on the Contact page.

This is a membership guild that runs a community ceramic art center. It is not a supply store.

Notes

• Category is Guild: a member organization founded by potters in 1988, with bylaws and a membership program. It also runs classes, open studio and a gallery (same category blur as Northern Indiana Clay Alliance).
• Address in transition: the About page says the move to 500 W 39th happens in fall 2026, and the homepage mentions a “moving schedule.” The Contact page already lists 500 W 39th. Older references to 200 W 74th St (Waldo) are the previous building.
• Missouri already has listings (Belger Crane Yard Studios, Kansas City; Krueger Pottery Supply, St. Louis area). This is the first Missouri guild.
• No phone number or email is printed in page text (links only), and none were used.
• Not affiliated with Clay Plaza.
• No Clay Plaza contact, purchase, cart action, registration, donation, or publication action was taken.
• First-party logo saved beside this listing as kc-clay-guild.png (“KC CLAY GUILD” wheel-and-hands logo, the site’s og:image from Squarespace static, 799 × 1056). The source is a white logo on a transparent background, so it was flattened onto dark gray (#333333) to stay visible.

FAQ

Q: Is KC Clay Guild a real guild?
A: Yes. It was founded by Kansas City potters in 1988 and has a membership program and bylaws. It also runs classes, open studio and a gallery.

Q: How much is open studio time?
A: $4 an hour for members and $8 an hour for non-members, or a monthly pass (checked 2026-10-14). People in 4-week classes get it free.

Q: What does membership include?
A: Free Family Fun Nights, $35 off adult classes, $10 off youth classes, and 50% off hourly studio time. Pricing is sliding scale.

Q: Where is it?
A: 500 W 39th Street, Kansas City, MO 64111, after a fall 2026 move from 200 W 74th Street.

Q: Does KC Clay Guild sell supplies?
A: Clay can be bought for use during an open studio visit. For clay shipped to you, use a Supplier listing.