Studio Equity & Inclusion
Our commitment to a shared community studio
We’re a creative community built on inclusivity and artistic exploration, and we believe in art as a force that brings people together. Whether you’re a first-time potter or a seasoned artist, we welcome everyone here. As a collective, we’re always anti-racist, anti-ableist, and anti-fascist.
We encourage you to share with us your hopes and concerns to help us further grow as a business and community! Please fill out our anonymous form if there is anything you would like us to consider.
Inclusion Clause
Penguin Foot Pottery was created to be a place where everyone feels welcome. This is a space for creativity, learning, and expression. We expect those entering our studio to enter with compassion and respect for one another. Our studio was born from a desire to build a financially accessible space — where students of all backgrounds, identities, and skill levels can explore ceramic arts. As an organization, we’re committed to amplifying underrepresented voices, especially with our BIPOC, AAPI, and LGBTQIA+ communities. Hate has no home here.
Employee Equity
Instructors receive a competitive W2 pay and benefits package, health insurance with dental & vision, 4% matching 401k retirement plan, an education stipend, PTO/sick leave, and an annual four weeks off during scheduled studio breaks. To encourage their growth as artists, instructors also receive free firings, glazes, and materials, and have 24/7 access to the studio. We hold regular staff meetings and individual check-ins to ensure our instructors, as stakeholders in this space and community, are heard and we have the opportunity to hold ourselves accountable to our collective mission.
Community Support
Our work doesn’t end here, but this is what we are currently doing to uphold our values of inclusivity and equity in our studio community:
Invite and respect people’s pronouns and offer our own in both class introductions and email signatures.
Provide visual aids for students who may be hard of hearing or non English speakers.
Provide an anonymous feedback form to current students and members in a monthly email. Management is also available for scheduled, in-person meetings.
Members get access to participate in studio pottery sales and borrow festival equipment at no cost.
We practice sustainability with clay reclaim, recyclable materials, and eco-friendly cleaning products. Plus a Little Free Pottery Library out front!
We work continuously with both HR and legal consultants to audit ourselves and to adhere to city & state laws and compliance standards.
We keep our classes, workshops, and monthly membership prices low and do not have any extra charges for tools, materials, or firings/glazes. We offer a lot of glaze and material options!
Free open studio time for students to come practice outside of class with instructors available for help.
Offer a standing wheel, wheel risers, handicap friendly bathroom, and classrooms with no stairs. We continue to think of ways to improve the accessibility of pottery to all different body types and abilities, and welcome any further ideas!
Focus on diversity and inclusion in both our hiring practices and TA program. We consciously try to lift up underrepresented and marginalized groups, either with our past scholarship fund or through our current Clay It Forward initiative.
