Drawing from the long tradition of still life—objects arranged, observed, and loaded with meaning—this workshop invites participants to build contemporary still-life sculptures in clay, often centered around food and everyday items. Alanna will share approachable methods for constructing larger handbuilt forms, breaking down complex builds into manageable, confidence-building steps.

Alanna’s work explores themes of observation, accumulation, memory, and care, using recognizable objects to open up questions about value, desire, and attention. In this workshop, she’ll guide participants through thinking about composition, scale, and narrative, helping makers consider how individual objects relate to one another and how humor, excess, or restraint can shift the story a piece tells.

Expect a balance of demonstrations, guided build time, and practical problem-solving around structure and support—along with plenty of laughter. This workshop is well suited for artists interested in pushing beyond small forms, experimenting with sculptural still life, and embracing both seriousness and play in their work.

Participants may create one or more sculptural pieces.
All work is limited to 15 inches in any direction.

All Levels Welcome! You must be 15+ years of age to participate. There is a 15” maximum size, in any direction, when creating with clay at RCC.

Materials: Clay is $40 for new clay or at times we have recycled clay for sale for $20. This is a separate purchase from your class fee. Purchase clay ahead of time HERE.

Bring an apron, comfy clothes, a quart-sized container (like a yogurt container), and a beginner's set of tools to the first class.

Tool kits are available for purchase online or at Clay Art Center or Amazon. The class fee includes all glazing materials, firings, and generous open-studio access for practice time.

About the Instructor:

https://alannaderocchi.com/

Alanna DeRocchi is a Term Assistant Professor of Art and Technician in Ceramics at University of Alaska, Anchorage. Originally from Petersburg, Illinois, Alanna received a BA and BFA from Western Illinois University in 2004, and an MFA from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University in 2010. She was the recipient of a 2022 Rasmuson Fellowship Award, a 2017 Rasmuson Individual Artist Project Award, and has participated in several ceramic artist residency programs, including the ClayArch Gimhae Museum Ceramic Arts Residency in Jillye, South Korea, and the Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts in Helena, MT. 

Artist Statement:

A curiosity surrounding unfamiliar, elusive animals comes from a sense of wonder, empathy, and sincere longing for an encounter with these creatures in the natural world. Museum wildlife displays and taxidermy dioramas act as artificial experiences that create narratives through the viewer’s observation and speculation. This re-creation of once sentient beings into inanimate objects produces an unsettling encounter of stillness and disconnect. Through their transformation, the animal remains physical and their story oddly lives on, saving them from the tragedy of being forgotten. While such practice carries morbid implications, it also has the ability to fascinate and inspire awe. Their inanimate and often fragmented presentation invites introspection into our own bodies and surroundings.

I find interpreting animals as objects can evoke expansive and expressive stories with the openness to discover common threads to our own behaviors and beliefs. As an act of preservation, each animal I create as an object can represent a significant emotion, experience, or relationship that is no longer tangible in everyday life.

Prepare for Class

• Full information on how to prepare for classes is available on our Clay Q&A Platform (Links below).

• Tools: Suggested tools are in the image on this class page.

• Special Materials:

• Studio Access: Workshops do not come with studio access outside the workshop time period.

• FAQ’s about classes:

RCC Communication Platform

• Join Clay Q&A Here.

• Our studio communication platform, The Clay Q&A “Space”, is hosted on the Mighty Networks App.

• Participation is required to take classes at RCC or have a membership at RCS.

• Clay Q&A is essential to participants. It is where participants may:

  • Buy Clay

  • Schedule practice time

  • Learn about kiln deadlines/ kiln unloadings

  • Hear studio news & events

• Learn more/ download the More about the Mighty Networks App, or text the Mighty Network App to your Phone.
  
  This app can be used on a desktop or mobile device. This app is essential for purchasing clay during the session, scheduling practice hours, and keeping up to date with studio deadlines for kilns and finishing your art projects at RCC.

RCC Clay Participation Opportunities

Read our registration policies, refunds, and other conditions before registering.
Clay classes require some physical strength. Consider a one-time event if you are uncertain of your ability to participate.

• Scholarships for session classes

• FAQ’s for Classes at RCC (Learn More)

Cancellation Policy

Cancellations must be made via email to info@raincityclay.com
If you want to cancel your class, you may request a refund based on the bullet points below. Then you may rebook yourself for a class that fits better into your schedule.

Last-minute cancellations in classes are difficult to fill - please double-check your schedule before committing to an event. Refunds take several business days to process from the date we receive the email request.

• 100% of tuition (less a $15 processing fee) will be refunded if a student elects to drop a class no later than 10 days before the day of the first class meeting.

• 80% of tuition (less a $15 processing fee) will be refunded if a student drops a class within 7 days before the first class meeting.

• 50% of tuition (less a $15 processing fee) will be refunded if a student drops a class within 3 days before the first class meeting.

• 0% of tuition is refunded if cancellation is made within two days of class for any reason except for documented medical emergencies. (providing a doctor's note). There are no other exceptions to this policy.

• After this period, if a student elects to drop a class or transfer, tuition will NOT be refunded for any reason except for documented medical emergencies. (providing a doctor's note). There are no other exceptions to this policy.

• No refunds or credit will be given for missed classes. Students currently enrolled in 10-week classes may practice during open studio time to build skills even if a class is missed. One-day clay events and lessons do not come with open studio time.

• We reserve the right to cancel a class or workshop up to 3 days in advance of the first class due to insufficient enrollment. If a class is canceled, you will be offered the option of another class or a full refund.

• For some reason, should the studio have an unforeseen need to reschedule the class, you will be notified and given the option to take a class at a later date or receive a refund. Examples of these include power outage, covid flare up, or force majeure.

A minimum of 9 participants is required to run the class. If a class does not meet this, we will give advanced notice about any cancellations and a refund will be issued.