TERMS OF SERVICE

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

By registering for a class, membership, or workshop at Cascade Ceramics Studio, the participant understands and agrees to comply with the studio policies and procedures outlined here.

Cascade Ceramics Studio reserves the right to exclude from our studio anyone who fails to abide by the studio rules and practices and reserves the right to modify these procedures. By using our services, we will never share customer information with third parties.

If you are to have any guests at the studio they must also have read and agree to our terms of service.

BEHAVIOR

Each studio user is expected to behave in a manner consistent with the creative atmosphere of the studio. Creativity typically flourishes in a friendly, enthusiastic yet peaceful setting. Maintain appropriate civility and courteous behavior. No harassment of any kind will be tolerated and is reason for immediate termination of our services.

If you become aware of a situation that may become unsafe or is interruptive to our community, please notify your instructor or the studio by email so we can respond to the situation .

Our studio has neighbors on each side and above us doing business during business hours. We require all of our community to be respectful to our neighbors.

MISSED CLASSES/CANCELLATIONS

Cascade Ceramics Studio classes and workshops are designed to be attended. We cannot provide make-ups or the attending of other classes due to all of our classes being full. Each topic covered will be demonstrated by the instructor and a lost attendance will result in you missing information that may not be repeated in future classes. Classes are given a number of studio time hours where you can make up your missed time.

All students must empty off your shelf at the end of your class session, or if returning the following week for another class leave a note on the shelf stating so. If the shelf has work and no note after the last class we cannot gaurentee your shelf or things will be there when you return.

Any sign ups for classes, workshops, and memberships require a 2-week cancellation time – prior to their scheduled start date. Please let us know through the studio’s email (info@cascadeceramics.com) with your name and class/workshop/membership month information if you need to cancel. Cancellations 2 or more weeks before the class are subject to a 10% processing fee. Cancellations between 1-2 weeks before the class will receive a 50% refund. cancellations less than one week before the class cannot be refunded. We apologize but no exceptions because the spot in the class may not fill at that point.

If we need to cancel a class or workshop due to a natural disaster, severe weather, or mandatory Oregon Health Association restrictions due to Covid-19 we will offer a make-up date in the future. We will post any emergency closings on our social media and an email will be sent as soon as we know of this situation.

FIRINGS

We provide the best care possible for the work you bring to be fired, however we cannot guarantee that work will not be broken, damaged or lost during the process. All firings are handled by our staff, and we will do our best to make sure your work gets handled with care.

We do our firings on a regular first come first served basis when we have a full kiln load. Please keep in mind we cannot accommodate production potters. Members use member greenware and glaze shelves and students use the center shelf labeled student greenware/glaze.

You are responsible for picking up your pieces after your firing. Any pieces left longer than 2 weeks after firing will be removed from the studio due to space limitations. If you cannot come in to pick up your work before then, email us and we will try to collect it and set it to the side for you.

We fire Cone 6 with all of our kilns. We use Georgie’s clays and lead-free glazes. If you bring outside clay or glazes, please bring a written description with your pieces as to what has been used in their creation if there is no staff member available to okay them.

Please provide a bisque “cookie” to fire your pot on if using an outside glaze or doing a glaze combination on more than the top 1/3 of your piece. No black underglaze allowed on the bottom of pots. Weight limit of 6 ounces for using a stilt to fire work on.

If glaze drips from a pot and the pot sticks to the shelf, small-medium glaze drips cost a $15 scrape fee. Large glaze drips are a $40 scrape fee. If the shelf is unusable after your glaze drip, the fee is $60 (the price of a new shelf).

OPEN STUDIO HOURS

If you have a monthly membership you have 24/7 to the studio via key fob or door code at the parking lot side door. Please don’t let others in who do not have their own active key fob or code to enter.

We have WIFI available in the studio. You may play your music if the other people working around you in the studio agree and keep in mind not to disturb the neighboring businesses during their business hours with loud music.

STUDIO SAFETY/SILICA DUST INHILATION HAZARD

-The clay and glaze that we provide at the studio presents no health risk in the wet form. However, clay and glaze contains silica which presents a health hazard through inhalation in the dry form of dust. Over time the accumulation of silica in the lungs can lead to silicosis, a disease in which the damage cannot be reversed. Keep everyone healthy, NO SANDING, NO TRIMMING DRY POTS, NO SCRAPING DRY CLAY OR GLAZE, NO SWEEPING, NO BLOWING ON DUST, or any other dust creating activities are permitted at any time at the studio.

To help limit the exposure we use two HEPA grade air filters which filter silica from the air.

By signing up for a class, workshop, or membership at Cascade Ceramics, each participant agrees they are individually responsible for the risk of silica exposure, and also agree to mitigate these risks by adhering to these policies and procedures.

-All guests to the studio must agree to visit, use tools and use equipment at their own risk. Please be aware some tools can be sharp, the floor may be slippery, some equipment may be hot, heavy, or cause bodily injury if not used properly. As in any public space, please be aware of your surroundings including other people inside or outside of the studio. Members and students must agree to understand by visiting the studio during uninstructed studio hours you may be alone. If you believe someone presents a safety risk, use your best judgment to remain safe and call the Tigard police non-emergency phone number at (503) 626-0111 or 911 for a more immediate response if you are questioning your safety. We do not assume any liability from injury that occurs at the studio. All who sign up for a class, membership, workshop, or other guests agree to this.

OUTSIDE CLAY/GLAZE

Please email us for approval for each clay or glaze you want to use that is not already provided by the studio. Certain materials are not appropriate for use in a community studio, or may be damaging to the kilns or kiln shelves.

COVID-19 PROTOCOLS

  • Please do not come into the studio if you or someone you live with are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. Be mindful and respect one another as well as our staff. We want to encourage a healthy and happy community.
  • Everyone should wash their hands with soap and warm water upon entering the studio.
  • Please clean any communal tools after you are done using them as well as your work station. Everyone is responsible for cleaning up their clay mess and also wiping their work station.
  • The studio will be sprayed down with disinfectant in the morning before opening
  • Q: What if I, another student or the teacher test positive for COVID?
  • A:
    • If another student tests positive and lets us know, we will inform the class and it will be up to you to decide whether you feel comfortable returning.
    • If one of our teachers tests positive and needs to cancel class, we will do our best to find a substitute instructor. If for some reason we have to miss 1 or 2 times we will refund you a proportionate amount.
    • If you test positive, we apologize but there is no refund or class make up session we can offer.
  • Have more questions? Not a problem! Please contact us at info@cascadeceramics.com