Written by Ashlyn Yoes
In a basement of a downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee building, music and the low hum of pottery wheels can be heard. The studio is full of members throwing pottery, cutting clay, and having quiet conversations.
What started as a community artist space for working potters to come together, evolved into a 300+ member arts studio that many Chattanooga residents use as a getaway. Scenic City Clay Arts (SCCA) allows for members and students alike to have access to ceramics and all things clay that are otherwise too expensive for them to participate in.
Members and students have made SCCA their home, using the space as an escape, a safe space, and as a creative outlet. “We have members who are working through grief in the studio, and this is their outlet. This is their therapy,” said Madeline Wright, executive director of SCCA.
SCCA was originally founded in 1997 by a group of local potters who wanted a space to come together and create art. The group was working out of a small studio in Warner Park before they received city funding to start a program. When the city of Chattanooga withdrew the funding for SCCA in 2016, the arts studio became a non-profit, providing clay arts experiences through studio memberships, pottery classes, and community outreach programs.
“It’s just really meaningful, and it’s fun too, obviously,” said Wright. “Like the kids’ classes, getting to see kids be creative and messy when arts programs and arts funding is being cut in their schools.”
SCCA hosts many classes for locals, skill levels ranging from beginner to advanced. These classes teach students how to throw pottery on a wheel, sculpt, build by hand, and many of the other ceramic skills they want to learn. Filling the classrooms are people from other nonprofit organizations, community centers, and students of every age. If transportation is an issue for groups wanting to learn, these classes become remote.
Along with this, SCCA has a Claymakers Collective program that was started two years ago. The six-month program offers comprehensive clay arts education to individuals from marginalized communities. These artists have no prior experience when creating ceramics, so SCCA teaches them everything they need to know.
There are high barriers to creating ceramics and not many people have the ability to do so. Clay making is prohibitively expensive, which is why SCCA has become more about providing access to ceramics and all things clay than just as a working studio.
“A wheel itself can be $2,000 and kilns are $5,000,” said Wright. “Most people can’t afford to just take up a pottery hobby at home. And beyond just the expense, there’s a lot of really niche knowledge needed to mix the chemicals to make the glazes or to maintain the elements of a kiln. We take all that out of the equation and just let people enjoy the hobby.”
Members have access to half a shelf of storage in the SCCA studio along with the ability to use all the materials and equipment. While members still have to buy their own clay from the studio, even after the $68 monthly membership fee, everything else is provided. Scholarships are also offered for those who the membership is still out of reach for, so that everyone who needs the space can have access to it.
Slab rollers, kilns, wheels, carving tools, and even in-house mixed glazes are available in the member studio. This makes creating ceramics accessible for those wanting to create who could otherwise not afford it.
“We have members who this is their livelihood, they’re making art and selling it out of our space,” said Wright. “So getting to support artists in that way is really profound.”
SCCA offers opportunities for self-expression and creativity through everything they offer, providing physical and emotional support for locals. Through community involvement and outreach, SCCA has made its mark on the Chattanooga community by providing a safe and affordable space for all things clay. A basement in a downtown Chattanooga building became a lively studio where local artists have found their place.
Mugs in the Scenic City Clay Arts studio that were created members and are waiting to be fired in the kiln. Everything can be done in-house at the SCCA member studio. Thursday, April 16, 2026. (Photo by Ashlyn Yoes) 
Tools in the Scenic City Clay Arts member studio that are available for any members to use while working with the clay. SCCA provides everything that an artist may need in their member studio. Thursday, April 16, 2026. (Photo by Ashlyn Yoes) 
Camille Wilson working on the handle of a mug she is creating in the Scenic City Clay Arts member studio. Wilson is a student at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and spends her free time creating in the studio. Thursday, April 16, 2026. (Photo by Ashlyn Yoes) 
Ceramics for sale created by Scenic City Clay Arts members at the entrance of the studio. Many members make their livelihood from creating and selling these pieces. Thursday, April 16, 2026. (Photo by Ashlyn Yoes) 
Natalie Wright working on small pieces of clay to add details to her ceramic pieces. Wright does all of her work in-house at the Scenic City Clay Arts member studio. Thursday, April 16, 2026. (Photo by Ashlyn Yoes)
Meet the Storyteller
Ashlyn Yoes – Assistant Editor
Ashlyn Yoes is a junior at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, majoring in Communication and minoring in Marketing. She is skilled in journalistic writing, but her passion lies in photography. Yoes has been a news writer and sports photographer for the University Echo and is proficient in Adobe programs. She mainly photographs sporting events and portraits but wants to work more in the music industry. She strives to use photography to not only capture memories but also highlight people’s stories. In her free time, Yoes enjoys creating art and attending concerts. To contact Yoes, email her at bvr974@mocs.utc.edu.