GETTYSBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — A new ceramics and pottery workshop that offers instructional classes for children and adults officially opened on Monday.
Southern PA Clay is owned and operated by Kentucky native Corey Shultz, and this is now the first business that he has owned and operated himself throughout his art career.
According to Shultz, he has a lot of experience with providing educational instruction for making ceramics and pottery. His first time professionally teaching ceramics and pottery came back in 2016 when he founded a successful art program for a senior care facility in Lexington, Kentucky.
During his time as an instructor at the care facility, he grew his art program to over 400 students, running about 15 classes every week.
Following his time in Kentucky, Shultz went on to attend a graduate program for ceramics at Hood College in Frederick, Maryland. During his time at Hood College, Shultz worked as an art studio facilities manager for two years.
Now, for the past four to five years, Shultz has lived in Gettysburg, and he wants to bring his dream of creating a community art studio to life.
“I had a vision for a long time to create a community art studio – almost like an artists colony,” Shultz explained. “I live here in Gettysburg, but work in Waynesboro, so I thought ‘Why not build something in Gettysburg’.”
The new Southern PA Clay is located in a 1,400-square-foot studio at 102 Chambersburg Street and will feature an art studio, a gallery, and a retail shop. Shultz’s retail selection is comprised of his artwork that was either hand-sculpted or hand-turned.
If you are interested in browsing his artwork selections or are interested in purchasing any artwork, you can click here.
It should be noted that Shultz will make custom-made orders upon request.
In addition to the upcoming opening of his Chambersburg Street location, Shultz also acquired a large 8,000-square-foot warehouse in downtown Gettysburg with plans of making it a large art studio to hold additional classes in the future.
Shultz is currently renovating the large warehouse at 75 Montclair Road and anticipates its completion in the next 6-8 months.
The new Southern PA Clay offers a mix of one-time classes and seven week long courses for interested individuals, ranging from children to adults. According to Shultz, each of his classes are about two hours long, whereas his once-weekly, seven-week-long courses will meet for about two and a half hours.
According to Shultz, the seven-week-long courses are usually more in-depth and designed for adults, whereas the children’s one-day classes are simplified and designed to be more fun.
Currently, Shultz’s wheel-throwing classes can accommodate anywhere from 8 to 10 students, and his hand-building and sculpture classes can take on 12 to 14 students.
To check out the wide range of workshops and classes that are available, you can click here.
Southern Pa Clay’s business hours are:
- Mondays – Tuesdays // 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Thursdays // 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Saturdays // 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.
- Sundays // 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
“It feels really good [to open soon],” Shultz said. “I feel confident and positive in what I am bringing to Gettysburg. I just want to teach art to the public and help create a community of artists.”
The new Southern PA Clay held its grand opening on Monday, May 1.
