The Chilliwack Arts & Cultural Centre Society, which recently took over the arts and crafts programming at the Chilliwack Cultural Centre, is pleased to announce the first new classes.

Starting in the middle of February, skilled professional potters will be coming to the Centre with three opportunities for the community to experience the joy of working with clay through classes that will offer something for every level of skill.

The first class offered is Beginners Wheel Throwing starting Feb. 12. This class will be taught by Sue Schellenberg, owner of Schellenberg Pottery studio and shop in Yarrow. Students will be taken through the entire process from creating on the wheel to the finishing of their work through glazing and firing.

This is an eight-week course, with seven weeks of wheel work and the eighth week for glazing. There will be a one-week break between the seventh and eighth class in order for all the work to dry properly prior to firing. Cost is $170.

Second is Beginners Hand Building. This class will take place on Fridays from 10 a.m. to 12: 30 p.m. and includes six sessions starting Feb. 22. Under the instruction of master potter Molly Magid, this program will give students experience with all the techniques needed for making successful clay articles. Each session will include instructions on handling the material, joining pieces together, and how the clay transforms in all the stages between wet to final glazed piece. Cost is $135.

The third class offered is called Continuing Clay and will start on March 3 and run from 1 to 3: 30 p.m. for six sessions. This course is for the experienced potter and presents an opportunity for further skill building in an open studio setting with peers, and support from qualified, experienced instructors. Under the tutorship of experienced potters Holly McKeen and Carolyn MacLaren, the weekly project demos and ideas provided are aimed at encouraging students to work on a particular area of interest with ongoing coaching and support. Emphasis will be placed on the craftsmanship and quality of the finished project with a focus on the design possibilities of clay in a unique and individual way. This class caters to both individuals who wish to work on the potter's wheel as well as hand builders. Cost is $135 and participation is limited to those who have completed an introduction-to-pottery course.

All classes will include clay, glazes and firing in the cost.

? Registration for these classes can be done through the Centre box office, 9201 Corbould St., or by calling 604-391-SHOW (7469).