Tucked into the historic Near Northside neighborhood of Houston, HTX Clay, co-founded by Abbie Edmonson and Jessica Gutierrez, acts a creative hub for community connection through ceramics.
Studio location: Houston, Texas
When was the studio established? 2023
Business structure—co-op, nonprofit, private? Private
How many staff keep the studio running smoothly? 20 dedicated team members
How many members does the studio host?174
Do members contribute to the studio upkeep?Yes, absolutely! We have very high standards for cleanliness, and our members do their part in keeping our studio clean and organized.
How many non-member students use the space?
For those who are curious about clay or have prior experience, we offer many different entry points. Non-members can join 7-week courses, workshops, one-time 2-hour lessons, and drop-in sessions (for those with at least 6 months of experience). The studio also hosts corporate and private events, so on any given day, non-members are visiting and learning through one of our offerings.
Does the studio include a gallery space or host exhibitions?
While we don’t currently have a gallery space (future goals!), we do have a few opportunities for our members to share their work. The first is through our monthly Member Showcase, where we highlight one member’s work throughout the month. We also host a biannual Member Market and Showcase in the spring and winter, where members can choose to sell their wares, display pieces in the showcase, or both. This event is always open to the public and free to attend.
What resources are available to the community beyond classes—residencies, open firings, events, etc.?
We continually find new ways to engage with our community through workshops, social events, themed group lessons, and more. Each month, we host the Clay Crit. This is an informal, supportive critique session open to members and non-members. This event invites artists to share their work, ask questions, and talk through creative challenges. On our website we have a member-exclusive forum where our members will post and respond to questions, troubleshoot, share their latest creations, and discuss anything they’re feeling excited about.
What makes the studio unique?
We believe what sets us apart as a studio is that we provide on-demand education and instruction to our members any time they need it. We always have 1–2 clay educators circulating around and available during open hours as a resource to answer questions or give a demo to our members. Members can receive a lesson on any topic, learn a new skill, chat through a project, learn how to safely use a piece of equipment, or truly anything else with one of our wonderful, knowledgeable team members at any time—no appointment or prior experience needed. This means that someone without clay experience can become a member and get started right away!
One tip/piece of advice on cultivating a thriving studio?
Do it deliberately. This is one of our core values and has been a keystone for us as the owners from the very beginning. Every decision we’ve made—the team we’ve hired, how we create programming, and even the paint colors on our walls—has always gone back to this. We believe that taking the time to think about how our decisions will not only impact our immediate community, but our future as a studio has helped to lead us to where we are today.
One goal for the future?
Since opening just over two years ago, our community has grown faster than we could have dreamed. Many goals come to mind, but one that we are really excited about is extending our studio and clay education to the greater Houston community and beyond. We hope to continue connecting with local artist residencies to provide studio space for those who need it and have dreams of working alongside local organizations, nonprofits, and school systems to provide education and exposure to the ceramic arts.
the authors Abbie Preston Edmonson and Jessica Gutierrez are co-owners of HTX Clay, an artist-founded and female-owned ceramic studio in Houston, Texas.
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Tucked into the historic Near Northside neighborhood of Houston, HTX Clay, co-founded by Abbie Edmonson and Jessica Gutierrez, acts a creative hub for community connection through ceramics.
Studio location: Houston, Texas
When was the studio established? 2023
Business structure—co-op, nonprofit, private? Private
How many staff keep the studio running smoothly? 20 dedicated team members
How many members does the studio host? 174
Do members contribute to the studio upkeep? Yes, absolutely! We have very high standards for cleanliness, and our members do their part in keeping our studio clean and organized.
How many non-member students use the space?
For those who are curious about clay or have prior experience, we offer many different entry points. Non-members can join 7-week courses, workshops, one-time 2-hour lessons, and drop-in sessions (for those with at least 6 months of experience). The studio also hosts corporate and private events, so on any given day, non-members are visiting and learning through one of our offerings.
Does the studio include a gallery space or host exhibitions?
While we don’t currently have a gallery space (future goals!), we do have a few opportunities for our members to share their work. The first is through our monthly Member Showcase, where we highlight one member’s work throughout the month. We also host a biannual Member Market and Showcase in the spring and winter, where members can choose to sell their wares, display pieces in the showcase, or both. This event is always open to the public and free to attend.
What resources are available to the community beyond classes—residencies, open firings, events, etc.?
We continually find new ways to engage with our community through workshops, social events, themed group lessons, and more. Each month, we host the Clay Crit. This is an informal, supportive critique session open to members and non-members. This event invites artists to share their work, ask questions, and talk through creative challenges. On our website we have a member-exclusive forum where our members will post and respond to questions, troubleshoot, share their latest creations, and discuss anything they’re feeling excited about.
What makes the studio unique?
We believe what sets us apart as a studio is that we provide on-demand education and instruction to our members any time they need it. We always have 1–2 clay educators circulating around and available during open hours as a resource to answer questions or give a demo to our members. Members can receive a lesson on any topic, learn a new skill, chat through a project, learn how to safely use a piece of equipment, or truly anything else with one of our wonderful, knowledgeable team members at any time—no appointment or prior experience needed. This means that someone without clay experience can become a member and get started right away!
One tip/piece of advice on cultivating a thriving studio?
Do it deliberately. This is one of our core values and has been a keystone for us as the owners from the very beginning. Every decision we’ve made—the team we’ve hired, how we create programming, and even the paint colors on our walls—has always gone back to this. We believe that taking the time to think about how our decisions will not only impact our immediate community, but our future as a studio has helped to lead us to where we are today.
One goal for the future?
Since opening just over two years ago, our community has grown faster than we could have dreamed. Many goals come to mind, but one that we are really excited about is extending our studio and clay education to the greater Houston community and beyond. We hope to continue connecting with local artist residencies to provide studio space for those who need it and have dreams of working alongside local organizations, nonprofits, and school systems to provide education and exposure to the ceramic arts.
Instagram: @htxclay
www.htxclay.com
the authors Abbie Preston Edmonson and Jessica Gutierrez are co-owners of HTX Clay, an artist-founded and female-owned ceramic studio in Houston, Texas.
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