Heat blasted out when the kiln opened.  

After being heated to 1,800 degrees in 45 minutes, the three red-hot ceramic pieces inside were pulled out using tongs.  

They were placed in two buckets filled with newspapers to catch fire before Jacob Steed, adjunct ceramics instructor and sponsor of the NW Clay Club, slammed the lid on with gloved hands. 

“It’s kind of anti-climactic at the end,” Steed said, “but in 30 minutes or so, you’ll be able to see what the glazes look like.” 

This is part of an ancient Japanese process of making ceramics called raku firing. 

It is also an example of how the Clay Club is literally catching fire. 

The club has existed for more than two decades, but this is the first year it has been open to all TCC students. Steed has been the sponsor for two years and said the club has grown exponentially since it reopened after the pandemic. 

“On any given Thursday, we have somewhere around 15 to 20 students in here, whether they’re in the [ceramics] class or not, doing something with clay,” Steed said. “Sometimes, we even have just people who work here come in and make things, and it’s been a lot of fun to see that growth.” 

The club welcomes members of all ages and experience. It is also a way for students whose degree doesn’t necessarily require art classes to learn and make pottery. 

NW student Sommer Ray is seeking a degree in environmental science but has grown to love pottery after taking a class over the summer. 

“I’ve always been an art kid, but I’ve always also been on the verge of giving up art, I would say,” Ray said. “And so having a class where I have found a new output of art, and something that I feel a lot more aligned with, has really helped [me] feel like an artist again.” 

The clay sale, which happens every semester, is an opportunity for ceramics students and club members to showcase their talents. It is where the best pieces of pottery can be purchased and has proven popular among TCC staff.  

Preparations have already begun for the next clay sale, which will be on Dec. 3-4 in the NW05 lobby. 

NW student and Clay Club president Thea Patterson said she has seen amazing work from students that were selected for the sale. A student once asked for Patterson’s help in pricing some pieces that were going to be sold in last Christmas’ sale. 

“She sits down, she goes, ‘Well I’m thinking $10.’ And I’m like, ‘No, sister. $30,’” Patterson said. 

Cups, mugs, plates and bowls are some of the most common things found drying on the shelves in the kiln room at the back of the studio. Much of the pottery done by club members is a mix of function and creativity. 

Functional pieces can be decorated with carvings or interesting glazes. NW student Emily Ponce took a simple vase and detailed it with dozens of swirling eyes all around its body. 

She was an accomplished potter in high school and once took one of her pieces to a state competition. When she came to TCC, Ponce visited the pottery sale and decided to take a ceramics class again.  

Ponce said joining the Clay Club and having dedicated time to be creative has been therapeutic. 

“I feel a lot more relaxed when I’m here, like I can just focus on [pottery],” she said. “Like, no tests or other classes I’m taking. It’s just really relaxing.” 

Many of the pieces created at club sessions are also depict member’s favorite characters and media. NW student Mari Carlson is working on a figurine of a character from the video game “Hollow Knight.”  

Like Ray, Carlson is currently seeking a degree in science but recently started attending Clay Club meetings to explore their artistic side. 

“Everybody should have a creative outlet,” Carlson said. “It’s good for keeping you sane.” 

Associate professor of ceramics Fred Spaulding is a former Clay Club sponsor and is still a major contributor. He said working with clay takes his mind off any issues and is meditative in its process. 

“You might have a problem with your car, you might have a problem with another person, whatever,” Spaulding said. “But you’re focusing on an object. You’re focusing on manipulating a material with your hands. And so that activity becomes a focus for your mind.” 

Just like any art, clay has its challenges. The draw of this medium is in the variety of ways one can turn something formless into an object.  

The community aspect of the club encourages this creativity because clay is a humbling medium that reflects the creator’s mindset, Steed said. 

“No matter how many years you’ve done it, you could sit down at the wheel and just have an awful day and then, say this is like your second week doing [pottery], just have a fantastic day,” Steed said.