Scenic City Clay Arts

Name

Scenic City Clay Arts

Legal name

Scenic City Clay Arts

Website

https://sceniccityclayarts.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ceramics Studio Services

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Pottery & Related Products (3260)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts & Crafts Workshops (Painting, Pottery, Ceramics, Sculpture) (THAJAKAA)

Keywords

• Pottery classes
• Ceramics studio
• Community clay arts
• Studio memberships
• Nonprofit arts education

Headquarters

HQ city

Chattanooga

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Monthly recurring revenue from Full-Access and Session memberships providing studio access, kiln firings, glaze usage, and member benefits.
2. Pottery Classes: Revenue from wheelthrowing, handbuilding, and specialty pottery classes for all ages and skill levels. Members receive 20% discount.
3. Clay Sales: Clay can be purchased at the studio for $30 per 25 lbs.
4. Public Firing Services: Fire work created elsewhere at SCCA kilns - $0.01-0.02 per cubic inch plus $5 flat fee.
5. Public Glazing Services: Customers can glaze pieces using SCCA's 16 in-house glazes for $15-25 per 2ft x 2ft floor print.
6. Donations and Fundraising: Tax-deductible donations from individuals and businesses, including monthly giving program ($10 Potter's Patron), annual campaigns ($10,000 for 10 Years), and capital campaign for facility expansion.
7. Mug Shop Retail: In-studio retail shop selling handcrafted pottery created by SCCA members, instructors, and staff. Proceeds support both the artists and SCCA.
8. Event Revenue: Revenue from special events including Empty Bowls fundraising dinners ($35 tickets), Clay Arts Classic golf tournament, vendor fees at Potter's Alley markets.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Scenic City Clay Arts operates a nonprofit community ceramics studio that delivers pottery classes for all ages and skill levels, recurring Full Access and Session studio memberships, public glazing and kiln firing services for outside potters, a member-driven Mug Shop retail outlet, and outreach programs such as the Clay Makers' Collective that extend clay arts access to underserved populations in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Product overview

Scenic City Clay Arts is a nonprofit community pottery studio offering educational classes, studio memberships, public access services, community outreach programs, and retail. The core offerings include group and private pottery instruction for all skill levels, Full Access and Session Memberships providing studio access with varying benefits, Public Glazing and Public Firing services for external potters, the Mug Shop retail outlet for member-created work, and outreach programs including the Clay Makers' Collective scholarship program. Major annual events include the Clay Arts Classic golf fundraiser and various community exhibitions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pottery Classes Group and private pottery instruction available for all ages and skill levels, covering wheelthrowing and handbuilding techniques at the Chattanooga studio and classroom locations.
• Full Access Membership
• Session Membership
• Public Glazing
• Public Firing
• Mug Shop
• Clay Makers' Collective
• Community Outreach Programs
• Scholarships
• Clay Arts Classic Golf Tournament
• Clay Sales

Quantifiable outcome

• Served over 4,000 students in 2025 through classes, memberships, and outreach
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Girls InccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership brings clay arts programming directly into Girls Inc classrooms. For many students, this is their first introduction to ceramics. Program teaches patience, problem-solving, pride in ideas, and creative belonging.
• ArtsBuildcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtsBuild houses SCCA's main studio in their basement space and sponsors the Clay Makers' Collective exhibition program. SCCA is located in the ArtsBuild building at 301 E. 11th Street.
• Association for Visual Arts (AVA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual co-hosting of Between the Bridges market. SCCA runs Potter's Alley with up to 20 member vendors while AVA hosts 30+ visual artists. Also collaborated on Forces of Creativity veteran exhibit.
• Be the Change Youth Initiative (BTCYI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Empty Bowls 2025 raising funds to address student lunch debt across Hamilton County Schools. Also partnered for 2023 Empty Bowls event.
• Crabtree FarmsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Empty Bowls 2025 bowl-making days, providing venue and support for the community event.
• Stove WorkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExhibition venue for SCCA-organized ceramics exhibitions including In Bloom (August 2026) and My Favorite Bowl Has Cracks. Located at 1250 E. 13th Street.
• Veterans Affairs (VA)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerVA refers veterans to SCCA for free clay workshops. SCCA provides complimentary classes for veterans and their families as part of outreach mission.
• Sweetens Cove Golf ClubcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerVenue for annual Clay Arts Classic golf tournament. Located in South Pittsburg, TN. One of the South's most legendary courses, hosting SCCA's primary annual fundraising event.
• Hamilton County Department of Education (HCDE) Visual Arts TeachersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHCDE visual arts teachers receive discounted membership rates. Partnership supports arts education in local schools.
• Joli Jardin Flower ShopminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner venue for Buds & Blooms event, hosting SCCA programming at their 1263 Market Street location.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Color Me Mine: Franchise-based paint-your-own-pottery studio chain offering casual pottery experiences to general consumers. Comparable in delivering pottery experiences to beginners and casual participants, though commercial rather than nonprofit.
• Society of Arts and Crafts (Boston): Nonprofit educational arts organization supporting craft education and exhibitions. Comparable as a craft-focused nonprofit with educational programs, though broader than SCCA across all craft media.

Direct peers

• Greenwich House Pottery: NYC-based nonprofit ceramics school and community studio offering classes, memberships, and scholarships. Comparable as an urban nonprofit ceramics education provider with a scholarship and accessibility mission similar to SCCA's.
• Odyssey Center for the Ceramic Arts: Asheville, NC community ceramics studio offering memberships, classes, and residencies in the Southeast US. Strong geographic and operating overlap with SCCA, including membership tiers and public firing access.
• Mudflat Studio: Somerville, MA nonprofit ceramics and clay arts studio with memberships, classes, and outreach programs. Closely matches SCCA's hybrid membership-plus-scholarship community model.
• Northern Clay Center: Minneapolis-based nonprofit ceramics center offering classes, memberships, exhibitions, and community access to studio equipment. Most directly comparable in mission, nonprofit structure, and product mix (classes, memberships, public firing, gallery) to SCCA.
• The Clay Studio (Philadelphia): Philadelphia nonprofit ceramic arts organization providing studio access, classes, exhibitions, and artist residency programs. Closest peer in operating model — nonprofit community ceramics studio with similar educational and maker programs.
• Houston Ceramics Center: Houston nonprofit ceramics studio running classes, memberships, and firing services. Comparable operating scope to SCCA, including public firing and community-focused programming.

Emerging players

• Penland School of Craft: Nonprofit craft education organization offering multi-week workshops including ceramics. Comparable in workshop-based delivery and nonprofit mission, though Penland operates a residential workshop model rather than a community studio.
• Haywood Community College (Professional Crafts — Clay): Regional craft education program with a focused ceramics track that serves beginning through advanced potters in Western NC. Partially comparable as a community-access clay program in the Southeast, though institutionally different from a nonprofit studio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ScenicCityClayArts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/scenic-city-clay-arts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Scenic City Clay Arts