The John and Marjorie McGraw Family Ceramics Studio

Private Clay Instruction, with McGraw faculty On CAMPUS or ONLINE
Rates vary from $60 to $75 per hour per person, with discounts for groups and multi-hour sessions. Most instructors have a 2-hour minimum.
Click here to tell us what you are looking for.

Open Studio Check-In
for current students and pass-holders
weekly, various

The Extended Pose with Jackie & Neil, with Jackie Reeves & Neil Grant
Saturday, monthly
9:30 am-12:30 pm
1:30-4:30 pm
$40 per session

Night Throwing with Morgan, 2023, with Morgan DiNello,
6 Mondays,
May 1- Jun12 ( Skipping May 29th)
5:30-8 pm
$255/$230 members, per session

Sunday Beginner Wheel Throwing 2023, with Melanie Gillis
6 Sundays, ongoing
Apr 23 - Jun 4
2-5 pm
$306/$275 members, per session

Thursday Advanced Beginner Wheel, 2023 with Melanie Gillis
6 Thursdays, ongoing
Apr 27 - Jun 1
5:30-8:30 pm
$306/$275 members, per session

Friday Night Beginner Wheel Throwing 2023, with Melanie Gillis
6 Fridays, ongoing
Mar 3 - Apr 7
May 5 -Jun 9
5:30-8:30 PM
$306/$275 members, per session

Handbuilding- Fun, Funky, and Functional for all levels with Holly Heaslip
6 Tuesdays
Mar 14 - Apr 18
9:30 - 12:00 pm
$255/$230 members
SOLD OUT

The Potter's Wheel - Beginners and Beyond with Holly Heaslip
8 Thursdays
March 16 -May 4
9:30 - 12:00 pm
$340 / $306 members

Mold Making And Slip Casting For Clay with Neil Grant
4 Fridays
Mar 17- Apr 7
9:30 - 12:30 pm
$250/$225 members

Throwing on the wheel with Ron, Ron Dean
8 Mondays,
March 20 - May 8, 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM
McGraw Ceramics Studio18+
$340/$306 members

Teen Wheel, Learn to Throw with Brittany
6 Wednesdays
Mar 22 -Apr 26
4:00 - 5:30 PM
$144/$130 members, per session

Sculptural Ceramics with Joan Zagrobelny
8 Mondays,
5:30 - 8:00 pm
Apr 3 - May 22
$340/$306 members, per session
SOLD OUT

Raku Firing with Lois Hirshberg
Thursday, April 20
Thursday, June 15
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
$154/$138 members, per session

Terra Sigillata Workshop, with Lois Hirshberg
Thursday, May, 4
10 am-12 pm
$53

Saggar Firing with Lois Hirshberg
Thursday, May 18
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
$140/$120 members, per session
$20.00 materials fee per student

Wearable Ceramics, A Jewelry Making Workshop with Holly Heaslip
3 Saturdays
April 1, 8, and 15
1:00 pm to 3:30 PM
$165 / $150 members + $5 materials fee
* Please pay the materials fee directly to your instructor.

Handbuilding 201: Improving Skills with Mary Shea
6 Tuesdays
May 9 -Jun 13
6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
$306/$275 members, per session

Summer Clay: Learn To Throw!
Ages 11-16
5 classes, Mon-Fri
1:30 PM -4:00 PM
choose from one or more of the following sessions:
July 11-14
July 24-July 28
Aug 7-11
Aug 21-25
$200/$180 members per week

Summer Clay: Functional And Fun!
Ages 11-16
McGraw Ceramic Studio
Mon-Thu
2 sessions
July 31 - Aug 3
Aug 14 - Aug 17
1:30 PM to 4:00 PM
$160 / $144 members per session

Summer Clay: Castles And Creatures!
Ages 11-16
McGraw Ceramic Studio
Mon-Thu, July 17 - July 20
1:30 PM to 4:00 PM
$160 / $144 members

Start Here: Learn to Throw with Mary Shea
6 Wednesdays, May 10 - June 14
9:30 AM to 12:30 PM
$306/$275 members, per session

The McGraw Studio began life 78 years ago as a gas station on Route 28. In 2017, when the property came up for sale, Cotuit Center for the Arts was able to purchase the site to create a contiguous 7.5-acre campus, thanks to the generosity of its donors and supporters. After reaching out to its members and other constituents through a series of public meetings, the Center decided to convert the gas station into a community ceramics studio where people can learn and practice the clay arts.

CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS: The McGraw welcomes people of all ages and abilities and offers classes from a great faculty of experienced instructors, as well as nationally renowned guest teachers. Classes and workshops are available throughout the year and include wheel-throwing, hand-building, sculpting, mold-making, slipcasting, glazing, and alternate firing in our three purpose-built classrooms and outside raku area. Our list of offerings is always growing and can be found here.

OPEN STUDIO: Anyone who is taking a class can access our space and facilities during Open Studio time. This is an opportunity to practice what you have learned at your own pace and develop your own artistic style. Experienced clay artists can purchase Open Studio passes that allow them to access the great facilities at the McGraw as well. All Open Studio Sessions must be booked in advance so that we can manage the number of people in the studio. If you are already taking a class or have an Open Studio pass, click here to make your booking. To purchase Open Studio passes, browse the Open Studio schedule, and find more information, click here.

GREAT FACILITIES: Our pottery studio features ten wheels, a large clay extruder, a slab roller, a large array of tools and plenty of space for handbuilding. Our sculpture studio is equipped with a rotating model platform, plenty of sculpture stands, specialist tools and a large collection of reference casts and books. Our glaze room includes a spray booth and a large selection of glazes for both dipping and brushing, while our kiln room houses a sizable front-loading electric kiln that can fire large pieces and along with our other top-loading kilns ensures the speedy firing of work once it had dried. Outside the building, a dedicated area allows us to stage alternative firings such as raku.

AN OPEN SEAT FOR MOST CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS: The McGraw really is about offering every member of our community the opportunity to participate in the clay arts. To that end, each class and workshop includes a scholarship seat paid for by the generosity of our donors. To learn more about our Open Seat Program and to participate, click here.

The McGraw is about creating a welcoming community for clay artists to learn and practice their art. It is the newest addition to Cotuit Center for the Arts, a community art center that includes the Cape’s Best Gallery (as voted by the readers of the Cape Cod Times), a 180-seat Main Stage and 40-seat Black Box Theater, dedicated Art Studio, and numerous classroom spaces. The Center is known for its boundary-pushing and thought-provoking art exhibitions that attract thousands of visitors a year. Members and students will have the opportunity to present their work to an educated and enthusiastic audience throughout the year via our juried exhibitions and annual members’ show.

The Center’s education department offers over 350 classes in the arts and humanities throughout the year. All artists are lifelong students, and users of the McGraw will have access to classes in drawing, painting and other subjects that will inform, improve and inspire their artwork. Members will receive a 10% discount on most classes offered at the Center.