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This image shows the southwest side of 1106 Hawthorne St. Central is the glass gallery entrance or main entrance. To the right is the bike parking, and we can see the bay door which leads to the classroom space.

Accessibility - Know Before You Go

At the Clay Studio of Missoula, we strive to provide accessibility to all our guests as much as reasonably possible. 

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Due to the nature of ceramics and our facility, we cannot make every accommodation request a reality, but we will do our best to make guests feel welcome. This community is open to everyone!

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This page lists information about our facilities at 1106 and 1110 Hawthorne street and their accessibility features, so you can know what to expect before arriving for your visit. At the bottom of this page there is a contact form linked directly to our Education and Outreach Coordinator Kelly Seitz, who you can contact to request accommodations or ask any questions regarding accessibility. Please note that we've got a small staff, and will need time to respond to requests. Please reach out at least one week prior to your visit to request accommodations, more time is better whenever possible. We're happy to work with you as much as we can to make your visit accessible!

Arriving at the Studio

Accessible Parking

The studio has one reserved accessible parking space with ramp area near our main building, marked with pavement lines and a freestanding sign directly in front of the main building entryway. An accessible parking space with ramp area will be permanently reserved at our new Annex building in Spring of 2026.

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If you need space to accommodate multiple accessible vehicles, please call ahead and we can reserve space next to either building with traffic cones.

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Building-front parking spots are level, but there is a slope of greater than 5% between the entries of our two buildings because of the elevation shift from the road to the main lot. We are happy to reserve a spot at either building with traffic cones to improve access if you reach out to staff ahead of your visit!

Entryway Locations

There are two commonly used entryways in the 1106 building. Both face southwest toward the parking lot. The glass door on the right hand side when facing the building leads to our front desk and gallery. It is easy to locate or call staff from this entry.

On the left hand side facing the building, there is a bright orange door adjacent to a bay door. This leads to our main building classroom space, and is where people should enter to go to a repeating class, or for open studio appointments after hours. It will be unlocked during evening classes, whereas the gallery door will not.

During public open hours, 12-5PM on weekdays and 12-3PM on Saturdays, it is preferred for guests to enter through the glass gallery door.

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1110 Hawthorne St has three entrances to different units of the space which face west toward the street. Unit C is on the far left when facing the building and leads to the one-day session and workshop classroom. Unit B is in the center, and houses private maker-space for access artists, and Unit A is on the right, which houses the sculpture studio classroom and two semi-private spaces. 

Accessible Pathways

The Clay Studio of Missoula follows ADA regulations for accessible pathways. There should be adequate room for a wheelchair user to navigate the public ground level in any of our spaces.

 

Many people utilize the studio on a daily basis, and it is possible for small furnishings like stools and carts to be moved around into unexpected locations. Staff does our best to stay on top of this and make sure pathways are always clear, but we are happy to make adjustments to help guests if needed.

 

There is no elevator to reach the second story, but the upper floor contains only private spaces for resident artists which are not open to the public, and the staff office. All services the office can provide are available at the front desk on ground level, and any meeting with staff can be conducted on ground level.

Clay Studio of Missoula Facility Map
This image shows a topographical map of the studio layout, including both 1106 and 1110 Hawthorne street locations. Hawthorne street is to the far left of the image, and 1110 Hawthorne is curbside, just north of the entry to the parking lot. 1110 is divided into three spaces. Unit A is furthest South, and contains the sculpture studio classroom, with two parking spaces to the west of the west facing entryway. Unit B is in the middle and is private, and the parking spaces to the west of the westward Unit B entrance are also private. Unit C is most northward and contains our class for one-day sessions and workshops. This space also includes an accessible restroom. Unit C is not typically open unless a session is taking place there. The main building at 1106 is pictured. It is behind 1110, and has a complex layout. The main entryway is roughly in the center of the building, facing southwest. Call staff for more info about the building layout if needed.
Clay Studio of Missoula Dress Considerations

  • Closed-toed shoes are highly recommended - sandals or very soft shoes are discouraged.
     

  • Clothing is likely to get covered in clay dust - avoid wearing garments that are precious.
     

  • If you will be working with clay, hand jewelry or other accessories on hands are discouraged, and it is recommended to wear short sleeves or sleeves that can be rolled up. Assistive devices are welcome, but may get dirty - clay is washable with water. 
     

  • The studio main floor temperature is usually between 60-70 degrees.
     

  • ​The gallery area can be cold during the fall and winter because of the large windows. Gallery visitors may benefit from having a light coat in colder weather. 

Clay Studio Site Accessibility Features

  • Accessible Restrooms

    • Restrooms in the community studio, main building classroom, and Annex Unit C classroom are wheelchair accessible. These restrooms have grab bars and ample space for maneuvering a chair. These restrooms also have pedestal sinks and accessible soap and towel dispensers. 
       

  • Gallery Labels

    • All labels in the gallery space are printed black-on-white in high contrast, in 16pt font or larger.

    • A staff member can accompany and read out gallery labels for guests if needed with a call ahead. 
       

  • Seating Spaces

    • There is seating available in the gallery near the entryway door and front desk. 

    • Being an art studio space, there is seating available in all learning and making areas which can be moved around to provide a rest where needed. All work tables are built at accessible height, and chairs can be cleared away to allow for a wheelchair to pull up to a table. This is the case in our community studio, main classroom, and short session classroom in Annex Unit C.
       

  • Light Levels (More Coming Soon)

    • Light levels vary throughout the space, and may be different from day to day. 

    • The gallery is roughly 150-170 lux, but will be brighter on sunny days.

    • The Community Studio space is about 320 lux, though this can be lowered by turning off half the light banks.

    • The classroom is about 280 lux, but may be brighter on sunny days.

    • ​The Kiln Room is about 200 lux. 

    • Annex levels TBD.
       

  • Sound Levels

    • The studio is a creative space, and sound can be somewhat chaotic at times. Amplified music is often played in the various classroom spaces (only during class time) to help encourage a creative atmosphere, but can be requested kept off if we know a sound-sensitive visitor will be present. Amplified music is discouraged by studio policy in the community space to reduce distractions and be considerate of sound sensitive visitors.

    • We encourage all members to talk amongst each other, though we ask that voices not exceed speaking level as much as possible. If you have an auditory tic which may make this difficult, please let staff know and we will do our best to make accommodations so you can join us comfortably in the studio or at events or lectures. 

    • The ambient noise of most spaces averages around 75dB. 

    • Power tools such as electric drills are commonly used at the studio. If you are sensitive to the sounds of these tools, please let us know and we will do our best to prevent their use during your visit during open hours. During private access time outside of public hours, we cannot control this, so please plan accordingly.

    • Our studio is directly next door to active train tracks, which can make things unexpectedly loud from time to time. It is normal to hear the crashing of coupling trains especially in the afternoon with moments of noise in excess of 100dB. We recommend anyone sensitive to these sounds wear a noise muffling head set. Foam ear plugs are available on request if needed!
       

  • Air Quality

    • We do everything we can to prevent airborne silica, and have a high quality HVAC system running in our main building. Air quality is safe, but some areas may still be irritating to sensitive visitors, such as the kiln room which has hot, dry air, and the clay and glaze mixing room which can be somewhat dusty after use.

    • Some firing procedures can create smells that are considered unpleasant, though air quality is still safe. There are occasionally traces of smoke or atmospheric smell from Raku or reduction firing. If you are sensitive to these types of smells, we recommend bringing a cloth face mask, or calling to check in ahead of time. 

    • N95 face masks are available for mixing room interns and volunteers, and can be given to sensitive guests in a pinch. Members are expected to bring their own face mask or respirator if they plan to use the mixing facilities. When these facilities are in use, doors are shut and the space fan-ventilated so the main studio does not experience any air contamination.
       

  • Online Accessibility

    • We do our best to tag all images on the website with alt-text. Please note we do not have dedicated website staff and may occasionally miss things, but will correct these if they are brought to our attention.

    • Most of our paper forms are also available as PDFs or web forms for accessibility. If a form is not yet available it can typically be prepared with a week's notice if necessary. 

    • Occasionally, we provide downloadable forms (such as for intern applications) that are available in both PDF and DOCX formats. These forms can be downloaded, printed, completed and submitted in person, by mail, or by email. Please follow the submission directions provided on the form for these.

    • Online purchases or call-for-entry on theclaystudioofmissoula.org must be performed off-site, requiring guests to use the functionality as given by Paypal, Stripe, Square, Neon Pay, or Submittable. The Clay Studio of Missoula has no control or effect on the functionality of any website, including, but not limited to the aforementioned websites, outside of theclaystudioofmissoula.org.

    • Staff is happy to take feedback and make corrections to the website as much as we are able.

Accessibility Accommodation Requests

We understand that accessibility is not one-size fits-all. We strive to be inclusive and make accommodations where we are able to be as welcoming as possible. Below are some examples of accommodations we can make on request:

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  • Staff can be called or emailed to help students and members make appointments for classroom day-use access or any other studio services. 
     

  • Digital PDFs of artist statements and other paperwork can be provided to read on a personal device. 
     

  • Large print physical copies of policy documents or gallery materials can be printed. 
     

  • One-on-one appointments with a staff member to provide services such as reading over membership documents together or taking a tour of the space can be arranged. 
     

  • An appointment can be arranged for a tour of an exhibition in our gallery, though this may take additional prep time depending on how descriptive a tour is needed. We are currently working on regularly scheduling guided tours, and hope to include periodic descriptive tours in the near future.
     

  • Staff can be prepared to help carry artwork or items in or out of the studio for members, students, and gallery purchases during staffed hours.
     

  • It is possible to plan accessible tours, field trips, or private workshop events for groups of participants with special needs. To request this, you'll plan a meeting with the Education Coordinator to discuss necessary accommodations, the time frame in which they are possible, and if any additional fees may be needed to provide necessary materials. At present, we cannot guarantee accessibility of the pottery wheels because of the nature of the equipment and technique, but are happy to work out handbuilding alternatives for private workshops.

Accessibility Contact Form

Make a requeset for an accommodation for an upcoming visit, or ask a question about accessibility. Alternatively, you can email fire@theclaystudioofmissoula.org.

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