Searching for pottery classes in Philadelphia? This page has in detail the different pottery classes in Philadelphia and the studios where you can find them.
The advantages of pottery are numerous and cannot be overemphasized. Among the numerous activities that are rewarding and good for our mind and body, pottery is number one.
Through pottery, we are always learning and can see ourselves getting better. This is very important as it motivates us to do more.
Through pottery, we express our emotions and feelings, even if we don’t tend to do so.
Pottery is an intellectual activity and exercising our brain is always good.
Finally, pottery is a means through which we can communicate with others and above all share our feelings.
Through pottery, we can switch up from work stress, the messiness of working with wet or damp clay, and the need to follow a process to achieve results forces practitioners to put their phones and tablets aside.
Pottery, therefore, is beneficial to both our body and mind. Read on to see the pottery classes in Philadelphia.
Basic Pottery Techniques
Here are the basic techniques that are used by working potters and ceramic artists.
- Throwing
- Trimming
- Slip Carving, or Sgraffito
- Bisque Firing
- Glazing
- Glaze Firing
- Slip Trailing
- Raku
- Smoking, or Pit Firing
- Salt Firing
The List of Pottery Classes in Philadelphia
Below are some of the studios with pottery classes in Philadelphia.
- Black Hound Clay Studio
- The Clay Studio
- The Expressive Hand
- Fleisher Art Memorial
- Neighborhood Potters
- Outlaw Arts
- Philly Art Center
- University City Arts League
- Yay Clay!
- Manayunk Pottery
- Allens Lane Art Center
- Mud Room Studio
Now, let’s give the details of these pottery studios and the pottery classes in Philadelphia they offer.
Black Hound Clay Studio
Black Hound Clay Studio was founded in 2016 as an inclusive community space for ceramic artists.
They are located in the heart of West Philadelphia right off Baltimore Avenue.
Offering affordable studio workspace, classes, and events throughout the year.
They offer the following and more:
Monday Beginning Wheelthrowing: 8 weeks: $400 (Installment Payment Plans Available).
Handbuilding Tableware For Beginners: 8 weeks: $400 (Installment Payment Plans Available).
From planters to mugs to bowls, each class lasts 2 or 3 hours and has easy step-by-step instruction designed for beginners who have never touched clay before.
Your project is then fired and glazed for you by BHCS staff and available for pick up at the studio in a few weeks.
The Clay Studio
The Clay Studio inspires curiosity and discovery around the art and craft of clay, drawing together students, artists, and an engaged public into a welcoming community.
Every day, in their classrooms, studios, galleries, and neighborhoods, they deepen the connection between people and clay with the highest quality programs and exhibitions.
Founded in 1974, The Clay Studio continues in the belief that shared creativity, so fundamental to humanity, is a critical force for good.
The Clay Studio offers the following and more:
Handbuilding I:
- Skill level: All Levels
- Technique/Medium: Handbuilding
- Age: Adult
Handbuilding Functional Ceramics:
- Tuesday Morning
- Instructor: Raymond Rorke
- Skill level: All Levels
- Technique/Medium: Handbuilding
- Age: Adult
Wheel Throwing I:
- Tuesday Evening
- Instructor: Naimah Stith
- Skill level: All Levels
- Technique/Medium: Wheel throwing
- Age: Adult
The Expressive Hand
- 622 South 9th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147 - P: (267) 519-2626
The Expressive Hand is a studio where you will enjoy spending time with family, friends, co-workers, or dates! Create unique pieces.
Throw a party. There’s no need to wait for classes or pay high prices! Walk-in customers are always welcome. Everyone creates their own piece from hundreds of options.
Prices range from $12 to $65 per piece of pottery with a $10 table fee for a 2-hour painting session.
Fleisher Art Memorial
- Fleisher Art Memorial
719 Catharine Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147-2811
215-922-3456 ext. 300
Fleisher Art Memorial offers the following classes and more:
Ceramics Open Studio: Open Studio provides access to self-directed students interested in exploring ceramics in a shared space. Tuition: Member: $120.00.
Ceramics: Handbuilding: you will learn the basic techniques of hand-building and sculptural design in ceramics. Each session will include time for instruction, and for practicing new techniques.
- Tuition: Non-member: $195.00; Member: $175.00;
- Additional Fees: Studio fee: $25.00
Ceramics: Wheel Throwing: There you learn to make earthenware pottery and vessels.
This class is based strongly on finding out your individual needs, as every student goes in with different ideas about what they want to make.
- Tuition: Non-member: $195.00; Member: $175.00;
- Additional Fees: Studio fee: $25.00
Neighborhood Potters
Neighborhood Potters pursue and promote the creativity, diversity, and excellence of functional pottery being made in Philadelphia.
They strive to educate, inspire, and inform the Philadelphia audience and beyond, about this timeless art form.
They run adult and youth pottery classes that include all materials, firings, instruction, and tools.
They offer the following classes and more:
- Monday Nights classes / 6 Weeks /: Fee $255
- Tuesday Nights Classes / 8 Weeks /: Fee $335
- Wednesday Nights classes- 8 Weeks /: Fee $335
Outlaw Arts
Outlaw Arts offers pre-membership training, as well as children’s pottery classes in Philadelphia.
Their pre-membership training is for those with at least 8-weeks experience in a class.
All newcomers and returning students are required to complete their Pre-Memberships Training 6-week course, regardless of their skill level or experience.
That is because they want to make sure that your skills and habits match up with their needs and expectations as a shared studio.
For children’s clay classes, they handle small groups of 4 to 6 students, this class brings out the best in children, combining ingenious projects with opportunities to be creatively independent.
For the children’s classes:
Sundays: $25/class, 4-6 students, ages 4-14
Tuesdays: $100/4-week-session. 4-6 students, ages 10-14
There are homeschooling clay options; Thursdays: $150/6-week-session. 4-6 students, ages 5-11
Payments:
$240 buys a 6-pass good for one training course. Each course is a 6-week series covering intro clay skills, good studio habits, glazing protocols, and cleaning.
$400 buys a 10-pass good for 10 times in the studio for up to 3 hours at a time, plus up to 1/2 hr. additional time for clean up and sanitizing and includes the use of reconstituted clay, glazes firings, tools, and equipment.
$230/month meet with the studio manager to sign up for a studio maintenance job plus a leadership responsibility, then pay $220 on the 1st of the month, cause it’s good for the whole month!
4 sessions-$100 buys a 4-session series of classes, each 1.5 hours long.
Philly Art Center
Philly Art Center is comprised of the Fairmount location, founded in 2004, the Queen Village location, founded in 2011, the Cherry Hill location, founded in 2015, and the Mount Airy location founded in 2021.
Their goal is to develop dynamic, creative thinkers while fostering joy for arts and self-expression.
Through classes, workshops, camps, parties, and playgroups, Philly Art Center cultivates creative genius in all students. They offer:
- Clay: Handbuilding + Wheel Basics
Age: 18 + yrs
Monday 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM
Tuition: $ 288.00
University City Arts League
University City Arts League has been offering an array of visual and performing arts programs.
From printmaking to oil painting classes and to pottery classes in Philadelphia.
UCAL offers weekly classes for Adults in pottery, painting, watercolor, drawing, and more! Learn more and register by following this link.
- Hand Wheel classes: $211
- Summer Fridays: $25
Yay Clay!
Yay Clay! is a pottery studio where you can create, express, and explore your inner artist.
They offer One-On-One and Group Lessons, Hand Building, Wheel Throwing Jewelry-Making Raku, and Specialty Clay Workshops.
One-On-One and Group Lessons, Hand Building, Wheel Throwing Jewelry-Making Raku, and Specialty Clay Workshops are also available.
- Email: Info@yayclay.com
- Call: 215-716-7176
- 3237 Amber Street, Philadelphia, PA 19134
Manayunk Pottery
Manayunk Pottery offers pottery Hand & Wheel and Creative Handbuilding & Tile Making classes. They offer the following classes:
- Creative Hand-building & Tile Making: Tuesdays: $295, 10:00 AM-1:00 ~ PM (10 wks).
- Pottery Hand & Wheel:Tuesdays, 6:30 PM-9:30 ~ PM (10 wks) ~ $295
- Pottery Hand & Wheel for Teens / Adults: Saturdays, 10:00 AM-1:00 PM ~ $295
- Pottery: Open Studio: Saturdays & Tuesdays, 1:00-4:00 PM: $200 for a 10-visit pass for non-student, Free to students in the above classes
Allens Lane Art Center
Allens Lane Art Center offers classes in Visual Arts, Ceramics, and Theater for both youth and adults.
They offer multi-week pottery classes in Philadelphia, as well as single-session workshops.
Allens Lane Art Center Summer Art Camp is an interactive and fun experience for campers aged 5-13.
Campers experience a variety of creative outlets (drawing, painting, set design and construction, acting, vocal coaching, ceramics, and more!).
Mud Room Studio
- 11 Station Road—-Ardmore PA 19003
The Mudroom Studio is a ‘paint your own’ ceramic and craft studio. Their mission is to provide you with an enjoyable and fun environment to create unique pieces.
The Mudroom Studio provides you with every need of yours- brushes, paints, glazes, stencils-whether you are a beginner or a professional.
They have hundreds of options of pottery to choose from! Their selection includes several different functional pieces like mugs and platters and fun kid pieces like princesses and comic book superheroes.
Are there other pottery classes in Philadelphia you’re aware of? kindly share with our readers below.