Where to Make Your Own Pottery in and Around Philadelphia
Here's where you can sign up for wheel-throwing, handbuilding, glazing, and other ceramics classes.
Here’s where you can take a pottery class in and around Philadelphia. / Photograph courtesy of The Clay Studio
If you’re looking for a new hobby or a fun way to pass the time, consider a pottery class. It’s a great way to broaden your definition of self-care, as wheel-throwing or handbuilding can help you find a meditative rhythm and focus on the task at hand (literally). Below, find a list of venues across the region where you can take a ceramics class.
Allens Lane Art Center
601 West Allens Lane, Mount Airy
At Allens Lane Art Center, classes range from wheel-throwing and handbuilding to intro to pottery, advanced techniques, and raku, where you’ll learn glazing, kiln loading, firing, and cooling. There are also kid- and teen-focused sessions, as well as monthly clay dates that’ll see you creating everything from garden pots to wall pockets.
Black Hound Clay Studio
715 South 50th Street, West Philly and 1701 Federal Street, Point Breeze
Black Hound Clay — which has locations in West Philly and, more recently, in Point Breeze — offers multi-week classes with everything from beginner wheel-throwing to special topics in handbuilding. They also run a summer camp and one-day workshops in skills like making your own mug, funky planter, or lantern; and can even host events that include all materials, tools, and personalized instructions from a professional teaching artist who will fire all of your projects.
Centered Clay Studio
67 Ways Lane, Kennett Square
Out in Kennett Square, find Centered Clay Studio, which has been operational since 1922. The facility features 10 wheels, three communal tables, and two kilns, among other amenities. On the schedule you’ll find eight-week classes for beginners through advanced makers, three-hour workshops (including a “Try the Potter’s Wheel”), half-day sessions, technique series, and open studio membership.
The Clay Studio
1425 North American Street, Kensington
The Clay Studio, which moved to a massive four-story facility in Kensington in 2022, offers year-round handbuilding and wheel-throwing classes, plus workshops for varying skill levels and ages. The nonprofit also hosts exhibitions of work from both national and international artists, and runs Claymobile, their mobile arts education program that brings pop-up ceramics studios into schools, community centers, and later-life facilities.
Fleisher Art Memorial
719 Catharine Street, Bella Vista
Fleisher Art Memorial’s mission is to make art accessible no matter your financial means or skill level. In addition to their numerous pottery sessions, they also offer a wide variety of other modalities, including painting, photography, and drawing for comic books. Fleisher also runs a handful of community programs like a free art lounge for teens and Art for the Ages, their initiative for lifelong arts engagement.
Mission in Arts
1720 North 5th Street, G3, Kensington
This Olde Kensington-based workspace is member-sustained, meaning you have to apply for membership in order to use the facility and equipment, including four pottery wheels, a slab roller, a kiln, work benches, hand tools and molds. Open studio hours are offered daily from 8 a.m. to midnight, and there are occasional handbuilding workshops in the classroom. Twenty-five pounds of clay are included with every new membership.
Neighborhood Potters
2034 Fairmount Avenue, Fairmount
Owners Sandi Pierantozzi and Neil Patterson have been manipulating clay into beautiful pieces for years, and opened Neighborhood Potters in 2010 to share the love of the art with the Fairmount and surrounding communities. They run adult and youth pottery classes that include all materials, firings, instruction, and tools, plus a retail store open every Saturday from noon to 4 p.m.
Outlaw Arts
20 East Mount Airy Avenue, Mount Airy
Founded by second-generation potter Cornelia Kietzman, Outlaw Arts is a shared clay studio in Mt. Airy. That means in order to take classes or workshops, you’ll need to complete a four-session training course that covers studio etiquette, clay basics, glazing, and surface decoration. They also run clay classes for children ages four through 12, teens, and those who are homeschooled.
Philly Art Center
Multiple locations
Philly Art Center has been running art and music classes for adults and children since 2004. When it comes to ceramics, you can expect to learn the basics of handbuilding and wheel-throwing in a multi-week course. Even better: They boast locations across the area, in Queen Village, Fairmount, Mount Airy, and Cherry Hill.
The Pottery Gym
1319 North Randolph Street, Kensington
Established in 2021, The Pottery Gym has something for everyone. Offerings include two-hour private wheel-throwing or handbuilding sessions (for two people), monthly studio memberships, kiln rentals, and community events.
University City Arts League
4226 Spruce Street, University City
In the heart of UCity is University City Arts League, a nonprofit offering adult classes, after-school programs, and summer camp. Their class schedule features hand and wheel sessions at various times throughout the week, open studio hours, and non-ceramics workshops in portrait drawing, crocheting, and rug braiding.
Yay Clay!
3237 Amber Street, Port Richmond
Opened in 2014, Yay Clay! hosts adult and youth clay classes, BYOB-friendly private events (with access to their free arcade room!), open studio, and kiln rentals. Here, you can also book what they call a Clay Date: a two-hour instructional wheel-throwing class that includes all materials, firing costs, and choice of glaze color for $75 to $90 per person (two-person minimum).
