Clay Studio of Missoula

Category: Studio Also called: The Clay Studio of Missoula; CSM Last checked: 2026-09-16

What it is

The Clay Studio of Missoula is a nonprofit community ceramics school and teaching studio in Missoula, Montana. Its official About page describes a mission to strengthen community by cultivating creativity and connection through ceramic arts education, exhibitions, and support for artists, with a goal of public access to high-quality ceramic instruction and studio access. Programming includes multi-week adult classes (beginning pottery, handbuilding, continuing pottery, open instruction, wood fire, sculpture); one-day try-me sessions and Date Nights; kids and family programs; youth camps; visiting-artist workshops; annual membership with member day-use and monthly Studio Artist rentals; long- and short-term residencies; and a sales gallery. Founded in 1998 by former University of Montana students. It is not a guild and not a commercial clay manufacturer.

Who it’s for

Adults seeking Fall multi-week ceramics classes (beginning pottery, handbuilding, continuing pottery, open instruction, wood fire, sculpture) or shorter introductory options; first-timers booking one-day Beginning Pottery sessions or Date Nights; families booking Family Clay Night (child ages 5–15 with an accompanying adult); youth in age-bracketed camps (Little Kids 5–8, Big Kids 9–12, Teens 12–18); private-event / party groups; members using appointment day-use or monthly Studio Artist access; resident ceramic artists; and gallery / office visitors during posted public hours. Registration & Policies and Studio Access pages: studio day-use and rentals are for members or enrolled class participants — not a public drop-in maker space. Classroom access for class students is during advertised class times; Studio Artists get 24/7 facility access.

Why it’s listed

This is a first-party Missoula ceramics school and community studio with a printed Hawthorne Street address and Annex classroom, public office/gallery hours, Fall 2026 adult class dollar tuition (member / nonmember), workshop and Date Night rates, membership and Studio Artist rental pricing, and facility equipment listed on official pages.

• Site footer / Contact / About (checked 2026-09-16): 1106 Hawthorne Street, Missoula, MT 59802; phone (406) 543-0509. Clay Studio Annex Classroom at 1110-C Hawthorne Street. Become a Member page states 501(c)(3) nonprofit status.
• Public hours (Contact / About — checked today): Monday–Friday 12:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.; Saturday 12:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m. Office & gallery closed most major holidays and generally closed between Christmas and New Year’s Day. Classroom access open to students during advertised class times.
• Facilities (Residency page — checked today): electric kilns include two computerized Skutt 1227 (rated cone 8), one Skutt 1027 (cone 10), one Skutt 1018 (cone 10), plus small test kilns; soda kiln (50 cu ft); gas kiln (34 cu ft); car kiln; large anagama wood kiln (~720 cu ft); smaller wood/soda kiln; raku kiln. Also Soldner clay mixer, slab rollers, extruder, classroom kick and electric wheels, stocked glaze lab, spray booth, and photo light box. Wood kiln site ~15 minutes outside Missoula (Black Mountain); wood firings not scheduled during fire-danger / stage 3 air-quality periods (usually mid-May through mid-October).
• Fall multi-week adult classes (Adult Clay Education — checked today; Fall session starting September 14): most 10-class sections $330 members / $345 nonmembers — sample: Fall Tuesday / Sunday / Thursday Beginning Pottery; Fall Beginning Hand-building (Wed); Fall Continuing Pottery (Wed evenings); Fall Monday / Sunday Open Instruction. Fall Introductory Pottery 6-week (Thu afternoons, Sep 17–Oct 22) $220 members / $230 nonmembers. Fall Wood Fire (Class AND Firing; Tue evenings Sep 15–Nov 3 + firing) and Sculpture that Tricks the Eye (Sun evenings) $380 members / $395 nonmembers. Wood Fire Firing Only $235 / $245. Registration & Policies: multi-week adult tuition generally covers instruction, open studio access during appointment times, first 25 lbs of clay, and firing fees unless otherwise stated.
• One-day sessions & socials (Adult Clay Education — checked today): Beginning Pottery One-Day Session $50/person (e.g. Tue Sep 22, 6–8 p.m.); September Date Nights $95 per couple (Fri Sep 25 or Tue Sep 29, 6–8 p.m.); Family Clay Night sample $35 makers / $25 Helpers (e.g. Pizza Plates Sat Sep 19, 6–7:30 p.m.); (Hand)Building Petite Baking Dishes sample $45/person.
• Membership & Studio Access (Become a Member / Studio Access — checked today): Individual $40/year; Senior or enrolled student $35/year; Family (up to two adults + up to 3 dependents 18 and under, same household) $65/year; Youth-Serving Organization $75/year. Member day-use $15/day by appointment (classroom / wheels / glaze mixer / spray booth / photo area during business hours; no storage). Studio Artist Access $120/month (24/7 access, three 4 ft shelves, community workspace; clay/materials/firings extra; annual membership required); additional shelves $15 each/month (up to 2). Semi-Private Studio $240/month single occupant (annual commitment; waitlisted at check time); additional member in space +$120/month (double occupancy $180 per member).
• History / residency (About / Residency — checked today): founded 1998; long-term residencies (1–2 years, generally start early September) with dedicated semi-private studio (~125 sq ft), 24-hour access, and $3,000 annual fellowship; short-term (2 weeks–2 months) with table/shelving and 24-hour access; wood-fire residency; UM Summer Residency (late May–late August; public Studio Artist rate cited as usually $150/mo + membership, waived for UM resident). 2026/27 residency applications: open starting Jan 2, 2026; deadline Thu Apr 2, 2026. Not a guild and not a commercial clay supplier.

Hours, Fall 2026 dollar tuition, workshop / Date Night rates, membership and rental tiers, and facility specs above are what the official pages showed on the check date. Catalog seats and prices change. Use the live Adult Clay Education, Kids and Family, Become a Member, Studio Access, and Residency pages before treating any figure as fixed.

Official URL

https://www.theclaystudioofmissoula.org/

About / mission & history: https://www.theclaystudioofmissoula.org/about

Contact / hours / addresses: https://www.theclaystudioofmissoula.org/contact

Adult Clay Education (Fall classes & one-day sessions): https://www.theclaystudioofmissoula.org/adult-clay-education

Registration & Policies: https://www.theclaystudioofmissoula.org/registrationpolicies

Kids and Family Classes: https://www.theclaystudioofmissoula.org/kids-and-family

Youth Camps: https://www.theclaystudioofmissoula.org/youth-camps

Education overview: https://www.theclaystudioofmissoula.org/education

Become a Member: https://www.theclaystudioofmissoula.org/become-a-member

Studio Access / rentals: https://www.theclaystudioofmissoula.org/studio-access-rentals

Artist Residency: https://www.theclaystudioofmissoula.org/residency

Private Events and Parties: https://www.theclaystudioofmissoula.org/privateevents

Scholarships: https://www.theclaystudioofmissoula.org/scholarships

Location

Clay Studio of Missoula — 1106 Hawthorne Street, Missoula, MT 59802. Phone (406) 543-0509. Annex Classroom: 1110-C Hawthorne Street. Public office & gallery: Monday–Friday 12:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.; Saturday 12:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m. Enrolled class students: classroom access during advertised class times; Studio Artist renters: 24/7 facility access. Missoula, Montana.

This is a class, enrolled-student, member day-use, Studio Artist rental, residency, and gallery address, not a drop-in pottery supply warehouse.

Notes

• Category is Studio. Community teaching studio / ceramics school with multi-week adult and youth classes, one-day workshops and Date Nights, Family Clay Night, enrolled and member studio access, monthly Studio Artist rentals, residencies, gallery, and outreach. Not a guild and not a clay manufacturer.
• Distinct from already-listed suppliers and guilds; Missoula nonprofit ceramics education center. Distinct from The Clay Studio (Philadelphia), which is a separate Studio listing.
• Fall 2026 adult $330/$345 (10-class) and $220/$230 (6-week) tuition, Date Night $95, one-day $50, membership $40/$35/$65, Studio Artist $120 monthly, facility specs, and hours are transcribed from official pages checked on 2026-09-16 and may change.
• First-party logo saved as clay-studio-of-missoula.jpg (from theclaystudioofmissoula.org / Wix CDN — clay_studio_logo_BW_edited.jpg).
• Not affiliated with Clay Plaza.
• No Clay Plaza contact, purchase, booking, or publication action was taken.

FAQ

Q: What do Fall adult ceramics classes cost, and what is included?
A: Adult Clay Education page (checked 2026-09-16): most 10-class Fall sections are $330 for members / $345 for nonmembers (beginning pottery, handbuilding, continuing pottery, open instruction). Fall Introductory Pottery 6-week is $220 / $230. Wood Fire (class + firing) and Sculpture that Tricks the Eye are $380 / $395. Registration & Policies: multi-week adult tuition generally includes instruction, open studio during appointment times, first 25 lbs of clay, and firing fees unless a class description says otherwise. Confirm live seats and times on the official Adult Clay Education page.

Q: Can I drop in or rent studio space without a class?
A: No public drop-in making for non-members / non-enrolled visitors. Members can book $15/day appointment day-use during business hours (orientation required for new members). Experienced makers with annual membership can apply for Studio Artist Access ($120/month, 24/7, three 4 ft shelves) or Semi-Private Studio ($240/month; waitlisted at check time). First-timers use a multi-week class, Beginning Pottery One-Day ($50), Date Night ($95/couple), or Family Clay Night. Gallery/office visitors are welcome during posted Mon–Sat public hours.

Q: Where is the studio, and when is the office/gallery open?
A: Main building at 1106 Hawthorne Street, Missoula, MT 59802; Annex classroom at 1110-C Hawthorne Street. Public hours: Mon–Fri 12–5 p.m., Sat 12–3 p.m. Confirm closures and class location on the live Contact and class pages before visiting.