Website: https://theclaylady.com/
The Clay Lady’s Campus is a ceramics and pottery arts center located in Nashville, Tennessee. The campus describes itself as a hub for “Community, Education, and Supplies,” bringing together clay artists, students, and art enthusiasts under one roof. It was founded by Danielle McDaniel, known professionally as The Clay Lady, who created the campus to be “a one of a kind creative crossroads for clay artists and art enthusiasts.” The site reports that the campus sees over 500 students and artists each week and that thousands of artists in Nashville and beyond count it as part of their creative journey. The Clay Lady, The Clay Lady Way, and The Clay Lady’s definition of being an artist are noted on the site as federal trademarks.
Services
The campus organizes its offerings around three pillars: community, education, and supplies.
- Workshops for all ages and levels of experience
- Ongoing pottery and sculpture classes
- Private group workshops
- The Clay Lady Way, a teaching resource for art teachers and makers, including books and instructional videos
- Inservices for art teachers
- The CLC Gallery, featuring the artwork of the campus’s 75 resident artists
- Community events that bring artists and art enthusiasts together
- The Nashville Clayscape
- Clay for Kids programming
- Ceramic supplies through Mid-South Ceramic Supply Co., described as “your resource for everything clay”
The site also offers a product shop and a book blog with articles for artists and art teachers, covering topics such as reconditioning clay and the history of clay and cones.
About
Danielle McDaniel is The Clay Lady. According to the site, she has been “best known since 1982 for her clay teaching program in the schools of Middle Tennessee.” She took her first pottery class in 1981 through Nashville Metro Parks and Recreation, then went on to teach at the Bellevue Community Center for 15 years and worked at Mid-South Ceramic Supply Company. Her career as The Clay Lady began in 1982 after she taught clay at a child’s birthday party, which led to invitations to teach in local classrooms. By 1995 she was teaching 500 to 800 children per week in schools throughout Middle Tennessee. She wrote “How to Teach Clay, The Clay Lady Way” in 1996 and began teaching inservices nationally. In 2010, Danielle and business associate Tami Archer purchased Mid-South Ceramic Supply. The site states her mission has been to make clay “accessible to everyone via videos, books, seminars and The Campus.”
Location & Contact
Address: 1416 Lebanon Pike, Nashville, TN
Phone: 615.242.0346
The campus maintains a presence on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
Additional Information
The campus houses a community of 75 resident artists whose work is featured in the CLC Gallery. Visitors can subscribe to The Clay Lady’s Campus emails for artist tips, class and event announcements, and special workshops. The site includes an online store for purchasing products and supplies, an FAQ section, and the teaching resources known as The Clay Lady Way for teachers and makers.
Profile compiled from the company’s official website (theclaylady.com).