Welcome to Ford City Potters!
This is our first Newsletter, to our first subscribers.
First of all, thank you for signing up for our mailing list—we won’t be using this information for anything but Ford City Potters news and information. And we won’t be inundating you. Our hands will be covered in clay anyway. But by joining this list, we will release our schedules a day early so you can get first dibs on class sign ups—by at least a day or two. So if you know anyone who ALSO might want to take up pottery too, feel free to forward our website to them.
Okay so the plan is to open mid-April (fingers crossed emoji!). And the way it’ll work is this: in late February or early March, you’ll receive a link announcing class offerings—8-week wheel and handbuilding classes, workshops, one-off classes if you just want to dip your toe in—night AND day times—along with descriptions and a payment link. Fill everything out, add the class to your own calendar, and that’s it—pack your aprons or work clothes and see you at 994 Drouillard, lower level (entrance off Whelpton).
Going forward, as long as you're on the list, you’ll always get a heads up on the next session, plus other workshops and events we are planning, lots of good pottery tips and tricks and neighbourhood news too.
When you become a member of Ford City Potters, that’s a little different. First off, to be a member you have to have some experience. We suggest you take two wheel classes in a row to familiarize yourself with the flow of a professional pottery studio. But some of you have experience and really want to move your practice to a studio like this, so we can take it case by case. FCP Members will still pay online, but then you’ll get access to the FCP TeamUp app where you’ll be able to book up to 9 hours every week, pretty much 24-7. (Generally people serious about pottery need 2-3 sessions a week for 3-4 hour blocks, to process their pieces.) There’ll also be a few wheels available during class times, where you can work independently in a lively environment. Or maybe you just want to work on your own. You’ll have all those options and more.
A little bit about the founders.
We are Gisele Bick and Lisa Gabriele, and we met during the pandemic, when Lisa temporarily relocated to her hometown Belle River to work from home, and sought out pottery classes. She googled around and found G-Pots, and Gisele, one town over. Many of you probably already know Gisele, or know of her, or have come across her beautiful wares at a number of retail shops in Essex County. She is the local OG of pottery, practicing for fifteen years, teaching for eight. (Her inspiring story about how she rediscovered pottery will be posted on our website soon.) Lisa has been practicing for about three years, after a 35+ year hiatus since first learning to throw in high school—shout out to Mr. Jarecki. She fell madly in love with pottery (again) and soon began spending all her spare time in her Toronto studio. She sells Lisa G. Pottery in a few retail spots in Toronto and locally, but now lives in Belle River full time.
Anyway, their casual conversations over clay about how odd it was that Windsor didn’t have a full service pottery studio, soon led to serious discussions about the two of them opening one. And a few months later, here we are.
We are so excited to be joining the Ford City “makers” community. Our studio will be welcoming space for pottery newbies and pros, with the goal of becoming a vibrant hub for Windsor’s growing pottery community. Opening in that neighbourhood was the first thing we agreed on, both of us having meaningful roots in the area as children and siblings of long-time autoworkers. To us, Ford City represents renewal, renaissance, revival, all the things we found doing pottery. Maybe you will too!
If you have any questions reach out at fordcitypotters@gmail.com.
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