Union Project

Ceramics studioup's ceramics studio aims to provide access to anyone who wants to learn to make ceramics. The studio offers a variety of entry points to grow artistic skills through year-round programming including studio membership for emerging and professional artists and open studios (drop-in time with light instruction provided for all skills levels). Up runs two studios (a main studio and a throwing lab) as well as a state-of-the-art outdoor kiln shelter. The facility includes seven kilns (a gas reduction kiln, a soda kiln, a raku kiln, and four electric kilns), 20 ceramic wheels, a clay and glaze mixing facility and a variety of studio equipment. Up offers services to studio members who seek to make art their career including ceramic businesses, designers, sculptors, and/or teaching artists. Artist services include studio access and storage space, training on how to mix glazes and fire kilns, exhibition and sales opportunities, as well as training and paid opportunities for teaching. Up staff work with each individual member to set artistic goals and a plan of action to reach those goals. Up also supports and hosts visiting artists who have an established practice and a proven track record of high-quality artwork, to make new work and share techniques with our studio members and ceramics community at large.additionally, up hosts a collaborative studio for artists of color, which offers opportunities to work together in a safe space, with sliding scale studio membership fees and event entry fees to ensure those who come from low-income households can participate.

Arts educationthrough its arts education programs, up offers classes (between 4-10 weeks for beginner to advanced); workshops (themed, fun and family friendly ways to create something together); and custom programs for pre-k thru grade 12 students, as well as unique team building opportunities for businesses both on and off-site. Up also offers a wheel mobile (clay studio on wheels) that includes its own mobile throwing wheel and raku kiln and all the tools and supplies required to make ceramics off-site. Up's more than 70 annual programs are offered for all ages both on site and off, and bring both pre-packaged and custom programming to classrooms, afterschool programs, summer camps, and community events.

Space rental programmingup's space rental program offers use of space to the community for the purpose of building a more inclusive, accessible, and just community. Using an affordable pricing strategy and marketing support (via website, monthly e-newsletters, and quarterly postcards/fliers), up incubates and supports new ideas, entrepreneurs, small businesses, non-profits, and community classes so that community members can learn new skills, interact with diverse residents, build social capital, and become more self-sufficient. Rentals are available hourly or via annual lease. Hourly space rental includes use of the great hall and kitchen which can host all manner of private and public events - from performances to community meetings to weddings. Annual rental offers affordable offices and studio space to fledgling non-profits, start-ups, social service providers, and artists, all of whom operate in a collaborative environment.

Community programsup's community programs include programs that foster appreciation for the ceramic arts, and create opportunities to experience and/or purchase a variety of hand-made ceramics to support local artists. Union Project's annual mother of all pottery sales (moaps - up's signature event) is the largest of its kind in southwestern pa. moaps provides community members opportunities to interact with dozens of diverse ceramic artists from across the region via conversation, purchase of their work, live demonstrations, and hands on activities. Additionally, events like up's annual dr. martin luther king, jr. day and glaze for good, bring artists and diverse community members together to make community art and learn from creatives making socially driven artwork to broaden views and create dialogue about and/or support social issues. In this way we strive to create greater connections and empathy between people in order to shift social patterns for a more caring, equitable, and just region.