Inside this issue: Summer classes. Great Lakes Cup Show - Call for Artists. Clay and pottery tools of the month. Studio Hours. More exhibition news, events, and informative videos. | | Applications are open for the Great Lakes Cup Show! Yourist Studio Gallery in Ann Arbor, MI, invites ceramists from MI, OH, IN, IL, MN, WI, PA, and NY, or ON, Canada to submit work for consideration in our annual juried cup exhibition and sale. We're seeking high-quality work that celebrates the wide spectrum of forms, colors, textures, imagery, and techniques used by clay artists across our region. Prizes for Best in Show and Peoples Choice will be awarded. Our hope is to inspire shared appreciation for Great Lakes ceramics – with YOUR cups as our vessel! | | Alex Pratt receiving Best in Show 2025 | | |
Last year, our gallery featured 40+ artists who created everything from functional to sculptural to figurative work. We were fortunate to include Charlotte Grenier, Kenyon Hansen, Elliott Kayser, Tom Phardel, and Brian Westrick as our Invited Artists. Look for announcements about our 2026 Judges and Invited Artists in upcoming YSG newsletters and @youriststudiogallery.
Find Great Lakes Cup Show Application and Details at CallForEntry.org.
Submission Deadline: September 1
Questions? YSGCupShow@gmail.com
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Check out these upcoming Summer Classes
Now is the time to register for some summer fun! From introductory to advanced and specialized classes, we offer you a full range of pottery instruction almost every day of the week!
Here is our full schedule of upcoming classes:
Introductory and Continuing Wheel
• Monday, June 8-July 13, 3:30-5:30 pm, with Kevan Wilson
• Monday, June 8-July 13, 6:30-8:30 pm, with Kevan Wilson
• Thursday, June 4-July 9, 10:00 am-12:00 pm, with Nancy Bulkley
• Thursday, June 4-July 9, 6:30 pm-8:30 pm, with Nick Glynos
• Saturday, June 6-July 11, 9:45-11:45 am, with Laila Chalati
• Sunday, June 14-July 19, 11:00 am-1:00 pm, with Susi Stiles
Save my seat!
Intermediate Wheel Throwing
• Thursday, June 4-Jul 9, 12:30 pm-2:30 pm, with Nancy Bulkley
Save my seat!
Coffee and Clay (In studio or via Zoom)
• Wednesday, June 3-July 8, 10:00 am-12:00 pm, with Nancy Bulkley
• Saturday, June 6-July 11, 9:30-11:30 am, with Nancy Bulkley
Save my seat!
Hand Building
• Thursday, June 4-July 9, 6:30-8:30 pm, with Elliott Kayser
Save my seat!
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Practice your skills during Summer Studio
In this seven-week summer studio session from July 15 to September 2, you will be able to work in the studio 24/7. Spend as much time as you like honing the skills you have been learning in classes. There will be no instructor, but there will be a prerequisite. Students need to have previously taken a minimum of two full class semesters, with one of those class semesters taken at Yourist Studio. Summer is the perfect time to practice what you have learned and to perfect your skill set as a potter.
Save my seat!
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Students and members...
Be sure to pick up your bisque ware. The bisque shelves will be emptied of all May bisque on Tuesday, June 30th. We do this every month. Be sure to get your work glazed or take it home.
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Yourist t-shirts are all the rage!
Represent the studio in style! Yourist Studio Gallery t-shirts and hoodies are available for purchase at the studio during our business hours. The price for these comfy 100% cotton t-shirts is $20, and $38 for the hoodies.
| | Get 20% off our clay of the month, Aardvark Woodfire Stoneware. This clay has a very plastic body with medium grog. | | |
Specifications: Fired Shrinkage is 11%, and Water Absorption is 2% when fired to cone 10. It fires to a rich toasty orange-brown when flashed in a wood fire kiln. Good through cone 14.
Yourist Studio Gallery is the authorized dealer for Aardvark Clays in Michigan. We also have a great selection of pottery tools for purchase in our tool shop. If you're looking for a great gift for your favorite potter, be sure to stop by and peruse our tool collection.
Clays currently in stock from Aardvark are as follows:
- Arctic White
- Charcoal
- Nara 5
- SRF
- Cafe Cinco
- Rods Bod
- Carmel
- Coleman Porcelain
- Woodfire Stoneware
- Nara 10
- Russian River
- Fat Red
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Sale! Pottery Tool of the month
| | Xiem Interchangeable Sculptor's Wire Tool Sets (SMALL) are designed for artists of all levels to have the freedom to customize their favorite wire-tool tip combinations for their specific needs, getting the job done more efficiently and enjoyably. They are perfect for light cutting, smoothing, cleaning, and blending surfaces. The wire-tip tools are made of high-strength stainless steel for long-lasting performance, while the soft silicone handle provides artists with an ultimate comfortable experience. In June, this tool will be 20% off. | | |
Studio internship
We're interviewing potential studio interns for the summer to help with studio maintenance in exchange for studio use. The successful applicant should know how to mix glaze, load kilns, mop floors, and perform other typical studio duties. An internship is a great experience and a resume-building opportunity. Please send a letter of interest, including your previous pottery studio experience, to Kay Yourist.
| | Nerikomi (練り込み, lit. 'kneading') is a Japanese pottery term describing the artistic technique where multiple colors of clay are marbled or combined to create various designs. | | |
GlazeShare
GlazeShare is a community-driven platform for sharing and discovering commercial glazes and glaze combinations. Find your next favorite glaze combo or upload your own! Visit GlazeShare.com.
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Here are some in-person clay events to explore:
We'll let you know when new ceramics exhibitions are on display and open to the public.
Ann Arbor Events
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Westside Art Hop: A cross between an art walk and an art fair, Art Hop sprouts up throughout Ann Arbor's lovely historic West Side neighborhood June 13-14. There will be a number of Yourist Studio members and accomplished students selling their works.
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Ann Arbor Potters Guild Spring Sale: The Guild's annual Spring Sale is June 6th & 7th, 2026, from 10-5 at 201 Hill St., Ann Arbor. Check out a wide range of work, from functional dinnerware pottery to jewelry and ceramic sculpture.
Regional Michigan Events
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ART on the GRAND: Held in downtown Farmington on June 6-7, 2026, this outdoor fair features a dedicated showcase of high-quality, handmade ceramic works alongside other fine art disciplines.
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Kalamazoo Institute of Arts Fair: Kick off the summer on June 5-6, 2026, at Bronson Park for Michigan’s second-oldest juried fine arts fair, hosting dozens of regional and national clay artists.
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Palmer Park Art Fair: Peruse the work of more than 100 juried artists on June 6-7, take in storytelling and book readings by local authors, grab a bite from a food truck, enjoy a beer in the beer tent, and much more. You’ll also find live music, dance performances, and hands-on projects.
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Glaze an Ice Cream/Berry Bowl: Join Curiouser Clay at Robin Hills Farm in nearby Chelsea on June 5, 2026, to glaze your own pottery and learn about the firing process.
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Super SatARTday!: Anton Art Center in Mount Clemens hosts this free community arts celebration on June 13, 2026, featuring interactive exhibits and live clay demonstrations.
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Summer Celebration at Pottery Lane: Head to Grand Rapids on June 20, 2026, for a day celebrating clay, featuring trinket-dish decorating and exciting raku-firing demonstrations.
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Royal Oak Outdoor Art Fair: For 55 years, the Royal Oak Outdoor Art Fair has featured local artists, students, and community arts associations. Donations and a share of profits go toward college scholarships, arts programs, organizations, and recreation in Royal Oak. June 27-28
National & Museum Exhibitions
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Contemporary Clay 2026: On view at The Art Center of Western Colorado through June 26, 2026, showcasing functional and sculptural ceramics from 25 national artists.
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American Museum of Ceramic Art (AMOCA): Visit Pomona, CA, to see the debut of Tōgei: Contemporary Japanese Ceramics, opening on June 13, 2026, which explores the evolution from functional wares to modern artistic expression.
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Earthworks: Evolution: Concluding June 28, 2026, at The Umbrella Arts Center in Concord, MA, highlighting both emerging and established New England ceramicists.
| | Dave Timm, Master Hand Builder | | Studio, Gallery, and Shop Hours | | |
Studio & gallery hours for 2026:
- Tuesday, 12:00-6:00 pm
- Wednesday, 12:00-6:00 pm
- Friday, 12:00-6:00 pm
- Saturday, 12:00-6:00 pm
Student studio practice
There are no open studio hours on Thursday. Saturday open studio hours begin at noon, with the exception of one Saturday a month, when the Try It Once on the Wheel class meets from 1:00 to 2:30 pm. Check our class schedule for the date of this class.
Please remember to sign in when you arrive for open studio and sign out when you leave. Make sure to clean your work area thoroughly before leaving.
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Our pottery tool shop
We welcome all ceramics lovers and all area potters to shop with us for their pottery needs during our open hours. Students may purchase tools as needed during their classes as well.
We have curbside delivery of clay, tools, and pottery during our regular hours. If you have a specific need, please call us at the studio, during regular hours, at 734-662-4914.
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Yourist Studio Gallery
6087 Jackson Road
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
734-662-4914
www.youristpottery.com | Instagram
•Classes and workshops
•Community studio workspace
•Pottery tools for sale
•Exhibit gallery
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