Claya · RiNo Arts District, Denver
Our instructors are working ceramic artists who teach because they love helping people find their footing in clay. Here is who you will be learning from.
Cat Cherubin
Cat is an interdisciplinary artist and self-identified nerd. Her love of creating and skill-building led her to sign up for her first ceramics class, where she discovered the wonders of wheel throwing.
Her teaching interests lie in demystifying the magic of pro hands, leading students to develop their skills through a scientific understanding of the forces at play, and an intuitive focus on the body as they wield earth into form.
Her personal interests have led her to work with mostly porcelain and high-grog stoneware to develop translucent light-holding vessels and earthy living sculptures. She has worked in ceramics for four years as an instructor and studio tech, and ran her own practice studio in Miami.
Intro to Wheel Throwing
Cat teaches two 6-week Friday sessions: mornings 9:00 to 11:30 AM, and afternoons 1:00 to 3:30 PM.
Session dates
- Friday, September 11, 2026
- Friday, September 18, 2026
- Friday, September 25, 2026
- Friday, October 2, 2026
- Friday, October 9, 2026
- Friday, October 16, 2026
$350 for the full six-week session
Your fee covers the entire six-week session and includes all clay, an apron, tools, and glazes, plus student open studio in 3-hour blocks on set days, up to 6 hours a week.
See the class and sign up →Ethan Billings
Ethan Billings is a full-time ceramic artist in Denver. He received his BFA in Ceramic Art from Alfred University, where he also interned as a studio technician, and moved to Denver in 2024.
His work combines wheel throwing and handbuilding to make both functional ware and sculpture. He lives in Five Points, just up the road from the studio.
See more of their work at linktr.ee/ethanbillings.
Intro to Wheel Throwing
A 6-week session on Sunday afternoons, 1:00 to 3:30 PM.
Session dates
- Sunday, September 20, 2026
- Sunday, September 27, 2026
- Sunday, October 4, 2026
- Sunday, October 11, 2026
- Sunday, October 18, 2026
- Sunday, October 25, 2026
$350 for the full six-week session
Your fee covers the entire six-week session and includes all clay, an apron, tools, and glazes, plus student open studio in 3-hour blocks on set days, up to 6 hours a week.
See the class and sign up →Intro to Handbuilding
A 6-week session on Sunday evenings, 6:00 to 8:30 PM. Great for sculptural work and anyone who wants to skip the wheel.
Session dates
- Sunday, September 20, 2026
- Sunday, September 27, 2026
- Sunday, October 4, 2026
- Sunday, October 11, 2026
- Sunday, October 18, 2026
- Sunday, October 25, 2026
$350 for the full six-week session
Your fee covers the entire six-week session and includes all clay, an apron, tools, and glazes, plus student open studio in 3-hour blocks on set days, up to 6 hours a week.
See the class and sign up →Jesse Semel
Jesse Semel, a Connecticut native, has been immersed in the world of art since childhood, influenced by his father's artistic talents. He found his true calling in ceramics, a medium he has explored since his high school years. Jesse's artistic journey has been defined by his pursuit of challenging preconceived notions about art tools and functionality, bridging the gap between pottery and artistic expression.
He minored in ceramics at the University of Colorado Boulder, a program that honed his technical skills and shaped his style. A potter at heart, he was pushed to work beyond the symmetry of the wheel, and in a fight to keep throwing he began making thrown and altered pieces, throwing all the components of a sculpture and then dissecting and reassembling them.
Jesse has been teaching ceramics since 2023, from beginner through advanced.
See more of their work at @jessesemelceramics.
Intro to Wheel Throwing
A 6-week session on Wednesday afternoons, 2:00 to 4:30 PM.
Session dates
- Wednesday, September 16, 2026
- Wednesday, September 23, 2026
- Wednesday, September 30, 2026
- Wednesday, October 7, 2026
- Wednesday, October 14, 2026
- Wednesday, October 21, 2026
$350 for the full six-week session
Your fee covers the entire six-week session and includes all clay, an apron, tools, and glazes, plus student open studio in 3-hour blocks on set days, up to 6 hours a week.
See the class and sign up →Thrown & Altered
A 6-week session on Wednesday evenings, 6:00 to 8:30 PM. Wheel throwing combined with handbuilt intention.
Session dates
- Wednesday, September 16, 2026
- Wednesday, September 23, 2026
- Wednesday, September 30, 2026
- Wednesday, October 7, 2026
- Wednesday, October 14, 2026
- Wednesday, October 21, 2026
$350 for the full six-week session
Your fee covers the entire six-week session and includes all clay, an apron, tools, and glazes, plus student open studio in 3-hour blocks on set days, up to 6 hours a week.
See the class and sign up →Sami Foster
Sami Foster is a functional ceramic artist based in Denver, Colorado. She began working with clay in 2023, first taking a wheel-throwing class before being selected as a ceramics apprentice at the Art Students League of Denver, where she developed her technical skills and her body of work.
Her work draws on nostalgic imagery rooted in childhood, expressed through bright, whimsical designs. She primarily works with colored porcelain and custom glazes, using both hand-building and wheel-throwing techniques. Before transitioning to ceramics, she worked as a research scientist in molecular biology and brings a thoughtful, experimental approach to her studio practice, particularly in developing new glazes.
Sami began teaching in 2024 and aims to create a supportive space where students can explore ideas through clay and develop their own creative voice.
Intro to Wheel Throwing
A 6-week session on Thursday evenings, 6:00 to 9:00 PM.
Session dates
- Thursday, September 17, 2026
- Thursday, September 24, 2026
- Thursday, October 1, 2026
- Thursday, October 8, 2026
- Thursday, October 15, 2026
- Thursday, October 22, 2026
$375 for the full six-week session
Your fee covers the entire six-week session and includes all clay, an apron, tools, and glazes, plus student open studio in 3-hour blocks on set days, up to 6 hours a week.
See the class and sign up →Where
Claya
3440 Walnut Street
Denver, CO 80205 (RiNo Arts District)