General policies:

• Communal shelves: Hey Clay does not offer private shelves. This allows us to provide more flexible membership management options to our customers like pausing or canceling, offering limited visit punchcards etc.

• Pause or cancel anytime: You can pause your membership anytime. Pausing will delay the recurring charge date by the duration of the hold. The minimum duration for a pause is 1 week and maximum is 3 months. Request to pause must be sent to frontdesk@heyclay.studio at least 2 weeks in advance of pause date. When a membership is paused or cancelled, members must ensure all their work is off the shelves, else it will be discarded.

• Check-in: All members MUST check-in at the front desk upon arrival at the studio. If there is no staff present, members must check-in using the guest iPad.

• Office hours: Be prepared and have a plan when thinking of using the office hours to make best use of your time, the instructor’s time and to be considerate of others who also might want to use the office hours. For example, if you need a trimming demo, bring a couple of pieces that the instructor can use for the demo.

• Firing and KilnFire: All pieces must be submitted through KilnFire for order processing and firing.

• Bringing guests: Members can bring guests by purchasing a guest pass. Guests must also check-in at the front desk. There is no time cap on how long the guest can stay but the guest cannot stay at the studio and work independent of the member. Members are responsible for their guests conduct. If the guest wishes to fire a piece, the member must process it through their KilnFire account using the member firing rate. Please inquire at frontdesk@heyclay.studio for minors as guests.

• Cleaning: All members must take personal responsibility to keep their workstations, equipment and the studio clean after use. Our request is that you leave it better than you found it to make for an inviting environment for all.

• Reclaim: Hey Clay staff manages all clay recycling. Members are not responsible for reclaiming their own material, but we do ask that you work mindfully - reuse workable clay, avoid unnecessary waste, and place scraps only in the designated reclaim bins.

Policies specifically for Founding Memberships:

• Activation date: Founding members will activate their membership on their first day at the studio on or after the soft opening. Your first charge will be 1 month after activating the membership. If the soft opening is delayed, Hey Clay will notify the Founding members of the new date.

• Firing credits: Credits will not expire if not used. Credits have no cash value.

• Non-transferable: Founding membership and credits are for the purchaser only and cannot be transferred or shared. If Founding membership is purchased as a gift, the purchaser must reach out to frontdesk@heyclay.studio with the name and email of the gift recipient. This must be done before activating the membership. 

• Refund guarantee: If the studio does not open within 4 months of purchase, Founding memberships payments are refundable upon request. Please reach out to frontdesk@heyclay.studio.

• Soft launch experience: As a Founding Member, you’ll enjoy all the perks of your membership as soon as we open. During our soft launch, a few features may not be available immediately, but we’ll do our best to provide as many benefits as possible from day one. Your support helps us get the studio fully up and running, and you’ll be among the first to enjoy the full Hey Clay experience!

• Limited quantity: Founding Memberships are capped and only available to purchase prior to the soft opening.

• Standard fees resume: After credits are used, regular firing fees apply; membership continues at standard monthly rates from the second month onward unless canceled.

• Timeliness: Students must arrive on time for the class to prevent disruption and double work for the instructors.

• Check-in: All students must check in with their instructors for class and at the front desk upon arrival for Open studio time. If there is no staff present, students must check-in using the guest iPad.

• Open studio hours: Students can use the studio from Tuesday to Sunday to continue practicing outside of class hours. This access will only be for the duration of the Foundations course. Students can also lean on the instructors staffed during scheduled Office hours.

• Personal projects during the course: The Foundations course requires students to closely follow the curriculum, which has been designed by experienced ceramic educators. To ensure getting the most out of this course and to set beginners up for long term success in their pottery journey, we do not encourage working on personal projects during class times, unless they overlap with the scope of the curriculum. To work on personal projects, enrolled students can utilize Open studio hours. Additionally, students will have studio access for 1 additional week after course ends to finish up any outstanding projects - curriculum related or personal. After this, a graduate must purchase a membership to continue practicing and using studio resources.

• Missed classes: The Foundations course curriculum has in-built make up weeks. If you miss a class or two, you will have plenty of opportunities to make up the class within the framework of the curriculum as well as by using our scheduled Office hours with instructors during Open Studio time.

• Firing and KilnFire: Firing is included in the fees of the Foundations course. However, students must still submit pieces through KilnFire for firing.

• Cleaning: All students must take personal responsibility to keep their workstations, equipment and the studio clean after use. Our request is that you leave it better than you found it to make for an inviting environment for all.

• We encourage students to lean into the process of playing with clay in this class. While it is not necessary to have finished a piece by the end of the class, students will be allowed to fire 1 piece if desired.

• Students will pick a glaze of choice at the end of class

• Please allow at least 3 weeks for the studio to finish and fire the pieces; an email will be sent when the pieces are ready

• Pieces not picked up within 2 weeks of getting email notification will be discarded

• All piece pickups must be submitted via KilnFire

General policies:

• Communal shelves: Hey Clay does not offer private shelves. This allows us to provide more flexible membership management options to our customers like pausing or canceling, offering limited visit punchcards etc.

• Check-in: All punchcard holders MUST check-in at the front desk upon arrival at the studio. If there is no staff present, patrons must check-in using the guest iPad.

• Office hours: Be prepared and have a plan when thinking of using the office hours to make best use of your time, the instructor’s time and to be considerate of others who also might want to use the office hours. For example, if you need a trimming demo, bring a couple of pieces that the instructor can use for the demo.

• Firing and KilnFire: All pieces must be submitted through KilnFire for order processing and firing.

• Bringing guests: Punchcard holders can bring guests by purchasing a guest pass. Guests must also check-in at the front desk. There is no time cap on how long the guest can stay but the guest cannot stay at the studio and work independent of the member. Punchcard holders are responsible for their guests conduct. If the guest wishes to fire a piece, the patron must process it through their KilnFire account using the member firing rate.

• Cleaning: All punchcard holders must take personal responsibility to keep their workstations, equipment and the studio clean after use. Our request is that you leave it better than you found it to make for an inviting environment for all.

• Reclaim: Hey Clay staff manages all clay recycling. Punchcard holders are not responsible for reclaiming their own material, but we do ask that you work mindfully - reuse workable clay, avoid unnecessary waste, and place scraps only in the designated reclaim bins.

• Unused visits: Unused visits will not roll over to the next month i.e they will be lost. Unused visits also do not have any cash value.

• Re-upping: If you run out of visits, you can re-up to another punchcard or a recurring membership. Hey Clay also has 2-visit and 1-visit punchcards for existing punchcard holders in the event a full punchcard is not desired.

• Clearing the shelves: Before a punchcard expires (either when visits are used up or when the validity is over), punchcard members must take all work off of the shelves unless they have purchased another punchcard or recurring membership.

Please reach out to frontdesk@heyclay.studio for all requests.

Refund policies for Foundations

• Requests made more than 2 weeks prior to first session: 100% refund

• Requests made within 2 weeks and before 24 hrs of class starting: 50% refund

• Requests made within 24 hrs of class starting or after course starts: 0%

In the event the studio needs to cancel the course due to any unforeseen circumstances, you will be refunded in full or given credit for another registration.

Refund policies for one-off sessions:

• Requests made more than 1 week prior to the session: 100% refund

• Requests made within 1 week of session: 50% refund

• Requests made within 12 hrs of session starting or after session starts: 0%

In the event the studio needs to cancel the session due to any unforeseen circumstances, you will be refunded in full or given credit for another registration.

Refund policies for memberships and punchcards:

• No refunds once a monthly recurring membership or prepaid punchcard is charged

• No refunds for unused visits upon punchcard expiration

All other transactions:

Our standard policy is no refunds. If you have any questions, please reach out to frontdesk@heyclay.studio.

• Glazes: Always give glazes a good mix before using them. If something seems off - too thick, too thin, or just unusual - let your instructor or studio staff know. They’ll take care of adjusting it. Please don’t add or remove water yourself. Remember, glazes are chemicals and must be treated as such. Please handle glaze buckets with care and attention - they’re heavy and can make quite a mess if spilled! If a spill happens, please alert a staff member. You may be asked to help cover the cost of replacement.

• Outsize clay and glazes: Can be used after approval. We have a form that you will fill out, we will approve and then you’re welcome to start using them at the studio!

• Cleaning, dust and sanding: Only wet cleaning at the studio. To keep dust down, please don’t sweep - a damp sponge or mop is the way to go. Clay dust is harmful, so please avoid scraping or dry sanding in the studio. You can head outside to do this. Alternatively you can wet sand.

• Equipment usage: There will be videos next to each equipment to demonstrate how best to use it. If you are still not sure of how to use a certain equipment, please ask a staff member. It is important to use the studio equipment correctly and with care to avoid any injuries and extend the life of the equipment. We might ask you to cover the cost of repair or replacement in the event of improper equipment usage.

• Back office and kiln room access: Under no circumstances will anyone except staff be allowed in the back office area. Please ask a staff member if you have any questions.

• Come as you are! Hey Clay will provide everything you need to work on your projects, just come as you are! Should you choose to bring your own tools, aprons etc, please make sure to take them back with you.

• Communal drying shelves only: Hey Clay does not offer private shelves to members. Should this be a deal breaker for you, you can check out other studios in the neighborhood - Powerhouse Arts, Blue Room Pottery, Slow Burn Ceramics, The Pottery Studio, Clayground etc.

• No production level pottery: As a reminder, Hey Clay is a community studio. We do not have the resources or the space to support production level pottery projects or meet specific firing deadlines. If this is your need, you can check out our neighbors Powerhouse Arts!

• Material and merchandise sales: Such sales will only be possible during business hours. These include purchase of specialty sales.

• Food and drink: Light snacks (like nuts, chips etc) are OK. We do have pests like every NY establishment! Closed containers for drinks are OK. If you spill, please clean up asap and alert a staff member.

• Pets: Dogs are welcome at the studio as long as they are hypoallergenic, don’t bark or whine and are generally well-behaved. Owners must keep their next to them at all times. If a dog is misbehaves or makes other studio patrons uncomfortable, we will ask the owner to leave the studio and come back without the dog.

• Personal property: Take care of your belongings, the studio is not responsible for anything that breaks or get stolen/ misplaced. There will be a coat rack to store your stuff when you work, but please take all belongings with you once you leave the studio.

• Knowledge sharing: We want Hey Clay to be an open space for learning and knowledge sharing. If another patron has a question, and you have an answer, we encourage peer to peer learning as much as we encourage learning from our talented instructors.

• Noise levels: Hey Clay has an open plan - part of its charm is the gentle hum of conversation and creativity. You may hear others chatting or receiving instruction while you work. We ask everyone to keep voices low so we can all enjoy the calm, welcoming vibe that makes the studio special. If you prefer a quieter experience, feel free to pop on headphones and tune into your own flow.

• Zero tolerance: Hey Clay is a space built on respect, safety, and inclusivity. We have a zero tolerance policy for discrimination, harassment, or any behavior that makes others feel unsafe or unwelcome. This includes - but isn’t limited to - actions, language, or attitudes that are disrespectful, intimidating, or discriminatory toward others based on identity, sexual orientation, ability, background, or experience. Anyone who violates this policy may be asked to leave the studio and may lose access to classes, membership, or events. We’re committed to maintaining a kind, supportive environment where everyone can create and connect freely. If you ever experience or witness behavior that doesn’t align with these values, please let a staff member know right away or email frontdesk@heyclay.studio.

• No smoking: If you need to smoke, you can take a walk towards the canal. Please don’t smoke within 30 ft of the studio entrance.

• Waiver: By transacting with Hey Clay, you agree to our waiver. You can find a copy of our waiver here.

• Write to us: All questions and concerns must be promptly shared with frontdesk@heyclay.studio