Mouse Ceramic Studio Is Open, Bringing Clay South Of The Park
DITMAS PARK – Mouse Ceramic Studio opened this Monday, October 1, on time as promised – equally surprising and delighting owners Lauren Berodt-Ramirez and Pedro Ramirez – and shall we say – every potter and aspiring potter south of Prospect Park.
The studio, set on the ground floor at 1012 Beverley Road, just east of Coney Island Avenue, is bright and owners hope just big enough for the community to offer hand-building and wheel classes, studio time, memberships, workshops and artist talks and more.
We spotted Lauren inspecting the last delivery of wheels yesterday and talked a bit about the new space, and how it came about.
She and Pedro started teaching classes out of their home in Kensington, which you can almost see from the studio windows, and the idea took root as the popularity of the classes increased. Lauren and Pedro’s interests in clay also complement each other.
Pedro is interested in using ceramics as a “vessel of life” for his living planted pots – like the one in the image above, and image transfer techniques using decals and monoprints. He received his MFA from City College of the City University of New York, where he and Lauren met as she was studying towards a degree in Museum studies. He is still teaching at Marymount Manhattan College and City College.
While Pedro teaches the wheel, Lauren teaches hand building classes – and has her own jewelry business Brooklyn Beach Rocks that features ceramic beads.
The studio currently offers six classes, though some have already sold out, and will be accepting members starting Sunday, October 7. What will you be working with?
The studio offers white stoneware (second from left in the image above) for unlimited regular use in the studio, as well as three other options for purchase ($25/25LB) – a speckled clay, a dark brown, and porcelain.
Glazes – there are 25 glazes to pick from, and Lauren refers to them as Old School and Bold School: “Old School glazes have the look of a cone 10 reduction firing with classic colors, variable finishes and lots of depth. Bold School glazes are modern, clean and simple.”
There are 14 wheels, 9 in the main area, used for classes and workshops, and another five for members. For more details, get in touch.
Best of luck and welcome!
