Please join us May 18th 2-4pm at Tooth + Nail Gallery for an artist talk with Jennifer Bastian.  This is part of our series of programing accompanying our current exhibition, Soft Structures, which features Bastian’s textile sculptures.

Jennifer Bastian is a neurodivergent and disabled artist, arts administrator and mother based in Madison Wisconsin. She is the cofounder and director of Communication, an all ages arts venue in Madison, where her main role is in building arts infrastructure, arts advocacy work and the promotion of marginalized artists in her community.

This event is free and open to the public, no registration required. Masks required for all attendees.

Clay, glaze, and kiln firing is included in the cost of the course. Students are welcome to stay for 30 minutes of additional practice time after class each until 8:30pm.

This beginner wheel throwing course will cover all the steps in the process of making pottery on the wheel.  The focus will be on learning the basic techniques of throwing, trimming, and glazing.  The class is geared toward students with little to no experience.

Aaron Zeleske is a potter whose work showcases textures, relying on either the natural qualities of clay or individually stamped impressions.  He has had an active ceramics practice since 2018.

Clay, glazes, and kiln firing is included in the cost of the course. Students are welcome to stay for 30 minutes of additional practice time after class each Wednesday until 8:30pm.

In this beginner course, the basics of throwing on the potter’s wheel and creating pieces from start to finish will be covered. No experience is needed as this class will begin with an explanation of the ceramic process and move through throwing, trimming, and glazing. The goal of this course is to give students a foundation of skills to build on and the confidence to do so with or without continued direct instruction. 

Shelby Page is a potter whose work is rooted in the intersection of form and function, creating high-quality, timeless pieces that serve a purpose and are meant to last. Her teaching follows the same principles and focuses on thoughtful and intentional making to build skills. 

Registration is non-refundable. Rescheduling is only allowed if requested no less than 14 days before the registered course start date. We strive to make our classes affordable while also paying our talented hard-working instructors fairly. Therefore, every class needs to have full attendance, or we lose money.

Saturday May 11th, 1-3pm

At Tooth + Nail Studio and Gallery 2018 S 1st Street Suite 308

Come learn beautiful and practical mending techniques that can prolong the lives of your favorite garments! Textiles artists Sarah Eichhorn and Grace Rother will teach you ways to patch and darn your well loved clothes. No sewing experience necessary! Mending supplies will be provided, just bring your clean clothes to repair. This workshop is in conjunction with our current exhibition Soft Structures, a group fiber show where Sarah and Grace’s work is on display.

Registration required. Fee is sliding scale, pay what you can.

Sarah Eichhorn is a fiber artist and sustainable living advocate based in Milwaukee, WI.  She received her BFA in Fashion Design from the International Academy of Design and Technology in Chicago, and her MFA in Costume Design from Florida State University. Sarah is drawn to creating pieces of art that utilize natural colors and fibers while pushing herself towards zero waste with her materials.  She has led various workshops on natural dye and eco-printing techniques, as well as facilitated lectures on sustainable fashion.  Through her personal practice, Sarah hopes to inspire others to consider where their coloring comes from and how we can collectively become more invested in the clothes we wear.

Grace Rother is a Great Lakes Region textile artist. Their work revolves around the concept of quilts as personal and regional archives. Grace grew up in SE Michigan surrounded by people with strong convictions and passionate creativity. Following in the footsteps of many other quilt makers before her, Grace utilizes quilts as catalysts for change through community organizing and raffles. In 2020 Grace organized the Abolition Quilting Bee. Her work has been shown in Chicago, Milwaukee, New York City, and Ypsilanti Michigan.

Clay, glaze, and kiln firing is included in the cost of the course. Students are welcome to stay for 30 minutes of additional practice time after class each until 8:30pm.

This beginner wheel throwing course will cover all the steps in the process of making pottery on the wheel.  The focus will be on learning the basic techniques of throwing, trimming, and glazing.  The class is geared toward students with little to no experience.

Aaron Zeleske is a potter whose work showcases textures, relying on either the natural qualities of clay or individually stamped impressions.  He has had an active ceramics practice since 2018.

Clay, glazes, and kiln firing is included in the cost of the course. Students are welcome to stay for 30 minutes of additional practice time after class each Wednesday until 8:30pm.

In this beginner course, the basics of throwing on the potter’s wheel and creating pieces from start to finish will be covered. No experience is needed as this class will begin with an explanation of the ceramic process and move through throwing, trimming, and glazing. The goal of this course is to give students a foundation of skills to build on and the confidence to do so with or without continued direct instruction. 

Shelby Page is a potter whose work is rooted in the intersection of form and function, creating high-quality, timeless pieces that serve a purpose and are meant to last. Her teaching follows the same principles and focuses on thoughtful and intentional making to build skills. 

Registration is non-refundable. Rescheduling is only allowed if requested no less than 14 days before the registered course start date. We strive to make our classes affordable while also paying our talented hard-working instructors fairly. Therefore, every class needs to have full attendance, or we lose money.

Join us Saturday May 4th 3-5pm for a craft circle led by Soft Structures artist Melissa Dorn. Come with a craft/art project of any type, or join in with others working with materials that Melissa and the studio provides. Fiber, found object, painting, drawing, and collage materials will be available to share. We will fortify ourselves by viewing the exhibition and through our chosen craft/art processes. As we find comfort in connecting, we may focus our discussions around maintenance, feminism, and labor.

No registration required. $10 suggested donation.

Join Janelle Gramling and Abby Goelzer of Garnet and the Moon for a pinch pot workshop on National Grief in Public Day.

Grief often and in its own time gives way to new growth just as winter gives way to spring. Come join us for an afternoon in the studio and let grief move through your body into the creation of a vessel to grow something new. What can sprout in the deep darkness of your composted grief? Participants will do some reflective writing around grief and get to work with clay to build their own pinch pot creation. You will come away from the experience with your own pot and the seeds of plant allies who are beautifully supportive in all grief work.

Janelle will go over techniques for making small vessels just using our hands and a ball of clay. Participants can make up to 3 objects, then paint designs on them with underglazes if they choose. Pieces will be fired by the studio and ready for pickup 2 weeks later.

Please note we will not be holding a grief circle. This is simply an invitation to come be in community and move grief through your body using a creative process of reflection and generation where in the end you will have built something new.

Garnet and the Moon is the heart work of Abby Goelzer, a grief witch and death doula. Her profound love of nature and its rhythms and patterns of death and rebirth inform her praxis and facilitation in tending to grief.  Her favorite pastime is eating pie in the company of snoring dogs.

Registration Required

Saturday April 27th, 2-4pm

Come learn Janelle Gramling’s methods for creating sculptural hanging tassels. Play with the artist’s materials including linen, wool, metal beads, wood beads, and hand-crafted ceramic components. The ceramic parts are pre-made before class for you to assemble with. Snacks and drinks will be provided. At the end of the workshop you will have a unique sculptural tassel for you to take home and enjoy!

This experience is appropriate for all skill levels. Be as ambitious or simple as you would like. Adults as well as children ages 10 and up are welcome.

People who identify as trans, bipoc, and folks with disabilities please reach out via email for a discount code janellegramling@gmail.com

Participants are required to wear a mask during the workshop. We will have some available if you forget yours.

Chains & Charms is a workshop for DIY customized charm necklaces! We bring the charms, chains, bubble drinks, and snacks, you bring yourself (and maybe a bestie)! This workshop is intended to make cute fully customizable chain necklaces with as many charms as you want. All charms are finished so attendees will be able to pick their favorites from our curated selection of gold-plated metal and handmade polymer clay charms. We will guide you on how to assemble and help with mixing charm styles/colors or chains with fun-looking connectors. 

About the artists: 

The Fruity Studio is run by a duo of queer Asian creatives including Yen (she/her) - designer by day, clay maker by night, and a (he/him) - full-time healthcare worker, part-time photographer. We love bold and fun colors as well as patterns that are incorporated into our work. We want to bring happiness and joy to our customers through our designs and products, whether it's a pair of earrings, fridge magnets, or even art prints. We build Fruity with the intention of growing creatively and learning more creative skills in the future. Expanding knowledge as well as constantly experimenting with new materials/mediums is a big part of our missions. We currently only focus on polymer clay goods (earrings, magnets, pins, etc.), art prints, and stickers but plan for more variety in the near future (charms bar, beaded rings, ceramic goods...)

Soft Structures

April 12 - June 1, 2024

Opening Reception Friday April 12th, 6-9pm

At the center of a community there are flexible, resilient bones - a scaffolding of warp and weft, stories are woven through repetition and intuition. This group exhibition explores the edges of fiber art within the Milwaukee area.

Illustrations of ancestry, mourning and a world we long for, whose potential is blessed by every stitch, is longed into being. We share the preciousness and disposability of heirloom objects. We experience, grieve and heal the ubiquity of invisible labor with beauty, care, and solidarity. 

Soft Structures celebrates textile traditions, while making-into their evolving role in our shared futures.

Artists: Rosy Petri, Okja Kwon, Ella Clemons, Grace Rother, Melissa Dorn, Sarah Eichhorn, Jennifer Bastian, Jaymee Harvey Willms, and Thomas Colton Romero. 

Four Saturdays 10am - 12pm on April 6th, 13, 20th, and 27th

Tooth + Nail Studio 2018 S 1st Street suite 308, Milwaukee

A personal tool kit, 25lb bag of clay, glazes, and kiln firing is included in the cost of the course. Students are welcome to stay for 30 minutes of additional practice time after class each Saturdays until 12:30.

In this beginner course, the basics of throwing on the potter’s wheel and creating pieces from start to finish will be covered. No experience is needed as this class will begin with an explanation of the ceramic process and move through throwing, trimming, and glazing. The goal of this course is to give students a foundation of skills to build on and the confidence to do so with or without continued direct instruction. 

Shelby Page is a potter whose work is rooted in the intersection of form and function, creating high-quality, timeless pieces that serve a purpose and are meant to last. Her teaching follows the same principles and focuses on thoughtful and intentional making to build skills. 

Registration is non-refundable. Rescheduling is allowed if requested no less than 10 days before the registered course start date.

Four Saturdays 10am - 12pm on April 6th, 13, 20th, and 27th

A personal tool kit, 25lb bag of clay, glazes, and kiln firing is included in the cost of the course. Students are welcome to stay for 30 minutes of additional practice time after class each Saturdays until 12:30.

In this beginner course, the basics of throwing on the potter’s wheel and creating pieces from start to finish will be covered. No experience is needed as this class will begin with an explanation of the ceramic process and move through throwing, trimming, and glazing. The goal of this course is to give students a foundation of skills to build on and the confidence to do so with or without continued direct instruction. 

Shelby Page is a potter whose work is rooted in the intersection of form and function, creating high-quality, timeless pieces that serve a purpose and are meant to last. Her teaching follows the same principles and focuses on thoughtful and intentional making to build skills. 

Four Fridays 6-8pm on April 5th, 12th, 19th, and 26th

Tooth + Nail Studio 2018 S 1st Street suite 308, Milwaukee

A personal tool kit, 25lb bag of clay, glazes, and kiln firing is included in the cost of the course.

This class is meant for ages 8-16. Students will experience learning the basics of throwing clay on the wheel. They will take home finished works that will be trimmed, painted, and glazed by them, and fired by the studio. There is no experience required for this course.

Danielle Burrows’s work is heavily inspired by the natural world, animals, and floral prints, which she recreates through glaze combinations and finishes. Clay and teaching are two of Danielle’s greatest passions, and she loves sharing that passion with young students who are always so eager to learn.

Wednesday March 20th 7-9pm

Tooth and Nail Studio 2018 S 1st Street suite 308

Live figure drawing for adults 18+. Bring your own supplies. Doors open at 6:40, participants must arrive by 7:00, as doors will be locked shortly after. $10/person with cash tip encouraged for model

A craft-and-chat evening in the Tooth + Nail Studio with Janelle Gramling and Lonesome Bill Walker. Learn how to create and personalize ceramic chains from instructor and studio director Janelle while featured artist Lonesome Bill Walker guides a conversation about pleasure, design, and creativity. This collaborative discussion will introduce new ways to incorporate kink into artistic and everyday practices while inviting attendees to discuss the ways they work pleasure and play into their own worlds.

This workshop is part of an ongoing series of events in collaboration with Lonesome Bill Walker's exhibition Erotic City. The show will be on full display during the workshop.

Due to the nature of the discussion topics, this workshop is for adults, but no ceramic skills are required to partake in the project. Your chain will be fired and ready for pickup at the studio 2 weeks after class.

*Masks Required*

March 10th 12-2pm

Join Dakotasky (Kota) for a one day lesson in painting and carving on ceramic wares. You’ll be provided one 9 inch and one 6 inch plate that is unfired and ready to be painted, carved and created on under guidance and coaching. Come with your own ideas or workshop from inspiration and examples in class.

This workshop is open to all skill levels and can be as ambitious or simple as you feel comfortable with.

Your plates will be fired and ready for pickup at Tooth and Nail Studio the week of March 17th.

Our current artist Lonesome Bill Walker will be talking about his solo show “Erotic City” in the gallery at 2:30pm. He will touch on his process, concepts, his journey as a queer artist, and philosophies on making art in community. The gallery is open every Saturday during the exhibition from 12-5pm.

This event is free and open to the public.

Live figure drawing for adults 18+.

$10/person with cash tip encouraged for model. Registration Required.

VDay is for Lovers: a collage valentines-making gathering for people ages 18+. Join Lonesome Bill Walker at Tooth + Nail MKE for a relaxed creative environment using archival materials from history books, nudie magazines, and retro bondage sites to make racy paper art for your very special valentine. Some collage materials will be provided but feel free to bring any additional materials to make your best vday card yet. Fun and humor are encouraged, playfulness and kindness is required, and consent is key. 

Instructor Rachal Duggan of RAD illustrates teaches this wild and flirty workshop in which you'll enjoy a safe environment to play drawing games and create tons of hilarious doodles in just an hour and a half! Designed to open your mind and allow for a more playful drawing mode, all skill levels are welcome. We'll be drawing famous hunks, bodacious babes, and all-around romantic content. Perfect for singles, pals (Galentine's), or couples, this Valentine's Day workshop is ALWAYS a hit! All workshop supplies will be provided. Or, if you prefer, bring your drawing tablet.

Lonesome Bill Walker's solo exhibition Erotic City at Tooth + Nail unveils the artist's new collection of sculptures, paintings, and toys. Walker's work addresses the themes of liberation through anti-censorship, fostering community through creativity, and embracing sex and pleasure as integral facets of life. The pieces reflect on city living- packed yet isolating- inviting viewers to explore the joy of connection and the transformative power of pleasure as a direct challenge to oppression. The show opens Friday February 9th from 6-9pm. Workshops, lectures, and classes will be offered throughout February and March by Lonesome Bill Walker in collaboration with studio curator Janelle Gramling to further expand on Erotic City's themes. Check the calendar for more details.

In this workshop, Janelle Gramling shares her methods for creating sculptural hanging tassels. All of her signature materials will be available including linen, wool, metal beads, wood beads, and hand-crafted ceramic components. The ceramic parts are pre-made before class for you to assemble with. At the end of the workshop you will have a unique sculptural tassel for you to take home and enjoy!

This experience is appropriate for all skill levels. Be as ambitious or simple as you would like. Adults as well as children ages 10 and up are welcome.

Looking forward to playing with you!