Wheelcraft Studio Targets 100 Members After First Year
Joliet-area warehouse space offers structured six-week classes and open studio access for adult learners, with holiday workshops starting at $10 this weekend.
By Harper Collins ·
Megan Jacobsen signed the lease for a warehouse in Keller in September 2025, starting Wheelcraft Studio one month later. The former art teacher for the Keller Independent School District left her 13-year career in public education to create a dedicated space for adults to learn creative skills.
The studio provides two distinct service models for its users. First, it offers structured, teacher-led instruction for beginners. These include six-week courses and single-session workshops in ceramics, sewing, stained glass, drawing, and painting. Tuition covers all necessary materials for these classes.
Second, the warehouse operates as an open studio for independent artists. Monthly memberships grant unlimited access hours, dedicated shelf storage, and access to firing services and glazes. The facility also contains private offices available for rent by local creators.
Jacobsen identified a gap in the local market between casual entertainment venues and formal art education. She noted that many parents of her former students expressed a desire to learn skills like pottery or painting themselves. Her curriculum focuses on technical proficiency rather than quick, decorative projects. "You go to a paint-and-sip and everyone paints a cute landscape, but how do you do a landscape from scratch?" she said.
The studio is currently expanding its community programming. It hosts free weekly art clubs that rotate through sketching, fiber arts, crafting, and journaling. The business has grown to roughly 60 active members since its opening. Jacobsen aims to double that number to 100 by the studio's second anniversary in late 2026.
Wheelcraft Studio will hold holiday craft workshops during Thanksgiving weekend to welcome new visitors. Events are scheduled for Black Friday, Nov. 27, and Small Business Saturday, Nov. 28. Workshops run from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., with registration fees starting at $10. A free pop-up market featuring handcrafted ceramic and glass pieces by studio members will take place on Nov. 28.
The next regular session of six-week classes begins Jan. 3. The warehouse space was originally purchased as a personal birthday gift for Jacobsen, who organized the initial furniture and supply setup with the help of friends on her birthday.
