A new 4,000 square-foot open area pottery studio is opening on South Congress Avenue this week, and Austinites are invited to the opening celebration. Visitors of all ages can get their hands dirty April 5 and 6 at the free party.

Ceramigos — located past Ben White Boulevard, alongside Williamson Creek — is owned by Florence Guiraud, a former architect. Guiraud didn't always have dreams of opening a studio; this was a happy accident after the corporate world left her high and dry. She took some pottery classes here and there, and loved them enough to pursue the idea further.

"I was in this 'independent study pottery group,'" Guiraud says, remembering the time after she moved to South Austin 10 years ago. "We met every Sunday morning. It was like our church."

This group included seasoned potters and newbies; people of all ages. They became fast friends and after a few months of consistently checking in and catching up in a WhatsApp Group Chat, they decided they needed a name. They called themselves the "Ceramigos."

It would still take some time before Guiraud would open her studio of the same name — and a bit of a nudge from work. During a tumultuous time in the economy, Guiraud found herself laid off twice in a row. However, she quickly saw the silver lining for what it was when she was given severance and accumulated enough wealth to ask herself, "What can I do with this?"

"I was tired of the corporate world and I wanted something to give back to the [pottery] community that I really love," she says. So the idea for Ceramigos Studio was born.

Ceramigos is a bright, open 4,000 square foot space, designed for the pottery community in South Austin.Photo by Jason Kays

This massive studio is different than others in town, not just because of its wide open space, but because of the way it's structured. Ceramigos offers artists a residency program. This means that three artists are each given a three-month period at the studio where they'll have their own desk, shelves, equipment, and access 24 hours a day. These three artists will also be paid to teach classes at the studio and share their love for the art form.

For programming, Ceramigos offers multi-week pottery courses for all levels, as well as one-off workshops and classes for people to try it out.

"There's a lot of apprehension around ceramics; particularly the pottery wheel," Guiraud says. "So we offer these one-time classes to sort of [curtail] that fear."

Eventually the studio will also offer workshops and skill sharing for more advanced potters; and Ceramigos also offers a 25 percent off student discount for anyone enrolled in school.

"We want pottery to be approachable, and ceramics can be a pretty expensive hobby," Guiraud says.

At the opening party, Guiraud's original "pottery church" group, the OG Ceramigos themselves, will be there selling their wares. Guiraud will also be offering wheel demonstrations during lunchtimes, as well as a "handling station," which is just a little more approachable and less messy than the wheel.

Drinks will be provided by sponsors like Dolce Vita, Rambler, and Independence Brewery; plus there will be snacks.

"I really can't wait for people to come in and make pots," Guiraud says. "I just want to be able to see people create and enjoy creating."

She adds, "And I want people to understand that being a creative is approachable; it's not something that is reserved for 'artists.'"

Ceramigos is located at 4930 S. Congress Ave. Suite C 301. The public opening runs from 10 am to 6 pm on Saturday, April 5, and 11 am to 5 pm on Sunday, April 6.