2024: At DCC we prioritize the health and well-being of our community members. In response to the ongoing public health situation, we value the diverse needs and choices of our community members. In recognition of individual preferences and public health considerations, we have implemented a Supportive Mask-Wearing Policy to ensure everyone feels comfortable and safe. Mask wearing will continue to be voluntary.
- Masks are available at the front door of the studio.
- We require that participants certify they have received initial vaccinations before attending a class, workshop or event at DCC.
- To see our timeline of DCC COVID-19 Guidelines, go here.
3/3/2021: On Monday, March 14th, District Clay will Transition to Voluntary Masking
District Clay follows CDC Guidelines on masking.
On Friday, February 25th, the CCD issued new guidelines, which take into account infection rates, hospital admissions and hospital bed use. Based on those criteria, the CDC no longer recommends that Washington DC require indoor masking or social distancing. Instead, Washington DC is in the GREEN category which means risks are low.
On Tuesday, March 1st, the District of Columbia, which uses different criteria for its COVID guidelines, ended its indoor mask mandate.
District infection rates - at 12 per 100,000 - are now among the lowest in the country (7th lowest) and are now down at pre-omicron levels (when masks were not no longer required.) Only three states - Hawaii, Washington and Oregon - still have mask mandates and all three of those mandates are being phased out this month.
District Clay continues to encourage all its students, staff and teachers to continue to wear masks if they wish.
Everyone entering District Clay must be fully vaccinated.
District Clay follows CDC Guidelines on masking.
On Friday, February 25th, the CCD issued new guidelines, which take into account infection rates, hospital admissions and hospital bed use. Based on those criteria, the CDC no longer recommends that Washington DC require indoor masking or social distancing. Instead, Washington DC is in the GREEN category which means risks are low.
On Tuesday, March 1st, the District of Columbia, which uses different criteria for its COVID guidelines, ended its indoor mask mandate.
District infection rates - at 12 per 100,000 - are now among the lowest in the country (7th lowest) and are now down at pre-omicron levels (when masks were not no longer required.) Only three states - Hawaii, Washington and Oregon - still have mask mandates and all three of those mandates are being phased out this month.
District Clay continues to encourage all its students, staff and teachers to continue to wear masks if they wish.
Everyone entering District Clay must be fully vaccinated.
9/16/2021: Update on Continuing DCC Procedures Regarding COVID-19
District Clay continues to:
District Clay continues to:
- Per DC Guidelines for classrooms, we provide at least 3 feet of space between wheels and between workstations - in actuality, the distance is usually much greater, usually 5 to 6 feet.
- We require all people who enter District Clay to be fully vaccinated or to demonstrate a valid medical reason they have not been vaccinated.
- We encourage social distancing at all times.
- We require students to disinfect the surfaces and tools they use.
- We wipe down common areas with disinfectant daily.
- We require masks and provide surgical masks for free and KN95 masks as cost.
- We ventilate the studio with powerful fans (weather permitting).
- We require people to sign in in order to track attendance.
- If someone becomes infected, we notify everyone in the studio the day they were there and provide background information about where that person worked and who they interacted with.
8/26/2021: Beginning Sept 8th, people entering District Clay will need to demostrate that they have been fully vaccinated.
Details:
1) All new and returning students and DCC artists must supply proof of vaccination online in order to enter District Clay. Once uploaded, they will not have to submit the information again.
2) One shot, one time private party attendees and workshop attendees must show a paper vaccine card or a photo of their vaccine card at the door in order to be admitted. One shot and workshop fees will not be refunded if a card is not presented.
Returning students and DCC artists will be sent links through email to upload their vaccine cards. New students will get an email with a link after they sign up for their class - they will need to upload their card before they are officially registered in their class.
Our Rationale:
We are doing this for several reasons:
According to DCC's May-June Vac Tracker Survey and a more recent survey results of 87 DCC artists, teachers and work/study, it appears that 95%+ of DCC students and artists are already vaccinated. (All DCC teachers are fully vaccinated.) Also our more recent survey revealed that virtually everyone (93%) favored a vaccination requirement.
District Clay is joining other area clay studios - Hinckley Pottery and the Art League - that now require vaccinations plus many other employers (including the US government and military, state and local governments, and many corporations. Also more cities and states are mandating vaccinations for people entering community areas (gyms, restaurants, museums, theatres....).
For those who are hesitant about getting vaccinated, Johns Hopkins University has a helpful review of common concerns.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Q & A on District Clay’s New Vaccine Policy
Can someone help me upload my vaccine card?
If you need help, you can either fill out the survey from District Clay using a DCC tablet or you can email Connor Czora at [email protected] for assistance.
Can I show my teacher my vaccine card rather than upload it?
No. We are requiring that everyone fill out a written attestation online AND upload their vaccine card. We want to keep a central database of information and the online method is easiest for doing that.
Yes, if you are attending a ONE SHOT.
I am nervous about whether vaccines are safe….
For those who are hesitant about getting vaccinated, Johns Hopkins University has a helpful review of common concerns.
The CDC also provides information on COVID-19 vaccines.
Once we know that everyone is vaccinated, will masks still be required at District Clay?
Masks are required at District Clay because of an order by the Mayor. This was put into place based on CDC data that showed the District is registering a level of “substantial” transmission. Per the Mayor’s order, everyone - including vaccinated individuals - must wear masks indoors in public places while infection rates remain elevated in the District.
What are valid health reasons for not getting vaccinated?
According to the CDC, there are two valid medical reasons for not getting vaccinated:
1) You had a severe allergic reaction to a previous COVID-19 shot or 2) you have a known severe allergy to an ingredient in a vaccine.
The CDC describes a severe allergic reaction as: a person needs to be treated with epinephrine or EpiPen© or if the person needed to go to the hospital. Please note an immediate allergic reaction that includes hives, swelling, and wheezing is not a severe reaction.
People with an allergic reaction to one vaccine or to an ingredient in a vaccine are often advised to take a different vaccine. Different vaccines utilize difference ingredients (Johnson: polysorbate; Pfizer/Moderna: PEG). For more information from the CDC on allergic reactions and ingredients in COVID-19 vaccines, go here.
If almost all people at District Clay are vaccinated, why is this step necessary?
We are taking this step primarily because of the infectious nature of the Delta. Ensuring that everyone is vaccinated is one step to reducing the likelihood of someone transmitting the virus at District Clay. The vast majority of COVID infections today are from unvaccinated people.
The Delta variant is many times more infectious than the original virus, which means a single infected person can much more easily transmit the virus to people around them. While vaccinated people can be infected and can spread the virus, the medical evidence shows that they are infected for a shorter period of time and that they spread the virus to fewer people.
What about kids who cannot get vaccines yet?
Kids under 12 who are not eligible to get vaccinated can enter District Clay provided they are masked. Please note DCC kids classes are for children 12 years and older.
What do I do if I have lost my vaccination card?
If you have lost your vaccination card, you should contact the entity where you were vaccinated and ask for a replacement card. District Clay is gradually phasing in the vaccination requirement so you should have plenty of time to get a replacement card.
Some communities – particularly communities of color – are legitimately wary of vaccinations because they were experimented on by the government and medical authorities in the past.
We have received a concern that a vaccination requirement may pose barriers to accessing DCC for certain communities, including people who are unable to receive the vaccine, and communities of color who have faced systemic medical oppression and disparate access to coronavirus vaccines. District Clay Center takes these concerns seriously, and we recognize that there are differing vaccination rates across demographics.
As we work to stop the spread of coronavirus and the delta variant, we also recognize that vaccines reduce the risk of covid-19 by over 90% - making vaccines a crucial tool for keeping everyone at DCC healthy and safe in the ongoing pandemic. For those who have hesitations about getting vaccinated, Johns Hopkins provides this quick review of common concerns.
Is the survey platform you are using secure? – some third-party apps have access to private downloaded data.
District Clay uses Alchemer (formerly Survey Gizmo) to do this survey and to download vaccination cards. Alchemer is a global platform and their privacy rules state they do not have access to private accounts, surveys or downloads. All data is encrypted. See more information here. In addition, after District Clay verifies your vaccination card information, the upload of your card will be deleted.
I am a current student. How long do I have to fill out the survey and upload my vaccination card?
If you are a current student, you can take the survey now and upload your card or you can wait until you get a renewal email from membership for your class. Artists can also upload their cards now if they wish. We will start sending requests to download cards in two weeks. We will give everyone multiple reminders about filling out the survey. If you don’t respond after our reminders, we will cancel your membership and refund any unused classes to you.
Will I have to resubmit my card each time I renew?
No, once you have given us the information, we will not ask again.
Why aren’t you offering people the option of getting tested if they don’t feel comfortable getting vaccinated?
Upon investigation, this did not seem like a viable optins. With weekly classes, we would have to require weekly testing, an expensive proposition for the person getting tested and very difficult for us to track administratively.
What if I am only partially vaccinated?
You can still attend District Clay if you are only partially vaccinated, but you still need to fill out the survey and upload your vaccinations to date and tell us when you will be fully vaccinated. Also, when your vaccine shots are completed, you will need to resubmit the survey with a final vaccine card.
Please help me find a place to get vaccinated.
Use these links to find vaccination sites:
Details:
1) All new and returning students and DCC artists must supply proof of vaccination online in order to enter District Clay. Once uploaded, they will not have to submit the information again.
2) One shot, one time private party attendees and workshop attendees must show a paper vaccine card or a photo of their vaccine card at the door in order to be admitted. One shot and workshop fees will not be refunded if a card is not presented.
Returning students and DCC artists will be sent links through email to upload their vaccine cards. New students will get an email with a link after they sign up for their class - they will need to upload their card before they are officially registered in their class.
Our Rationale:
We are doing this for several reasons:
- The new Delta variant is hyper-infectious and infected people can spread the virus much more easily and widely than the original virus.
- Unvaccinated people make up the vast majority of COVID infections in the United States and breakthrough infections remain rare.
- While breakthrough infections can happen and vaccinated people who are infected can spread the virus, unvaccinated people harbor more of the virus and can spread it for longer than vaccinated people.
According to DCC's May-June Vac Tracker Survey and a more recent survey results of 87 DCC artists, teachers and work/study, it appears that 95%+ of DCC students and artists are already vaccinated. (All DCC teachers are fully vaccinated.) Also our more recent survey revealed that virtually everyone (93%) favored a vaccination requirement.
District Clay is joining other area clay studios - Hinckley Pottery and the Art League - that now require vaccinations plus many other employers (including the US government and military, state and local governments, and many corporations. Also more cities and states are mandating vaccinations for people entering community areas (gyms, restaurants, museums, theatres....).
For those who are hesitant about getting vaccinated, Johns Hopkins University has a helpful review of common concerns.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Q & A on District Clay’s New Vaccine Policy
- Below are paraphrased questions and answers that came up in survey responses by District Clay teachers, artists and work/study colleagues.
- If you have additional questions, please contact Cass Johnson, Executive Director at cass (at) districtclaycenter.com.
Can someone help me upload my vaccine card?
If you need help, you can either fill out the survey from District Clay using a DCC tablet or you can email Connor Czora at [email protected] for assistance.
Can I show my teacher my vaccine card rather than upload it?
No. We are requiring that everyone fill out a written attestation online AND upload their vaccine card. We want to keep a central database of information and the online method is easiest for doing that.
Yes, if you are attending a ONE SHOT.
I am nervous about whether vaccines are safe….
For those who are hesitant about getting vaccinated, Johns Hopkins University has a helpful review of common concerns.
The CDC also provides information on COVID-19 vaccines.
Once we know that everyone is vaccinated, will masks still be required at District Clay?
Masks are required at District Clay because of an order by the Mayor. This was put into place based on CDC data that showed the District is registering a level of “substantial” transmission. Per the Mayor’s order, everyone - including vaccinated individuals - must wear masks indoors in public places while infection rates remain elevated in the District.
What are valid health reasons for not getting vaccinated?
According to the CDC, there are two valid medical reasons for not getting vaccinated:
1) You had a severe allergic reaction to a previous COVID-19 shot or 2) you have a known severe allergy to an ingredient in a vaccine.
The CDC describes a severe allergic reaction as: a person needs to be treated with epinephrine or EpiPen© or if the person needed to go to the hospital. Please note an immediate allergic reaction that includes hives, swelling, and wheezing is not a severe reaction.
People with an allergic reaction to one vaccine or to an ingredient in a vaccine are often advised to take a different vaccine. Different vaccines utilize difference ingredients (Johnson: polysorbate; Pfizer/Moderna: PEG). For more information from the CDC on allergic reactions and ingredients in COVID-19 vaccines, go here.
If almost all people at District Clay are vaccinated, why is this step necessary?
We are taking this step primarily because of the infectious nature of the Delta. Ensuring that everyone is vaccinated is one step to reducing the likelihood of someone transmitting the virus at District Clay. The vast majority of COVID infections today are from unvaccinated people.
The Delta variant is many times more infectious than the original virus, which means a single infected person can much more easily transmit the virus to people around them. While vaccinated people can be infected and can spread the virus, the medical evidence shows that they are infected for a shorter period of time and that they spread the virus to fewer people.
What about kids who cannot get vaccines yet?
Kids under 12 who are not eligible to get vaccinated can enter District Clay provided they are masked. Please note DCC kids classes are for children 12 years and older.
What do I do if I have lost my vaccination card?
If you have lost your vaccination card, you should contact the entity where you were vaccinated and ask for a replacement card. District Clay is gradually phasing in the vaccination requirement so you should have plenty of time to get a replacement card.
Some communities – particularly communities of color – are legitimately wary of vaccinations because they were experimented on by the government and medical authorities in the past.
We have received a concern that a vaccination requirement may pose barriers to accessing DCC for certain communities, including people who are unable to receive the vaccine, and communities of color who have faced systemic medical oppression and disparate access to coronavirus vaccines. District Clay Center takes these concerns seriously, and we recognize that there are differing vaccination rates across demographics.
As we work to stop the spread of coronavirus and the delta variant, we also recognize that vaccines reduce the risk of covid-19 by over 90% - making vaccines a crucial tool for keeping everyone at DCC healthy and safe in the ongoing pandemic. For those who have hesitations about getting vaccinated, Johns Hopkins provides this quick review of common concerns.
Is the survey platform you are using secure? – some third-party apps have access to private downloaded data.
District Clay uses Alchemer (formerly Survey Gizmo) to do this survey and to download vaccination cards. Alchemer is a global platform and their privacy rules state they do not have access to private accounts, surveys or downloads. All data is encrypted. See more information here. In addition, after District Clay verifies your vaccination card information, the upload of your card will be deleted.
I am a current student. How long do I have to fill out the survey and upload my vaccination card?
If you are a current student, you can take the survey now and upload your card or you can wait until you get a renewal email from membership for your class. Artists can also upload their cards now if they wish. We will start sending requests to download cards in two weeks. We will give everyone multiple reminders about filling out the survey. If you don’t respond after our reminders, we will cancel your membership and refund any unused classes to you.
Will I have to resubmit my card each time I renew?
No, once you have given us the information, we will not ask again.
Why aren’t you offering people the option of getting tested if they don’t feel comfortable getting vaccinated?
Upon investigation, this did not seem like a viable optins. With weekly classes, we would have to require weekly testing, an expensive proposition for the person getting tested and very difficult for us to track administratively.
What if I am only partially vaccinated?
You can still attend District Clay if you are only partially vaccinated, but you still need to fill out the survey and upload your vaccinations to date and tell us when you will be fully vaccinated. Also, when your vaccine shots are completed, you will need to resubmit the survey with a final vaccine card.
Please help me find a place to get vaccinated.
Use these links to find vaccination sites:
8/12/2021: UPDATE - All DCC Teachers are fully vaccinated.
On July 29th, DCC instituted a new policy that all DCC teachers must be fully vaccinated in order to teach classes at District Clay.
On July 29th, DCC instituted a new policy that all DCC teachers must be fully vaccinated in order to teach classes at District Clay.
7/29/2021: Masks Required Inside District Clay
Per CDC and DC government guidelines, masks are now required while inside District Clay, regardless of vaccination status.
Because of the rise of the highly infectious Delta variant, on July 27th the CDC issued new guidelines advising that when an area has substantial or high transmission of COVID-19, people should mask indoors. On Wednesday, July 28th, CDC data showed that the District of Columbia had become an area of substantial transmission.
On Thursday, July 29th, the District of Columbia mandated mask wearing indoors as of Friday, July 30th.
Per CDC and DC government guidelines, masks are now required while inside District Clay, regardless of vaccination status.
Because of the rise of the highly infectious Delta variant, on July 27th the CDC issued new guidelines advising that when an area has substantial or high transmission of COVID-19, people should mask indoors. On Wednesday, July 28th, CDC data showed that the District of Columbia had become an area of substantial transmission.
On Thursday, July 29th, the District of Columbia mandated mask wearing indoors as of Friday, July 30th.
Changes to District Clay COVID-19 Guidelines, 7/1/2021:
Most COVID Restrictions to End on July 1
Because of District Clay's excellent vaccination numbers, new guidance from the District and continuing steep declines in cases in the District, we will be removing most COVID restrictions at District Clay on July 1st while keeping sanitizer, free masks and other materials available to students who may wish to use them.
We are also making a permanent change to student and work/study cleaning procedures by requiring the use of soap.
Face masks for those who are not fully vaccinated will continue to be required and will be optional for everyone else.
During the first week in August, our current plan is to end social distancing of wheels and work stations and re-organize the Center's classrooms.
Recent Data Review:
District Clay Vaccination Tracker: Mid May - Mid June: 99.6% of people entering District Clay were vaccinated, 95% were fully vaccinated.
DC Vaccination Rate: 72% of DC residents have now received at least one dose.
DC Infection Rate: Infections have fallen by 92% since the Mayor announced DCC would reopened (May 15). At 1 case per 100,000 residents, the District has one of the lowest infection rates in the country.
July 1 Changes
1. People entering District Clay will no longer be required to sanitize and wash their hands but we encourage everyone to wash their hands with soap when entering and leaving District Clay as a basic safety step.
This recognizes that soap is a powerful agent in killing many types of pathogens, not just COVID-19. Whenever you enter a community situation, a good standard practice is to thoroughly wash your hands with soap when entering and leaving to prevent the spread of germs and viruses to yourself and others.
2. Temperature checks will no longer be required.
3. Cleaning procedures will be changed so that disinfecting is not required but soap is now required to be used whenever you clean up. This follows new District of Columbia Guidelines. We are now asking students to squirt soap from our dispensers into their clean-up buckets when they clean up. (Also our work/study teams will now do daily cleaning using soap.)
4. The sign in sheet will be retained but will be changed to collect only name, type of entry (artist, staff, student) and reason for entry (wheel, handbuilding, other).
5. We will leave one sanitizing bucket and all sanitizer stations up for those who want to use them. A thermometer will be available at the entry desk.
Most COVID Restrictions to End on July 1
Because of District Clay's excellent vaccination numbers, new guidance from the District and continuing steep declines in cases in the District, we will be removing most COVID restrictions at District Clay on July 1st while keeping sanitizer, free masks and other materials available to students who may wish to use them.
We are also making a permanent change to student and work/study cleaning procedures by requiring the use of soap.
Face masks for those who are not fully vaccinated will continue to be required and will be optional for everyone else.
During the first week in August, our current plan is to end social distancing of wheels and work stations and re-organize the Center's classrooms.
Recent Data Review:
District Clay Vaccination Tracker: Mid May - Mid June: 99.6% of people entering District Clay were vaccinated, 95% were fully vaccinated.
DC Vaccination Rate: 72% of DC residents have now received at least one dose.
DC Infection Rate: Infections have fallen by 92% since the Mayor announced DCC would reopened (May 15). At 1 case per 100,000 residents, the District has one of the lowest infection rates in the country.
July 1 Changes
1. People entering District Clay will no longer be required to sanitize and wash their hands but we encourage everyone to wash their hands with soap when entering and leaving District Clay as a basic safety step.
This recognizes that soap is a powerful agent in killing many types of pathogens, not just COVID-19. Whenever you enter a community situation, a good standard practice is to thoroughly wash your hands with soap when entering and leaving to prevent the spread of germs and viruses to yourself and others.
2. Temperature checks will no longer be required.
3. Cleaning procedures will be changed so that disinfecting is not required but soap is now required to be used whenever you clean up. This follows new District of Columbia Guidelines. We are now asking students to squirt soap from our dispensers into their clean-up buckets when they clean up. (Also our work/study teams will now do daily cleaning using soap.)
4. The sign in sheet will be retained but will be changed to collect only name, type of entry (artist, staff, student) and reason for entry (wheel, handbuilding, other).
5. We will leave one sanitizing bucket and all sanitizer stations up for those who want to use them. A thermometer will be available at the entry desk.
Changes to District Clay COVID-19 Guidelines, 6/1/2021
Maskless Entry for Fully Vaccinated Individuals Begins June 1st.
Our objective is to create a safe and secure place for people to play with clay. We are monitoring developments and information about how to best protect against COVID-19 and are also regularly surveying our student body to make sure they feel as safe as possible in our space. While the District government has removed all capacity and other restrictions, District Clay is only changing its masking guidelines for fully vaccinated individuals. All social distancing, wheel and work station separations and disinfecting protocols remain in effect.
As of June 1st, if you are fully vaccinated (final shot plus two weeks), you may remove your mask while at District Clay. If you are not fully vaccinated, you must continue to wear a mask while inside District Clay. Proof of vaccination is not required.
District Clay has been asking students to anonymously indicate their vaccination status since May 19th. With over 300 tallies, our results are: 93.2% fully vaccinated, 6.5% partially vaccinated, .3% (one person) not yet vaccinated.
Background:
On May 17th, Mayor Bowser announced that as of Friday, May 21st, the District of Columbia is lifting capacity restrictions for virtually all businesses (including learning institutions) and indoor mask requirements for fully vaccinated individuals. This follows similar moves by Virginia and Maryland and recommendations by the CDC. All but a few states will have either phased out or will phase out the same restrictions by June 1st.
Maskless Entry for Fully Vaccinated Individuals Begins June 1st.
Our objective is to create a safe and secure place for people to play with clay. We are monitoring developments and information about how to best protect against COVID-19 and are also regularly surveying our student body to make sure they feel as safe as possible in our space. While the District government has removed all capacity and other restrictions, District Clay is only changing its masking guidelines for fully vaccinated individuals. All social distancing, wheel and work station separations and disinfecting protocols remain in effect.
As of June 1st, if you are fully vaccinated (final shot plus two weeks), you may remove your mask while at District Clay. If you are not fully vaccinated, you must continue to wear a mask while inside District Clay. Proof of vaccination is not required.
District Clay has been asking students to anonymously indicate their vaccination status since May 19th. With over 300 tallies, our results are: 93.2% fully vaccinated, 6.5% partially vaccinated, .3% (one person) not yet vaccinated.
Background:
On May 17th, Mayor Bowser announced that as of Friday, May 21st, the District of Columbia is lifting capacity restrictions for virtually all businesses (including learning institutions) and indoor mask requirements for fully vaccinated individuals. This follows similar moves by Virginia and Maryland and recommendations by the CDC. All but a few states will have either phased out or will phase out the same restrictions by June 1st.
District Clay Re-Opening COVID-19 Guidelines and Procedures
(Updated 6/1/21 vers.)
-To see additional resources, including student surveys and comments, go here.
-To see our COVID-19 news timeline, go here.
Our objective is to create a safe and secure place for people to play with clay. We are monitoring developments and information about how to best protect against COVID-19 and are also regularly surveying our student body to make sure they feel as safe as possible in our space. District Clay is following CDC Guidelines and District of Columbia Phase Two Mandates. These guidelines are subject to revision. We regularly poll our students to see how we are doing and have also installed a Suggestion Box to get comments in real time.
District Clay provides free blue surgical masks and KN95 masks at cost ($2). For more information, please see our COVID-10 news timeline.
Please send any questions or comments about these procedures to Cass Johnson (cass (at) districtclaycenter (dot) com).
Physical Area Changes:
Rooms Now Have Occupancy Restrictions:
Changes to Class Times and Class Sizes::
We have reduced our class sizes and spread out our wheels - our max class size is now 12 and wheels are spread out.
Entry and Use Requirements for Students, DCC Artists and Teachers: :
Anyone entering District Clay must:
Review Do Not Enter Guidelines:
Posted on entry door and throughout the Center:
Fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, diarrhea or nausea, temperature over 100.4 degrees
Mandatory Disinfecting and Cleaning Procedures::
The last 30 minutes of class are reserved for clean-up and disinfecting.
Students will clean up and disinfect at their wheel/handbuilding stations.
Common area glaze and wedging tables must be cleaned and disinfected after each use.
District Clay staff will disinfect common areas of the studio daily.
District Clay uses EPA approved disinfectants.
New Drop in Rules:
Drop ins are free but because of reduced number of classes, please check our current class schedule. This includes Sunday Open Studio from 12:40 to 3:10 pm and 5:30 to 8 pm and Tues mornings from 10-12:30 pm.
Drop ins may be suspended during certain times if too many people drop in; District Clay is actively monitoring room occupancy rates.
Revised Refund/Credit Rules:
New students may get a 100% refund after their first visit if they do not feel comfortable. They may get a 50% refund if they let us know by their third class.
Continuing students who feel uncomfortable being at District Clay may suspend classes at any time and get a credit for their unused classes that they can use at a future date.
Class Suspensions Because of Illness or Self-Quarantine or DCC Closure:
Notification of a Positive Case Occurring at District Clay
Here are the steps District Clay will take if a DCC student notifies us they have tested positive for COVID-19. This also applies if someone is advised by a medical authority to self-quarantine.
1. We will immediately interview the person to find out: 1) when they were at District, 2) if they knew how they became infected, 3) if they were following DC guidelines, 4) if they were symptomatic or asymptomatic at the time, 5) who they interacted with and if they were closer than six feet when the interaction. We will also ask if we can share their name with the students in their class. We will write up a report on the incident.
2. We will immediately send a notice to all students as well as any drop in students and DCC artists who were present at District Clay about the incident and include the Incident Report. We will also notify all DCC teachers and staff. If CDC guidelines indicate, we will recommend self-quarantine. We will send additional information about COVID 19 resources, testing and include a link to the CDC Self Checker.
3. We will post an Incident Report on the District Clay bulletin board.
(Updated 6/1/21 vers.)
-To see additional resources, including student surveys and comments, go here.
-To see our COVID-19 news timeline, go here.
Our objective is to create a safe and secure place for people to play with clay. We are monitoring developments and information about how to best protect against COVID-19 and are also regularly surveying our student body to make sure they feel as safe as possible in our space. District Clay is following CDC Guidelines and District of Columbia Phase Two Mandates. These guidelines are subject to revision. We regularly poll our students to see how we are doing and have also installed a Suggestion Box to get comments in real time.
District Clay provides free blue surgical masks and KN95 masks at cost ($2). For more information, please see our COVID-10 news timeline.
Please send any questions or comments about these procedures to Cass Johnson (cass (at) districtclaycenter (dot) com).
Physical Area Changes:
- Wheels and handbuilding stations are now six feet apart with 6'x6' partitions. Each wheel station now has individual wedging and waxing stations. Six-foot distancing markers are placed on the floor through the Center, including at sinks, ware pick up areas, entry area and around the wheels.
- Our Large Wheel Room features M-25 HEPA Air King Filtration units which filter the room air to 99.97% (higher filtration than an N-95 mask) four times an hour, 96x a day. Also, we have placed fans to circulate air from our small wheel room into this room.
- We move fresh air through the studio through the use of a large 3-foot-wide exhaust fan which is placed in our loading dock door. With doors and windows in the front of the studio open, this fan enables us to bring recyle fresh air into our space of at least 8x an hour (the fan exhausts 13,300 cubic feet of air per minute out of the studio.)
- Contactless sanitizer and soap dispensers are provided at key areas throughout the Center.
- District Clay supplies all necessary tools for students but students may bring their own tools or purchase a quality eight piece Kemper tool wheel kit ($20) or a 22 piece ARITZA handbuilding kit ($22).
- For interested students, we are selling FDA certified reusable Powecom KN95 masks (>95% filtration; equivalent level to N95 (which are reserved for medical personnel)) at cost ($3) and supplying a plastic bag and instructions.
Rooms Now Have Occupancy Restrictions:
- Big Wheel Room – 11 wheels and 1 teacher wheel
- New Small Wheel Room (formerly Gallery/Lounge area) – 8 wheels and 1 teacher wheel
- New Mini-Wheel Room – 4 wheels
- New Handbuilding Room (formerly the Small Wheel Room) – 8 handbuilding stations and one teacher station
- Cone 10 glaze room (formerly the handbuilding room) – max occupancy of two people.
Changes to Class Times and Class Sizes::
We have reduced our class sizes and spread out our wheels - our max class size is now 12 and wheels are spread out.
- Wheel and handbuilding stations are at least six feet apart and partitioned.
- Class times have changed and are now staggered to give students time to enter and exit while maintaining social distancing. Students now enter through the side door and exit through the glaze room door. The front door is closed.
Entry and Use Requirements for Students, DCC Artists and Teachers: :
Anyone entering District Clay must:
- If you are not fully vaccinated (final shot plus two weeks), you must wear a mask while inside District Clay.
- Review the Do Not Enter Guidelines (below) posted on the door.
- Sanitize & wash their hands
- Get a temperature check using a mounted no contact forehead thermometer. Anyone with temperatures over 100.4 degrees should not enter.
- Sign in so that we can create a contact list and indicate where you are working. This helps us track where students are in the Center at any one time. We ask that any DCC student who becomes infected or believe they have been infected to contact us immediately.
- Free disposable masks and gloves will be provided to DCC students upon request. For interested students, we are selling FDA certified reusable Powecom KN95 masks (>95% filtration; equivalent level to N95 (which are reserved for medical personnel)) at cost ($3) and supplying a plastic bag and instructions. We suggest students keep the mask on their shelf in the plastic bag when not at the Center.
Review Do Not Enter Guidelines:
Posted on entry door and throughout the Center:
Fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, diarrhea or nausea, temperature over 100.4 degrees
Mandatory Disinfecting and Cleaning Procedures::
The last 30 minutes of class are reserved for clean-up and disinfecting.
- Students may be asked to clean up and disinfect in shifts.
- Students must follow 6-foot distancing markers on the floor when accessing the sinks.
- Partitions have been constructed between the sinks.
Students will clean up and disinfect at their wheel/handbuilding stations.
- After disinfecting, surfaces and tools should be left wet for at least 60 seconds.
Common area glaze and wedging tables must be cleaned and disinfected after each use.
District Clay staff will disinfect common areas of the studio daily.
District Clay uses EPA approved disinfectants.
New Drop in Rules:
Drop ins are free but because of reduced number of classes, please check our current class schedule. This includes Sunday Open Studio from 12:40 to 3:10 pm and 5:30 to 8 pm and Tues mornings from 10-12:30 pm.
Drop ins may be suspended during certain times if too many people drop in; District Clay is actively monitoring room occupancy rates.
Revised Refund/Credit Rules:
New students may get a 100% refund after their first visit if they do not feel comfortable. They may get a 50% refund if they let us know by their third class.
Continuing students who feel uncomfortable being at District Clay may suspend classes at any time and get a credit for their unused classes that they can use at a future date.
Class Suspensions Because of Illness or Self-Quarantine or DCC Closure:
- Students may suspend classes for up to two weeks because of illness or self-quarantine and may do so multiple times during their class session if necessary.
- Students who need to absent for longer than two weeks because of COVID-19 (either self-quarantine or illness) will receive a credit for any unused classes.
- If the virus resurges in the District and District Clay is ordered to close, your classes will be suspended, and you can restart when we re-open or receive a credit for any remaining classes.
Notification of a Positive Case Occurring at District Clay
Here are the steps District Clay will take if a DCC student notifies us they have tested positive for COVID-19. This also applies if someone is advised by a medical authority to self-quarantine.
1. We will immediately interview the person to find out: 1) when they were at District, 2) if they knew how they became infected, 3) if they were following DC guidelines, 4) if they were symptomatic or asymptomatic at the time, 5) who they interacted with and if they were closer than six feet when the interaction. We will also ask if we can share their name with the students in their class. We will write up a report on the incident.
2. We will immediately send a notice to all students as well as any drop in students and DCC artists who were present at District Clay about the incident and include the Incident Report. We will also notify all DCC teachers and staff. If CDC guidelines indicate, we will recommend self-quarantine. We will send additional information about COVID 19 resources, testing and include a link to the CDC Self Checker.
3. We will post an Incident Report on the District Clay bulletin board.
