Multi-Week Classes
Our pottery classes in San Francisco's Mission District meet once a week for 2.5 hours. May/June classes are below.
What Makes Our San Francisco Pottery Studio Different?
Five clay bodies to choose from. Students get 25 lbs of clay and may use any of our five student-available clay bodies (members get access to all seven, including porcelain and Dragon Fruit). Instructors will recommend the right clay for your skill level and project.
Open studio practice five days a week. Most studios offer one practice day; we offer five. Specific days depend on your class day — your instructor will walk you through the schedule on day one.
8-week classes, not 6. We extend the standard curriculum so every student has multiple opportunities to fire their pieces and refine technique over time. Real skill development needs more than six sessions.
65+ in-house designed glazes. We're the only cone 6 pottery studio in the Bay Area that designs and mixes all of our own glazes — students get full access at no additional cost.
Working artists as instructors. Every Hickory Clay instructor has their own studio practice. Meet our instructors →
Classes include clay, tools, and aprons.
Intro to Throwing and Glazing
Our beginner wheel throwing classes in San Francisco teach the fundamentals of making pieces on the potter's wheel. You'll learn to prepare clay, center, throw, and trim. Once your pieces are bisque fired, we'll teach you how to glaze them. Our instructors lead through group demonstrations, discussions of example pieces, and one-on-one feedback. We want you to excel, and we encourage every student to use our open studio hours to practice between classes.
4-week class curriculum : Week 1: Throwing, Week 2: Throwing, Week 3: Trimming, Week 4: Glazing
8-week class curriculum: Week 1: Throwing, Week 2: Throwing, Week 3: Trimming, Week 4: Glazing, Week 5: Throwing, Week 6: Throwing, Week 7: Handbuilding and handles, Week 8: Glazing
May + June
Saturdays at 10:30am for 4 weeks for $250 taught by Theresa. June 6, 13, 20, 27. Age 13+
Mondays 6:30pm for 8 weeks for $425 taught by Cathy: April 27, May 4, 11, 18 [skip 25,] June 1, 8, 15, & 22
Wednesdays 6:30pm for 8 weeks for $425 taught by Daniel: April 29, May 6, 13, 20, 27, June 3, 10, 17
Introduction to Handbuilding: Tableware & Design
Spend eight weeks making your own set of dishes by hand in our San Francisco handbuilding pottery class. Each lesson guides you through a new piece — plates, salad plates, bowls, mugs, and serving pieces. We start with bowls, plates, and cups, but the techniques you'll learn will lead you to more ambitious work like pitchers, trays, and charcuterie boards. You'll learn surface decoration, slab construction, plaster molds, templates, and glazing. This handbuilding class is beginner friendly and open to all skill levels.
In the first lesson, you'll try a few techniques to find the style for your set. In the second, you're invited to bring in dishes and bowls from home to use as templates and learn how to pour your own plaster hump molds — so your set has a cohesive look across every piece. From there you'll move on to specific pieces, with firing and glazing happening throughout the class.
Wednesdays at 6:30pm with Jerry for 8 weeks: May 6, 13, 20, 27, June 3, 10, 17 and 24 for $425.
Next Step Wheel: Pulling Vertical
For students who've taken a beginner wheel throwing class and feel comfortable centering clay and working in our studio. You'll build new techniques to push your ceramics forward — collaring, closing forms, using calipers to template pieces, and centering larger amounts of clay to throw taller work. Along the way you'll pick up tips and tricks for centering, trimming, and finishing that move you out of beginner territory. You'll also get more depth on glazing and how to use our custom-designed glazes.
Jerry teaches with group demonstrations alongside one-on-one support and guidance. The class works through a variety of forms and techniques, fine-tuned with the students on day one. Bring your questions and goals.
This is a Next Step class focused on new forms and shapes.
Tuesdays 6:30pm for 8 weeks for $425 taught by Jerry: April 28, May 5, 12, 19, [skip 26,] June 2, 9, 16, & 23.
Children & Teens!
Teens are welcome in our Saturday and Sunday wheel throwing classes.
Mommy & Me: Animal Pinch Pots
Our Mommy & Me pottery classes for pre-school and kindergarten-age children begin in June, taught by Monique. These run one Saturday per month at 10am and are booked individually.
Children create pinch pots that become a pair of animals: bunnies, mice, or cats. Then they’ll create a larger pinch pot that’s a “cave” for the animals to live in. As we finish, we gently push the animals together so they meld into one another, just like a parent and child. We glaze and fire every piece. $70 for one adult and one child.
Saturday, June 6 · 10am–noon
Saturday, June 27 · 10am–noon
When you reach a page that says “order pending” or a receipt you have successfully secured a spot.
Wheel throwing classes teach the basics of making pieces on the potter’s wheel. Beginning students learn to prepare the clay, center, throw, and trim. After the pieces are fired, all students are taught how to glaze their pieces. Classes are capped at 11 students for high student/teacher interaction.
For students who have taken a beginner class and feel comfortable centering clay and working in the studio. You’ll learn new techniques to help you push your ceramics journey forward. These include collaring, closing forms, using calipers to template pieces, and making plates. Along the way you’ll learn tips and tricks to improve your centering, trimming, and finishing pieces that you will help you excel out of your beginner phase. Students will get more depth on glazing techniques and how to use our custom-designed glazes.
Daniel teaches will group demonstrations along with one-on-one support and guidance. Class will work through a variety of topics, but will be fine tuned with the students on the first day of class. Bring your questions and goals!
This is a Next Step class focused on new forms and shapes.
Looking for One-Time Classes, Private Lessons, Workshops, or Gift Cards?