March 2026 Exploratory Workshop

A Handmade Life:

Handles, spouts, and surface—where utility meets beauty.

Instructor: MAtt Hiller

When: March 21st & 22nd
Sat. 9:30am–4:30pm, Sun. 9:30pm-4:30pm
Format: 2-Day Hands-On Workshop
Projects: Lids, Souts, Handles, Texture

1-Hour Lunch Break - Please pack a lunch
(consider a cooler bag, as our small staff fridge will not fit everyone’s lunch).

Workshop Fee: $235
Refund Policy: Please read this before registering.

Description:
Join Alaskan artist Matt Hiller for a two-day, hands-on clay workshop exploring the details that make functional pottery a joy to use and behold. We’ll focus on throwing forms for the kitchen and table, refining handles and spouts, and layering in surface decoration to bring beauty and meaning to your pots. Expect a balance of technical demos, design considerations, and playful exploration as you develop forms that pour, serve, and delight.

Day 1 begins with a conversation about form, focusing on how handles and spouts shape the function and feel of a teapot. Matt will share insights into placement, proportion, and even a touch of fluid dynamics to improve pouring. Students will spend the day throwing bodies or jars that will then have handles and spouts added on day two.

Day 2 expands into the relationship between form and surface. Through demos and discussion, Matt will show how to design handles and spouts that enhance both function and beauty, and how to incorporate surface decoration that adds depth and character. From exploring historical and natural patterns to using simple tools and textures, participants will learn ways to integrate meaningful decoration that complements their forms.

This immersive workshop offers a chance to deepen your skills in form and surface decoration while exploring fresh creative ideas. You’ll head home with techniques to practice and pots that bring beauty and function to daily life.

Eligibility: You will get the most out of this class if you can throw a 5” cylinder on the potter’s wheel. Recommended for those with one or more throwing classes. You must be 15+ years of age to participate. There is a 15” maximum size, in any direction, when creating with clay at RCC.

Refined Schedule Overview

Tools and Materials

RCC will provide up to 25# of reclaimed clay per person, we use a Cone 6 porcelaneous stoneware. Participants may choose to purchase more clay, or bring their own light colored clay to work with. No dark/red clay bodies. Please manage your own reclaim for out of house clays. This workshop is a process based workshop and firing of artwork is not included.

Please bring your own set of tools for this workshop - here’s what we recommend! Make sure your name or initials are written on all your items.

About the artist:

Matt Hiller, the imaginative force behind Lofted Acre Studios, is a true “material manipulator,” transforming clay and sustainably harvested Alaskan woods—birch, spruce, and alder—into gracefully functional, three-dimensional forms. Matt began his ceramics journey with an education at the University of Wisconsin–Stout. Now he is forging an artistic life immersed in the rugged beauty of rural Alaska.

In a creative symbiosis with his surroundings, Matt not only shapes vessels but also his environment—logging, milling, and building his off-grid home and studio by hand. This deep connection to land and material fuels work that blends utility and beauty, often illuminated by rain motifs, floral textures, and the natural rhythms of place.

Matt shares Lofted Acre Studios with his wife and collaborator, Katelin Hiller (formerly Walczyk), who earned her BFA in drawing and photography from the University of Wisconsin–Stout (2013). Together, they cultivate a creative practice that reflects both individual vision and shared dedication to craft, community, and place.

Their work can be found in galleries and shops across Alaska—including Dancing Leaf Gallery, Talkeetna Gear Shop, and Dos Manos—and continues to reach audiences drawn to objects that carry the spirit of both function and story.

Class refund 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 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.

• 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.