Mixed Use Creative Studio in Humboldt Park, Chicago
Currently focusing on hand built ceramics, fused glasswork, textile embellishment, and you
Autumnal Offerings 2026
Turn your wildest clay dreams into a weekly reality!
How CLOUD CLUB Monthly membership works:
Choose a day/time of the week that works best for your schedule and for 4 consecutive weeks you will join your cohort in making ceramic objects that are uniquely yours. Each session lasts 3-4 hours and is open to all skill levels. This 4 week long club can be viewed as open studio time, where you are free to create any kind of object your intuition can imagine. Your instructor Despina of Depy Zepo will be there boots on the ground to lend support in figuring out your project goals and will share some techniques to help build upon your clay experience. Cohorts can accommodate up to six people per session.
Monthly Cloud Club Members can expect to make a variety of objects during this session both big and small. Included with membership is 25 lbs of red clay (with access to steeply discounted clay pricing for additional material) and 30+ studio glazes.
CLOUD CLUB CERAMIC MEMBERSHIP SCHEDULE
WEEK 1 (BUILD): Members begins conceptualizing their projects and making work.
WEEK 2 (REFINE): Members continue to build work and refine pieces, adding finishing touches and preparing pieces for a long dry,
WEEK 3 (DRY/PLAN): Members meet to make a glaze plan, which glazes you will use, how they work, and learn best application methods. No clay touching as the work will still be drying to prepare for bisque firing.
WEEK 4 (GLAZE): Members will wax, paint, and glaze their bisqued work utilizing studio glazes and tools.
Members will be alerted when their work will be ready for pick up following the final firing!
**If CC Members need additional time to finish work between weeks 1+2+3+4, one day (6hr) studio sessions can be individually scheduled and purchased for the discounted price of $22**
Upon check out, please sign up for the DZ Newsletter - this will be the best way to contact you regarding Cloud Club details! BTW, this program structure is deeply inspired by studios Korkodilos (Athens, GR) and Tiny Bit of Wood (Lansing, MI), we thank them for their labor and for being leaders in the field!
AUTUMN CLOUD CLUB SESSION DATES/TIMES :
OCTOBER SUNDAYS 2-6pm 10/18, 25, 11/1, 8
NOVEMBER TUESDAYS 6-10pm 11/10, 17, 24, 12/1
A note on pricing: It’s important to Big Sky’s founding ethos of accessibility for our community that our classes remain within financial reach for everyone interested. If list pricing is a prohibitive factor to joining Cloud Club, please send us an email - we are interested in experimenting with labor trades and alternative economies and can feasibly accommodate two sliding scale spots per session that are available on a first come, first served basis.
Our workshops will be held at Big Sky Studio in Humboldt Park, the entrance is thru the alley. The space is accessible via a small concrete ramp leading to a 3” door sill, with two 1” dips getting from the foyer to the space. This workshop is open to 12 participants.
All materials and firing included. Previous clay experience always helps but is rarely required.
ALTAR PARTY
Build a little shrine to all the things you believe in.
Join us in turning your creative obsessions, personal symbols, and favorite little things into a one of a kind ceramic altar. Altar Party will be held on Friday October 30 from 6-10pm, open to participants 21+ up and is BYOB!
At the Altar Party, you’ll design and build your own sculptural shrine out of clay using various surface design and textural tools, exploring the visual language of altars, devotional objects, reliquaries, and personal talismans.
This class is open to all skill levels! There are a few different approaches to making these altars that we will collectively explore, and ultimately your creative intuition will be the guiding force during this workshop. By connecting to your inner truth, you’ll be able to see more clearly what you need from your altar, and what your altar needs from you.
You’ll learn handbuilding and surface design techniques while thinking about what we choose to honor, celebrate, protect, or dote on. Maybe that’s your ancestors or your pets or your plants or beyonce, or simply your own damn self!
Come make something worth putting on a pedestal!
Our workshop will be held at Big Sky Studio in Humboldt Park, the entrance is thru the alley. The space is accessible via a small concrete ramp leading to a 3” door sill, with two 1” dips getting from the foyer to the space. This workshop is open to 12 participants.
All materials and firing included. Previous clay experience always helps but is not at all required.
BOTANICAL BAUBLES, CERAMIC ORNAMENT PARTY
Friday, December 4 · 6–9 PM · Big Sky Studio
Your garland called, it’s YEARNING for delicate, handcrafted ceramic floral beauty!
Come get your hands dirty and make a collection of 6–8 handmade ceramic ornaments inspired by the wild, wonderful world of botanicals. Think leaves, flowers, seed pods, vines, herbs, vegetables, and whatever other little garden oddities you feel like turning into holiday decor.
You’ll learn simple handbuilding and surface design techniques, then spend the evening pressing, sculpting, shaping, and embellishing your way to a set of completely one-of-a-kind baubles.
Make them match or make them uniquely yours. Make them for your tree, your friends, or that one person who is impossible to shop for!
Your ornaments will be glazed and fired at Big Sky Studio and ready for pickup approximately 2 weeks after the workshop.
No previous ceramics experience necessary — just bring yourself, your imagination, and your holiday spirit.
Our workshop will be held at Big Sky Studio in Humboldt Park, the entrance is thru the alley. The space is accessible via a small concrete ramp leading to a 3” door sill, with two 1” dips getting from the foyer to the space. This workshop is open to 12 participants.
All materials and firing included. Previous clay experience always helps but is not required.
Make yourself a small something infused with powerfully good energy!!
In this hands-on ceramic workshop, you’ll create your own collection of personal amulets, talismans, and protective objects — tiny things made to carry a little luck, love, protection, intention, or whatever energy you want to put out into the world.
Draw inspiration from symbols, mythology, nature, personal rituals, or simply whatever catches your eye. You might make a mati, a lucky charm, a tiny guardian, a protective symbol, or invent an entirely new object with a meaning all its own, the world within the studio is your oyster.
You’ll learn simple handbuilding and surface design techniques while experimenting with shape, texture, and symbolism. Make something to hang by your front door, keep on your desk, carry with you, put on your altar, or gift to someone who could use a little extra good energy.
No previous ceramics experience necessary — just bring your ideas, intentions, and a friend or two!
Your finished amulets will be glazed and fired at Big Sky Studio and ready for pickup two weeks after our session.
Come make something small and give it a big meaning!
You are welcome to bring booze as this event is BYOB! Currently our classes are open to ages 21+. Our workshop will be held at Big Sky Studio in Humboldt Park, the entrance is thru the alley. The space is accessible via a small concrete ramp leading to a 3” door sill, with two 1” dips getting from the foyer to the space. This workshop is open to 15 participants.
Want first access to new workshop dates and subscriber-only discount codes? Sign up for the Depy Zepo newsletter.
Saturday, November 14 · 1–5 PM · Big Sky Studio
Make a little something for the special people in your life or make a whole lot of little somethings for yourself underneath the November Sky at Big Sky Studio in Chicago’s Humboldt Park Neighborhood.
In Tiny Treasures, you’ll spend four hours with 5 lbs of clay handbuilding a collection of small ceramic objects perfect for gifting, decorating, or keeping all to yourself. Think ring dishes, tiny food safe catch-alls, spoon rests, ornaments, incense holders, mini vases, and whatever other tiny treasures your clay-loving heart dreams up.
You’ll learn the basics of handbuilding and have plenty of room to play with shapes, textures, details, and embellishments. Make a matching gift suite or go completely rogue and make every piece different. All objects will be fired and glazed by us and will be ready for pick up (or shipping) the week of Dec 14.
No ceramics experience necessary. Just bring yourself, your ideas, and your gift list.
Come make something cute. Leave with a pile of handmade presents. Holiday shopping problem is absolutely solved!
Our workshop will be held at Big Sky Studio in Humboldt Park, the entrance is thru the alley. The space is accessible via a small concrete ramp leading to a 3” door sill, with two 1” dips getting from the foyer to the space. This workshop is open to 12 participants.
All materials and firing included. Previous clay experience always helps but is rarely required.
Big Sky is excited to launch
Three Moons Artisan Residency Program
Are you in the mood for creative community? BIG SKY is opening our doors to artisans of all media for three month residencies in one of the north westside’s most beautiful makerspaces! Applications are open on a rolling basis
Sign up to receive updates as the program develops.
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2712 w North Ave #1R 𓁺 entrance thru the alley