Curriculum
Bill van Gilder
A professional potter for more than 50 years, Bill van Gilder began his clay work at age 15, as a studio apprentice to the late Byron Temple. During the following years he apprenticed in Ireland and England, and received a degree from Harrow School of Art, London, U.K.. He then established and managed two large training pottery centers in Southern Africa (Lesotho & Swaziland) under the auspices of The World Bank. Bill returned to the U.S. in 1979 and in 1985 established a studio and craft gallery atop South Mountain in Central Maryland, which he continues to operate today.
van Gilder has served on the faculty of The Art League, Alexandria, VA, and was founder/director of The Frederick Pottery School, Frederick, MD. He currently leads workshops nationally and internationally on pottery forming, decorating, and firing techniques, as well as workshops on kiln building. Bill has designed a line of professional potter’s tools (van Gilder ClayTools) available on this website and through retailers nationwide.
Bill also wrote a regular ‘Teaching Techniques’ column for Clay Times magazine (USA), and was the creator, writer and host of Throwing Clay, an internationally televised DIY Network Television 30-part series about making pottery.
His clay work is exhibited and held in collections worldwide. It has been featured in ceramic periodicals including Clay Times, Ceramics Monthly, Ceramic Review (UK), Ceramic Arts (China), Sgraffito (S. Africa), and books including 500 Teapots and High Fire Glazes (Lark Books), Salt Glazing (A&C Black, London), and The Art of American Ceramics (Krause Books) and more. van Gilder authored Wheel-Thrown Pottery, a cooperative book venture by Lark Books and the DIY Television Network.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Will this work for me?
Absolutely! This prerecorded online workshop/course is designed to meet you wherever you are in your pottery journey. Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been making pots for years, the techniques I share are adaptable and practical. You’ll learn skills that you can immediately use and adjust to fit your style and goals.
If you’re willing to put in the time and practice, this workshop can help you improve your skills and create the pieces you’ve always wanted to make.
2. How long do I have access?
You’ll have immediate, unlimited, lifetime access to all workshop materials.
3. Can I download the material?
The videos are ONLINE ONLY and cannot be downloaded. However, there are plenty of downloadable PDFs throughout the course to support your learning.
4. How long does it take to go through the workshops?
The workshops are completely self-paced, so you can learn at your own speed. With lifetime access, you can revisit any lesson as often as you need.
5. How long does it take to get results?
Results depend on your individual effort and practice. If you commit to implementing what you learn, you’ll see improvements quickly!
6. Do the video lessons have subtitles?
Yes!
We offer subtitles in:
· English
· Spanish
· German
· French
· Italian
· Swedish
· Portuguese
· Korean
· Japanese
· Chinese
· Arabic
You have the option to turn subtitles ON or OFF as well as choose one of these languages.
7. Is there a guarantee/refund policy?
Yes! We offer a 15-day, no-questions-asked, full refund policy. Just let us know within the first 15 days, and we’ll issue a full refund. Absolutely no refunds are available after this period.
8. Do you update the course, and will I get updates?
If we update or add to the course, you’ll receive the updates for free! We’ll notify you via email about any new content.
9. What if I have questions?
You can email Kris at [email protected]
Once you have enrolled in the workshop, there is a ‘Comments’ section under each lesson. Either Bill or Kris will answer your questions related to the lesson.
If you have technical or enrollment questions, please email Kris at the address above.
10. Is there a Facebook Group or something like that?
Yes! There is a private community just for workshop students within the workshop website. This is a great place to ask questions of your peers and share information. Bill will be monitoring the group and will pop in now and then.
Other questions can be directed to Kris via email at [email protected]
11. I'm not very tech savvy. Is the workshop difficult to navigate?
Teachable.com, where we are hosting these workshops, is a very easy site to navigate. Help is available through the website if you are having a problem OR email Kris at [email protected]
12. How much is enrollment, and how do I sign up?
Each workshop is individually priced.
Flexible payment options are available during checkout for qualifying individuals and countries.
You can sign up during Open Enrollment. Let us know if you would like to be notified when we open enrollment.
13. Do you have a Terms of Use Policy?
Yes. You can find it HERE.
