Marshall University faculty member Allora McCullough is offering a beginner and intermediate pottery class every Wednesday in the Art Warehouse, which began this week.

The class is for teaching people who has not had the opportunity to take a pottery or art class or know how to throw functional pieces on the pottery wheel.

McCullough said the Office for Continuing Education was looking for instructors to broaden their courses available to the public and had a call for educators who were interested in teaching the course.

“The timing for the pottery class is perfect because a lot of people love to have hand-made gifts for the holidays, and that way anyone that takes this class will have finished work for their loved ones,” McCullough said. “Having a skill set to learn to be able to work and make something with your hands is a positive thing to do, and you sense a feeling of accomplishment.”

Each class will be structured beginning with demonstration then hands-on learning. McCullough will give one-on-one attention to each student as they learn the techniques and struggles of pottery. People will also be able to decorate their pottery after they make it.

McCullough said no one is walking away with just a skill. Students and community will get to have both an experience and product in the end.

“I’ve taught this course at other art centers, and I moved to West Virginia from New York, so I’m really excited to be able to continue teaching because I do want to be an educator,” McCullough said. “I think that my feelings are pretty positive about it, and I get to meet more students and people from the community other than the students I’m already teaching in my art history class.”

Alison Baldridge can be contacted at [email protected].