TL;DR: This studio is not a safe place to work or learn. There is a well-documented pattern of inappropriate behavior from Leroy toward women that makes the environment unsafe for students and instructors alike.
I have known Leroy for approximately two years, and based on my direct experience, I do not believe he is a professional or ethical business owner. Please disregard any reviews or promotional materials that reference my name, as I no longer support Leroy or his business in any capacity.
If you are considering taking a class here, be aware that student work is often cone 10 clay fired to bisque. In practical terms, this means pieces remain unvitrified, which may not be clear to beginners expecting food-safe work. The studio is poorly organized, and student work is routinely misplaced or lost. Instructors are treated with consistent disregard and disrespect, including long-standing instructors such as myself, as well as newer instructors like Amy.
Chronological account of my experience at Fire Gallery:
When I first joined the studio, I genuinely enjoyed being a member and valued the community. I began teaching one-time wheel classes and received positive feedback and reviews that benefited the studio.
Over time, Leroy's behavior became inappropriate and unprofessional. During a raku firing, he cornered me and made unsolicited comments about my appearance. He then stated that his wife allowed him to pursue relationships with students. This interaction made me extremely uncomfortable and crossed clear professional boundaries.
I later addressed this directly with him and asked that we keep our relationship strictly professional, as I valued my job and the studio community. In response, he removed me from the teaching schedule and told me that if I felt uncomfortable, I did not need to be there. As a result, I left the studio for approximately a year.
After some time, my partner and I returned to assist with building and firing a soda kiln, which Leroy was unable to build or operate independently at the time. We intended to keep our involvement limited strictly to firings, though I did teach a few classes sporadically. We hoped that time and distance had led to change, but this was not the case.
Our final decision to leave was made after multiple new members reported that Leroy continued to make lewd and inappropriate comments. These reports escalated to learning that he had placed his hands on our friend, Lucy. Following this, many members left the studio in a mass exodus.
It is also important to state that my experience was not isolated. Before, during, and after my time at Fire Gallery, multiple women in the Houston pottery community independently shared that they had left this studio due to similar experiences of sexual harassment and boundary violations. These accounts were shared by different individuals at different times and describe a consistent pattern of behavior. His conduct is widely known within the local Houston pottery community.
After our departure, Leroy retaliated through his website. Notably, much of the soda firing information still published there was written by us, as he relied on others to produce written materials.
To be clear, the issue is not his artwork or the presence of nude sculptures. The issue is repeated unwanted sexual remarks, boundary violations, and unprofessional conduct in a space where people should feel safe to learn and work read more