Slowfire Art Studio FAQ's

We offer fun and engaging classes in painting, drawing, ceramics (handbuilding and wheel throwing)—perfect for exploring your creativity and trying something new!

5-100!

We have two locations in Oak Park, IL.

• Slowfire™ Studio, nestled in Oak Park’s lively Arts District, is the ultimate creative hub for adults. This location offers adult pottery memberships, adult ceramics classes, workshops, and events tailored to help you elevate your skills. With top-notch amenities—including high-fire ceramics, unique glazes, a full handbuilding area, and a new kiln —this studio has everything you need to bring your ceramic visions to life.

• Slowfire™ Grove, near the corner of Madison and Oak Park Avenue, expands the creative offerings to include multiple art mediums for children, teens and adults alike. This vibrant space hosts ceramics membership programs for both adults and teens and features unique classes like Chef Kristi’s baking and culinary camps, Mr. Shane’s Music Studio, and specialized painting and drawing rooms. Whether you’re exploring a new art form or honing your talents, Slowfire™ offers an inspiring environment for creativity.

We bring art enrichment classes to local schools and senior homes, as well as the Oak Park Township and the Oak Park Public Library.

We’re all about teaching real art fundamentals while making creativity come alive! Whether students are exploring a new medium or honing their skills, we help them master techniques, think creatively, and develop their own artistic voice. Starting with the basics, we build strong skill sets—and always keep the FUN in fundamentals!

Feel free to contact us if you are unsure. Typically, we have such small class sizes that Beginner-Intermediate covers a wide range of abilities.

We begin teaching students to use the pottery wheel around ages 9-10. This is because the wheel requires enough height and size to sit properly, reach the workspace, and operate the pedal correctly. It also demands significant coordination, the ability to follow detailed instructions, and an understanding of safety—using the wheel incorrectly can lead to injuries, like a broken finger. We kindly ask that you do not enroll your child in a class designated for ages 9/10+ if they have not yet reached that age. The pottery wheel is also a delicate and expensive piece of equipment that needs to be handled with care and respect. Thank you for helping us ensure a safe and positive experience for all students!

Yes, we do! We offer an adult ceramics membership at our 907 S Lombard Avenue location in the Oak Park Arts District, as well as a teen ceramics membership at the Slowfire Grove House.

No, we do not offer drop-in services or paint-your-own pottery. However, we provide 6-8 week classes, workshops, camps, and parties for all ages!

All of our available classes and camps are posted online! If you have questions after looking at our online listings, please feel free to email us noelle@slowfireceramics.com

Absolutely! Check out our Art Parties page. We can even bring the party to you in our very own Slowfire mobile art van. We offer 15% off our parties for all Girl Scouts Troops.

You can also fill out this request form: https://forms.wix.com/f/7022638571378967507

If we have availability with our teachers and space, we’d be happy to arrange a private lesson. Please contact us at noelle@slowfireceramics.com to inquire about pricing and availability.

An open mind!

Ceramics students should bring an apron and a towel. All other materials will be provided at the studio unless otherwise specified. We also recommend bringing a water bottle. Please note that children should not bring electronic devices.

Ceramics involves a variety of machinery and equipment, such as wheels, slab rollers, extruders, pug mills, and kilns, as well as significant outside labor beyond instructional time. Some of our additional responsibilities include:

• Curriculum planning

• Setting up and thoroughly cleaning the classroom (typically takes 45 minutes after each class)

• Recycling unused clay

• Loading and unloading kilns, which requires careful stacking and unloading (each piece is fired at least twice)

• Monitoring drying work to prevent cracking

• Managing electricity for kilns

• Covering the costs of clay, tools, equipment, and glaze chemistry

• Creating custom glazes (a 5-gallon bucket can cost up to $300)

These tasks ensure the smooth running of our ceramics program and the quality of the work students create.

We believe in art for all! We provide scholarships to folks in need of economic assistance to take our classes and we provide free programming for senior citizens. Feel free to submit a scholarship application. Please also consider a donation via our website. We are a 501c3 organization.

Noelle coined this term to reflect the essence of the artistic process. "Slowfire" embodies the idea that creating art is often a slow, meditative journey—a lifelong exploration of self-expression and growth. The "fire" represents both the spark of inspiration that ignites the creative process and the literal firing of ceramics in a kiln, which is a key step in bringing art to life.

We are committed to maintaining small class sizes and low student-to-teacher ratios, ensuring each student receives personalized attention. Our goal is to foster a sense of community while creating a safe, inclusive, and supportive learning environment for everyone. We proudly identify as an LGBTQIA+ space and actively support neurodivergent learners, embracing and celebrating all unique learning styles.

Slowfire started in 2020 as a private art studio offering lessons by Noelle Allen in her home studio.

Noelle Allen is a tenured professor of sculpture and ceramics at Dominican University in River Forest, where she also serves as the chair of the Art Department. She has been teaching at the college level since 2005. Originally from California, Noelle holds a degree from Smith College and an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Outside of her career, she is a proud mother of two sons and is supported by her husband.