As a fulltime potter for many years, it had always been a dream of mine to open a teaching studio. My vision was to be able to have a studio that would be accessible and available to all potters, no matter what their level of interest.

Nadine Spalter, Co Owner

Our Story

Together with my husband David, and with the support of our family, we opened our doors in July 2019. After finding the perfect building, we set to work figuring out, largely as we went along, how everything would be laid out. David is the quintessential do-it-yourself Kiwi, and he set about working out what we needed and how to build it.

There were lots of late nights, our children helped us paint the floors, friends brought over meals, and eventually we opened and released our first set of classes. They all sold!

We began with one wheel throwing classroom, a hand building classroom, and a dedicated Members area. This allowed our students to join as members and practise their new skills, much like a pottery gym. Despite the lockdowns, our Members area continued to build steadily over time.

In February 2021, we took another leap and leased the building next door to The Clay Centre to develop a purpose-built, full-time Members area. Once again, David built everything that needed building, fitting out the new space to give our members more room and to accommodate the growing interest in pottery.

Moving our members into the building next door allowed us to open a second wheel throwing classroom. This proved instrumental in developing our students’ skills. We now have a dedicated beginners classroom, as well as a second classroom where students can progress through our levels, right up to intermediate.

The final piece of the puzzle was opening our gallery at the front of the Members area building. Our vision was to showcase New Zealand makers from all disciplines, and to introduce their wonderful work to the many students who come through our doors.

We opened Makers Gallery in August 2021, just four days before the longest lockdown descended on New Zealand. We made it through with the support of incredible makers who were willing to work towards virtual exhibitions and help carry us through to the reopening of New Zealand in December 2021. Makers Gallery will continue to grow, with a wonderful line-up of exhibitions and shows planned for the future.

We have now introduced thousands of people to the wonderful world of pottery, of creating something from the earth, which in turn enriches the lives of these new makers. We are so looking forward to continuing this journey with everyone!

Our Team

Nadine Spalter

Co-Owner

It has been a dream of mine to open my own teaching studio, and finally together with my husband and the support of my family, we have opened ‘The Clay Centre’. We hope to inspire many generations to begin and continue this most rewarding journey with clay.

Instagram

David Spalter

Co Owner

Strahan Clarke

Teacher & Technician

I've built my skills in ceramics by supplying restaurants and local businesses with my domestic wares. More recently I have moved away from the idea of mass production, rather choosing to make bespoke sets for particular purposes, as well as solely one off pieces. Preciousness has always been a subject within my work, either emphasizing the fact or completely disregarding it. I try to achieve an overall sense of quietness regardless of number, functionality or intended surfaces.

Instagram

Sofia Santos

Teacher

Portuguese-born Sofia Santos is a ceramic artist based in Tamaki Makaurau, who has both a Bachelor's in Design and an Advanced Diploma in Arts & Crafts. She is mostly interested in exploring the non-functional characteristics of clay and how they can translate into qualities like time and meaning. Sofia joined The Clay Centre team while graduating in 2019, where she transitioned from hand-built sculptural artwork into the refinement of all wheel-throwing techniques and, ultimately, to the true understanding of all fundamental ceramic rules before, inevitably, breaking them.

Instagram Website

Tai Berdinner Blades

Teacher & Front desk

Tai has always been curious about trying her hand at wheel thrown pottery. Originally from Wellington's south coast, Tai comes from a family of artists and grew up around makers from all disciplines. She makes minimalist, contemporary pieces, selling her work online under the name Fable Ceramics.

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Catherine Guevara

Teacher & Marketing co-ordinator

Catherine is a ceramicist originally from Colombia and the creator of Cfromcat. She’s been living in Aotearoa for the last 8 years, embracing education in arts and building her own practice. Her work explores the ritual of making and the permanence of time, resulting in vessels that are functional and artistic.

Instagram

Iza Lozano

Teacher

Mexican ceramic artist and educator with a background in anthropology, currently developing her work at Auckland Studio Potters as a resident artist. Artefacts like braziers, amphoras, libation vases, jewellery, and other elements, constitute fantastic sceneries of ritualistic nature.

Instagram

Staci Coble

Teacher & Front desk

American ceramicist who produces thoughtful, hand-thrown ceramics. She strives to create timeless, quality and functional pieces to elevate any space. Each piece is made with an abundance of love and joy, in hopes it will fill your space with the same.

Instagram Website

Peter Collis

Teacher

Peter has worked with clay nearly all of his life. The main focus to his work has been the handling of shape and surface. He creates pure form vessels, which he then treats in a wide range of methods. Crackle glazes, textured engobes, rich colour all enrich surfaces and complement form.

Instagram Website

Helen Perrett

Teacher

A memory of making a clay head as a 13 year old led Helen Perrett to take a handbuilding class in 2000 and she has been playing with clay ever since. Helen likes to make figurative work often slightly fantastical and narrative and referencing literature, mythology and classic children’s book illustration. She is interested in art and ceramic history, language, animals and plants - and uses these interests as themes in her work.

Instagram Website

TERMS & Conditions
Class Enrollment

Tuition fees are due in full at time of registration.

There is a booking fee of 2.9% + 30c per booking.

Tuition is non-transferable

Clay, tools and firing fees are not included in tuition, unless specifically stated for that class.

Refund Policy

A full refund (minus $25 administration fee) will be given if you cancel 3 weeks prior to the class starting.

A 50% refund will be given if you cancel 2 weeks prior to a class starting.

No refund will be given if your cancellation occurs within 2 weeks of the class starting date.

Non Attendance

If you are unable to make a class because of illness or for personal reasons, we do not offer refunds or make-up classes. We will however endeavour to catch you up where possible.

The Clay Centre reserves the right to cancel classes with insufficient enrolment. A full refund will be issued if this is the case.

The Clay Centre reserves the right to change the tutor stated for the class at any given time, however we will endeavour to let students know ahead of time.

Refunds and rebooking one off Classes or Workshops

If you are unwell or unable to attend an event/class we do not offer refunds or reschedules. Please treat this like buying a ticket to a movie or concert. An alternative option is to on-sell your ticket and we are happy for you to do this.
Collecting your work

You will be emailed when your work is ready to be collected. This is usually between 3 -6 weeks. All work not collected after 2 months from the emailed date will be disposed of.

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