Fired Earth Pottery, the name of my personal studio, is a large space located on the second floor of the commercial building at the corner of Pacific and Morrison Streets not far from downtown Appleton.

The Pottery features both a small sales gallery that is open when Rick is working in the studio, and for special events during the year (see Events calendar on the website). Because the studio is large, it has become a community clay resource over the years. I teach classes here to both beginners and more advanced students during fall, winter and spring. The classes offer basic to advanced instruction on handbuilding techniques, throwing, glazing and kiln firing. During each of these classes, I offer mini workshops featuring many of Eastern Wisconsin's best-known potters (Win Byers, Tony Winchester, Curt Heuer, Reid Schoonover, et al.) that are part of the class schedule and open to the public with no charge. I regularly organize shows in my gallery (attached to my studio) featuring clay and other craft related artists from the region. For instance, every year I put together a month long cooperative show called Fired Earth Pottery & Friends Open House featuring between six and eight local or regional artists.

I also provide space in my studio for up to 3 other clay artists to do their work. So far, all of these artists have come from my classes and have simply wished to go further with clay.

The facilities at the studio consist of 7 wheels, a large electric kiln, a small Olympic gas fired updraft kiln, a 40 cubic foot Donovan Palmquist (Master Kiln Builders) downdraft kiln, a glaze room, lots of workspace, and a video and book library.